Camera Adapters for various Lenses ?

[kry10]

Hi everyone.

Just a quick question.

I popped into my local Cash Generator shop (second hand goods) and have seen some lenses for a very low price, thing is, I have no idea what fitting they are, I believe one is a Sigma (I will post more information on what the lenses are when I find out the names of them).
I was just wondering, I have a Canon EOS 1100D and I already have a lens adapter to change the fitting to take screw lenses instead of the bayonet fitting, is there other adapters so that I can basically choose pretty much any lens, or, am I limited in what kind of lenses I can make use of ?

 

[enzodm]

Check here the registration distance of any lens mount: Camera Mounts Sorted by Register

You may basically mount everything has a longer registration distance than yours (it's the designed distance from lens to sensor/film: shorter means you loose infinity focus). Canon EOS is good from this point of view, you can take Nikon, Contax/Yashica, M42, Pentax K, Olympus OM, and some other.
I own Nikon, Contax and of course M42 too.
Mirrorless cameras, which have a very short registration distance, allow almost any old lens, including rangefinders.

 

[kry10]

Well, I said I would get the names of the lenses I have seen at the 2nd hand shop, they are.....

Miranda 55-135mm 1:3.5-4.5
Sigma 55-200mm 1:4-5.6 DC

Not sure on the fitting, they had a third lens, but, couldn't see the make, just said MC fit on a sticker.

Will any of these fit my Canon EOS 1100D, with an adapter ???

 

[DiskoJoe]

Well, I said I would get the names of the lenses I have seen at the 2nd hand shop, they are.....

Miranda 55-135mm 1:3.5-4.5
Sigma 55-200mm 1:4-5.6 DC

Not sure on the fitting, they had a third lens, but, couldn't see the make, just said MC fit on a sticker.

Will any of these fit my Canon EOS 1100D, with an adapter ???

The real question here is can you find out what mount these lens are made for? If you can determine this then you can see if there is a "whatever to canon" mount adaptor. There may be but you have to do step on before you can go to step two. I would say go to the store and see if they will let you take a picture of the lens mount. Then come back her and post the pic. Someone could probably help determine what mount those lenses are.

Of course these lenses you are describing are pretty junky to begin with. Even if you can get an adaptor I dont think they would be very good lenses. Personally I would stick with purchasing old m42 lenses. The build and quality of m42 is usually really good and they are pretty cheap for the most part. I just picked up a yashinan 50mm f1.8. Really awesome lens. I think it goes for about $60 on ebay.

 

[enzodm]

Well, I said I would get the names of the lenses I have seen at the 2nd hand shop, they are.....

Miranda 55-135mm 1:3.5-4.5
Sigma 55-200mm 1:4-5.6 DC

Not sure on the fitting, they had a third lens, but, couldn't see the make, just said MC fit on a sticker.

Will any of these fit my Canon EOS 1100D, with an adapter ???

the problem is that the name is not sufficient to understand the mount, since these are third party lenses, likely made in more than one mount version (Sigma in particular has been made at least in Canon EOS and Nikon mount, so if you are lucky, you do not need an adapter). You have to look at the mount to see whether there is something written (a letter or so). MC means multicoated, so it does not help at all. If you can, take a picture of the mounts and post here, we will look at them. Or look here and compare: SLR Lens Mount Identification Guide
(remember also that Canon FD mount is one of the few that does not go on Canon EOS!)

 

[Derrel]

Cameras that use the CANON EF mount can be adapted to use 35mm lenses from multiple different 35mm systems, as well as several medium format lens system optics. According to the chart at Adapters: One Lens to Another Body

Canon EF bodies can be adapted to Olympus OM, Leica R, Leica Visoflex short mount lenses, Nikon lenses with aperture rings on them, Nikon G-series lenses, Yashica/Contax,M42 thread mount, Pentax K-mount, as well as the new PDA Pentax lenses without aperture rings for the smaller, EF-S bodies. ALL of those lenses will achieve infinity focus without need a glass element in the adpater.

I am not aware of any Miranda-to-Canon EF lens adapters--but then again, there MIGHT well be one made, somewhere!

 

[bratkinson]

One note, concerning older lenses...non-electronic (EF) style lenses are 'full manual' only. Manual focus -and- manual aperature setting. Mounting them via an adapter to an EF body does NOT make them auto anything.

I'd also shy away from lenses other than Canon, Nikon, Minolta, and Leica. One, because unless you know what mount they have, you might end up buying an orphan. And, two, 30 years ago, the image quality (IQ) of non-name brand lenses was sometimes noticeably less than that of comparable name-brand lenses.

 

[enzodm]

One note, concerning older lenses...non-electronic (EF) style lenses are 'full manual' only. Manual focus -and- manual aperature setting. Mounting them via an adapter to an EF body does NOT make them auto anything.

Yes: I perhaps wrongly supposed that OP already knew this. With a chip adapter however the focus led is activated when reaching, more or less, the focus position.
Regarding quality, apart from some other name (Pentax, Olympus had a good 50mm, Zeiss, some russians, etc), in principle I would not buy an old zoom, because it is the only technology where optics surely enhanced in time, unless is very cheap.
I expect "very low price" in the original post means 20$ for Miranda if in M42, 10$ if in Miranda bayonet (and thus unuseful: Derrel is right, there is no adapter also in my knowledge, but they did also M42 and Pentax K), something more for Sigma if in modern mount.