OM 21mm lens on EOS 5D

[anita_anja]

<p>Hi<br>

I have been thinking of buying a 5D (currently I'm using another old camera a 20D) as I really miss the look and feel lenses had when I was using 35mm film. I do like the look my old 50 f1.8 has on the 20D I would like to consider using some wide lenses. I have a 24mm f2.8 which is a nice lens and I'm considering buying an OM 21mm f3.5 to get some extra width for not a big investment.</p>

<p>There aren't many web sources on this where people have actually used the lens on a 5D and show information about what it looks like. I found these two <a href="http://theonlinephotographer.blogspot.com/2007/01/canon-5d-wide-angle-night-photography.html"><strong>here</strong></a> and <a href="http://cjeastwd.blogspot.com/2011/10/olympus-21mm-f35-on-full-frame-digital.html"><strong>here</strong></a>.</p>

<p>I am now a little confused, I think the lens may be good at f8 or f11 but it doesn't seem to be much good at f3.5</p>

<p>This makes me think that perhaps a 5D would not be as good an option as a camera for wide angle lenses and I may be better off buying a wide zoom for my 20D instead?</p>

<p>I would be happy to hear what others may have found</p>

 

[JDMvW]

<p>Older, manual-focus lenses are fun to shoot on modern digital bodies like the Canon EOS series where the flange-to-focal-plane distance is appropriate (<a href="http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/eosfaq/manual_focus_EOS.html">link</a>) as it is for the OM lenses.</p>

<p>I looked at your links, but don't quite see how your conclusions follow. Most lenses are not as good wide open as they are stopped down.</p>

<p>However, if you are looking for wide angle on an APS-C camera, just get the Canon 10-22mm or the Sigma 10-20mm or still other ultrawide zooms. They AF, the diaphragms work automatically, and for day-to-day shooting (as opposed to using a MF lens for fun) are far superior to any old lens, no matter how excellent it may be optically.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>If you do get a 5D, there are lots of Canon and other makers' primes and zooms that will provide wide angle without the deliberateness of manual-focus, manual-stopdown lenses.<br>

There are often mirror clearance problems with older MF lenses on 5Ds as well.</p>

[ronhartman]

<p>I had used an OM 24mm f/2.8 on a 5D for a while. Stopped down to f/4 and smaller, the pictures were sharp and contrasty right into the corners. But the manual focus was difficult to do through the viewfinder. And the manual aperture made for slow going. The later multicoated OM lenses are more desirable.</p>

[philip_wilson]

<p>MF lenses without focus confirmation can be a little tricky on EOS bodies. I use a Contax 50 f1.7 and a whole range of Mamiya M645 lenses on my Canon bodies. I have never shot Olympus but I can say that many old MF lenses perform very well on a digital body. For example my Contax 50 f1.7 is sharper than my Canon 50 f1.4 (much sharper at F1.8 / F1.7) and has a different look. Similarly the Mamiya lenses are good performers - the 80 F1.9 especially so. This test suggests that the Mamiya 80 f1.9 resolves as well as the Nikon 85 F1.4. http://slrlensreview.com/web/benchmarks-resources-131/119-85mm-challenge/459-85mm-challenge-leica-vs-nikon-vs-mamiya-645-vs-pentax-645-part-2.html<br>

I find with my old FD lenses (that I will use on M4/3) that they perform better than the zooms sold by Panasonic and olympus. The best old lenses are really good performers - if the Olympus 21 F3.5 worked well on film at F3.5 then it should work well on digital.<br>

If you do shoot old MF lenses on DSLRs live view is a very useful function as you can zoom in for critical focusing. By the way old Macro lenses work really well on digital.</p>

[michael_linn]

<p>With a 21mm lens at f8, everything is in focus from three feet to infinity. I really have not missed auto focus or focus confirmation in that situation. Another factor is the better correction of distortion in a single focal length rectilinear wide angle. Very important if doing any architectural work.</p>

[michael_madio]

<p>You might want to look at using the Sigma 8-16/4.5-5.6 on your 20D. The angle of view is about as wide as you can get (rectilinear) on a 35mm full frame camera.</p>

[morthcam]

<p>There are no reported issues of OM lenses not working on Canon EOS cameras I'm aware of. I've been shooting OM 21 3.5, 24 2.8, and 200 f4.5 lenses on my 5D without problems. As Michael Linn said, DOF if pretty forgiving on the 21mm. The Oly 21 gets very good reviews.<br>

I personally enjoy the slow, deliberate nature of using the OM lenses when I'm doing landscapes. Makes me slow down and really think about exposure and composition. If I'm taking pictures that require more speed, I don't use MF lenses.<br>

More information at <a href="http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/board/55">Fred Miranda</a></p><div></div>

[morthcam]

<p>Oops, caption above should read "21mm"</p>

[doug_nelson3]

<p>Olympus OM wides work beautifully on the 5D2. I don't understand all the interest in focusing a wide angle, especially a 21. I use a 24 f 2.8 and simply set hyperfocal distances. These little lenses have hair-trigger focus rings. I have to tape my 24 in place at f8 hyperfocal. I see no point in shelling out for a focus confirmation chip on a 21 or 24. If you must focus a 21 or 24, shell out for the blunderbuss 24 L or one of these drainpipe L zooms. The reason I go though this bother is that the Oly wides are extremely compact and light. They also show minimal barrel distortion. For the few times I need a 24, the Oly weighs little and takes up little space in the bag. I leave the hood on and cover the whole thing with a 3-inch "hood hat".</p>