Canon FD lens on Panasonic GF1?

[triciakennedy]

<p>Hello - I've read that I can buy an adaptor so that I can use Canon FD lens on my micro 4/3rds camera. Does anyone have any experience of this please? I have an old FD 50mm 1.8 which would give me 100mm on my 4/3rds. I think it might be a good portrait option but an adaptor costs around a hundred pounds and I'm not sure what I would gain. Currently, my only lens for this GF-1 is the 14-45 (kit) lens. Any comments on this would be welcome. Thank you in advance.</p>

[phototransformations]

<p>You can get a Canon FD to m4/3 adapter for about $20 on eBay. Here's a link:<br>

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-FD-Lens-2-Micro-4-3-G2-G10-GF1-E-P2-E-PL1-Adapter-/280551762804?pt=Lens_Accessories&hash=item4152302b74">http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-FD-Lens-2-Micro-4-3-G2-G10-GF1-E-P2-E-PL1-Adapter-/280551762804?pt=Lens_Accessories&hash=item4152302b74</a><br>

The 50 1.8 FD is reputed to be the best of the nifty fifty lenses when adapted to the m4/3 format. I have no personal experience with this, but I do use Nikon and Helios legacy lenses in this range as portrait lenses, and unless autofocus is important to you, they work fine and fill a gap in the m4/3 native lens range (i.e., a fast portrait lens). Worth $20 to find out if you like it, I'd say.</p>

[triciakennedy]

<p>Thank you David. I think I might try it, although I'm told that I should buy a top quality adaptor and over here (UK) they are around a hundred pounds. Does anyone else have any experience of FD lenses on micro four-thirds? </p>

[bradley_smith]

<p>I have 2 FD adapters that I use on a G2. I paid nearly £30 for one of them from amazon.co.uk. It arrived in a couple of days and works great. The other I got from a Chinese supplier on eBay called 'litooc'. it cost about £16 and took a few weeks to arrive but the quality is easily as good as the Amazon one.<br /> There's no need to spend a fortune on these. There's nothing to them really, they're just an aluminium tube with a moving ring so you can stop the aperture down. No electronics or glass in there at all.<br /> I can confirm that the 50mm makes and excellent portrait lens.</p>

<p>EDIT:<br /> There is a sample image archive over at the micro four thirds forum with examples of many adapted lenses:<br /> http://www.mu-43.com/f81/<br /> The 50mm f/1.8 image was taken by me using the cheapy Chinese adapter.</p>

<p>Finally you might like to join up over at - http://www.lumixlifestyle.co.uk/forum/ where there are all manner of discussions regarding lenses, adapters and everything else Lumix.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

[triciakennedy]

<p>Thank you Bradley - that's really useful information. I will look on Amazon and on EBay UK and buy an adaptor. It will be great to use my old FD 50mm again - especially as it was the lens I started out with on a Canon AV1. Thanks also for telling me about the lumixlifestyle website - I will head over there right now. </p>

[yoshio]

<p>Tricia</p>

<p>the best quality adaptor to be had for FD is the one by Ceicio7 ... it was reviewed on this site:<a href="http://cjeastwd.blogspot.com/2010/07/ciecio7-fd-g1-adaptor.html">here</a> it is machined from a single billet of alloy and is machined to a very high quality. It is without doubt the most solidly made adaptor on the market, and it is well priced. It is made in Poland.</p>

[triciakennedy]

<p>Thank you Yoshio - yet again another very helpful response from Photo net forum members - much appreciated</p>

[bradley_smith]

<p>The Ceicio7 look ok but doesn't have a ring to open and close the aperture. I think this is an essential feature of any micro 4/3rds adapter but others may disagree.</p>

[jsigua]

<p>There is a Flickr group devoted to micro 4/3 cameras and legacy lenses which you might also want to check out.<br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/1084614@N23/">http://www.flickr.com/groups/1084614@N23/</a></p>

<p>Here is a thread within the group with some shots from FD mount lenses (Canon and other mfgs).<br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/1084614@N23/discuss/72157619704259265/">http://www.flickr.com/groups/1084614@N23/discuss/72157619704259265/</a></p>

<p>I've also recently just bought a Panasonic G1 and will be putting FD lenses on it. I bought an adapter and bought mine from a seller named jinfinance. This adapter has the ring to open/close the aperture as Bradley has stated above.<br /> <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-FD-lens-Panasonic-G1-DMC-G1-micro-4-3-adapter-/110341536053?pt=Lens_Accessories&hash=item19b0de3935#ht_3319wt_1139">http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-FD-lens-Panasonic-G1-DMC-G1-micro-4-3-adapter-/110341536053?pt=Lens_Accessories&hash=item19b0de3935#ht_3319wt_1139</a></p>

[GerrySiegel]

<p>Tricia, I am a contrarian on the subject, but you profit from different views, right. I have 7 FD lenses, and they served me well. When I bought a Panasonic G-1 micro four thirds I decided to try an adapter of the made in China variety and I bought one which I think was called Fotodiox for about 35 dollars via an Amazon marketplace seller. I spent a week fiddling with this little tube and mounting and unmounting on my new FD and old FD lenses. The adapter never seemed to fit right or rather it was a job getting it on and off. Likely a matter of clearances, machining wise, but it has to line up with the levers on the back of the lenses as well as the slots on the back of your lens mount, too, as I recall. My verdict is this. If you buy a budget adapter of the really low cost variety (jinfinance or fotodiox I think they are in the same category) and <em>keep it on that one lens,, </em>a permanent partnership, you are good to go. I returned mine, because I was not overwhelmed by the on off business , a personal test which is not statistically significant... I say give it a try or you will never know. I would today buy a Novoflex model for US 230.00 but I am not about to "fund the German economy," sorry Chancellor Merkel.:-)<br /> Seriously, I know that Novoflex and some other models made in Japan of close tolerance and thoughtful design---there is some design in them, just like filters are of all quality levels,--- are reputed to be excellent. That Polish one referenced sounds like it might be both affordable and really nice too, up to a no fussy standard of practical use and QQ I mean, I may one day seek one out myself and use it with my 100 mm FD 2.8 which used to be my fave FD lens...</p>

