Canon FD adapter problems - Am I just being stupid?

C

CColton

Well-known member
I have a new Canon FD adapter that I'm trying to use and I can't seem to operate the lens's aperture. Is there some tip or trick I'm missing?

The adapter is just one of the ones on eBay (they all look identical). Originally I got a Canon FD 28mm f2.0, but it arrived defective, so I sent it back for repair. Since I need the lens by Friday they sent me a Tamron 28mm f2.8 to tie me over until repairs are done. The lens has an iris ring but neither it nor the adapter's iris ring seem to actually move the iris. Any tips? Or is this another defective lens?
 
This is a common pitfall with many Canon FD adapters. It's possible to mount the lens on the adapter without properly engaging the lens' aperture lever. To make sure it's engaged, first rotate the adapter counter-clockwise against the rear of the lens until the adapter sinks into the lens with the red dots lined up. Then for an FDn lens, reverse the rotation clockwise to lock the adapter on the lens. For a breech-lock lens, rotate the lens's mount ring counter-clockwise to lock the adapter.
 
Yes, and if your adapter shouldn't support unlocking the aperture lever, you can always do it manually by keeping the lever to the side with a small piece of plastic.
To check this, stop down the lens, unlock it (by pressing the rear cap against it then taking the cap off) and push the lever on the back of the lens sideways and you'll see your aperture close (if your aperture isn't stuck)
 
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There are two levers on the back of the lens, one larger and one smaller. Without the cap or adapter attached, you can move the larger, but not the smaller. Which one am I trying to engage with the adapter? Also, when you say clockwise and counter-clockwise, are you saying clockwise when looking at the front or the back of the lens?
 
CColton said:
There are two levers on the back of the lens, one larger and one smaller. Without the cap or adapter attached, you can move the larger, but not the smaller. Which one am I trying to engage with the adapter? Also, when you say clockwise and counter-clockwise, are you saying clockwise when looking at the front or the back of the lens?
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The one you can move.

If your FD lens' rotating mechanism is locked, you should see it unlock when mounting it on the adapter, or by pushing down the rear lens cap. Only then will the aperture close, if have unlocked the lens, and push the moving lever aside. Of course, the lever can't be pushed aside if you have mounted it onto the adapter. Maybe your adapter has lock/unlock mechanism. If not, you will need to fix the position of the moving lever by means of a small piece of plastic, a paperclip, whatever.
 
CColton said:
There are two levers on the back of the lens, one larger and one smaller. Without the cap or adapter attached, you can move the larger, but not the smaller. Which one am I trying to engage with the adapter? Also, when you say clockwise and counter-clockwise, are you saying clockwise when looking at the front or the back of the lens?
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As johnnym described, it's the movable lever you need to engage. The counter-clockwise rotation I described is that of the adapter, looking at the rear of the lens.
 
Ok, I know I'm being persistently incapable, but I need some more clarification. With the adapter removed, I can move the large lever without a problem. With the adapter on, the movable lever can be engaged and moved, but does not adjust the aperture. Does the small lever need to be affected somehow in order to unlock the aperture? If so, I'm going to have to shove a paper clip in or something.
 
Yes, on the cheaper adapters like the one in your link, it is possible that the pin for actuating the aperture linkage on the lens is either missing or bent. On the ciecio7 adapter, the aperture linkage is actuated by a machined aluminum tab inside the adapter. This will almost certainly never break. I have one of these adapters and can recommend it wholeheartedly for most lenses.

Where I have had some problems with the ciecio7 adapter is when mounting the adapter to a lens with tele-converter or extension tubes attached. Then it doesn't work so well because the tolerances of the aperture linkages add up. It is not impossible to mount the adapter, but just VERY fiddly. For these applications, I use a Fotodiox adapter that has a separate ring for actuating the aperture linkage:

http://www.amazon.com/Fotodiox-Adapter-Thirds-Olympus-Panasonic/dp/B003111NL0/ref=sr_1_10

This adapter is very handy as it also turns your lens into a shift lens and the aperture actuation ring allows you to quickly open up the lens for critical focusing and then stop it down to taking aperture for exposure. A very clever solution that is very useful for macro photography! Fotodiox also makes a less expensive version without the lens shift and rotation features, but with the stop down ring:

http://www.amazon.com/Fotodiox-Adapter-Thirds-Olympus-Panasonic/dp/B003EAVUMK/ref=pd_sim_p_6

Just be careful with the Fotodiox adapters. They have the same cheap pins to actuate the aperture linkage as the other cheap adapters. It works as long as you remember to move the ring to the L or Lock position for lens mounting. If you forget and leave the ring in the A or Open position, you risk damaging the adapter pin or the lens linkage. If you aren't using tele-extenders or tubes, then the ciecio7 adapter is more robust.
 
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Thanks for all the input. I think I'll go with the cieco7 adapter, for robust-ness and less risk of damaging a lens. At the moment I only have 1 FD lens, so switching the adapter around isn't a huge problem, but in the future, I'm sure I'll end up with more.
 
I'm not sure what im doing wrong but i can't get the aperture control on the lens to work. I tried everything in this thread, any help?
 
hyphygreek said:
I'm not sure what im doing wrong but i can't get the aperture control on the lens to work. I tried everything in this thread, any help?
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So your adapter is not controlling the aperture? I want to clarify that you're not trying to get the camera to electronically control the aperture, since that is not possible with FD lenses.
 
CColton said:
So your adapter is not controlling the aperture? I want to clarify that you're not trying to get the camera to electronically control the aperture, since that is not possible with FD lenses.
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The adapter... I did what people said with putting the adapter on 'Lock' and the lens not on 'A', switch it to open, and other different things. But still, the aperture ring doesn't do anything.
 
hyphygreek said:
The adapter... I did what people said with putting the adapter on 'Lock' and the lens not on 'A', switch it to open, and other different things. But still, the aperture ring doesn't do anything.
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Your FD lens probably has stuck aperture blades. Try another lens.
 
Yeah, the first lens I tried was legitimately broken, but the second works perfectly with my cheap adapter.
 
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