Using old glass with adapters

[<error>]

How good is this? I understand it's not a solution in many cases, but for example in still photography, shooting manual all the way ?

I would want to add a lens for my product shooting. I have a Canon 40D with the 60mm macro lens, and am thinking adding a 100mm lens to the set.

I see lots of old glass, Canon or others, that are obsolete for some reason, at very interesting prices - any reasons against going this route ? Again, 100% manual is fine for me.

Any recommendations for what glass for still life, product, studio photography? And observations about the adapter ?

Thanks a lot guys!

 

[weepete]

You can loose a stop or two of light from using an adapter and no focus motor means manual focus only. Modern cameras viewfinders are geared towards using the AF so its a bit harder to get spot on focus with manual focus lenses. Plus it can screw with the metering a bit. Good, sharp old lenses still have a demand for those shooting film, so prices can still be quite high. Add to that the focal lengths are for 35mm film so not always suited to crop sensor cameras.

But as long as those things are not a big issue for you then legacy lenses can be quite good. There are also some people about who can do a hard conversion (where the lens mount is replaced so no adapter is needed and you don't loose any light)

 

[Derrel]

Nikon's new G-series lenses require an adapter that can control the lens's iris diaphragm, and that type of adapter is more expensive than the adapters used below, each of which cost less than $20 from e-Bay.


Canon EOS cameras work pretty well with adapted lenses. As far as I know, the EOS system's EF mount can accept legacy lenses from seven different 35mm film- and digital lenses. In my opinion, the handiest lenses are the m42 thread mount lenses, simply because the majority of them have a small Manual-AUTO switch or slider control, which allows one-touch opening or closing of the manual diaphragm in those lenses...one movement of the Manual-AUTO switch can open the lens for focusing, then another touch will close the lens down to shooting aperture.

Canon 5D with an Olympus 28mm f/2.8 Zuiko Auto-W wide angle lens; Vivitar Series 1 55mm f/2.8 macro lens, goes to 1:1 and has an incredible reproduction scale, made possible by an incredibly long, multi-turn focusing helicoid system; behind are the Super-Takumar 135mm f/3.5 and the Super-Takumar 200mm f/4 lenses. In the 200mm lens, you can see the knurled Manual-AUTO switch.

Here's a wide assortment of lenses, adapted to my Canon 5D. A 35mm f/2.8 Super-Lentar in m42 mount; Vivitar Series 1 55mm f/2.8 1:1 macro. On the camera is a 55mm f/2.8 Super-Takumar in m42 mount; to the right of the on-camera lens is a Nikon 24mm f/2.8 Ai-S lens. To the right of the Nikon lens and lens cap is the Olympus 28mm f/2.8 Zuiko; back row left is the Super-Takumar 135mm f/3.5, and the far right lens is the Super-Takumar 200mm f/4, both of course in m42 mount.

These lenses all use glassless adapters, and there's no loss of light. All of these lenses focus to infinity without the need for glass in the adapter, and its in these mounts, m42 thread, Nikon F, and Olympus OM where you'll find lots of legacy lenses at good prices. Vivitar has made a few Series 1 macro lenses that are pretty good, the m42 line was made by multiple companies and extension tubes are low cost. Nikon has god 55,60, and 105mm macro lenses made over a span of 40 years, and Olympus made some very nice lenses.

 

[petrochemist]

You can loose a stop or two of light from using an adapter and no focus motor means manual focus only. Modern cameras viewfinders are geared towards using the AF so its a bit harder to get spot on focus with manual focus lenses. Plus it can screw with the metering a bit. Good, sharp old lenses still have a demand for those shooting film, so prices can still be quite high. Add to that the focal lengths are for 35mm film so not always suited to crop sensor cameras.

But as long as those things are not a big issue for you then legacy lenses can be quite good. There are also some people about who can do a hard conversion (where the lens mount is replaced so no adapter is needed and you don't loose any light)

Most adapters have no glass elements, just making up the difference between the original systems rear flange distance & the new cameras rear flange distance. So no light is lost. If there is enough difference in flange distances & the new sensor is smaller than the original system was designed for it is possible to create a focal reducing adapter (the 'Speed Booster' is the best known of these). These have glass elements but basically work like a teleconverter in reverse giving effectively more light!

For Macro use, the difference in rear flange distances is less important, as infinity focus is not required, so the possible lenses to use increases further.

I use a range of old film lenses on my µ4/3 kit. Including some not available in native lenses. They are often considerably cheaper, and usually quite capable of giving good results.

 

[weepete]

I stand corrected

 

[imagemaker46]

I have the original Canon adapter when I went from the F1 body to EOS. I still use it on my 1Dx with an FD 400 2.8. I've had no problems with it, lose a stop, but no big deal, a f3.2 500m lens.

 

[<error>]

Wow! Lots of information and answers to the questions I had. Many thanks ! That will get me going (and ease my budget).