Canon FD lens on Canon 7D Camera

[Jean Dantes]

Hey guys, I was meant to order my GH1 today, but the recent news of the Canon 7D has put me on hold...again lol

I'm new to DSLR, so to some I'm sure my questions may sound rather stupid. Anyways, I own a Canon FD 50mm f1.4 (that I specifically bought to use with a GH1), and I was just wondering, would this lens work with a Canon 7D via an adapter?

Thanks for your time!

[morgan_moore]

you need ana dapter with glass in it - crap quality - unless you want to use for macro only

S

[jamesc]

Unfortunatey, it won't work in most conditions you'd want. Like morgan_moore said, it will only work for macro or above f/4 (making it kind of pointless).

http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/reviews/canon_fd_eos_adapters.html

[Jean Dantes]

Ahhh I see. Damn, that sux.

Is there cheap/fast primes (like the FD I have) that would go good with a 7D? Or will only lenses designed for the 7D fit on the 7D?

Thanks for the quick replies too!

[Rakesh Jacob]

The problem is the flange focal distance (the distance from the back of the lens (the mounting plane) to the film plane (sensor plane). The FD is 42mm and the EOS is 44mm. Basically you can't cut into your camera to attach a lens that requires to be closer but you can always add an adapter that adds additional space if the distance is greater. Which is why the micro4/3rds is great because it's only 20mm (because of it's mirror less design), so practically any lens can be adapted to it.
So if you want to go from FD to EOS you need an optical adapter. More than likely the glass in it will be of cheap quality and you'll lose sharpness and light and maybe add unwanted artifacts and distortions.

That being said I saw a fairly decent video with a FD 50 1.4 using this adapter on the 5Dmkii, it's only $50 so it's worth a try.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/522370-REG/Bower_ABEOS_Lens_Adapter_FD.html

Also the Canon EOS 50mm 1.8 is a really good lens, I have personally shot with it on the 5Dmkii and think it's awesome for only $100!
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/12142-GREY/Canon_2514A002_Normal_EF_50mm_f_1_8.html

[squig]

yeah I tried one of those glass adapters on my minolta 50mm and it looks like shi*, shame because it's a really nice lens. you can pick up pentax smc takumars for about the same price as FD glass, m42 mount so easily adaptable.

[TimurCivan]

cant do it...

the Canon EF 50mm F1.4 is 95% of the way there compared to the L series for 1/5th the price.

~300$ used ones can be had for much less....

[Jean Dantes]

Thanks again to all the quick replies!

Johnny, is that Canon EOS 50mm 1.8 available with manual focus? (Sorry if that sounds n00b lol)

I think I'll def stay away from glass adapters thanks to the input from you guys!! :)

Perhaps I should just go for the GH1? In terms of cinematography, glass seems to be more important then bitrate and sensor size...

[Rakesh Jacob]

Thanks again to all the quick replies!

Johnny, is that Canon EOS 50mm 1.8 available with manual focus? (Sorry if that sounds n00b lol)

I think I'll def stay away from glass adapters thanks to the input from you guys!! :)

Perhaps I should just go for the GH1? In terms of cinematography, glass seems to be more important then bitrate and sensor size...

You can set it to manual, it's not as nice to control as a manual only lens, short throw (not sure of the technical term) and thin ring but I got used to it and I'm sure there are a bunch of people using it with the 5Dmkii cause it's pretty damn cheap.
Glass is important but... I don't want to start a 7D vs GH1 war especially since the 7D isn't in the hands of anyone I trust, but my early bets are on the 7D. I could be wrong but I think 1080p on the GH1 is fubar, I don't care what anyone says. From the early clips of 720p I've seen on the 7D, there's a strong possibility the GH1 might be better there... we'll see.

BTW I have 3 shoe boxes full of FD lenses so I really want Panny to put out a good m4/3rds cam!!!!!!

[dadoboy]

I have 3 boxes full of Minolta lenses. It's a shame I can't put them on the 7D either except for Macro. My 35mm adapter plans fell in the mud when the 7D rumor started.


