Experimenting with FD Lenses

[michael_pearce2]

<p>So I've decided that this summer I want to try out older lenses with adaptors to fit onto my Canon 60D, and I'm looking for recommendations for makes of lenses and also what is the best adaptor to buy. My first lens was actually an FD 50mm 1.8, but I was rather disappointed with it as it was a super macro lens and I could only use it for focusing on very very small things. Any recommendations would be very helpful, especially looking for zoom lenses.</p>

[gabriel_gerena]

<p>Well, I have been doing the same for my mirrorless and as far as Zoom Lenses the best one based on what I have read is the 80-200mm F4L <br>

Another popular one which I have and like a lot is the 35-105mm F3.5</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>The best place to use an FD-mount lens is on an FD-mount camera.</p>

<p>The problem is that even the best FD>EF adapter has to have glass in it, and that is never going to be worth much 'experimentation', unless you get the kind where the minus lens can be taken out and you use the FD lens just for macro work.</p>

<p>There are lots of top quality lenses that can be easily adapted for infinity focus on EF cameras.</p>

<p>My favorites are the Nikkor lenses (the non-AI ones are cheap). M42 (Praktica/Pentax screw) are also good. Slightly, but only a little more, difficult, are things like the Contax/Yashica and the Exakta mounts.</p>

 

[henryp]

<p><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?atclk=Lens+Fitting+%28Female%29_Canon+FD&ci=3420&N=4077634486+4289371108+4289371054">FD lens to EOS body adapters.</a></p>

<p>Henry Posner<br /><strong>B&H Photo-Video</strong></p>

[John Crowe]

<p>I have been adapting my Nikon lenses to Canon EOS for about 10 years now because it is so cheap and easy. The FD-EOS adapters will only get you infinity focus with the crap glass element which degrades the IQ to the point of being useless.</p>

<p>You can google ed mika and find out which FD lenses he has EOS conversions for but they are about $100 each. I hope someday to convert a 55/1.2 Aspherical or 85/1.2 L.</p>

<p>The other option that I take more seriously now are mirrorless cameras like the Sony ones. I am thinking particularly of the 36 MP A7R, but it is not a cheap camera. Adapters for many lenses including FD and EF are readily available. </p>

[rick_janes]

Recently I came across an early Canon 85/1.9 chrome rangefinder lens head in the rare R Adapter for use on breech lock bodies (originally intended for the Canonflexes). When adapted to the Canon EOS 6D body this lens gave amazing results...though infinity

focusing was not possible portraiture absolutely was! I used what it gave me, and it exceeded all expectations...by far!

[pensacolaphoto]

<p>I used to have the 85/1.9 in Leica mount. It has a very long focus throw, but it was a great portrait lens.</p>

[joe_allebaugh]

<p>Per John Crowe's comments above, I use several of Ed Mika's adapters on FD lenses to Canon DSLR (see Ed's product link - http://www.ebay.ca/sch/ed_mika/m.html?item=180730111869&viewitem=&clk_rvr_id=311152760822&afsrc=1&_trksid=p4340.l2562), as well as many FD lenses on Sony NEX crop and newest FF bodies.</p>

<p>These old lenses are mostly high quality, and a return to the slower pace of using manual focus optics.</p>

[steven_clark]

The problem is the FD mount has a

very short flange distance for an

SLR to the degree that it's pretty

much impossible to adapt to other

SLR bodies. This is so more lenses

can be adapted to FD cameras.

Fortunately modern mirrorless

system cameras have even shorter

flange distances so they can adapt

FD and just about any other older

lens mount. So a 60d can't take FD

lenses without extra optics that

only work on expensive telephoto

with the room in the barrel, but

work great on a cheap EOS M.