FD mount on EOS?

[arthur_young1]

<p>Hi,<br>

I'm looking at a 500mm FD lens to use on my EOS 1d body. I can't afford $6,000 for the monster I really want at this time. Anyone have any experience with this adaption? Is it a good idea or should I wait and save the money toward the EOS model?</p>

[SCL]

<p>If you don't need infinity focus, it's ok. If you do need it, the adapter lens will degrade the quality. Canon's adapter, specially made for professionals at the end of the FD line, is probably the least degrading, but when you find them, they seem to run around $1000. IMHO your better choice would be the Tamron 500 Cat lens using the Adaptall II/ Canon FD adapter at somewhere between $150-250 USD.</p>

[chris_gampat]

<p>You realize that you lose an entire stop when doing this, right?</p>

[rick_janes]

<p>Arthur, I've got both the FD 500 f/8 mirror and genuine FD-EOS converter here but haven't tried that particular combination. They do mate up, full range focusing is possible, and (at least) decent sharpness is presented in the EOS-3's viewfinder- I can read some small details even at the corners. But are they an optimal FD-EOS combo optically? My guess is no, and especially at their cost...<br /> My suggestion? Look around for a clean Vivitar Series 1 600mm f/8 "solid cat" and a simple T-mount to EOS adapter. I found a solid cat locally on shop consignment a few years ago for just over $200 and the lens mount adapter was about $20. It performs very well and the bang / buck ratio is fantastic!<br>

If your interim budget is a little higher grab an EF 400mm f/5.6L and TC 1.4x. The 400 is a gem and one of the true sleepers of Canon's current range.</p>

[bobatkins]

<p>Take a look at this article on adapters: <a href="http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/eosfaq/manual_focus_EOS.html">http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/eosfaq/manual_focus_EOS.html</a></p>

<p>As the comments above suggest, you might be able to get away with a mechanical ("macro") adapter if you don't need infinity focus. Just how far away you will be able to focus with one I don't know. The 500/4.5 will focus "past" infinity I think, which will help and if you can get (or make or modify) and adapter that's thin, you might get focus out to 50ft or so (which is what I got with a macro adapter on an FD mount 500/8 mirror lens - see <a href="http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/reviews/canon_fd_eos_adapters.html">http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/reviews/canon_fd_eos_adapters.html</a></p>

<p>Another possibility is that I've heard of people physically modifying the lens by shortening the barrel and replacing the FD mount with an EOS mount. It's only worth doing on expensive lenses like the 55/1.2 and the long "L" lelephotos like the 500/4.5L. It's going to need some mechanical skills of course, but you only need to shave about 2mm off the barrel length to get infinity focus. Here's how one guy did it - <a href="http://www.ganymeta.org/~darren/photo_f1.2_conversion.php">http://www.ganymeta.org/~darren/photo_f1.2_conversion.php</a></p>

[scrivyscriv]

<p>It depends on how important IQ and aperture are to you. I have an FD 500mm f/8 reflex that I'm in the process of converting to EF mount, and its images are quite usable; I'm limited to mostly sunny days but it's nice to have 500mm in my range for even occasional use.<br>

<a href="00Tbjo">Reference this thread here for examples and technical info on the conversion.</a></p>

[link]

<p>Arthur,</p>

<p>It should be quite possible to build a new lensmount for the FD lens to fit the EF camera. You will probably loose the auto closing iris though.</p>

<p>You should find a machinist with experience in building lenses and adapters. My guess is that such work would cost about $500 - $1000.<br>

The price might be less if you can supply the EF mount from an old junk lens.</p>

<p>I would suggest <br>

A & S Precision Inc<br>

25030 Avenue Stanford, <br>

Santa Clarita, CA<br>

(661) 257-8484‎<br>

Ask for Eric.</p>

[arthur_young1]

<p>Wow, lots of ideas or options! I guess I have some research to do. Thanks everyone!</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>For around $200 (at least, that's what I paid locally) you can find a very nice non-AI Reflex-Nikkor 500mm f/8. This is as good a mirror lens as you can get. It works just fine with an inexpensive (<$20 usually) Nikon>EOS adapter and has full metering through the lens, with manual focusing, of course.</p>

<p>Given such easy adaptation to the Canon EOS system, it hardly makes sense to spend much on trying to adapt an FD lens. Avoid the newer, cheap mirror lenses completely. They aren't worth even their modest prices. Next best are the later Spiratone Minitel 500mm lenses, but they usually go for close to the Nikkors in price.</p>

[yakim_peled1]

<p>

<p dir="ltr">I'd buy an EP-1 and MFT-FD adapter and get both "longer FL" and AS.</p>

<p dir="ltr"> </p>

<p dir="ltr">Happy shooting,</p>

<p dir="ltr">Yakim.</p>

<em><em>

<p dir="ltr"> </p>

</em></em><br>

</p>

 

[rick_janes]

<p>Before this thread drops too much further I wanted to try a few shots with a Vivitar Series 1 600mm f/8 (solid catadioptric) on an EOS 1D Mk IIn body (for a 780mm equivalent). All of these were taken this afternoon, hand-held, @ ISO 400. Conditions were warm and hazy sunshine. Many of these are at or very near the lens' 23' minimum focusing distance.</p>

<div></div>

[rick_janes]

<p>Running gear:</p><div></div>

[rick_janes]

<p>Prancing Horse:</p><div></div>

[rick_janes]

<p>Abstraction:</p><div></div>

[rick_janes]

<p>iridescence:</p><div></div>

[rick_janes]

<p>Pepe's:</p><div></div>

[rick_janes]

<p>geraniums:</p><div></div>

[rick_janes]

<p>My personal copy of this lens is about an EX- on the KEH scale, with very clean glass. Focus action is really smooth and with careful eye positioning the cross-split of EOS screen EC-L remains quite usable! Weight is 3.25 pounds on a digital scale.<br>

Only a couple of my shots were taken above the recommended minimum shutter speed, and some were way WAY below. Did I say this thing is handy?</p>

[clgriffin]

<p>Leitz 500mm MR with Leica to EOS Adapter, Canon 40D. Pelican in flight, taken from a bridge. Light weight, fits in a coat pocket. Trifle expensive if you can find one.</p><div></div>

[rick_janes]

<p>Manual focus of flying pelican, very nicely done!<br>

That Leitz mirror was designed and built by Minolta, correct?</p>

[clgriffin]

<p>I have a couple of bumblebee shots done with same lens. Yes, my understanding is by Minolta to Leitz specifications. There may be no real difference between same model from Minolta and Leica, but price and faithfulness of Leica fans, however, it appears to outperform the three previous mirror lenses I've used--although none of them were a Minolta.</p>

[markus_keinath1]

<p>I am 3 months too late, but I have converted my Canon FD 300/2.8 L last month to Canon EF mount (with infinity and manual iris operation).<br />At the moment I have only a german webpage for that modification:<br /><a href="http://www.4photos.de/camera-diy/Canon-FD300-2.8-EF-Umbau.html">http://www.4photos.de/camera-diy/Canon-FD300-2.8-EF-Umbau.html</a><br />A Canon FD 100 f4.0 Macro I have modified to EOS too, but for that I have no webpage yet.<br>

Both lenses are not very simple to adapt: The lincage between aperture ring and iris needs a DIY part to work. A mirror lens without an iris to operate should be easier to modify.</p>