Using Nikon lenses on Canon body

[paul_zink]

<p>Hi,<br>

I recently moved to a 5dMkII, and, since I own a few old Nikon Primes I decided to try using them on the Canon with a Cinevate adapter. Though I've read positive comments about this combination of equipment, I'm having serious problems.<br>

The first one is that the camera always focuses closer than what I focus on the visor. If I focus using live view there is no problem, since I'm watching the image directly from the sensor and I can focus accordingly. But using the visor is impossible. I don't seem to have this problem using canon lenses.<br>

The second is that I cannot use the nikon lenses at wide apertures (the main reason I wanted to use them). There is a lot of ghosting that I have not experienced on my old nikon body with the same lenses. At 2.8 the ghosting is reduced, but I don't have that "effect" using 2.8 Canon lenses.<br>

Here is a 100% crop with a Nikkor 50mm 1.8D at 1.8<br>

<img src="http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg579/pzy9/cf4abe56.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>and the same picture at f/4 without touching the focus ring.<br>

<img src="http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg579/pzy9/d5df4d4e.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>Have any of you experienced this? Is my camera or the adapter wrong? Or are these normal limitations of adapting one lens mount to another system.<br>

Thanks,<br>

Paul</p>

[ed_avis2]

<p>Did you previously use these lenses on a digital or film Nikon body?</p>

[paul_zink]

<blockquote>

 

 

<p>Did you previously use these lenses on a digital or film Nikon body?</p>

 

 

</blockquote>

 

 

<p>Yes, without problems, but I don't have any nikon body around anymore.</p>

 

 

<p><a name="pagebottom"></a></p>

[JDMvW]

<p>I've never used the Cinevate adapter you are using. It sounds high-priced to me given what is available out there. </p>

<p>I just buy the inexpensive, plain Nikon>EOS adapters from China - cheap enough to get one for each lens. I've never found one that didn't allow correct focus in the half-dozen or so that I use. Ditto for M42, Exakta, and even Contax/Y adapters. All work fine. The makers have the measurements down right, for sure, in my experience. So long as the flange distances are correct, there's little rocket science in these.</p>

<p>I'd get another adapter to see if it doesn't work better.</p>

<p>Never had any problem using any Nikon lenses on my 5Ds or APS-C camera bodies. Whether there is chromatic aberration or other flaws depends on the lens, and would be the same doing the same thing on a Nikon body. The exception to the "everything goes" on the 35mm-sensor Canons is that some Nikon wide-angle lenses project too far back and foul the mirror (see a partial list at http://www.panoramaplanet.de/comp/ )</p>

<p>Even on the 20D (my first Canon digital), manual focusing was relatively easy, although the later, larger and brighter finders are naturally better still. It was a Nikon>Canon "focus-confirmation" adapter that shorted out the electronics in my 20D ($400 repair back in 2007), by the way. Stick with your eye, it's better anyhow.</p>

<p>Working as close as you seem to be, there are always the problems of shallow depth of field. </p><div></div>

[Robin Smith]

<p>Paul</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Yes, without problems</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Yes, but which: film, or digital?</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>NTIM, but the Nikkor lenses I use most are "non-AI" lenses, but I do have a few AI lenses that also seem to work OK. I've got a couple of AF Nikkors, but haven't seen any reason to use them on a Canon.</p>

<p>I did use a new Nikkor 10.5mm in Egypt a few years ago on a Canon 20D and it worked just fine. Focus was not a problem ;)</p><div></div>

[paul_zink]

<blockquote>

 

 

<p>Yes, but which: film, or digital?</p>

 

 

</blockquote>

Film and digital. D90 (aps-c) and F80 (film).

 

With a distant object the image looks soft or blurred. I started to work close to try to pinpoint the problem, that's how I got the samples I posted.

Just tried the same adapter - lens combination on another 5dmkii and got the same problem. Should have tried a cheaper adapter first.

 

 

Thanks to all for the comments.

p

 

[sarah_fox]

<p>There's honestly nothing mysterious about how a camera and lens work. The lens focuses an image on the sensor, and the sensor records it. Your Canon sensor doesn't care which make of lens focuses the image.</p>

<p>Perhaps there's a problem with your adapter. Does the lens mount up squarely, or is there any sort of mechanical irregularity? Perhaps the locking pin mechanism keeps the flanges from mating flush with each other? I don't think anyone is trying to suggest a cheap adapter works better than an expensive one. All adapters are pretty similar in my opinion. FAIW, I have the cheapo Chinese adapter version #1 (on the lefthand side of JDM's photo). I have no troubles using it to adapt my Nikkor 105/2.5 to my 5D.</p>

<p>I'm just curious: What "effect" are you trying to achieve with Nikkor lenses on the Canon body?</p>

[nakarin_pagsilerd1]

<p>I have both tap and lever-release adapters Nikon->Canon from China on my 5DII. The problems from these adapters are...<br>

1. The tap-release adapter is not perfectly fit on the lens' mounts (both on my AI-S 50/1.8 and AF-S 17-35). They made incorrect focus even I used hyper focal distance scales. I have to turn my lens left or right to make sure it perfect fit into the correct attached, then it will focus correctly.<br>

2. The lever-release adapter is not perfectly fit on my camera's mount and will show F.@0.0 with incorrect focus also. Again, I have to turn the adapter till the camera shows F.@1.4 (or same as my last Canon EF lens attached apertured)<br>

Hope my experiences will help you...</p>

[mirek_elsner1]

<blockquote>

<p>The first one is that the camera always focuses closer than what I focus on the visor. If I focus using live view there is no problem, since I'm watching the image directly from the sensor and I can focus accordingly. But using the visor is impossible. I don't seem to have this problem using canon lenses.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Are you talking about actual image on the focusing screen, or about the focus indicator?<br>

The focusing screen can show different focus than what you get on the sensor if it is misaligned. Canon service might be able to fix that. I believe some people do it on their own putting some special shims under the focusing screen. If that is your case, you should see the same problem with manually focused lenses from both Canon and Nikon, though.<br>

If you are using your camera for manual focusing, consider getting focusing screen designed for fast lenses and MF. I believe the name of the screen for 5D2 is EE-s or something like that. The default screen is optimized for brightness and does not show any difference in depth of field under f/2.8 or so and achieving proper focus with wide open fast lenses may be challenging. The specialized MF focusing screen may not fix all your problems, but is great for manual focusing and better preview of DOF on fast lenses, is inexpensive and replacement on 5D2 takes a minute or two. </p>

[mirek_elsner1]

<blockquote>

<p>The second is that I cannot use the nikon lenses at wide apertures (the main reason I wanted to use them). There is a lot of ghosting that I have not experienced on my old nikon body with the same lenses. At 2.8 the ghosting is reduced, but I don't have that "effect" using 2.8 Canon lenses.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Is the adapter black? </p>