Will this work(CANON)

[Bill.]

I have a Canon AE-1, It has an Image CB-21 flash on it.

I'm taking a digital photography course in school and I'm looking for a used digital SLR. One of my friends has an old Canon 10D that he will sell to me for 100$, the problem is the flash doesn't work, there is also no lens.

Will the flash work with the 10D?
Can i use the 50mm lens on my AE-1 for now until i get some more money?

Thank you everyone

 

[Samanax]

Will the flash work with the 10D?

I don't believe so. You need a flash with the designation "EX" as part of the identification...these were designed to work with Canon DSLRs. The voltages used for film camera flashes is different from digital camera flashes. If you tried a older flash on the 10D it might fry something.

Can i use the 50mm lens on my AE-1 for now until i get some more money?

Are you asking if the 50mm lens from the AE-1 will work with the 10D? You'll need a FD to EOS lens adapter for that. The FD lens won't physically fit directly on a EOS body. And you'll have to manually focus.

 

[Big Mike]

Short answer...no, they won't work.

Get the 10D. Don't worry about the flash and get yourself a new lens. I'd suggest the EF 50mm F1.8.

 

[tsaraleksi]

$100 for a 10D is a pretty good deal, but the old FD lenses will not work at all. Luckily, that 50/1.8 that BigMike suggested can be found used for probably right around $50.

edit: you can damage your camera with an older flash.

 

[Katier]

Photo Strobe Trigger Voltages is a usefull site for deciding if a flash is ok on a DSLR. Some DSLR's are more tolerant than others, canon's I believe are less so. Pentax's I believe are much happier with higher voltages but Not sure about Nikon, Olympus and Sony.

Unfortunatly the CB-21 isn't mentioned in that list, 2 'Images' are safe for canon, one isn't so it's not even a case of 'all the one listed are ok'

BUT it's not all bad, you can pick up perfectly good flashes off ebay cheaply.

 

[TheOtherBob]

I believe Samanax is correct, and I've heard the FD to EOS adapters are expensive, hard to find, and not great (no personal experience, though).

But the 10D still might be a good deal. $100 for the 10D, and $50-100 for a used 28-80mm zoom lens from Adorama or B&H, and maybe a used 420ex flash as well for around $125-150...and you're in business for right around $300 total. That's not a terrible deal for a working DSLR with off-camera flash.

(Of course, Adorama also has a 20D with 18-55mm kit lens for $350 right now -- so that might be an even better deal, if you can swing it.)

Good luck, and welcome!

 

[Big Mike]

Photo Strobe Trigger Voltages is a usefull site for deciding if a flash is ok on a DSLR.

That list was originally made for film cameras, and at the time, the safe rated voltage for Canon EOS cameras was something like 6.5 volts. So when it says safe or not...that's pretty much what they are looking at.

I beleive the early EOS digital cameras (the 10D included) also had a rather low flash trigger rating...so you would have to be careful with that camera.

However, from the 20D onward, I think that all EOS DSLR cameras are rated for up to 250 volts safely.

 

[Katier]

However, from the 20D onward, I think that all EOS DSLR cameras are rated for up to 250 volts safely.

Makes sense, seems silly to have such a risky proposition on a camera as the possibility of blowing part of it up with a flash that has no obvious indication that it doesn't work. I certainly wasn't aware of it and ran old flashguns with unknown trigger voltages on my DSLR. Fortunatly as implied above I believe all pentaxes are good up to 250v.

 

[usayit]

IIRC, Pentax DSLRs are higher than Canon's early EOS bodies... 20-30 volts. There are some older flashes with 200+volts trigger voltages... I'd still play it safe.

I agree... get the 10D for $100 and a 50m f/1.8 EF lens for under $100. No FD lenses will fit EOS. The EF-FD adapters that maintain infinity focus were speciality items (had optic element) as a bridge for FD professionals...they are not good and expensive since they are rare.

 

[Samanax]

Can i use the 50mm lens on my AE-1 for now until i get some more money?

Since the 50mm lens from the AE-1 won't work try looking for used EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lenses...I bet you could get one for about $70 or so. It's not a great lens but at least it'll give you something to play with for awhile.

 

[TheOtherBob]

Since the 50mm lens from the AE-1 won't work try looking for used EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lenses...I bet you could get one for about $70 or so. It's not a great lens but at least it'll give you something to play with for awhile.

If he's using the 10D, though, I think the 18-55 won't fit -- because it's an EF-S lens (and the 10D only takes EF). But I could be wrong, of course.