Aperture problems with FD lens on 7D

[jordy2324]

I feel fairly dumb here.

I picked up a Canon 50mm f/1.4 FD lens. Bought a fotodiox fd to eos adapter. Put the adapter on the FD lens just fine, screwed into the 7D just fine.

However, the aperture won't change. I'm pulling on the aperture ring (obviously) and nothing's happening. There's a "lock/open" switch on the adapter. Tried pulling the ring with it locked and open... still nothing happened.

What am I doing wrong here?

Thanks

 

[amiga500]

those FD lenses have like a "lever" that has to click into the screw of the adapter. I had FD lenses with the same adapter too. try re attaching the adapter in the right way and try again.

 

[jordy2324]

those FD lenses have like a "lever" that has to click into the screw of the adapter. I had FD lenses with the same adapter too. try re attaching the adapter in the right way and try again.

I'm fairly certain it's connected correctly. I'll try it on the 28mm f/2 FD I picked up

 

[Neil A Russell]

It's one of those "you have to keep at it until it works" situations.
I find that turning the adapter counter clockwise until it's in the full "open" position, then fitting the lens and finally turning both the lens ring and the adapter ring at the same time I'll get the aperture working. This also works on the later Canon models with the button release.

It's frustrating but eventually you'll find the right spot to get everything working.

I also found on some of the auto FDs with the tiny push button lock that once I have them fitted and turn the aperture to "A" I can rotate the adapter and have smooth control over the iris.

 

[draven4]

Why are you shooting FD lenses out of curiosity? There are much better lenses to shoot with. In fact FD lenses are probably the bottom of the barrel. Not saying that because of the age but because you literally loose stops using them and the quality is a bit softer than other lenses and not in a good way.

 

[M. Gilden]

Why are you shooting FD lenses out of curiosity? There are much better lenses to shoot with. In fact FD lenses are probably the bottom of the barrel. Not saying that because of the age but because you literally loose stops using them and the quality is a bit softer than other lenses and not in a good way.

I kept seeing the title of this thread and thinking the same thing. ::scratches head::
Thought I was missing something because no one piped in with "why are you trying to use FD lenses?". Thanks, draven4, for clarifying that I'm not the only one.

Although, if I understand correctly, you can use FD lenses with a glass-less adapter so you don't lose any light or sharpness, but then you have focusing problems on our mounts (they are great for 3/4 mounts like the GH2 from what I've heard, but on an EOS mount, the focus range is out of whack, and you lose the ability to focus to infinity). Otherwise- they're not better or cheaper than other vintage options, and you when you consider that you loose either focus range or f-stop/sharpness, it really begs for an explanation.