Recommendations for affordable manual focus lenses?

[oifish]

I have a 40D and I like the basic 17-85mm lens it came with but I'd really like to get a prime manual focus lens. I have a bunch of old FD lenses but the FD-EF adapter causes you to lose the lowest two stops and further crops the image. Are there any reasonably affordable lenses with either an EF/EF-S mount or older lenses where an adapter gives you full lens function? Thanks!

 

[mediascheme]

you may want to go with a old lens which most likely will need an adaptor with out the glass element like a m42 mounted lens or an olympus om mount. The zuiko lenses are the bomb!! and the adaptors work well.

 

[oifish]

Awesome. That's what I was looking for is an adapter without any glass.

 

[Dao]

Take a look at this

Canon EOS lens Adapters - Manual focus lenses on Canon EOS bodies

You should find the answers there.

 

[CanonJim]

I have a couple of 1970s vintage Pentax Asahi Super Takumar lenses with the M42 screw mount - these guys screw right into a glass-less adapter you can get by the ton on eBay for about 7 bucks each, and are generally very good quality. Built like tanks. the "SMC" or "super multi-coated" lenses seem to be in the most demand, but pretty much anything with "Takumar" on it can be had for a good price, and will deliver the goods. The only thing driving the prices up is the fact that more and more Canoneers are realizing that if you get excited about manual focus lenses, the Taks are a really good deal.

 

[Derrel]

One of the BEST features of the majority of M42 lenses is the Auto-Manual "stop-down switch"...a nifty switch, or a slider, that opens the lens up to widest open aperture AND stops the lens diaphragm down to whatever aperture the aperture control ring is set to, with the simple movement of the switch!!!! When using an adapted Super-Takumar on my 5D, all I need to do to go to my stopped-down, shooting aperture, is to slide the AUTO-MANUAL switch to MANUAL, and the lens is closed down to the desired f/stop---no need to "count click-stops", as when using say, adapted Nikkor lenses on Canon!!! Now, not "All" M42 lenses have a stop-down switch, I have been told...but the majority that I have ever used have had a switch...the M42 lenses I have used have ALL been what is often called "single-pin" models, referring to the single, small "pencil-lead-like" stop down mechanism on the rear of the mount, which is how the mechanical diaphragm stop-down mechanism inside M42 cameras stopped down the automatic diaphragm, by pressing inward on that little pin when the shutter release was tripped.



Here's a quick photo I made a while back, showing my Canon 5D body, fitted with an Olympus OM-series 28mm f/2.8 lens, and then to the right, in the back row left, an M42 mount Super-Takumar 135mm f/3.5, then back far right, an M42 mount Super-Takumar 200mm f/4, and in the right front position, an M42 mount Vivitar Series 1 55mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro lens.

 

[gw2424]

I own two Olympus om lenses. There is an adapter ($15) that has no glass.
You can pick up the 50mm f1.8 for around $30!

If you want to continue using Canon FD look at the ED Mika Mounts

Good Luck!

GW