Messages

1

Software & Accessories / Re: Finally (after only 6months) a new EdMika kit launch, the FD35-105/3.5 EOS kit

« on: April 30, 2013, 01:22:32 PM »

Thanks Ed!
 
I'll add that to the list of FD lenses I look for.  There does not seem to be good supply of the best FD lenses on the market locally, they are very hard to find at my price, which mean nearly free

And rightfully so, these lenses are worth the prices.  My theory is that prices have gone up mostly because of EVIL body cameras like the Sony NEX and the advantages manual focus lenses have over modern equivalents for filmmakers.

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Software & Accessories / Finally (after only 6months) a new EdMika kit launch, the FD35-105/3.5 EOS kit

« on: April 30, 2013, 12:50:51 AM »

Hi Canon fans, here is a new to EOS Canon manual focus lens kit you can add to the existing do-it-yourself EdMika set of conversions.


EdMika FDn 35-105/3.5 EOS kit launch by Ontarian, on Flickr

found here on eBay:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/EdMika-Canon-FD-n-35-105mm-3-5-lens-EOS-conversion-adapter-mount-swap-kit-/171033243028?pt=US_Lens_Adapters_Mounts_Tubes&hash=item27d2602d94&_uhb=1#ht_657wt_1413

My other kits:

http://www.ebay.ca/sch/ed_mika/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686


Upcoming kits (really close now)

FDn 400mm 4.5
FDn 300mm 4L
FDn 50-300mm 4.5L
FDn 200mm 4 Macro
FDn 100mm 4 Macro
FDn 20-35mm 3.5L


cheers and as always happy shooting- Ed Mika

3

Pricewatch Deals / Re: Canon EOS 6D w/24-105 f/4L IS Kit in Stock at Norman Camera

« on: November 29, 2012, 03:45:27 PM »

I just tried to buy from them right now but they don't ship to Canada.

Looks like they are in Michigan and that is like next door to Canada!  ROAD TRIP!   

After calling around the main Canadian distributers who all told me they are still weeks out from stock I Just picked up the order through PMI digital on eBay .  I've had good experiences with them in the past.

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Pricewatch Deals / Re: Canon EOS 6D w/24-105 f/4L IS Kit in Stock at Norman Camera

« on: November 29, 2012, 03:24:08 PM »

I just tried to buy from them right now but they don't ship to Canada.

5

Software & Accessories / Re: EdMika new kit launch - FDn 85mm 1.2L

« on: November 08, 2012, 10:16:25 AM »

 

Thats terrible news.  It is highly unlikely you would find an OEM stock replacement, the best bet is I have a few times seen an 85L being sold as-is on ebay after someone tried to convert it and failed so everything ends up in pieces but usually not a broken rear element.  I almost bought one last time that ended up selling for a few hundred dollars.  The glue Canon used on these 85L's is the hardest I've ever dealt with in removing.  The 85L would be a lens I would push people to consider having Jim Buchanan in California or Eddie Houston "The Lens Doctor" in England do the converting for on top of the professional cleaning and calibration they can do at the same time.  Both can use my adapter kits if requested and they have in the past.

Ive got two 85L lens copies, both I paid around 800 dollars for but one is in slightly less nice condition.  If you want to send me your broken lens I suppose I could use the rear element out of my second lens and perform the conversion for you.  I'd be willing to do it for 500 dollars and you pay shipping both ways and I'll donate the adapter so you'd be getting your lens going again for just over 300.  I'm doing this because my heart breaks hearing about this happening, the 85L is just so nice and deserves to live on and be used daily.  I'll patch up my donor lens when I find another failed conversion at some point in time.

edit: I can also use your cracked element on my lens as a temporary measure, its surprising how much battle damage a lens can have without having that much of an effect on the IQ, in fact sometimes it adds character.  The old lenses can celebrate their unique, glowing, sometimes distorted or imperfect but somehow magical optical qualities over todays neutral and flat IQ aiming designs meant to look like a high straight line on an MTF chart.

