EdMika relaunch of FL 55mm 1.2 EOS brass conversion kit

[Neeneko]

Get an FL 55mm!  It's a great lens, compact, with excellent build quality and feel.

That is my current plan, I guess I will see if eBay plays along.

It is a pity the TS 35mm lenses are so pricy, that looks like it would be a fun one to convert...

[The_Arsonist]

I take it back, I have the T-60-2.  It slips over the end of the lens (whether or not it has a filter on it).  The screw pushes the hood's inner ring tight against the lens to keep it from slipping.  It's easy to fix and to remove.

I believe there is also a T-60-1 hood and the difference is that one is slightly deeper than the other.  The T-60-2 is about an inch and a half deep.  The S-60 is about an inch.  Both are all metal and have black felt on the inside of the hood.

Thanks for the info, I found a T-60-2 on KEH and it's on the way to me as we speak (type?)

This thing does like to flare. It may be a nice effect sometimes, but I'd rather lessen it in most circumstances with a hood.

[Harley]

That is my current plan, I guess I will see if eBay plays along.

It is a pity the TS 35mm lenses are so pricy, that looks like it would be a fun one to convert...

Right on!  The TS can be found for around $600 or so if you keep an eye out for deals. KEH.com has them occassionally.  Blue Moon Camera currently has one: http://www.bluemooncamera.com/inventory.php?menuID=0&catID=100&deptID=121  That's such a compact lens for a tilt-shift -- a lot nicer to carry around than a TS-E lens.  And like the FL 55mm, the build quality is really solid plus beautiful glass with the S.S.C. coating.

Thanks for the info, I found a T-60-2 on KEH and it's on the way to me as we speak (type?)

This thing does like to flare. It may be a nice effect sometimes, but I'd rather lessen it in most circumstances with a hood.

Glad you found one!  It'll definitely help with the flare. 

[Neeneko]

Right on!  The TS can be found for around $600 or so if you keep an eye out for deals. KEH.com has them occassionally.  Blue Moon Camera currently has one: http://www.bluemooncamera.com/inventory.php?menuID=0&catID=100&deptID=121  That's such a compact lens for a tilt-shift -- a lot nicer to carry around than a TS-E lens.  And like the FL 55mm, the build quality is really solid plus beautiful glass with the S.S.C. coating.

Interesting.  I will have to keep my eyes open.  For some reason I had it in my head that they were a lot pricier then that.. but maybe I was confusing that with when I was looking at Canon's 0.95f lenses.

[Harley]

Interesting.  I will have to keep my eyes open.  For some reason I had it in my head that they were a lot pricier then that.. but maybe I was confusing that with when I was looking at Canon's 0.95f lenses.

Yeah, not nearly as expensive as a TS-E lens.  Plus I think the 35mm focal length, which is not available in the TS-E line, is just a great, usable focal length.  The length and weight of the lens balances nicely with my 7D body. 
Ed's adapter retains all the rotational functionality of the lens, too!  So you can rotate it 180 degrees in order to tilt and shift horizontal or vertical or in whatever direction you need.  It has detents at every 15 degrees.  It's really a brilliant adapter. 

[dr croubie]

So the FL 55/1.2 turned up on Wednesday, and the EdMika adapter on Thursday.

Firstly, good idea adding in that extra ball-bearing. I didn't lose the one on the mount, but my lens had an "issue" that I knew when I bought it (and got it for cheaper). The front ring had come off, only held on by 1 screw (found a 2nd screw in the packing), but the aperture-click ball-bearing was gone. Ed's replacement ball that he so kindly gives everyone fit in the spot nicely, now my aperture clicks again.
I normally de-click my MF primes, but it's going to be useful for my 50-55mm prime shoot-out i'm planning (borrowing my mate's EF50L plus i've got 3x50mm and 3x55mm now), and I might stick with the clicky-aperture for a while (and I can presumably sell it for a profit now that it's complete, too bad I'm in love with it and don't want to ever part with it).

