adapter question....

[invncblsonic143]

So i have some old lenses both for nikon and canon....is there anything out there that would make these usable on my canon rebel xti?

 

[Big Mike]

Yes, there are adapters...but it's not as simple as that.

For example, since any adapter will take up some space, it moves the lens farther away from the camera, than it was designed to be. So for example, if you use an adapter to mount old Canon FD lenses, onto your EOS camera...you would not be able to focus to infinity. However, you can buy an adapter that has a lens element in it, which will correct for this (and act as a slight teleconverter)...but the problem with this, is that your image quality is then subject tot he quality of the lens in the adapter...and they usually aren't very good.

Also, there is the issue of controlling the lens. Your camera is made to electronically control the aperture of the lens. But if you use an adapter and/or an old lens...the camera probably won't be able to do that. So you'd have to change the aperture yourself. This also means that you may have to find another method of metering and setting your exposure.

The usual consensus is that while it may be fun to play with, it's not worth the hassle unless you have some very good lenses.

(on a side note, the Tim Burton movie 'The Corpse Bride' was shot entirely with Canon cameras (still frame) (1D mk II, I think) and Nikon lenses...because the Canon was the best DSLR on the market and they already had a bunch of Nikon lenses.)