6

Software & Accessories / Re: EdMika new kit launch - FDn 85mm 1.2L

« on: November 07, 2012, 11:09:28 PM »

Unless a 5D classic can be hacked to bring live view to it or if you are willing to shave the bottom edge of your mirror by about 0.4mm then unfortunately no.

7

Software & Accessories / Re: EdMika new kit launch - FDn 85mm 1.2L

« on: October 29, 2012, 11:44:12 AM »

Interesting thing, the 85mm 1.2L EOS conversion was by at least a factor of 2 the one I got the most requests for developing.  At just over a week out, I have sold a grand total of 1 kit (to an apparent fan of my work who's on their 6th adapter - thanks for that Dana!).  It just goes to show that sales and interest do not go hand in hand.

I theorize that this has a lot to do with the fact that this is a conversion that either requires the extremely difficult task of full lens disassembly in order to do the conversion reversibly or to simply break a lever off making it a (semi) permanent conversion (this can be undone with some good soldering but it obviously wouldn't be mint anymore).  These are not fun choices to have with an 800 dollar lens.

Thankfully the 50L (actually ready to ship, I just have to make the video and listing) and the 85 1.2 Aspherical (still in final stages of development) do not require such extreme measures to convert so I predict they will be more popular.

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EOS Bodies - For Video / Re: Mods get your sh** together and approve the topics that are idle.

« on: October 29, 2012, 11:26:13 AM »

I also appreciate the moderators of this site, good job folks!

9

Software & Accessories / Re: EdMika new kit launch - FDn 85mm 1.2L

« on: October 24, 2012, 11:25:02 PM »

Nice collection of Old and New 85/1.2s (except you're missing the Zeiss Contax 50 year anniversary edition, and the m42 Helios/Cyclop)...

Any thoughts on the IQ difference between the nFD and EF L and EF L II? (as far as I've seen on reviews, the EF L II does better centres but softer borders than the L I, which is more consistent across the frame. That's the price for better bokeh i suppose).

Based on my unscientific (our lens testing lab is in the works though) pixel peeping the FDn 85mm 1.2L is as sharp and contrasty as my EF 1.2L II version with beautiful creamy bokeh.  I thought the FD version had a lot more vignetting than the EF until I remembered to turn peripheral illumination correction off and then bingo, virtually no difference between the two lenses.  I love how compact the manual lenses are compared to the big plastic modern beasts, its all business with a grenade like ball of glass wrapped in a thin metal shell.

10

Software & Accessories / EdMika new kit launch - FDn 85mm 1.2L

« on: October 24, 2012, 11:09:44 PM »

http://www.ebay.com/itm/EdMika-Canon-FDn-FD-85mm-1-2L-EOS-mount-conversion-kit-/181006816741?pt=US_Lens_Adapters_Mounts_Tubes&hash=item2a24d8d5e5

Its finally here, the single most requested conversion kit, the FD 85mm 1.2L is shipping out now.  The FD 50mm 1.2 L is expected to launch in a couple of days as well.


5X 85mm 1.2 lenses by Ontarian, on Flickr

The 85mm 1.2 Aspherical kit is coming along well also.

Also, here is a little video showing how we machine the EdTraveller if anyone is interested, we don't injection mould it, we machine it from a big cylinder of Delrin.

Video from My Phone	Small | Large

11

Lenses / Re: "White fog" on pictures.. (EdMika converted nFD 135mm f/2 to EF lens)

« on: October 18, 2012, 11:20:39 PM »

I saw very similar looking effects when I tried some of my old FD lenses with an adapter.
It was far worse at wide apertures, improved as stopped down.
I think it's basically the poor quality of lens coatings of the old FDs and the adapter lens which cause internal reflections to disperse light and kill contrast.  Effect varies with different lenses, focal lengths etc.

Toss 'em and get some new glass or get some old Nikkor lenses instead, they don't require a corrective lens adapter and they had slightly better coatings to start with so are more compatible with the somewhat reflective image sensors vs more matte and less reflective film they were originally designed for.