Y
BTW I have 3 shoe boxes full of FD lenses so I really want Panny to put out a good m4/3rds cam!!!!!!

[Rakesh Jacob]

LOL I feel your pain, went through the exact same thing. Was gonna get a LEX for my HVX200a, then the GH1 came out, NOT REALLY and killed all my summer plans waiting for it to be in stock!!! Now that the 7D is out whyTF would I spend $1970 for magnifying glass and a vibrator motor when I can buy a bad ass camera for $1699?!

EDIT: I not crazy, mental or anything like that. There's a good reason I have 3 boxes of FD lenses and nothing to put 'em on. I was experimenting with building my own static adapters cause I like that look and wasn't gona pay some one *cough/cinemek* a crap load of money when I could build the same thing for a tenth of the price. But now if... when Panny comes with the goods I AM SO FREAKING READY!

[TimurCivan]

You can set it to manual, it's not as nice to control as a manual only lens, short throw (not sure of the technical term) and thin ring but I got used to it and I'm sure there are a bunch of people using it with the 5Dmkii cause it's pretty damn cheap.
Glass is important but... I don't want to start a 7D vs GH1 war especially since the 7D isn't in the hands of anyone I trust, but my early bets are on the 7D. I could be wrong but I think 1080p on the GH1 is fubar, I don't care what anyone says. From the early clips of 720p I've seen on the 7D, there's a strong possibility the GH1 might be better there... we'll see.

BTW I have 3 shoe boxes full of FD lenses so I really want Panny to put out a good m4/3rds cam!!!!!!

any of that FD glass for sale?

[ryansheffer]

I had some FDs laying around when I picked up my 5d. The truth is that I have had a lot of luck with them. That being said, success is different from lens to lens. I have gotten great images with a 35mm 2.8 and a 135mm 2.8, but there are definitely visual issues on two separate 50 1.4s that I have used.

You do lose about a stop of light, but I use my 135mm 2.8 all the time. It's incredibly sharp for being passed through another piece of glass - consistently impresses me. Wish I had some work to post up, but will soon. I have a bunch of footage of cheetahs I shot in Africa on that lens, turned out amazingly.

[Rakesh Jacob]

any of that FD glass for sale?

Not yet, I'm kind of a pack rat. BUT (and this is a big but, no pun intended) I'm regularly forced to get rid of crap when it starts overtaking the house and pissing of the wife. So if the FDs collect too much dust, I'll hit you up. I ususally don't sell old sh!t, I just give it away, weird habit I got from my dad. Matter of fact the most expensive thing I gave away was a 32 channel makie mixer and 3 adat machines back in '99 when I switched to music production completely in software.
When I was a kid my dad bought his first brand new car, a '78 Impala Station Wagon. Our neighbor didn't have a car at the time and asked my dad how much he would sell his old car for. My dad asked him how much money he had in his wallet. The neighbor had $24. My dad said that was it! I guess the look on our neighbor's face always stuck with me... It's late, I'm all reminiscing and sh!t over freaking out of date lenses LOL

[squig]

I don't want to start a 7D vs GH1 war

don't be a girlyman!

C'mon anyone who seriously thinks the GH1 is a match for the 7D is clearly deranged. Flip out LCD and PL mount option... big deal, who gives a fook compared to 48Mbps, SLR dynamic range and low noise. As for jello well who gives a shit if you know how to use a camera.

ok so I'm gonna piss some panny fanboys off but this is the Canon forum and I'm not talking shit.

[alpi69]

I have 3 boxes full of Minolta lenses. It's a shame I can't put them on the 7D either except for Macro. My 35mm adapter plans fell in the mud when the 7D rumor started.

Same here. I used them on the Brevis and some on my SONY A700 stillcam. I wish SONY brings a vDSLR, but that might take another year.
So now it is out to ebay to get Canon glass *sigh*

[Rhys Day]

will I be able to use my Nikon AIS lenses okay with an adapter?

[Dave ©]

is that Canon EOS 50mm 1.8 available with manual focus?

