GH2 Canon mod trying out GH2.

[Lpowell]

...Unless the version without the aperture control is preferred for some reason? Maybe more robust and solid build?

That's exactly my point. Why would you want an adapter with a useless, unreliable control ring that has the potential to silently sabotage your take?

As for a wide-angle AF-D zoom lens with an aperture ring, Nikon has you covered. The Nikkor 17-35mm f2.8 is one of Nikon's finest.

 

[M. Gilden]

That's exactly my point. Why would you want an adapter with a useless, unreliable control ring that has the potential to silently sabotage your take?

??
::scratches head::

Does it have that potential?
Worst case scenario, if I'm using full manual lenses the automatic aperture control will do nothing.
This isn't an adapter with its own aperture blades like the EOS one mentioned earlier- I believe this is supposed to interface with the lens' aperture system with an external dial, essentially making a manual aperture ring on lenses that don't have them. Yes, it might be difficult to determine what f-stop you are at since there aren't any markings, but aren't you still better off than having no option to use G lenses at all?

As for a wide-angle AF-D zoom lens with an aperture ring, Nikon has you covered. The Nikkor 17-35mm f2.8 is one of Nikon's finest.

And WAY out of my reasonable price range at $1500-$2000! The GH2 is an experiment, if you read the first post. I'm still primarily a Canon guy.
I'm willing to spend money to do it right, but there's a limit.

 

[Lpowell]

Does it have that potential?
Worst case scenario, if I'm using full manual lenses the automatic aperture control will do nothing.

I suspect you're assuming that these adapter aperture rings will somehow lock securely when you rotate them to the "Lock" position or vice versa. In reality, there's no guarantee they will stay where you put them because the vast majority of these adapters are cheap disposable knockoffs made for a fraction of what they sell for. Some of them are so funky that simply mounting the lens on the camera can easily torque the adapter ring out of the delicate position you need them to stay in.

On the wide-angle zoom front, there are inexpensive alternatives to high-class Nikon glass: C-mount cine lenses originally designed for Super-8 video cameras. While there are a variety of vignetting and compatibility issues to beware of, the best of these can produce impressively cinematic results on the GH2. I've experimented with quite a few and the learning experience was well worth the rock-bottom entry fees.

 

[M. Gilden]

I suspect you're assuming that these adapter aperture rings will somehow lock securely when you rotate them to the "Lock" position or vice versa. In reality, there's no guarantee they will stay where you put them because the vast majority of these adapters are cheap disposable knockoffs made for a fraction of what they sell for. Some of them are so funky that simply mounting the lens on the camera can easily torque the adapter ring out of the delicate position you need them to stay in.

On the wide-angle zoom front, there are inexpensive alternatives to high-class Nikon glass: C-mount cine lenses originally designed for Super-8 video cameras. While there are a variety of vignetting and compatibility issues to beware of, the best of these can produce impressively cinematic results on the GH2. I've experimented with quite a few and the learning experience was well worth the rock-bottom entry fees.

So you're saying having aperture control might not work all of the time. But not having it means it won't work ANY of the time! See where I'm going with this yet?

Again, if I'm using my vintage manual lenses, having the aperture control will just do nothing. Those lenses don't interface with it. Yet having the option means it could work should the situation arise. For an extra $2, I don't get what the fuss is about.

And for the record, Fotodiox isn't some no-name ebay knockoff company.

 

[Ian-T]

I love Fotodiox BTW.

 

[Lpowell]

So you're saying having aperture control might not work all of the time... For an extra $2, I don't get what the fuss is about.

And for the record, Fotodiox isn't some no-name ebay knockoff company.

No, what I'm saying is that most of these lock-ring adapters cannot be trusted to work reliably at any time. And in fact, vintage manual focus lenses do interface with the adapter lock-ring mechanism and rely on it to operate correctly at all times.

You describe yourself as a "Canon guy" and that may be part of the culture shock here. In some ways, the kingdom of Canon is similar to Apple's - a well-engineered world of components that are carefully designed to work together as you would expect - so long as you remain safely within its commercially-sanctioned boundaries. The GH2 'hood is more like Windows - a largely unregulated free enterprise zone rife with scavenged technology, where raspy incompatibilities and flakey merchandise are par for the course.

BTW, I happen to own a Fotodiox Canon FD adapter, and its built-in aperture ring is no more reliable than the rest.

