EOS-M and EF lenses / adapter?

[ric1]

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I have the EOS M principally - in this instance - to use as a video cam. It works well with the supplied lens but it will not video when I place an EF lens on it from an earlier EOS (the D300 DSLR).</p>

<p>Am using a third party adapter but I don't think this is the issue. I notice that when you remove a lens, the lense-less body will not video. No video led lights and no 'recording red dot' appears on the display. Is there then an over-ride? How else do users avail themselves of the multi-lens capability of this design please? This is the reason I bought the EOS M.</p>

<p>To recap - the EOS will not video with EF+adapter, but it will video with the supplied lens. </p>

<p>How do I enable video-ing with EF lens + adapter please?</p>

<p>The adapter also has a 'thumb-tack' release(?) button on it - does anyone know how this operates? It arrived without instructions.</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>If your adapter is like those sold under various names - Fotodiox, Fotasy, etc. - the thumbtack-looking release needs to be pivoted like a lever, rather than pressed. It's the only real weakness in those generic adapters, which are otherwise pretty well made for the price. The pivot pins and springs seem flimsy on my adapters (Fotodiox for Nikon 1 System, Fotasy for Fuji X, both to fit Nikon F mount lenses). The release/latch design is similar to one of my Nikon lens hoods, which popped apart after several years. It can be repaired but it's a PITA.</p>

<p>No idea how those adapters function with the EOS M. I use these inexpensive adapters on the Nikon V1, which retains minimal functionality for stills and videos (no metering so I have to guesstimate exposures); and Fuji X-A1, which retains pretty good functionality with metering and manual focus confirmation.</p>

[JosvanEekelen]

<p>Your 3rd party adapter or the lens may be the issue. I just tried it with an EOS M, the original Canon EF-M to EF/EF-s adapter and an EF 20-35 f/3.5-4.5 lens, it focusses and takes a movie shot.</p>

[ric1]

<p>Thanks. I found this </p>

<p><a href="http://youtu.be/tAjrF2O7Rd4">http://youtu.be/tAjrF2O7Rd4</a></p>

<p>The guy talks so fast had to keep stopping the video and backtracking, but I identified the custom setting in the end. Now I have the telephoto zoom from my EOS D300 functioning on the EOS M & am videoing with it. Wow, a video cam under 200 quid with interchangeable lens facility - I could never afford anything like this for a dedicated pro video camera - amazing! Handling is a bit awkward but there must be some form of hand grip you can screw into the base I should think?</p>

[lex_jenkins]

There are several video grips for tripod sockets,

including with simple stabilizers. Check Amazon,

where you'll often find photo doodads not sold by

some photo retailers.

[ric1]

<p>Thanks - it's for action video clips - already dug out an old monopod which is ideal for vertical stability, but a firm grip on the body+telephoto lens would give me some useful overall stability.</p>

[ric1]

<p>Re: Fotodiox. Does this FD adapter mean I can use all my old (good) AE1 lenses on the EOS M please?</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Ric, a year or so ago while riding the bus in downtown Fort Worth I saw some fellows videoing a chase scene, presumably for a TV show or some other project. The cameraman was trotting behind the actors using a large dSLR with a conventional tripod or monopod attached the usual way. He was holding the tripod/monopod in one hand just below the camera, apparently using it as a makeshift stabilizer. His trotting gait was very smooth, so he apparently had some experience at this sort of thing. I'm guessing the results are good or he wouldn't have risked a job using a makeshift stabilizer rather than renting or buying a specialized stabilizer rig.</p>

<p>Regarding the Fotodiox or similar adapters, sure, I'm assuming the version for mounting FD lenses to the EOS M would work. I've used similar adapters to use my Nikon F mount lenses on the Nikon V1 and Fuji X-A1. The only downside is the Nikon F mount adapters tend to be rather long, hollow tubes to enable full range focus, so even a smallish prime lens feels unusually large and front-heavy. If I was more serious about the Fuji X-system and wanted to use non-Fuji lenses with an adapter I'd consider the Leica M adapter and M mount lenses (probably Cosina/Voigtlander, not Leica). The M mount adapter is very thin and better suited to these compact mirrorless cameras.</p>

[ric1]

<p>Thanks, that's great news about the FD lenses (I have lots) :). For grip I'm experimenting with a monopod + telephoto support, so far so good.</p>

<p>The next <em>no-no</em> is sd cards, I already have several - <em>great</em> I thought - but (darn this new technology) they are apparently now <em>too slow</em> to record EOS-M video, you get 20 seconds then auto shut down. So it looks like I need to add the cost of a state-of-the-art sd card to this project :-o</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=996056&gclid=CJaWquHU7MMCFQenaQodgHYAeQ&Q=&is=REG&A=details"><strong>Here's a link</strong></a> to one of the affordable handgrip/stabilizer doodads for small still/video cameras. There are several similar models with the same basic concept, and some DIY homebrews, but for $100 or less it probably makes better sense to buy one than build one. If I do more video I'll probably try a rig like that. I've used my compact mirrorless cameras a few times for videos and the in-lens optical stabilization doesn't really help enough to be effective.</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>And here are some photos of the scene I photographed from the bus a year or so ago, a video of a chase scene. The photos aren't very clear but you can see the cameraman using a tripod or monopod as a stabilizer. His gait was very smooth, more like fast shuffling than trotting, so he had some experience doing this. And while the actors gave the illusion of running fast, they were camera-running - high stepping, with the guy chasing matching his stride to the fellow being chased. With editing and slo-mo or shaky cam effects it would look like they were really running hard.<br /> *<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17636930-lg.jpg" alt="LR4_DSC_7735-1" width="1000" height="669" border="0" /><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17636929-lg.jpg" alt="LR4_DSC_7738-2" width="1000" height="669" border="0" /><br /> *<br /> *</p>

[ric1]

<p>Thanks, that's more or less the set up I have now, only with an additional support for the 75-300mm zoom. In place of the hand grip I have a telescopic monopod.</p>

<p>Gosh, that picture had me worried for a while [lol] it looks like the cameraman is <em>chasing</em> the other guys with a stopper! :-o</p>

[railphotog]

<p>I found a grip for my EOS M on eBay, did a search for "grip EOS M". Made of aluminum, it adds more depth to the right hand side, making it easier to hold. It screws into the existing tripod socket, and has a new socket in the base. Space is open to allow removal of the SD car and battery. Think it cost $27.00. Neat item.</p>

[ric1]

<p>Thanks. One thing I don't understand. The EOS M accepts my 75-300mm Canon zoom EF lens and the manual focus image is great but, the EF lens has <em>no manual aperture control</em>, so what's going on with the diaphragm please? I just don't understand this :-o</p>

[railphotog]

<p>I don't think any EF lenses have manual control, its all done through the menus. Or choose Av and set it that way. Same as shutter speed in Tv.</p>

 

[ric1]

<p>Wow - thanks - am so behind the times! :-o</p>

<p>The imagery is brilliant & there is a default brightness level beneath it - that should serve me very well for the ad hoc video experiment :)</p>