I have a Canon 50mm 1.4 and a 50mm 1.8 sitting right in front of me. I used the 1.8 for almost a year (photography only) before upgrading to the 1.4. Both are great lenses, some of the best lenses you can get for the price (1.8 is $100 brand new, 1.4 is ~$360 brand new).

Johnny is right about the focus rings. On the 1.8, the focus ring is almost exactly 1/4" wide (pretty thin) and is right on the end of the lens. It's not hard to use but it does take some getting used to. Another nice thing about a $100 lens is that you don't need to put a filter on it ('cause the filter costs as much as the lens so just replace the lens if something happens to it). You can put a filter on it, obviously, if you are aiming for a particular look. But you don't have to.

On the 1.4, the focus ring is more standard, about 1/2" wide so it feels more natural to your thumb/pointer-finger. This is an awesome lens! I haven't used the 1.2L but I've read similar accounts, that the 1.4 is so close performance-wise that it probably doesn't make sense to spend the extra $1k on the L.

[Jean Dantes]

Thanks for that in depth/first hand info coddida! Much appreciated!!


don't be a girlyman!

C'mon anyone who seriously thinks the GH1 is a match for the 7D is clearly deranged. Flip out LCD and PL mount option... big deal, who gives a fook compared to 48Mbps, SLR dynamic range and low noise. As for jello well who gives a shi* if you know how to use a camera.

ok so I'm gonna piss some panny fanboys off but this is the Canon forum and I'm not talking shi*.


I actually want a GH1 vs 7D war. And I'm not talking about a small war, I'm talking a fullscale war! Being a strapped-for-cash student, I really gotta know which horse to bet on. Every dollar counts for me; literally.

Everything about the 7D looks good, the only thing that has got me worried is rolling shutter (jello), and the interlaced looking 720P still images I've seen being posted around...

[Ian-T]

I'm not too worried about rolling shutter issues on the 7d. A lot of the same folks who complain about its rolling shutter issues are some of the same ones who were going to purchase a 5D Mark. I think it (7d) will end up handling that much better. I hope Phil Bloom puts out some vid soon.

[Barry_Green]

C'mon anyone who seriously thinks the GH1 is a match for the 7D is clearly deranged.
Deranged? Squig, come on...
The GH1 is very, very good. The 7D is pretty much unknown, but with high hopes. If it's jello-city like the 5D, then the GH1 is going to be more than a match for the 7D. At that point it's a case of "pick your poison".

If it's jello-free, then the 7D will have significant advantages over the GH1.


but this is the Canon forum and I'm not talking shi*.
Well, actually, yes you are. You're calling people "deranged" and you're making profoundly aggressive statements that you can't possibly know the answers to yet. Tone it down please.

[Jean Dantes]

Deranged? Squig, come on...
The GH1 is very, very good. The 7D is pretty much unknown, but with high hopes. If it's jello-city like the 5D, then the GH1 is going to be more than a match for the 7D. At that point it's a case of "pick your poison".

If it's jello-free, then the 7D will have significant advantages over the GH1.

I totally agree. If 7D has jello like the 5D, then GH1 will be weapon of choice for a lot of people. I'd take less jello over a better bit rate any day. GH1, though only 17mbps bitrate, is pretty good from what I've seen so far too.

Truly hope Philip Bloom's 7D test-drive will reveal if the 7D suffers from bad jello...

[Mirezzi]

So what lenses WILL work, without a ton of hassle, on the 7D?

I was (mistakenly?) under the impression I could buy a relatively inexpensive adapter and use all my Nikkor AI lenses on the 7D.

Wishful thinking? haha...

[ydgmdlu]

Off the top of my head, the only SLR lenses that don't work are Canon FD mount and Minolta mounts. Nikon, Pentax, M42, Olympus, and more all work fine. I have a 5D, and I actually have lenses in all four of those mounts for it, plus a Pentacon 6 (medium format) mount. And every one of my lenses has its own adapter.

[Rakesh Jacob]

I totally agree. If 7D has jello like the 5D, then GH1 will be weapon of choice for a lot of people. I'd take less jello over a better bit rate any day. GH1, though only 17mbps bitrate, is pretty good from what I've seen so far too.

