p.1 #1 · Using MF film lenses on Digital bodies.....worth doing?
I have an adapter that allows me to use my Bronica SP lenses on a Canon body. Obviously not as convenient as using a dedicated Canon (or Canon compatible) modern lens...but interesting.
So much so that I have been thinking of buying another adaptor....either for the ETR system (6X4.5) or GS system (6X&).
I have a good selection of lenses for both ....including zooms for the ETR system that were seriously expensive on release, so was wondering which system would give the best IQ. I'm assuming the GS lenses, but don't really know.
I have used the PS110mm Macro with a 5D SR and the IQ is amazing....but not better than the Canon lenses so far as I can see. I will be looking to do A2 /A1 prints.
Just wondered what people on here think...particularly interested in the opinions of anyone who has done anything similar.
p.1 #2 · Using MF film lenses on Digital bodies.....worth doing?
It is a slam dunk decision if you must have lens movements.
But even without that requirement, I find that high quality MF lenses are perfectly fine on FF bodies, provided you accept the character of the MF lens. That character will differ from one lens to another.
My reason for going this route was simple - I prefer a minimalist approach. For example, I wanted a 250 mm lens for my Sony FF. I was certain I would get into MF film, so I picked up a 250 mm Superachromat knowing that this one lens would serve me on both systems. I have been happy enough with it on the Sony that have not bothered to look for a native 250 mm lens for the Sony, even though that lens could probably resolve more (or offer AF) on the Sony.
The Zeiss Hasselblad 100/3.5, 110/2, and 180/4 could serve a very similar purpose, and I will be exploring these lenses on a Sony FF in the next year, but I will not be doing comparisons to native FF lenses of the same focal length.
I have a hard time believing that an MF lens on a FF sensor will resolve more than a modern native lens for that given FF mount.
p.1 #3 · Using MF film lenses on Digital bodies.....worth doing?
Yes, definitely.
I use Canon TS-E 17/4L and TS-E 24/3.5L II lenses, and then switch to Mamiya 645 lenses, using a Mirex M645 to EF tilt-shift adapter on an EOS 5DS, with: C 35/3.5N, C 55/2.8N, C 80/2.8N, C 110/2.8N, A 150/2.8, and A 200/2.8 APO lenses. The C 35/3.5N is not quite as sharp as the TS-E 24/3.5L II + Extender 1.4x III, but it has a consistent look with the rest of the M645 lineup (which is a little less saturated than Canon EF, but with good contrast). The rest of the M645 lenses are as good as anything you can find in '35mm' format. I also have the M645 A 120/4 Macro and C 145/4 SF, but I use them straight-up.
There is a ton of information on this, in earlier threads. Here's a good place to start:
p.1 #5 · Using MF film lenses on Digital bodies.....worth doing?
There is nothing inherently beneficial in using medium format lenses on FF frame. Most of them are older designs with older glass and unlikely to perform better than quality native glass in terms of sharpness, microcontrast, colour rendition, etc. If you are after a lens with particular character then that will depend on the lens. However, for character lenses a lot of the time the character tends towards the outer parts of the frame, which you may end up losing with a smaller sensor.
I've been using some Pentax 645 lenses on Fuji digital medium format. They perform well but I wouldn't say they produce anything special.
p.1 #6 · Using MF film lenses on Digital bodies.....worth doing?
Dunno.. having to work stop-down, increase in the size/weight for the larger image circle that is thrown away. MF lenses are usually slower than the FF ones. Sure if you've got some MF lenses lying around why not. Otherwise I'd just get native lenses or at least FF ones.
p.1 #7 · Using MF film lenses on Digital bodies.....worth doing?
I don't see any need for medium format lenses on a full format digital camera. They will not be sharper or better corrected than a good modern lens. They will have some character, but I think a 35mm-film vintage lens is more suitable.
p.1 #8 · Using MF film lenses on Digital bodies.....worth doing?
Yes. it works.
You can easily read a door at 1/4 mile with the lowly, 60 year old 250mm C and 24mp.
