Converting Cannon lens to Nikon

Mully · Mar 12, 2013

I purchased a Sigma 400mm f5.6 that was made for Cannon it is a manual lens and I want to mount this on a Nikon.... what is the best way for me to do this?

TCampbell · Mar 12, 2013

I'm not sure this can even be done. I've never heard of an adapter that allows use of Canon lenses on Nikon bodies.

It's easy to use a Nikon lens on a Canon body *because* the flange to focal plane distance on a Canon "body" is shorter than the flange to focal plane distance on a Nikon. That means the Nikon lens is expecting a LONGER back-focus distance to bring the lens to focus, and THAT means that when you put in an adapter (which shims out the lens slightly) the adapter not only "adapts" the ring so that it'll mate, it ALSO adapts the "distance" so that the lens will come to focus.

When you go the other way... Canon lens on a Nikon body, you've got the opposite problem. The mounting flange needs to be pushed back into the body several more millimeters to get the lens to it's optimum back-focus distance. There may be companies that provide an adapter, but to work they would have to use optics in the adapter.

Adapted lenses lose control over focus, but you can manually focus. But also adapted lenses lose control over aperture and that can be a problem.

See: diglloyd - Ask Lloyd Chambers - All about lens adapters for Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc

Mike_E · Mar 12, 2013

Send it back to sigma. There are no adapters for Canon to Nikon that allow for infinity focus.

The basic lens would be the same for all mounts so it shouldn't be too hard for them to switch it out. -not saying that they'll do it but start there first. If that doesn't work then sell it and buy one that will fit the Nikon.

KmH · Mar 12, 2013

+3. I'm not aware of any Canon to Nikon adapters, but there are Nikon to Canon adapters.

The issue is the difference between Canon and Nikon's - Flange focal distance - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia