Canon did not have macro lenses up to par until around the time of the EOS line. Of the FD set, the 50mm was pretty good. By contrast, Nikon made very good 105 and 200mm macro lenses for decades. I say all of this being a Canon shooter....
Nikon 105mm f/2.5 macro (not the equally lovely non-macro) AiS lenses run about $200 when you can find them. Their 200mm f/4 AiS lenses are more scarce but typically go for more like $450.
All of that said, spending $75-150 on a Canon 500D close up lens (prices vary with filter size, just get a big one and the necessary step rings to service your favorite lenses) will turn any lens you already own and like into a nice close up lens with or nearly with 1:1 capability.
Grenache wrote:
Yeah. Sorry. I currently have two Nikon 105 f/2.5 standard lenses and no Nikon macros. I cross applied the more favorable aperture unintentionally.
Not to hijack the thread, but that is the very nicest lens I own. Just spectacular IMO.
To get this back on track, troy12n -- have you tried the Canon forum here?
The FD 50/3.5 has given me very nice results on crop (40D) and can be had very cheaply. The Micro-Nikkor or Olympus 50/3.5 macros aren't much more expensive though and they can reach infinity. I don't know how they compare in terms of bokeh though. I found the Canon FD quite good.
yea, the guy gave a couple suggestions of over 200-450$, that was a little more than I was looking to spend, thats why i posted here about FD lenses rather than in the canon forum, I know what to get, I was just exploring alternate gear to save a few dollars.
I could get a used EF 100/2.8 macro used for around that
Tell me what alterations you did to your 200mm FD macro ?
Looks like you removed the bayonet mount and drilled & screwed on an eos mount ?
That annoying FD Aperture control lever is gone too
Do you achieve infinity focus with it also?
Very Nice, Indeed
That's precisely what he did, and I'm willing to bet it has infinity focus, too.
A few of us around here have been doing such things with all sorts of lenses, fewer of us with FD lenses (it is more difficult).
I have converted the NewFD 24/2, the FD 35/2.concave B/L, the NewFD 35-105/3.5, the FD 85/1.2 SSC Asph. and the NewFD 300mm f4L.
I'm currently looking for a NewFD 50mm f1.4 to use as the subject of an FD conversion howto, which uses a local member's invention to make the process easier.
I have converted a Canon FD 100 / 4 Macro to canon EF mount.
The lens still reaches infinity, and the iris is operable - the last was not easy.
At the moment I am not sure, which of my macro lenses is the best - i have a Kiron 105/2.8 and a Sigma 90/2.8, Pentax 50/4, Rodenstock Rodagon 80/2.8 on bellows, Apo Rodagon 50/2.8 with fungus on bellows...
I have some 100% images made with that Canon FD 100 lens, as I remember with open iris (f4.0) on my german Fd 100 Macro conversion page
I have converted a Canon FD 300 / 2.8 L after this lens, which has the same problem with the linkage.
Now I have bought a cheap mini lathe, and hope to get ready for a FD 24/1.4 or FD 85/1.2 I plan tu buy :-)
looking forward to seeing your how to... would it be applicable to the long FD glass such as the later L series super teles?
cogitech wrote:
That's precisely what he did, and I'm willing to bet it has infinity focus, too.
A few of us around here have been doing such things with all sorts of lenses, fewer of us with FD lenses (it is more difficult).
I have converted the NewFD 24/2, the FD 35/2.concave B/L, the NewFD 35-105/3.5, the FD 85/1.2 SSC Asph. and the NewFD 300mm f4L.
I'm currently looking for a NewFD 50mm f1.4 to use as the subject of an FD conversion howto, which uses a local member's invention to make the process easier.
