Manual focus lenses on EOS 20D

[mirek_elsner1]

Hi,<br>

Based on some reviews, I have been flirting with an idea of

purchasing manual focus, Contax mount, wide angle lens for my 20D. I

don't have any previous experience with manual lenses on EOS bodies

and I was wondering:<br><br>

 

- Does EOS 20D confirm focus with manual lenses?<br>

- Is manual focus with this camera accurate?<br>

- Does this camera meter correctly with manual lenses? <br>

- Does anybody actually use Zeiss lenses like Distagon 21mm or

similar with EOS 20D? Is the performance worth the hassle? <br><br>

 

Thanks,<br><br>

 

Mirek Elsner

[shambrick007]

"- Does EOS 20D confirm focus with manual lenses?" - No.<p>

"- Is manual focus with this camera accurate?" - W/out a microprism, I personally find it tough w/wider f-stops on 50mm an longer.<p>

"- Does this camera meter correctly with manual lenses? " - Some compensation may be required.

[eosdoc]

I have only one manual focus lens for my EOS 20D.

 

- Does EOS 20D confirm focus with manual lenses?

Yes.

 

- Is manual focus with this camera accurate?

Yes.

 

- Does this camera meter correctly with manual lenses?

Yes.

 

My manual-focus lens is a TS-E 24mm f/3.5 L. YMMV.

[matt_sallis]

Hi Mirek,

I use that exact combination (21mm distagon on 20D) and it does produce superb results. Though Canon's telephoto's are excellent, Zeiss wide angles are light years ahead of Canon, particularly the 21mm.

Edge to edge sharpness, beautiful colour balance and saturation, and incredible resolution. The 21mm is also very well corrected for distortion. They are also more resistant to flare, to which digital can be more prone.

 

Manual focus is accurate (huge depth of field with a 21mm helps) and metering is accurate. There is no focus confirmation.

Bear in mind that the aperture is no longer auto and you need to stop down manually. So focus wide open, then stop down. This makes operation slower, but how often are you in a hurry with a 21mm?

 

Whether it is worth the hassle or not is a personal choice. I feel the extra quality of the distagon makes it very worthwhile (it's really not that much hassle anyway).

 

Also remember that you don't get the full benefit of the 21mm as the angle of view will be equivalent to 33mm.

 

This link may help your decision:

 

http://www.16-9.net/ultrawides/

 

click on the link to the Canon 17-40 vs Zeiss Distagon 21mm at the bottom of the page as well - it shows you what you need to know.

 

Cheers,

Matt.

[paul_de_luna]

I have a quiver of Zeiss lenses I use on my 20D, and....

 

Focus Confirmation: No

Accurate Metering: Yes, but check the histogram

Accurate Manual Focusing: A ROYAL Pain In The Ass. As we all know the viewfinder is dim and small - compared to my Contax S2b and MF cameras, that is. To top it off you must stop-down manually. I like to shoot wide to near-wide open, esp with longer lenses, and I do find some of my shots out of focus, and I have good eyes. With the 21mm's DOF it shouldn't be a problem, though.

 

So, is it worth it: I should say no, so the prices of Zeiss lenses don't go up - but absolutely. The detail is staggering, corner to corner. And of course I was already a Zeiss 'snob'. :-)

[jorge_torralba2]

There are some interesting test results at this site with various Zeiss on Canon

 

http://www.dslrexchange.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=70