 

[M. Gilden]

Not exactly, what I'm saying is that most of these lock-ring adapters cannot be trusted to work reliably at any time.

You describe yourself as a "Canon guy" and that may be part of the culture shock here. In some ways, the kingdom of Canon is similar to Apple's - a well-engineered world of components that are carefully designed to work together as you would expect - so long as you remain safely within its commercially-sanctioned boundaries. The GH2 'hood is more like Windows - a largely unregulated free enterprise zone rife with scavenged technology, where raspy incompatibilities and flakey merchandise are par for the course.

BTW, I happen to own a Fotodiox Canon FD adapter, and its built-in aperture ring is no more reliable than the rest.

Careful- I know you are trying to help, but that tone can easily be interpreted as condescending.

Maybe I should try asking the question a different way: If I buy the version with the aperture ring, would it be any LESS reliable for my vintage primes than the one without?

 

[Justyn]

I've had great success in using both Canon FD lenses and all of the Nikons that I've grabbed. Those with the Fstops and the G series newer ones. The adapter has a little lever that opens and closes the IRIS and it works really great. I think I paid about 20 bucks for each of them. On the other hand, I had a really bad experience trying to get some adapters to work with modern EOS lenses.. just didn't work at all. I think that the Redrock is possibly the best and only option. I tried the one that Bloom recommends and it didn't work on the Tamron zoom and or the 85mm Canon....


That being said.... I do understand the reluctance to buy a big deal of lenses but I can tell you that you WON"T loose your shirt if you buy some lenses to get you through on the GH2. The tokina is such a hot great little lens that I'm sure you'll get 90 percent of your money back and the same thing for the Voigtlander .95. Now that's a lens that truly stands to to toe with any Canon Fanboy offering... it's brilliant. You also might want to wait till the SLR magic comes out with their 12mm 1.6. You could also pick up the Olympus 12mm F2 that has autofocus and such...


I don't think a good lens purchase is one to worry on and in actuality the last series of lenses that I bought to use with a 5D, I sold them and actually made a profit... Pretty sweet! Good luck with the venture and we all do ourselves a good service by checking out what's out there and not being resigned to one camera. I know I certainly am not, but the GH2 is clearly the camera that I want to shoot video with even when I can use a 5D or a 7D for the same thing. I resign those cameras to shooting stills, but who knows what will happen in the future.


peace and respect!

 

[Justyn]

Also... I second the idea of the Canon FD glass. I just picked up a 50mm 1.4 in mint condition for 60 bucks. That's a great lens for a super good price. I really want the 24mm 1.2 but that's really pricey. I will keep my eye out for sure...

 

[Lpowell]

I'm not just trying to help, I'm trying to save you some grief. I've bought over a dozen adapters of various kinds and I've not seen a single one with a "Lock" ring that was reliable - on either G lenses or vintage primes.

 

[M. Gilden]

I've had great success in using both Canon FD lenses and all of the Nikons that I've grabbed. Those with the Fstops and the G series newer ones. The adapter has a little lever that opens and closes the IRIS and it works really great. I think I paid about 20 bucks for each of them. On the other hand, I had a really bad experience trying to get some adapters to work with modern EOS lenses.. just didn't work at all. I think that the Redrock is possibly the best and only option. I tried the one that Bloom recommends and it didn't work on the Tamron zoom and or the 85mm Canon....

Thanks for the super helpful post, Justyn! So which adapter did you use, if you don't mind my asking?

I'm not just trying to help, I'm trying to save you some grief. I've bought over a dozen adapters of various kinds and I've not seen a single one with a "Lock" ring that was reliable - on either G lenses or vintage primes.

Maybe I'm missing something fundamental here, but isn't the lock mechanism just for controlling the aperture? What does it do for vintage primes? Is the lock supposed to also hold the lens in place or something?
It looks like the 2 adapters in question here are about the same, attaching to the body and lens in the same way, only one offers this extra feature of attempting to control the aperture if the lens is compatible.

If the aperture ring doesn't work, and I'm stuck using the same Nikon manual lenses that I would have been stuck using anyway, what would I lose aside from the $2 difference in price?

 

[dishan]

I'm not sure why Ipowell is so negative- everyone else on the forum so far has been telling me to get lenses like the Tokina 11-16 in G-mount. Folks seem to like the fotodiox adapter with the apterture control, so I'm not sure what his fuss is about.
(Check his post history, btw. He just talks like that sometimes I guess)