Truly hope Philip Bloom's 7D test-drive will reveal if the 7D suffers from bad jello...

17mbps is proven to be good enough for 1080p on many cameras but honestly the GH1 isn't one of them! Hopefully this will be solved on the next iterration and all will be well in the Universe :)

[Barry_Green]

17mbps works very well on the GH1 in many circumstances. The GH1's recorded footage can be spectacular. You're making it sound like it doesn't work at all, and it most definitely does work!

[dadoboy]

I know that putting an optical element in the light path to act as a weak extender will allow FD's and Minolta MD's to work on Canons. But the problem seems to be finding an optical adapter of any real quality. I'm sure if someone was serious about it - they could make an optical adapter that doesn't degrade the image much. Can you tell me what the make of your adapter was?



I had some FDs laying around when I picked up my 5d. The truth is that I have had a lot of luck with them. That being said, success is different from lens to lens. I have gotten great images with a 35mm 2.8 and a 135mm 2.8, but there are definitely visual issues on two separate 50 1.4s that I have used.

You do lose about a stop of light, but I use my 135mm 2.8 all the time. It's incredibly sharp for being passed through another piece of glass - consistently impresses me. Wish I had some work to post up, but will soon. I have a bunch of footage of cheetahs I shot in Africa on that lens, turned out amazingly.

[Rakesh Jacob]

17mbps works very well on the GH1 in many circumstances. The GH1's recorded footage can be spectacular. You're making it sound like it doesn't work at all, and it most definitely does work!

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that it doesn't work at all. But it is better implemented on other cameras. Here's a prediction, Panny will get it right on the next version and we'll never have to revist these debates :)

[Ian-T]

I guess a better way to term it is it is not as good as it could be....but definitely it works. :)

[robmneilson]

What kind of adapter will I need to mount my Nikon primes onto the 7D? Just a different mount, or will I need something optical to make them work?

[Nik Manning]

Yeah I am sure the GH2 will use better compression but the GH1 isn't really here yet.

[xbourque]

What kind of adapter will I need to mount my Nikon primes onto the 7D? Just a different mount, or will I need something optical to make them work?

You need this:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/Nikon-Lens-to-Canon-EOS-Adapter-for-300d-350d-400d_W0QQitemZ350245674488QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLens_ Accessories?hash=item518c44ddf8&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1262

No glass involved.

I have one. Worked great on multiple Canon cameras.

-- X

[Rakesh Jacob]

Yeah I am sure the GH2 will use better compression but the GH1 isn't really here yet.

I know :(
And seriously even with the 7D out I would still buy the GH1 for its 720p performance, kit lens and auto focus prowess... soon hopefully. On a brighter note the 7D will distract buyers away from the GH1 when they actually resurface.

[robmneilson]

Excellent, perhaps I will be saving a few of my nice primes after all.

[Rick Rock]

I'm planning on getting an FD adapter. From what I've read from FD-to-EOS adapter users, you can actually remove the glass element from the adapter and it basically just becomes an extension tube. Apparently, you do lose the ability to focus to infinity, though, but at least it's not another glass element of questionable quality. Not sure about the "magnification" factor, but it will most certainly have less light loss.

I have almost a dozen FD lenses left over from my LetusXL days, including a 55mm F1.2 SSC lens. I'm REALLY hoping I can make use of that lens when my 7D comes in.

[jrod81]

so would a Nikon 50mm 1.8 Nikor be just as good as the mentioned Canon 50mm 1.8 for $100? If I just have to buy a $18 adapter that would save some stress...

[mhood]

IDK, the USM AF that lets you just grab the ring and twist when you want to manually focus + the metering seems like nice stuff to me.

[jrod81]

oh so it has both manual and auto focus???

[mhood]

yes...I'm not saying that it auto focuses while you're recording video but it does auto-focus and you don't have to throw the auto focus switch into manual focus to manually focus...you just turn the focus ring. (AFAIK)