So, three photos that pretty much sums it all up. FL- to EF-mount in 3 minutes, not having practised or even read the instructions, and I was hardly working quickly either.
And a shot I took this morning in the fog, f/1.2, iso100, 1/125s handheld, MFD. I took a lot this morning actually, I think there's finally a different lens to be called "glued on my camera" more than my 70-300L, I absolutely love it...

[ontarian]

So the FL 55/1.2 turned up on Wednesday, and the EdMika adapter on Thursday.

Firstly, good idea adding in that extra ball-bearing. I didn't lose the one on the mount, but my lens had an "issue" that I knew when I bought it (and got it for cheaper). The front ring had come off, only held on by 1 screw (found a 2nd screw in the packing), but the aperture-click ball-bearing was gone. Ed's replacement ball that he so kindly gives everyone fit in the spot nicely, now my aperture clicks again.
I normally de-click my MF primes, but it's going to be useful for my 50-55mm prime shoot-out i'm planning (borrowing my mate's EF50L plus i've got 3x50mm and 3x55mm now), and I might stick with the clicky-aperture for a while (and I can presumably sell it for a profit now that it's complete, too bad I'm in love with it and don't want to ever part with it).

So, three photos that pretty much sums it all up. FL- to EF-mount in 3 minutes, not having practised or even read the instructions, and I was hardly working quickly either.
And a shot I took this morning in the fog, f/1.2, iso100, 1/125s handheld, MFD. I took a lot this morning actually, I think there's finally a different lens to be called "glued on my camera" more than my 70-300L, I absolutely love it...

I'm running out of the tiny ball bearings and was thinking of not including them in the kit.  I guess I should find some more since they do come in handy apparently.  They came from a 2x FD extender that was broken a few years ago and my 100+ bearings are down to a dozen or so.

[gmikol]

100 ball bearings from a single 2x extender?

I hope you can find another source for your ball bearings to keep supplying them. I'd have to imagine there are all sorts of industrial suppliers in Toronto (assuming your general location from your name) who could supply you with the right size bearing.

I nearly lost the one on my FL55 when I did my conversion. Fortunately a quite strong rare-earth magnet swept over the floor beneath my desk found it. It's easy to lose, even if you're trying to be careful.

BTW...here's to hoping that the redesigned mirror assembly on the 5D3 will allow infinity focus. (via Planet5D comments/notes from Chuck Westfall). ("There’s a totally new mirror mechanism to handle the 6fps")

http://blog.planet5d.com/2012/03/canon-eos-5d-mark-iii-hands-on-what-isnt-in-the-canon-press-release/

--Greg

[Harley]

FYI, I lost a ball bearing when putting on the new FL 55mm adapter -- I sure was glad to have that spare!

[dr croubie]

Ed, I was thinking, why not just buy some old lenses full of fungus and sacrifice them for the good of the balls? I've seen some FD/FL lenses go for as little as $10, even one should last you a while, ends up maybe 10-20c a ball...

[ontarian]

Ed, I was thinking, why not just buy some old lenses full of fungus and sacrifice them for the good of the balls? I've seen some FD/FL lenses go for as little as $10, even one should last you a while, ends up maybe 10-20c a ball...

Yeah, the next time I order something from keh.com I'll fill the basket full of 10 dollar ugly grade nFD lenses and harvest them for bearings.  Hate to do it but if they are really bad and at the consumer grade end of the lens scale I could probably live with myself doing it, good idea.

[Neeneko]

Just ordered my first conversion kit ^_^
Well, the TS one, but still looking forward to trying out the f/1.2 one.

[dr croubie]

Ed, I was thinking, why not just buy some old lenses full of fungus and sacrifice them for the good of the balls? I've seen some FD/FL lenses go for as little as $10, even one should last you a while, ends up maybe 10-20c a ball...

Yeah, the next time I order something from keh.com I'll fill the basket full of 10 dollar ugly grade nFD lenses and harvest them for bearings.  Hate to do it but if they are really bad and at the consumer grade end of the lens scale I could probably live with myself doing it, good idea.

Actually, I just wanted to be able to say "sacrifice them for the good of the balls" ...