GH2 Canon 50mm lens w/ebay Fotasy FD-M43 adapter and the GH2, APERTURE PROBLEM

V

voss4330

Member
Not sure what's going on with this lens/adapter but the aperture does not move, it's wide open all the time. I purchased the Canon 50mm new-in-box and also an adapter, the Fotasy FD-M43 which is also new. The adapter fits the Gh2 and the Canon 50mm lens fits the adapter just fine. All seems right except I can't change the aperture settings manually. Is there something I'm doing wrong? I know there is a lot of talk on here about this lens being the best and from what I can tell that is so, but it would be better if I could get the aperture to change. I asked the ebay seller why I couldn't see the aperture move with the lens off the camera body and he said that was normal, that it didn't work like a Minolta or other types of lenses. You guys are the pros, so tell me what i'm doing wrong or what to do to fix it. Thanks for any suggestions.


Dan


Panasonic DMC-GH2,
Panasonic G VARIO 14-140mm f 1:4-5.8
Panasonic G 20mm f 1:1.7 ASPH
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 9-18mm f 1:4-5.6
Canon FD 50mm f 1:1.4
 
voss4330 said:
I asked the ebay seller why I couldn't see the aperture move with the lens off the camera body and he said that was normal, that it didn't work like a Minolta or other types of lenses.
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The ebay seller is correct. However, once on the adapter, if properly mounted, you should be able to change aperture manually.

It can be difficult, especially in the beginning to mount the Canon on the adapter properly.
 
as i understand (and i may be mistaken) it looks like you bought a cheap $20 adapter that is simply a "bridge" between 2 physical formats. it may not enable aperture control. and as i hear, canon's (not sure about other brands) electronically controlled apertures default to wide open when disconnected. so as far as your lens knows - its disconnected. thus, OPEN.

if you do the research, you'll find there has been a lot of discussion that some adapters dont properly fool the lenses. some electronic lenses apertures stay where they were last left. so folks will buy an entry level brand-matching body. set the aperture where they want it. then take the lens off and attach it to their adapted HDSLR. sounds like a huge pain in the hiney to me.

i may be mistaken about all this. but its what i deduced from reading a bunch of info about the differences in adapters from $20-$500

if you want to control your aperture. youre likely gonna have to drop the bucks on an adapter with that feature.

i got my rayqual/nikon adapter from this place/guy:
http://www.cameraquest.com/adp_micro_43_fd.htm
it was shipped quickly and performs well.

but youre looking at about $200-$250 depending on which one you choose. but its worth the price. once the adapter is on, you can change lenses and work just like you would natively (without any OIS or autofocus features of course)
 
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wgzn, there are no adapters currently that can change the aperture on canon EF lenses. This is because there is no mechanical method to do it on the lens. It's all electronic. Nikons use a mechanical method (some kind of lever) to do it, so there are adapters that'll make it work.
But that's all irrelevant. The lens he's got is a 50m FD mount. So nothing electronic.
So, what you're saying, voss4330, is that spinning the aperture ring doesn't move the aperture? If so, then your lens is broken.
 
The lens he's got is a 50m FD mount. So nothing electronic.
So, what you're saying, voss4330, is that spinning the aperture ring doesn't move the aperture? If so, then your lens is broken.
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wonder if he simply has it mounted wrong? look at that link i posted. there are mounting instructions for FD lenses at the bottom of the page... apparently its not as cut and dried as one would think... not sure if this applies to the fotasy adapter though?
 
I've mounted the adapter several times trying everything to make it work. I've seen many threads suggesting this lens with no mention it was difficult to manage. Not sure if I need an adapter that will electonically communicate with the Gh2, I thought it was purely a manual lens and was to be treated that way. When purchasing the adapter I just chose the Canon FD to M43. The adapter seems to click in place and so does the lens, so not sure it's on there wrong.

