Ricarda Godeaux said:
I have a Canon Elan 7 and was planning on purchasing the Canon 50D. I have a few Canon lenses to go with my camera and did not know if they would be compatible with the digital camera I was getting. How can I tell if I can switch the lenses between digital and film? So I know if I need to buy a lens to go with the camera or not.
Thanks!
I am open to any other feedback about the camera too.
Any Canon "
EF" lens (Electronic Focus) will work on
any Canon EOS SLR, whether it be digital or 35mm film. This means that any Canon lens you currently use on your Elan 7 will fit on any Canon Digital SLR you purchase. However, Canon "
EF-S" lenses (Electronic Focus - Small) will
only work on Canon "APS-C" size (1.6x Crop) Digital SLRs, which include all the Digital "Rebels" and the 40D, 50D, 60D and 7D.
On a 1.6x Crop body, an "EF" lens will be 1.6x "longer" (you get a narrower angle of view) than it is on your Elan 7 or a "full frame" digital SLR (such as the 5D Mark II). Just multiply the focal length by 1.6 to get the value. For example: an "EF" 100mm lens will be 160mm on a 50D. If you like shooting landscapes or other "wide-angle" shots, your current "EF" lens
might not be wide enough on a crop body. If that is the case, you could get an "EF-S" lens, such as the 10-22mm zoom, which would give you a wide-angle, but you wouldn't be able to use it on the Elan 7.
NOTE: "EF" and "EF-S" are printed (along with the rest of the description) around the outside of the lens, near the glass.
The "kit" lenses that you can purchase with the Rebels, 50D, 60D and 7D are usually "EF-S" and will therefore not mount on your Elan 7. If you're going to continue shooting both and want to swap lenses, then you
might want to buy the body only, and purchase a separate EF lens. Check out BHPhotoVideo.com and Adorama.com (professional camera stores in NY) for current promotions.
Note: if you decide to purchase a "third-party" lens (Sigma, Tamron, Tokina, etc.), be aware that they have their own designations. For example: Tamron's "
Di" (Digitally Integrated) is their equivalent of "EF" (any digital or film SLR), while "
Di II" is their equivalent of "EF-S" (1.6x Crop bodies only).