Another FD to EOS converter idea?

[14mm 2.8l]

On a previous thread Chris T pointed out something I too had considered:

 

Take a 1.4x FD and modify the body mount side to instead mount on EOS camera.

The 1.4x rarely trade above $100 these days. Yes I know it's not 1.26x, but

this modification might be an acceptable and far less expensive option

compared to paying $1,000 for the "rare" 1.26x that canon made. It would have

to be solid and unbreakable modification since trashing a body or heavy lens

is unacceptable.

 

Maybe the creative fellow, Wim from Netherlands, can permanently modify a 1.4x

instead a 50 1.4 fd lens. If so then we all might be able to have one or

several FD long lense to eos body converters for use with eos digital slr's in

the future.

 

Lindy

[vincenzo_maielli]

Hi, dear friend. You can find the FD - EOS adapter in the Hama catalogue (cod. 30845). This adapter it's sell in Adorama shop, New York. Search Adorama in google. If i remember well, the price is 119 dollars.

Ciao bella.

 

Vincenzo Maielli Italy

[14mm 2.8l]

$119 is way too much money. I bought this very same item from adorama for $39.95 new in the box and would gladly sell it for $39.95 to be rid of it. I am looking for a quality glass adapter option. My Rare FD 14mm 2.8L is absolutely disappointing with it.

 

A better option for this abandoned system is always to continue to use FD glass with my F-1 bodies.

 

 

But, I am exploring a high end option of putting supertelephoto FD lenses on a future purchase 5D. I have completely given up on putting my 14mm 2.8L on a eos body due to aftermarket adapter's lack of quality and because my like new in the box eos mount tamron 14mm 2.8 IF is a fantastic piece of glass that usually trades for just $550ish. Mine arrived for $470 delivered.

 

Lindy

[tommyinca]

The Hama FD-EOS adapter use cheap 2 elements un-coated lens. The FD 1.4X adapter is a high quality 4 element multcoated TC. One would expect big difference.

[14mm 2.8l]

Exactly Tommy, I think one could modify both the 1.4x and the 2x A or B. All 3 might be possible to do like Wim has done with his 50mm 1.4 FD. All Fd converters are L quality compatible glass and are more affordable these days for this non reversable modification.

 

By the way, I finially located a wholesale price for the rare 1.26x eos body to fd converter. I knew these sold for $250 retail originally and dealer wholesale was just $125.00.

 

So the 1.26x is not a highend and super complex glass converter.

 

I also recently found out who bought the most of these 1.26x. Maybe I can get lucky and buy one or a few out of the several hundred that Canon shipped to this buyer in 1991. That one buyer is likely the reason why I never see the first 1,600 unit serial numbers and instead I find these usually are 11700 to 11979. We are all competing in auctions for the last 300 of these and the other 1,600 1.26x system converters are at......

 

Sorry, I'll share if I successfully buy one or several. Anyways, Tommy don't you have one of these 1.26x? If I recall right, aren't you an adapter specialist/collector? I think I've seen you pic of 2 or 3 system adapters. If so would you post it on this thread please?

 

Thanks! Lindy

[william_barnett_lewis]

[/Lurk Mode]

 

The reality is quite simple, keep the FD camera and stop trying to pretend you can ever force that FD lens to work on an EF camera. Sorry, but the best thing Canon _ever_ did was to force the mount change. It allowed them to create what is the best AF mount currently available with out the pretense of the almost "compatability" of the Nikon F mount.

 

Now, there are some exquisite FD lenses out there. Get a T90 or a FTb-N and deal with it. That's what I did - a FTb-N for $26 & a 50/1.4 for $13 from eBay. Why try to force fit them to something else?

 

EF and FD are two separate universes. This is a good thing.

 

[Lurk mode]

 

William

[tommyinca]

I did use a few FD lens in with my EOS 5D. Here are some of my experiences. I acquire these adapters before they became so expensive these days.

 

Start from lower left counter clockwise, FD to EOS macro adapter. I used it with my FD50/f3.5. The large center openning allow it to use with a full frame body. There aperture preset switch also work very well.

 

Next is a Kenko 1.4X FD-EOS converter. I think they were sold mainly in Japan only. I got this one via ebay for less then $100. I use this with my FD35/f2.8 TS for table top photos. It is a multi-coated and multi-element hight quality TC.

 

Next is Canon FD-EOS adapter. I use it with a FD500/f4.5. It is a 630mm f5.6 on an EOS body.

 

On the top right hand side is a FD to T-mount revered adapter.

 

On the top left is a Spiratone scope adapter for a FD135 which has its aperture stuck open. It make a 14X spotting scope on an other broken lens.<div></div>

[14mm 2.8l]

Outstanding collection of adapters and information Tommy!

 

Do you have a Canon brand 1.4x-A in FD mount? If so could you post a side by side image of it and the 1.26x system converter? Since both have the glass protruding I am hopeful this alteration really might be an option for me.

 

I think there is only 2mm difference in FD's 44mm and EOS' 42mm from film plane. If the mount was shaved off an FD 1.4x-A and an EOS lens mount permanently installed in place of the FD mount it just might be the additional option I am looking to create, short of spending $1,000 on ebay thesedays for a rarely seen 1.26x.

 

I already bought a metal canon brand eos mount from my local shop's junk lense a while back and an EOS-3 film body to experiment with.

 

Thanks Again! Lindy

[tommyinca]

Sorry, I don't have a Canon FD 1.4X TC.

[feanolas1]

Hi Lindy,

 

I made some experiments with the 500/4.5 and if you focus it to the very end of the range, (after infinity), and you put the EOS body against the mount, you actually retain the focus at infinity! So a mount adapter without any additional material between the two mounts would be OK for the 500mm. Doesn't work for the 300, alas!

I am planning to try it out one day. Was about to do it when I came upon a x1.26 FD-EOS converter, and now I sort of lost the incentive! :-)

Still planning to do it, maybe over Xmas.

 

JB

[feanolas1]

PS: by the way, I went through the same reasoning for the x1.4 converter mod, this should work OK and I actually bought a second one for that. Now it sits unused!

[feanolas1]

I went through with the idea and have made a adapter ring with nothing between the lens and the body, so as not to add more than necessary distance between them. As I said before, it works OK with the 500L, it focuses to infiniti, but just barely by going to the very end of the distance scale, past infinity. Doesn't work for the 300L, focusing is limited to about 50m... still usable, but limiting nonetheless. I am thinking of slightly modifying the lens to remove those tens of millimeters while keeping it usable for FD mount.

Tried some other lenses: 200mm foucuses to 18m, 135mm to 9m only, 85mm to 2m, etc. What a shame!

:(