I guess it comes down to the question, is this a manual (mechanical) lens or does it communicate with the camera some way. If that's the case I need a different adapter. What do you guys think?
 
as far as i know. none of the adapters "communicate" with the lenses. thats why you lose all electronic features.

send an email to the people at that link i posted earlier. they helped me through the process...

so, just to be sure. your fotasy adapter doesnt have any kind of f-stop control ring does it? if it does, try this:
close your canon lens down all the way. then try to control it with your adapter ring.
 
wgzn said:
wonder if he simply has it mounted wrong? look at that link i posted. there are mounting instructions for FD lenses at the bottom of the page... apparently its not as cut and dried as one would think... not sure if this applies to the fotasy adapter though?
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Did you post a link? If so where? Thanks, it looks like I've installed it correctly, but one never knows. Thanks for your help.
 
wgzn said:
as far as i know. none of the adapters "communicate" with the lenses. thats why you lose all electronic features.

send an email to the people at that link i posted earlier. they helped me through the process...

so, just to be sure. your fotasy adapter doesnt have any kind of f-stop control ring does it? if it does, try this:
close your canon lens down all the way. then try to control it with your adapter ring.
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That's exactly what I thought, this is a mechanical thing and not electronic. I never did see your link you spoke of. THe adapter is very simple. It mounts to the camera and has a lock/Open to it. So when you mount the lens you twist it clockwise about 1/2" to lock position, that's it.
 
jesse may be right. your lens my be broken. if you dont have a body to test it with. try going to a pawnshop (or used camera shop. they are probably friendlier) and try one of theirs...
 
i do know that the range of and complication of which model lenses work with what, was the reason i chose to go nikon over canon
 
I use FL lenses which predate the FD. Some FL lenses have a M/A switch that needs to be set to M (for manual). The switch is a ring around the barrel of the lens. Other lenses have a ring that needs to be turned to force the lens to close down. A bit cumbersome. And one lens, which has a button that closes the diaphragm, needs to be carefully set in the adapter to make the proper connection. All somewhat confusing at first. If you can post a picture of or a link to your particular lens I may be able to give you some more precise advice.
 
Stephen Best said:
I use FL lenses which predate the FD. Some FL lenses have a M/A switch that needs to be set to M (for manual). The switch is a ring around the barrel of the lens. Other lenses have a ring that needs to be turned to force the lens to close down. A bit cumbersome. And one lens, which has a button that closes the diaphragm, needs to be carefully set in the adapter to make the proper connection. All somewhat confusing at first. If you can post a picture of or a link to your particular lens I may be able to give you some more precise advice.
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This lens has only the focus ring and the aperture ring. It's pretty simple. The reason I went with the FD is this forum speaks highly of the lens. I don't see any switch on it anywhere. The ebay seller checked the lens out on his Canon camera. This is a new lens right out of the box and it looks new, it's kinda hard to think it's broke. But you never know. I'll take it to a local camera shop and first see if it's ok and go from there. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions.
 
Ok I got it to work. It is very finicky with the adapter mount onto the lens. A little misleading with the Open/Lock terminology. Would not recommend this adapter because of that. Thanks everyone. I'll never take this adapter off this lens, as it's to difficult to get everything aligned again.
 
I bought this adapter and seems to work fine. yes the little push down release was pretty squirrelly but worked pretty good on my lenses. I did buy one that was supposed to work on EF lenses and it didn't...
 
Glad to hear you finally got the Canon FD lens to work with your adapter. However, all FD-to-M43 adapters have this pitfall, and it's necessary to check the aperture ring each time you mount the lens to make sure the iris closes properly. The way that FD lenses work is that a half-inch long metal pin inside the adapter engages the lens' internal aperture mechanism. If you don't attach the adapter correctly, or if the adapter's lock ring is open, the lens' iris will be stuck in its wide-open position.

Here's a technique that works with FD bayonet lenses:

1. Hold the lens in your left hand, and the adapter in your right hand.
2. Press the adapter against the rear of the lens.
3. Rotate the adapter counter-clockwise until it sinks into the lens with a click.
4. Rotate the adapter clockwise until it engages the mount lock.
5. Turn the aperture ring to verify that the iris closes.

In my view the Open-Lock ring that's found on some FD adapters is redundant and unreliable. I highly recommend searching for an FD adapter that has no moving parts.
 
I'll never take this adapter off this lens, as it's to difficult to get everything aligned again.
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that is the same thing my local camera store told me about these $20 adapters. that they can be a pain to deal with. they suggested i just buy 5 or 6 and put one on each lens.
thats why i then chose to spend $250 on one that behaves like its part of the camera body. that way you can work like you normally would...
 
I have the Ciecio7 version bought on ebay and have to say its brilliant, works with FD and FL lenses. When you attach it to the lens you just have to make sure the aperture lever on the lens is engaged between two prongs in the adapter. There are no moving parts. Built like a tank. I have two of them for 50mm/1.4 FD and a 24mm/2.8 FD. I dont have any links with the company but am a very satisfied customer.


Hope this helps

Martin
 
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