Nikon lenses on 5D

Does anyone have experience with wide angled Nikkors on the 5D?

 

Currently I have a Nikon D70 but there really doesn't seem to be anything on the

Nikon horizon for a Full Frame that will come in under $2000, and the rebate on

the 5D ends at the end of the month.

 

The type of photography I do is mainly landscapes so I think I can get by with

just the focus confirmation adapter(s) on the Nikkors I have.

 

If image quality of say the Nikkor 18-35mm f3.5-4.5 at f8 to f16 is anything

like the Canon equivalent, I think I will make the transition over to Canon and

eventually get something like the 24-105mm f/4.

>> "the rebate on the 5D ends at the end of the month."

 

I think the rebate ends on July 19th.

 

>> "If image quality of say the Nikkor 18-35mm f3.5-4.5 at f8 to f16 is anything like the Canon equivalent, I think I will make the transition over to Canon and eventually get something like the 24-105mm f/4."

 

Canon makes a 17-40 f/4L, which's probably the closest thing they make. It's actually a L-series (pro) lens with a constant f/4 max aparture.

Andy:

If you have only one body and one lens, it is easy to jump to another brand. I also

think that Nikon won't be able to produce anything close to the 5D in that price

range, anytime soon. The 5D is a GREAT camera, and you will be able to find a

good rage of Canon wide angle lenses. I was a Nikon user and had a lot of Nikon

lenses, after seeing and using Leica cameras I dropped the Nikons immediately and

never regreted doing so. When digital got strong on the market, I had to choose a

another camera brand again to go digital (as Leica really didn't cought up with this

technology on time) and Canon was my choice, after using some Canon cameras

and lenses for a while as a test run. I am very happy with Canon and their product

range. Nikon users claim their cameras are far better for flash photography ( using

speedlights ) , I really can't say anything about this regard, as I am used to studio

strobe lights and the sole idea of a front, harsh flash light on my photos is not really

appealing. All in all, I would jump for the 5D and never look back, just enjoy it, as it

is a great camera for it's price.

And chances are that if you sell the D70 together with the lens, you'll get a very good price for it.

Thank you for the replies so far.

 

I have 10 Nikkors, so the idea of going Canon is not an easy decision. My biggest problem is in getting wider than 27mm FOV using the Nikkor 18-35mm.

 

To overcome this limitation I started to shoot film, but the hassles...

 

I could of course get a 12-24mm, but I'm still stuck with a D70.

 

So, it's really a question of how the Nikon wides perform on the 5D, rather than going all Canon. If someone says that IQ is not up to it with Nikons on the 5D, then I would wait for a cut-down D3.

 

My budget can't really be stretched beyond $2000.

FWIW, there are quite a few people using Nikon lenses on their 5Ds -- as well as Leica, Zeiss and OM. Depending on which lenses you have, they could be very good on a 5D. One thing however, the lenses need to have an aperture ring -- so a lot of the newer cheaper Nikkors won't work. Check out Fredmiranda's website under "Alternative Gear and Lenses" and you'll find a bunch of people using all sorts of lenses on their Canon cameras.

I am an architectural photographer that used to shoot 4x5 the vast majority of the time, with a Nikon system for occasional quicker/faster/cheaper work. The Nikkors that I used heavily for architectural work were the 28 PC, 35 PC, 24mm and 20mm. I got into digital capture with a Canon 5D because I needed full frame and there was no Nikon body or 24mm shift lens. I bought Nikon to Canon adaptors from Adorama for the Nikors that I used the most and the Canon 24mm TS , and I now have a very usable system with three shift lens options. I also bought a Tamron 17-35mm zoom, which is convenient and of decent quality, but I try to stick to prime lenses for hired work due to their sharpness and relative lack of barrel distortion. The only drawback to the Nikkors on the Canon body is that they must be used in manual mode, but I prefer to work that way anyway for architectural work. It would not be a great way to shoot portraits, family photos etc., but it is fine for architecture and should be OK for landscapes.

 

Now that Nikon has a 24mm TS lens, and supposedly more forthcomming full frame body alternatives, I may switch back to Nikon at some point. Ultimately, I just like Nikon lenses and bodies more than Canon.

"The only drawback to the Nikkors on the Canon body is that they must be used in manual mode"

 

That is not correct, the camera will meter in Av mode.

 

I use a number of non-Canon lenses on my EOS 5D with great results. My $70 pro-series adapters from Fotodiox.com are of the same quality as the $200+ adapters from B&H and Adorama.

