carl ziess compatibility

[abhishek_rai]

<p>Hi, i've recently purchased a 'new' canon ae1 program. Took me a while to find it, its my second camera and i absolutely love it. However i can never find new lens, i do have a few used fd lens and have no complains about the quality of glass found on ebay or other 2nd hand dealing website. However a friend recommend that carl ziess k mount is still in production and its compatible with the fd system via an adapter. So i was wondering if anyone has done this (also with any other carl lens) and if there are any draw back to this?? like stopping down or not being to focus to infinite.</p>

<p>thanks once again<br>

abz~</p>

[andrewg_ny]

<p>I don't think it's likely you'll be finding "new" FD lenses since Canon discontinued that mount some 24-ish years ago.</p>

<p>I believe the Zeiss ZK line with K-mount has been discontinued relatively recently though some may still be available. You're probably better off though with the Zeiss ZS (M42 / Pentax Universal / screwmount) or other M42 lenses via M42 => FD adapter. These are still made, very adaptable to various systems, and the M42 => FD adapter is probably easier to find. </p>

<p>Infinity focus for either shouldn't be an issue -- registration distance for M42 and PK is the same, both longer than Canon FD. I would assume that in nearly every case except for maybe Tamron Adaptall (?) adapted glass will require manual stop-down metering--meaning you have to open and close the aperture manually for focusing, metering, etc.</p>

<p>I'm not 100% sure because I'm not that familiar with AE-1 Program but if that camera permits aperture-priority autoexposure when the shutter speed dial is on 'PROGRAM', that might work with the adapted glass too, except you'll have to stop the lens down yourself.</p>

 

[SCL]

<p>If it is mounted into an adapter there are several drawbacks. First is that if it designed for another type mount you need to check the registration distance - Canon FD registration distance is 42mm, I think K mounts are 45.46mm, which suggests that you MIGHT get infinity focus, if the adapter isn't too thick - you don't have a lot of wiggle room given only a 3.46mm difference in registration distances. I know when I use Leica R glass (registration distance 47.00mm) on my FD body, I need to stop down to f8 to pick up infinity in the depth of field. You will need to stop down to meter, as there are no linkages between a lens mounted on an adapter and the camera body...not an issue if you are in bright light, definitely an issue if you are in dim light, unless you plan to shoot wide open. Although I occasionally use Nikon, Leica R glass and Leica M Visoflex mount glass on my FD body (T90) I think it is so much easier to use quality Canon FD glass....some of their optics were outstanding!</p>

[abhishek_rai]

<p>sorry, i didn't ask one of the questions properly >.<<br>

i was meaning to ask if I have to compromise an 'f stop' if i use an adapter.<br>

also any comment on sharpnes, bokeh or does everthing stay the same.<br>

also i'am kind off a newbie to photography so can you use dumb talk =)<br>

from what i understand. m42 = daebak, infinity focus no problem, m42 mounts still made, not sure about the use of programmable modes. from what i can work out i can use all modes? aperture priority, shutter priority and fully auto.<br>

thanks<br>

abs~<br>

sorry for not understanding m(_ _)m</p>

[abhishek_rai]

<p>thanks steph, i understand a bit more ^^<br>

and yes some fd lens are daebak, planning to buy a 50 1.4 and then ether a 50 1.2L or 85 1.2L (need to save up, student don't get paid ^^' ). I need the extra f stop as i usally prefer night photography. <br>

thanks<br>

abs~</p>

[SCL]

<p>I had to look up the word "daebak" as I had never heard it before...now I understand...sort of like "awesome".<br>

As long as the adapters don't significantly extend the lens focus into the macro range you won't lose an f stop, when you approach the macro range the image is spread out so less light hits the film and an adjustment needs to be made. The other case which comes to mind is if you use a teleconverter with your lens (not too popular these days, but in the 1970-80s lots of people tried them as an inexpensive way to avoid the purchase of a telephoto lens), then you typically lose 1-2 f stops. With good Canon FD lenses so inexpensive these days, there's very little use for a teleconverter except in special situations.</p>

[andrewg_ny]

