ZoneV wrote:
Reversible DIY lens mount conversions could be performed, I did that as mentioned on several lenses.
I thought about CAD designing a customizable conversion kit for my own FD-EF lens conversions (for all nFD lenses). So that I could make the mount conversions much faster, only a bit work customize the iris crank connection. But I found no time to learn the CAD software.
I have some thought about selling such conversions, but warranty and all those selling issues stopped these thoughts.
Well, that makes at least two "ZoneVs" who are interested in converting FD-->EF. I don't have a ton of FD glass, but if such an adapter works really well and is affordable and durable, I just might pick up an 85/1.2 L FD one of these days...
Would TTL flash still work without the lens communication?
ZoneV_Nikon wrote:
Well, that makes at least two "ZoneVs" who are interested in converting FD-->EF. I don't have a ton of FD glass, but if such an adapter works really well and is affordable and durable, I just might pick up an 85/1.2 L FD one of these days...
Would TTL flash still work without the lens communication?
The Ed Mika conversions and mine both use the latest Gen4 camera programmable Dandelion autofocus-confirmation chip. These are usually programmed to f/1.2, but I'll have to check and see what this means to TTL flash operation.
ZoneV_Nikon wrote:
...
Would TTL flash still work without the lens communication?
The internal flash of the EOS 1000D works good with full manual lenses - without AF chip.
But I have not used other system flashes. As far as I understand the normally use the distance information too - and there is no such thing with unchipped adapters / converted mounts. And I do not know what / if the AF chips like Dandelion have such information inside programmed.
Just looked at a couple of your conversions. Truly beautiful work. Unfortuantely as a master carpenter, I have neither the skill nor the tools to do such conversions. You are to be commended for putting these old lenses back in action. As for those who think "it pisses me off to see these great old lenses wrecked," I recently dropped a Subaru 2.5L boxer into an old Vanagon with a leaky wasserboxer. Made it twice the vehicle it used to be. Did I ruin a great old Vanagon?
The long L glass is worth the work, and the EdMika adapter is part of the solution. The rest is making relatively easy mechanical adjustments to the focusing assembly, all of an hour's work.
I have modified my 300mm f2.8, 400mm f2.8, 500mm f4.5, and 800mm f5.6 L's to focus at infinity, without a butcher-job. Check out the results below on a 5D...
OntheRez wrote:
... You are to be commended for putting these old lenses back in action. As for those who think "it pisses me off to see these great old lenses wrecked," I recently dropped a Subaru 2.5L boxer into an old Vanagon with a leaky wasserboxer. Made it twice the vehicle it used to be. Did I ruin a great old Vanagon?...
Thank you!
I got my FD 300mm/2.8L abused and with fungus inside. That fungus has permanent etched the coating / glass - I could not clean it.
Nearly the same with the FD 24mm/1.4L - as I got the lens and played with it, I saw the fungus. It was no problem to clean it away in this case.
I think unused lenses are more prone to get fungus - at least all those unused lenses that are stored away in the bag or box and probably stay there unopend for years.
Or they are thrown away because no one hase the interest to collect them.
As ZoneV has said, nothing is wrecked, only given a second chance with the majority of these conversions. Add to that the DIY conversion info that he (ZoneV) has posted and helped others on...I don't really see an issue. These are "things", not works of art that are turned into dinner place-mats .
I have lens lust, or lens buying addiction. Even bought a FD 800 SSC and the Zeiss Distagon 35/1.4 now.
And I learned that my wife has a good anticipation how many lenses I own. Now I better reduce the number to less than 200 before she is upset and I have he real Hell at home :-)
I forgot the nFD 500mm/4.5 L lens that I got for mount conversion: The FD mount was broken because the owner slipped, and the camera on the lens bend the lens mount, it broke inside.
Not sure wheter there would have been original FD parts for this lens avialable. The mount conversion saved probably that lens.
Congrats on the new glass...I still have the one I purchased in the 80's, along with the 20-35L zoom that was in my travel bag mounted to my T90's. I use it now with a NEX 5n for digital, and still have one T90 that I just could not part with.
ZoneV wrote:
The performance and feeling of even the cheap FD 50mm/1.8 is great, I would say much better than EF counterparts 50/1.8 I and II - and probably f/1.4 version.
Build quality / feeling of an old Canon FL 50/1.8 is even better - but up to now I have not used that lens, not converted yet.
Ed Mika wrote:
I'm also working on a no optics mount swap kit for the nFD short primes. I agree, not a particularly easy task. -Ed Mika
How's the mount going Ed?
I've managed to cling to about 35 FD lenses; canon, tamron sp/a2's and a vivitar or two...all still without fungus, oil or yellowing issues; an A-1 and T-90 that I just can't seem to part with. No L glass, but they range from 17 to 500 mirror. It's the macros (50, 100 and 200) that I'm most interested in shooting with, don't really fancy converting them...but may do so...heartache
From my own lens conversion experience I think a conversion set would only be for original Canon newFD lenses, or Canon SSC, or Canon FL, or Vivitar with FD mount, or...
Not for all FD mount lenses from different manufacturers.
Most likely it is even more specialized, because for example the long nFD lenses have a different iris connection than the shorter nFD lenses.