 

I have never had any compatibility issues with Nikon lenses on the 5D, but I have had a Zeiss and an Olympus lens hit the mirror from time to time.

 

It should be a smooth transition from the D70 to 5D. I did the same move, with a few steps in between: D70 -> D200 -> Kodak SLR/n -> EOS 5D

 

The 5D is by far the most flexible camera and produces the nicest files.

 

Good luck!

Carlos,

You are right of course, the 5D will work with the adapted lenses in aperture priority mode. I guess what I was trying to say was that you have no camera/lens linkage, so the lens has to be used in stop down mode with manual focusing. As to the adaptors, my first was a Novoflex, which is German, precise and pricy. All of the rest have been Adaorama's $49.95 model, which I actually prefer to the Novoflex because they are easier to remove.

Well, 10 Nikkors is worth considering staying with Nikon, ONLY if they are top of the

line lenses, IMHO. I use my Leica lenses with the adapters mentioned above, from

Fotodiox and Novoflex and they work well on the 5D. Although, having to focus the

lens wide open, then stopping down the lens at the moment of taking the photos is a

really slow process, and I only do it when shooting on a tripod. 5D works fine on AV

and M mode My favourite lens is still a Leica that has seen it's life extended by using it

on the Canon digitals. But the purchase of Canon lenses is a must to properly work

with the camera with autofocus and low light situations.

"having to focus the lens wide open, then stopping down the lens at the moment of taking the photos is a really slow process, "

 

yes, and some diehard MF fan still using manual focus on his 600mm f4 lens. He claims the can focus just as fast as USM motor. For the rest of photographers, AF on the lens will do the work. Good luck.

Your Nikkors will be excellent on the 5D! I used the 14/2.8 AF, 28/2 AIS, 50/1.4 AIS, 135/2 AIS, 200/2 AI and 400/2.8 AIS on a Canon film camera and Canon 10D before switching to a D2X and Kodak SLRn (full frame). I did also use a Zeiss 85/1.4, but had to sell it when I made the switch to Nikon bodies.

 

 

The sports lenses are always used at wide open or closed one stop and focusing at f4 to f5.6 even is not a problem. The wideangles were generally on tripods so focusing wideopen and using stop down metering was not a problem. I never had autofocus confirmation since I went for the cheap adapters. I have only been using my full frame SLRn, which does not have metering with Nikon manual focus lenses, for a few weeks, but so far I can honestly say that I prefered having metering on the Canon than having focus confirmation on the SLRn!

 

 

Sure it will be a slower process but if you are like me, having spent 25 years taking landscape and architecture photos with 35mm film, you will appeciate just how fast any form of digital photography is.

 

 

By the way, while the SLRn likely provides superior images to the 5D, it is discontinued and unsupported and is almost as slow to use as medium format cameras. Having said that I have used it on three week-ends for soccer shots with the 200 attached to provide an alternative to the D2X with 400 attached. The SLRn is half the price of the 5D which allowed me to purchase the D2X. When I want a fast photo I grab the D2X, as you will grab the D70, but when I want the best quality wideangle shots I grab the SLRn as you will grab the 5D. Good luck!

Thank you all for your thoughts.

 

I am now convinced that I will be fine with my trusty Nikkor 18-35mm on the 5D. (99% of my serious landscape work is on a tripod)

 

Also thanks for the tips on a suitable adapter. There are quite a number on the 'bay.

 

(John I have an opportunity to get the Kodak SLR/n, and am surprised to hear that the IQ is better than the 5D. Since the SLR/n is unlikely to be supported where I live - Slovenia - I don't think I will go that route)

Although the SLRn is an antique by DSLR standards it does have 2 more MP than the 5D and it also has no anti-aliasing filter. The lack of the AA filter makes it inherently sharper than an equivalent MP sensor with one. The only significant drawback is a well documented moire effect in very fine line details within a scene. I have only had the SLRn for a short period of time but I have not seen any moire effect yet.

 

 

The 5D will be a much easier and faster camera to use and will have superior high ISO performance as well.

I'm sure you know, but the cashback does indeed end June 30th in Slovenia and other parts of Europe, and not 19th July as is the case in the USA.

Mark, yes. Strange about the date differences. Perhaps something to do with the financial end of year.

 

John, well, now you have me seriously thinking.

 

I shoot slowly, and mostly at base ISO so I can live with any other disadvantages of the SLR/n.

 

Thanks again.