are all canon lenes interchangable?

[Stormchase]

I have heard mixed things about this topic. I have an EOS rebal xs. I will be buying lenses here in the future but im pretty sure about upgrading my body as i out grow this one in the next few years. I dont want to get a lens i will not be able to use with a better body.

 

[Overread20]

Canon currently make two types of lens - EFS and EF. EFS lenses will only fit onto a crop sensor camera, like your current one, the 7D and the 40D, 50D kind; it will not fit onto a full frame camera like a 5D, 5DM2 or the 1D line (pretty sure it won't).

The EF lenses (which are by far the largest range) will fit onto any of the current model canon cameras - full frame or crop sensor

 

[Stormchase]

ok so ... EF it is. Thanks! I will have to loose the EFS 18-55 if i go to a full frame but by that time it will not be a problem. ill prob go with 40D area because of the price for hobbie not profession.

 

[Overread20]

40D is a very good rout to go, I know a lot of hobby photographers who are very happy to use a 40D camera - just make sure you spend hte serious money on the glass

 

[Josh66]

Also keep in mind that if you buy a film body (which are dirt cheap), only EF lenses will work on that too.

 

[KmH]

Nikon has had the same F-mount since 1959 so any Nikon camera made since then can use any Nikon lense made since then, easy-peasy.

are all canon lenes interchangable? No.

Canon has a nasty habit of changing their lens mount, so you need a sort of score card to keep up.

They tossed the R-mount in 1964 and introduced the FL-mount.

That lasted till 1971 when they introduced the FD-mount.

The FD lasted till 1987 when they switched again......to the EF-mount. (This is when they lost me as a customer)

They introduced the EF-S in 2003.

Beware, they're way overdue for a change to the EF-mount.

 

[musicaleCA]

Maybe they're actually happy with the EF mount though?

EF-S isn't a different mount though, it's the EF mount but set differently at the back of the lens. It's just a different lens designation.

 

[chip]

you can use an EF lens on a 1.6x crop frame camera but usually EF lenses are designed with full frame in mind. Their focal lengths are more catered to full frame cameras.

You cannot use an EF-S lens on a full frame camera. EF-S lenses are designed specifically for 1.6x crop frame cameras. So their focal lengths are catered to 1.6x crop frame cameras.

 

[Dwig]

...
EF-S isn't a different mount though, it's the EF mount but set differently at the back of the lens. It's just a different lens designation.

The R, FL, & FD are not different "mounts". These differ in auto-diaphram linkage and meter coupling. Accessories that have neither are interchangable across these three. The R is otherwise incompatible with the FL & FD mounts. FL and FD are interchangeable both ways; FL bodies accept FD lenses and vice versa. The only loss when crossing the FL/FD boundary is that metering must be done manually and via the stop-down method except when FD lenses are used on FD class bodies.

EF and EF-S mounts are different to a slight degree. EF equipment (full frame bodies either digital or film) will mount on EF-S equipment (crop-sensor bodies) but not vice versa. As I understand it (correct me if I'm wrong here) some accessories, such as extension tubes, are hybrids with EF rear flanges (to fit both EF and EF-S cameras) and EF-S front flanges (to allow either EF or EF-S lenses).

 

[Derrel]

Dwig mentions extension tubes and EF-S lenses. Actually, not "all" extension tubes will accommodate EF-S lenses. In fact, the earlier electronically fitted extension tubes from Kenko and Soligar will NOT accept the EF-S macro lens or the EF-S zoom lenses from Canon.

Kenko AF extension tubes (also branded and sold as Soligar in parts of the world) which have the small, white SQUARE mounting index are the newer, EF-S compatible tubes. The small, white SQUARE lens mounting index is the clue that a body, lens, or accessory is EF-S compliant. Any Canon-mount product with a round RED DOT index point means the item is intended only for use with EF mount accessories.

Using an EF-S compatible extension tube will allow an EF-S lens to be used with an EF Canon body; as Dwig mentioned, the newer EF-S compliant automatic extension tubes have what would be called EF flanges on the rear, but the front of the tubes will accommodate the deeper-seated EF-S lenses.

 

[Stormchase]

It does sound like they might be due for a change. Well the o ly ones I really see for sale are EF and EFS. Those were my main concern. I almost went with Nikon for the lenses but they felt cheaper for some reason. In fact I know they are not! If canon happens to change it up soon I might be due for the body upgrade then. I'm in no rush. Thanks for all the info, Q answered