<p>Program-AE and Shutter-priority AE modes won't work, the body cannot control the aperture at all. Aperture priority might work, Manual should work.</p>

<p>Optical properties -- sharpness, contrast, bokeh, etc. -- shouldn't be affected assuming that the adapter doesn't introduce any additional optics into the imaging path. Typically an adapter for a shorter registration distance mount (e.g. FD) to a longer registration distance mount (e.g. M42, PK) can get away without adding any additional optics.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Canon FD mount cameras like the AE-1 etc. will take (with an adapter) a huge number of lenses and focus to infinity properly with them. The FD is one of the shortest flange-to-film-plane cameras prior to 4/3, and is nearly a "universal acceptor." However, being a "dead" format, the adapters can be a little hard to find. The only ones I have are M42x1>FD and Nikon>FD. Others are theoretically possible, including K-mount, but I've personally not seen any offered. Look on eBay - people are still making FD adapters in China for reasonable prices.</p>

<p>The simplest way to put real Zeiss (from Jena) lenses on your FD is to buy Zeiss Jena M42x1 (Pentax-screw/Praktica) mount and the M42>FD adapter. Nikon lenses will probably cost more than Praktica Zeiss lenses, but can be reasonable if you get "non-AI" ones that don't play well with many modern digital Nikons.</p>

<p>You know that any lens adapted will have to be focused wide-open, then manually stopped down for metering and shooting? It's great if you like working deliberately and love old lenses for their own sake. Everyday shooting, maybe not so much.<br>

Canon FD lenses (being 'orphans') have traditionally been among the greatest bargains in old lenses and most people by FD cameras to use the Canon FD lenses, not other makes. For example, I bought a wonderful Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 for about $40. Decent zooms are often dirt cheap, although prices on lenses in general have gone up recently (probably those videographers and danged 4/3 people).</p>

<p>I'd forget about the adapters (buy an M42 Praktica to shoot M42, a Nikon film body to shoot Nikon, etc.) and simply hunt down some of the all time classic Canon lenses in the FDn mount.</p>

[pmind]

<p>Personally, I'd stick with the Canon FD glass. I've been using it on my Sony NEX-5 with great results. You may want to try the FD lenses until you're disappointed in the results, but I'll bet you won't be. Good luck.</p>

[mark_pierlot]

<blockquote>

<p>Canon FD lenses (being 'orphans') have traditionally been among the greatest bargains in old lenses and most people by FD cameras to use the Canon FD lenses, not other makes.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>This certainly <em>used</em> to be the case, but FD lenses have been appreciating in value of late because they've found a new market; namely, that of Micro 4/3 and Sony NEX users.</p>

<p>I concur with the others that if you want to use Zeiss lenses on your AE-1P, you're better off with M42 screwmounts, which are readily adaptable to FD (and EOS) bodies. I picked up an OEM M42>FD adapter a few years ago for a reasonable price, and there are numerous after-market adapters available on the auction site as well.</p>

<p>And, just to follow up on Andrew's informative posts, the AE-1P has preset aperture-priority AE.</p>

[doug_nelson3]

<p>As good as FD lenses are, I wouldn't worry about trying to fit other lenses to an FD camera. Look at the 24mm f2, 35mm f2 (except SSC versions), 28mm f 2.8 SC (a real sleeper), 50mm f 1.4, 50 f 3.5 macro, 100mm f2, 135mm f2 and 80-200 FD L f4 for the very best buys in FD. The 50 and 85 "L"s are, of course, excellent, but too expensive.</p>

[mwmcbroom]

<blockquote>

<p>And, just to follow up on Andrew's informative posts, the AE-1P has preset aperture-priority AE.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Actually, this isn't the case. The AE-1 Program has no form of aperture-priority AE. You may be confusing it with the A-1, which has both aperture-priority AE and stopped-down AE. </p>

<p>The AE-1P has three exposure modes: manual, shutter-priority, and Program only. The AE-1P manual specifically states that the Program setting must not be engaged when the stopped-down lever is engaged. Stopped down metering occurs in manual mode only.</p>

[abhishek_rai]

<p>Michael could you explain stopped down ae?</p>