I respectfully disagree, the FD glass has IQ and coating performance that is no worse than similar vintage Nikkor glass.  The spider web being described is a common fungus pattern and is the likely culprit of the visible haze.  I have a very hairy 50-300 4.5L I got off eBay with a broken mount that I rebuilt with one of my kits recently and a couple of mint same lens copies and the IQ of the shots between the fungsy and clean ones is dramatically different.

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Lenses / Re: Manual Focus Lenses: Smarter in F-Mount?

« on: September 29, 2012, 10:37:08 PM »

[/quote]



Canon's old lenses need adapters to work on anything new
Nikon's old lenses need adapters to work on new Canon or some other bodies.
Nikon's old lenses still work on new Nikon bodies without adapters (with some AF issues on low end bodies)
Therefore, Nikon lenses are more versatile, and there's a pile of old used ones to be found out there, more than Canon's.
[/quote]


True.

But.

Not all things are equal.

Some Nikon Lenses are better than similar Canon lenses of that time.

Other Canon Lenses are better than similar Nikon lenses of that time.

Also Nikon shooters like Nikon Lenses and Canon shooters like Canon Lenses.

So blanket statements are broad, comfortable and kind of cover all the bases but are just barely more right than wrong in any given specific case.

13

Lenses / Re: Manual Focus Lenses: Smarter in F-Mount?

« on: September 22, 2012, 05:12:52 PM »

Canon people like shooting Canon lenses.  This is true in my case and I'm sure its true for many, many others.  Unfortunately Canon orphaned their line of fantastic manual focus lenses when they went to the EOS mount in 1987 with a longer lens registration distance.  The only adapters that would make infinity focus had to be optically corrected which stole light and added distortion so a pro lens started acting optically worse than the cheepest entry level zooms.

This is why I make mount swap kits, not quite adapters but replacement mounts.  This brings those great lenses back to play in EOS for us Canon fanboys.

-Ed Mika

14

Lenses / Re: Manual Focus Lenses: Smarter in F-Mount?

« on: September 22, 2012, 05:09:20 PM »

I was wondering, since we all know Nikon lenses can be mounted on Canon bodies but not viceversa, is it not smarter to buy manual-focus-only lenses always in Nikon mount and buy an adapter?

That would minimize the inconveniences of side-grading, and would make expensive lenses such as Zeiss, Voigtländer and Schneider-Kreuznach a very safe investment.

Is there any disadvantage I'm neglecting? Any problem with aperture control?

As long as its a totally manual lens, you only have to deal with the somewhat klutzy adapters.  If I were buying a new lens and it was available in Canon mount, thats the way to go.
However, in terms of being able to resell a manual lens, having one that could be adapted fit Most DSLR bodies might have the most value.
Not only can a Nikon F lens be adapted to Canon, but also to Sony/Minolta, and a few others.  That increases the possible number of users who might want to buy it.  Just watch out, many of those old Nikon lenses have odd protrusions or other gotchas.
Of course, buying vintage medium Format lenses with their very long flange distance would allow them to be adapted to almost any DSLR.  The old Zeiss Hasselblad Distagon T* lenses are fairly good and low priced for a Zeiss lens. I've adapted one, and I love the smooooth manual focus.

Not all adapters are Klutzy (good term!), just most.  Of course I'm biased, I make adapters (that are 5X more expensive than the norm).

15

Software & Accessories / Re: New EdMika FDn-EOS mount swap kit launch. It fits more than one lens!

« on: September 21, 2012, 05:20:49 PM »

Any chance of the FD 20mm f2.8 fitting an EOS mount?

Because the iron ring on the 20 2.8 is missing screws and holes it would be extremely difficult.  I'm working with Jim Buchanan (world famous lens conversion services specialist) on some stuff and perhaps he could overcome this issue with a soldered on solution.  People would have to send their lenses in to him for the adaptation though.