Photodiox EOS/FD, EOS/Nikkor, and Nikon F/FD adapter reviews...

[Zissou]

Ok, just got all 3 adapters in via amazon. One to use FD lenses on the EOS mount T2i's that includes a piece of glass in it, also one for Nikkor lenses on EOS bodies with NO glass, and a third to use FD lenses on my Nikon bodies with glass in it.

the glass in the 2 adapters is so you can focus to infinity.

ill be brief; dont waste your money. I tested with two ultrasharp lenses, a Nikkor 50mm f1.4 at f4.5, its sharpest spot, and also a Canon 50mm FD f1.4 also at f4.5.

they will be returned ASAP.

in all cases, the images were unacceptable. im embarrassed to post any shots; they ALL look terrible. save the money and buy proper mount lenses.

 

[Kastro]

Thanks for the post Zissou as that is pretty useful/helpful information.

 

[Jordan Scott Price]

I bought the Bower FD-EOS adapter and it was complete crap.

The Zykkor FD-EOS works really well, though. I use it for my FD primes on my 7D. It doesn't seem to degrade the image at all, and the "film look" of the lenses comes through.

I have not tried the Photodiox.

 

[Zissou]

Thanks for the post Zissou as that is pretty useful/helpful information.

I bought the Bower FD-EOS adapter and it was complete crap.

The Zykkor FD-EOS works really well, though. I use it for my FD primes on my 7D. It doesn't seem to degrade the image at all, and the "film look" of the lenses comes through.

I have not tried the Photodiox.

I tried an FD 28mm f2.8, FD 135mm f2.8, and the Nikkor and FD 50mm f1.4's which are super sharp around f4 on their respective mount cameras.

Ok i made some crap shots with a 50mm f1.4 Nikkor AF-D and 50mm f1.4 FD, had to manually manage aperture by measuring f4 on an FD Canon film SLR and trying to match that on the T2i. Both 1/60 second ISO 800, focus point (manually obviously) was the 'HDV' logo on the XH A1 pictured. There is an additional 1.18x crop factor with the FD adapter so i stood a bit further back to compensate for composition. Dont mind the WB, i left it on auto accidentally, it does not affect sharpness whatsoever.

The 'HDV' logo is brushed aluminum/metal that is at a 45 degree angle from the top left down to the bottom right. In neither pic can the brushed material be made out properly. On my D300 with the 50mm f1.4 at f4 it is clearly visible, all the way up to ISO3200.

Pic order is Nikkor shot resized, then Nikkor 100% crop. FD resized, then 100% crop. The glassless EOS to Nikkor F mount is WAY sharper but still nowhere near a Nikon with the 50mm at f4. one must click on the images for full-size (which are resized anyways).

 

[kirklasalle]

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It's NOT worth going online and buying a set of FD's but... If you got em' You can use em'!

I've since learned that the "sweetspot" for these FD adapters are between f5 and f8.
This link does a pretty good job breaking things down.
http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/reviews/canon_fd_eos_adapters.html

I almost forgot... Check these out! AND they have FD's. This ALMOST made me change my
tune of NOT going online to get a set... However, it's likely I'll get my next "set" from here.
Although, probably not FD's
http://www.rplens.com/
********************************************************************

I've been messing with these for almost a year trying to make it worth the effort... And now it
is. Well, to a "small" degree it is. It's great on bright days and brightly lit sets. If opened more
than f5, like 2.8 or 3 I just add a couple ND filters and it seems to help. If I learn any more I'll
post it.
********************************************************************


I have "set" of FD primes from 28mm up to 200mm... I used to run them on a DoF adapter on
a Canon HF11, worked flawlessly, Now I run them on a 7D package and I use the Bower
EOS-FD with the glass element. At first I felt like you guys here and a lot of other people
trying to make use of older lenses or just trying to make the budget...