No, it's not practical. It's like training a 155mm howitzer on a target.
(The only adapted lenses I use have special characteristics that I'm willing to expend time and effort to get - eg. 75/1.5 TTA Biotar, 58/2 Biogon. Insert T&S here...)
p.1 #9 · Using MF film lenses on Digital bodies.....worth doing?
anthonygh wrote:
... I have been thinking of buying another adaptor....either for the ETR system (6X4.5) or GS system (6X&).
To the best of my knowledge there is no adapter for either system that allows to control the lens aperture(done by wire). With that in mind, the usage will be limited to expositing via wide-open lens aperture.
p.1 #10 · Using MF film lenses on Digital bodies.....worth doing?
If you do slower paced and considered shooting than yeah, I think it is worth it.
I really like that era of lens before aspherical became common but coatings were greatly improved. I would try the ETR lenses first since those focals are probably more useable. In general the telephotos will all look a bit similar. But the normals and wides (80 and under) can be interesting from a character perspective.
p.1 #12 · Using MF film lenses on Digital bodies.....worth doing?
If you already own the lenses then you can try them out but I would not go out of the way to do it. I already own Mamiya 6 lenses so I got the GFX adapter. They actually perform really well, though with a lot of limitations like min focus distance.
p.1 #13 · Using MF film lenses on Digital bodies.....worth doing?
I feel like a rank newbie writing to this thread, but I'll offer my very recent experience. Over half a century ago I bought a Nikkormat and three great lenses, all non-CPU and fully manual of course. A month or so ago I bought a new Z5-II and Nikon FTZ-II adapter so I could use those lenses again. No new Z-mount lens. They all seem to work well. As good as a modern Z-mount fully automatic lens? Probably not but maybe no better than my skill. Have to focus manually, but I always had to do that. It will run aperature-preferred but not shutter preferred. If I want a specific sutter speed I can go to manual mode, though it takes longer to play with things. The only thing I notice different now is the 50mm f1.4 isn't needed so much because a good mirrorless camera is happy with so much less light.
Then for scanning a thousand old slides I found a Tamron 90mm macro, F-mount, auto-focus. It gives me all the auto stuff except auto-focus itself. It even activates the in-focus display in the viewfinder. And it does do shutter preffered to operate the aperature; at least it seems to though I haven't pushed it yet.
p.1 #15 · Using MF film lenses on Digital bodies.....worth doing?
I'm slowly working through a few decades of archived images here the past couple of weeks. The images I keep stumbling on of my MF lens shot on DSLRs are extremely good. For the same reason I still use so many Leica R, Contax Zeiss, and a slew of other of m.f. lenses on my DSLRs. Just because a piece of glass is old does not mean it's still not very good. I was able to pick up most of my stuff back in the days when everyone was dumping it. So price to image quality ratio was off the hook as they were so cheap. Now days with them being picked up by the cine world things are a bit different.
p.1 #16 · Using MF film lenses on Digital bodies.....worth doing?
"Using MF film lenses on Digital bodies.....worth doing?" Really? If I could use a coke bottle I would. Film or digital, and it is great fun plus economical. OLdest lens I've adapted was a 115 year old
$1 Thriftshop lens and cobbled together adapter in background from one of the earliest photography companies
p.1 #19 · Using MF film lenses on Digital bodies.....worth doing?
theHUN wrote:
OP meant MF as in medium format, not necessarily manual focus.
, confusion added by me talking about both my medium format adapted to my DSLRs as well as other manual focus lenses.
If my old brain remembers correctly back a few decades, a lot of the talk about using the medium format lenses on DSLR's was about using the "sweet spot" of the lens. Meaning the center of course.
Heck I'm seriously thinking about getting an adaptor to allow me to use the Mamiya 645 200/2.8 on my Leica SL. Even though I have the Leica SL Vario Elmarit 90-280.
Film or digital, and it is great fun plus economical. OLdest lens I've adapted was a 115 year old 
, confusion added by me talking about both my medium format adapted to my DSLRs as well as other manual focus lenses.