<p>And for you it might well be a cost value investment. For me, I would put the money towards some of the Panasonic lenses designed for micro 4/3.<br /> I recognize many many others are keen on using older lenses on micro four thirds. And the results can be fine, image wise, for sure....if one is willing to accept the lack of any connection electronics of an electronic camera..<br /> To such I say merely we can agree to disagree.<br /> Be well. Give the budget one a shot, w return privilege if possible. Price of only a case of Guinness Stout etc I imagine...</p>

[triciakennedy]

<p>Thanks Gerry for your viewpoint. I had originally thought that such an adaptor was around the hundred pound mark, which is why I posed the original question. To my thinking, at a hundred pounds and the results might not be great, then I would not bother. However, for an adaptor costing around thirty pounds, then it's worth the experiment. It seemed to me that it might give my old FD lens a new lease of life and could potentially create some interesting images. Whether the adaptor is too fiddly in practice, I have yet to tell as I've now ordered an adaptor from Amazon (£30). It will, as you say, stay on the one FD lens as it's the only FD lens I have left so no problem with changing lenses. I am enjoying my GF-1 and on a recent holiday I took only that camera. Leaving behind my Canon DSLR and various lenses, it felt strange at first to have such a lightweight camera but, actually, it was liberating and somehow more creative - and fun! Thanks again. </p>

[yoshio]

<p>Bradley</p>

<blockquote>

<p>but doesn't have a ring to open and close the aperture. I think this is an essential feature of any micro 4/3rds adapter but others may disagree.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>exactly. I have used both, and find that there is little advantage for myself. The location of the "on off" ring makes bumping the actual aperture ring quite easy and they are quite stiff in operation. It is just as easy to set the aperture and still focus quite well using the EVF.</p>

<p>If any adaptor had a "flick switch" on the side to allow easy engagement of this I would be more tempted:</p>

<ol>

<li>focus wide open</li>

<li>flick closed (wait a moment for exposure to settle</li>

<li>take</li>

<li>release</li>

</ol>

<p>however in most cases I use my legacy lenses at their nearly widest settings. Compared to 35mm (where most of these lenses come from) the operation is different on 4/3.</p>

[yoshio]

<p>Gerry</p>

<blockquote>

<p>That Polish one referenced sounds like it might be both affordable and really nice too, up to a no fussy standard of practical use and QQ I mean,</p>

</blockquote>

<p>you may be surprised to find that some of the best machining in the world is not done in the USA, there is nothing inferior about the work done by the maker of the Ceicio7 adaptor. There is much more inferior in the build quality of many of the chinese ones. To decide what the quality is like because of the name of the country is quite a judgment of a book by its cover and is the same stuff of which racism is made from.<br>

I would ask you these questions:</p>

<ol>

<li>do you have one</li>

<li>how many adaptors have you seen and compared to each other</li>

<li>are you a metal machinist or have experience in evaluating such work?</li>

</ol>

<p>If the answer is not yes to a majority of the above (in particular #1 and #2) then I'd suggest that your evaluation of their QQ is sheer speculation with a tinge of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prejudice" _mce_href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prejudice"><strong>prejudice</strong></a><br _mce_bogus="1"></p>

[w_t1]

<p>To you that have used FD or other legacy lenses on micro4/3, is an evf accessory necessary for focusing, or can you get by using the screen only? Obviously I mean the gf-1 and the oly pens, not the g1, g2 gh etc that have an evf prism built in? Yoshio, it sounds like you use an evf. I imagine the screen is doable, like live view in dslr. I mainly shoot static subjects, not looking for something to replace my 1d for fast action. And frankly, getting an evf for oly or panny seems to kind of defeat my purpose as a carry around coat pocket camera. </p>

<p>The idea of a gf1 or epl1 with my fd 85 1.8 or 50 1.4 mounted is appealing. I've been researching lately, and some of the 4/3 lenses seem sweet too esp. the 7-14and the 20 1.7 but I like the idea of borrowing my old fd lenses. But I think I'm done with the Powershot G series, my g9 may be the last, we shall see. thank you, Tom</p>

[phototransformations]

I sometimes use the LCD on my G1 to focus legacy lenses, but using the EVF is certainly easier. Some people use a

magnifier called a Clearviewer (or similar) with the GF1 or Pen cameras and they seem to like them. They sell for

about $50 and collapse against the rear of the camera when not in use.

[yoshio]

<p>WT</p>

<p>I agree with David. I mainly use the EVF and find that using the rear screen more difficult. Firstly because holding a camera out in front of me is not the most natural way for me to use a camera, secondly because I need different glasses to see close to what I use for distance. The EVF allows me to dial in the dipoter I need.</p>

<p>As always, YMMV</p>

[tom_swanson]

<p>I like the fotodiox adapters. I've bought two (FD and MD) and they've both been fine. $30 each.</p>