There really are a list of issues with it...
2/3 stop loss

1.26x added to the focal length
(as if the crop issue wasn't bad enough. Balance between FoV and Dof)

Focus to infinity is somewhat dodgy, not the easiest to set

Softer image quality
(as if it were a Dof Adapter on a DV Cam. Been there, dun that. Not what I paid for in a DSLR)

(A Personal observation here)
Possibly some loss in latitude. With the softness, you lose some of that "contrasy-ness"

Also, as Zissou mentioned with the quality of the image... Not acceptable but, I've since
learned that the "sweetspot" for these FD adapters are between f5 and f8. This just
means I have to change HOW I use them.

Really, I don't like adding more constraints with these FD lenses to the the list "cons" the
EOS line has as a capture medium for cinema. Cons like, lenses that don't go under f5 for a
quality shot.

However, I already have the FD lenses and I'm not buying anymore APS-C lenses. :costumed-smiley-047 Fool!
Basically it seems like FD's just have a very narrow gap of use on the EOS line.

Although, the bottom line for me is that since I have the FD set available to use, I'd rather
spend an additional $60 or $120 for an adapter or two to use them, so I can have a "few"
more "Look" options without having to break the bank for quality lenses
(meaning the Canon L series and then on down the line to the Nikon adapter route)

Well, I hope this info becomes useful. :thumbsup:

 

[Jordan Scott Price]

Although, the bottom line for me is that since I have the FD set available to use, I'd rather
spend an additional $60 or $120 for an adapter or two to use them, so I can have a "few"
more "Look" options without having to break the bank for quality lenses
(meaning the Canon L series and then on down the line to the Nikon adapter route)

This is the same comment I've made on FD lenses.

In my opinion, they should not be your only option; if they are, use the stock lens and shoot everything at f5 or f5.6 until you can get Nikons or better.

But if you can diversify your lens selection with different "looks," then you're only preparing yourself to be more successful an artist/creator because you have a wider range of brushes. People compare cinematography to painting all the time: Having a fat, wide brush with textured bristles would not be the best to paint delicate lines on someone's face (at least, I would think - I'm not painter), but it might be perfect for the blue ocean waves in the background.

I shoot primarily with old Nikon glass on a 7D, but I have some lenses I got for an absolute steal, which were in the possession of their original owner, who was a military photographer and bought them in 1987 before shipping out to God knows where and took absolutely great care of them (the receipts were still in the bag he sold along with it...) The lenses include a beautiful Vivitar Series 1 FD 28-90mm 1:2.8-3.5 Macro lens. I could not imagine life without it, and having to buy a $35 adapter to make it work was not an obstacle. It has been a clutch lens, and I use it for more than just the macro feature, since its Image Quality is the best out of all my FDs.

I have since picked up other FD lenses for pennies, which I use here and there for stylistic shots, but the majority (Wide/Master, Medium, Close-up) are shot with 28mm, 50mm, and 85mm Nikons. Do I wish everything I had were Nikon mount so I wouldn't have to mess with the FD-EOS adapter, or deal with the extra cropping or light loss? Yep. Is it slowing me down from producing good work? Not at all. And that's all that matters to me.

Of course, YMMV, and FD glass might look like dog excrement to your eyes when adapted to the Canons, but I've shot enough tests and done enough shorts to know when to use what, which is why I cautiously recommend FD glass to those who are trying to save money - they can be utilized with good results, but it might require your own experimentation and trial and error.

To those who are looking at FD glass, know what you're getting into. You will probably save money, but make sure these are not the only lenses you will shoot on.

Edit: In reviewing my post earlier in this thread, the only FD lens I had at the time that I was using for professional shooting was the Vivitar 28-90mm, and it, for some reason, just stands out against my other FDs. So, when I made that comment, I hadn't yet done a lengthy thorough test to compare FD lenses against other FDs and against Nikons. Regardless, the Vivitar looks so much better than the other FDs and is sharpest at f4.8