Canon FD to EF

[tommykristensen]

Hi there.

It might already been discussed, but I couldn't find any posts that answered my questions properly.

I just purchased an old Iscorama Anamorph 1.5x - with a Nikon mount. Which I've chosen to have re-housed at Van Diemen in the UK. Its primeraly for shooting video on a Canon 5D mkIII - but also on Sony FS700, Canon C300 etc. - all with EOS EF mounts.

The plan was to ditch the original Nikon taking lens - a 50mm f/2.8. So I started to look for some new "taking-lenses". My plan is to get a kit with: 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 100mm, 135mm - and maybe a 200mm.

The filter thread on the re-housed Iscorama will end up being 58mm - so I thought a set of old FD lenses would be nice - and affordable. But I then read, that they couldn't be focussed to infinity. Which is how the Iscoramas work. Set the "taking lens" to infinty - and focus with the Iscorama.

Is there still no solution out for a FD to EF conversion or adaptation that allows for infinity focus?

I read about the theLensdoctor.co,uk - but have anyone here tried him, and most important - does it work?

Would I be better off choosing lenses from another brand?

Thanks, Tommy

 

[Loswr]

Depends on the lens. Check out EdMika.

 

[Don Haines]

There are converters out there... I have an FD version of the 800 f5.6 at work with an EF converter on it..... can't remember the make but I will look it up tomorrow. The problem is that the converter is quite poor optically... the 100-400 and the sigma 120-400 both significantly out-resolve the 800 with the converter.

 

[Loswr]

The problem is that the converter is quite poor optically...

...which is why I mentioned EdMika - no optics, but rather a 'chipped' mount conversion kit that gives you infinity focus, and in most cases, aperture control.

 

[zim]

I read about the theLensdoctor.co,uk - but have anyone here tried him, and most important - does it work?

I have that converter and have used it with 24, 35, 50, 100, 200 FD lenses. All focus to infinity.
Would not use any of them wider than 5.6 except the 200 which is fine at 2.8
No idea what a Iscorama Anamorph 1.5x is so don't know if that's important

 

[Don Haines]

The problem is that the converter is quite poor optically...

...which is why I mentioned EdMika - no optics, but rather a 'chipped' mount conversion kit that gives you infinity focus, and in most cases, aperture control.

agreed.... the optical converter is a wonderful example of "don't do this... you'll regret it". To reduce an 800 F5.6 to being far inferior to a 100-400 zoom in resolving power is a great reason to avoid conversion lenses.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

The Ed Mika converter is great for valuable and high quality FD lenses, but for run of the mill FD lenses, its far cheaper to get a Nikon or M42 or OM lens and a cheap adapter than fool around converting a FD with a expensive adapter..

 

[wickidwombat]

I'm using the edmika adapter on my 600 f4.5 FD lens
its actually a wonderfull video lens because the focus wheels are light and allow you to very gently pull focus without causing lens vibration that would be unavoidable with a ring focus setup

 

[tommykristensen]

Thanks. Hmmm. Sounds like the FD-mounts aren't the best solution.

I was hoping I could get some sharpness from the FDs - using them from 1.4 - with ok sharpness at f/2.0 - f/2.8. I guess that won't happen - so i'll start looking for some other options.

The Iscorama lens is an anarmorphic panorama lens that widen the pictures by 1.5x. So if you use it for video, you will get cinemascope. 2.35:1 when used with 4:3, and 2.66:1 when used with 16:9.

 

[tommykristensen]

Which other brands/mounts can more easily be adapted - without loosing infinty or sharpness at large apertures?

Nikkors? OM - is that all Zuikos? What about Takumar, Helios, Yashica etc.

 

[7enderbender]

+1 on Ed Mika. If you can find a lens that works with one of his options it's great. I bought the basic chipped adapter for my FD 500/f8. It has the exact specs to work without any additional optics after removing one little screw.
Over the years I've probably looked at pretty much any "solution" and that's the only one that works.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I'm using the edmika adapter on my 600 f4.5 FD lens
its actually a wonderfull video lens because the focus wheels are light and allow you to very gently pull focus without causing lens vibration that would be unavoidable with a ring focus setup

I never had a jerky issue like you describe with my 600mm f/4 AF lens. It had a focus by wire system and you could set the focus speed for manual focus to smooth and slow, or tomediun or to fast. It was as smooth as silk when manually focusing.