Back in 2007 when I bought the K100D Super the cheap adapter was not an option, I had not realised there was one for Canon FD! From what I've read, the current cheap adapters have glass that might degrade the images or no glass but no infinity. I shall get an adapter and find out for myself. Glad to hear your FD lenses are still providing lens options for you.
I purchased my adapter off ebay, it had the glass in it and have had no noticeable problems . I have won a peoples choice award in a photo comp using a fd lens with the adapter, I think you have to try these things for your-self , so all the best with it.
My favorite walk around lens (film) for a really long time. I've been told that the older SSC version was even better.
I have used the Osawa brand that is 35-105 with some macro features. It is a good mid zoom lens. 105 can be short but good enough for a bit of portraiture. Cons would be it quite stands out and adds a little weight to your outfit.
35 to 105 is a good lens for landscape and portraiture, I have a 28 to 105 and use it constantly some have macro features or can be use in that way with macro tubes or screw on filters they are a useful sized lens
Hey, new to the forum, but not photography. I still shoot with a Canon rebel xs, kiss 1 as they called it. I use the 28-80 on my 70D and works awesome! I did however learn film on the Canon ae-1, wow was that a good camera, and I still shoot film with my Nikon f3hp.
I have the 60d and love the flip out screen on the back and the live view. This camera is a huge stepup from my 10d which I still have and drag it out occasionally
I learned photography on a Canon A-1 and added a black AE-1 Program. I later stepped up to the old F-1 and new F-1, then added a T90. I still have them all except the A-1 and AE-1 Program. Now I wish I would have kept them also. I shoot with the T90 every so often as I have some very nice FD lenses I bought back in the day (17 f/4, 24 f/2, 50mm f/1.4, 85mm f/1.8, 135 f/2 and 200 f/2.8) which I really, really like using. I tried using the better rated FD adapters, but I've found they don't work well with faster lenses unless they're stopped down. Especially if you're doing night photography as it gives the contre jour light sources and circles-of-confusion some funky looking distortions. It's made obviously apparent that something's not right when you notice the adapter's lens-side diameter and optical element is smaller than the diameter of the faster FD lenses rear optic that mounts up next to it. I wish Canon would make a retro-DSLR with an FD mount so I can make better use of these wonderful lenses. At some point, I may have to consider getting one the EOS M cameras.
The problem with a retro-DSLR is a limited market, people mostly want a Auto everything where no knowledge or skill is required, the only way around it is to buy good gear from that time period. There is not enough of us who love and respect these cameras and lenses, we simply have to work around the problems, the gear we have presents, its the challenge that makes photography so interesting.
I do agree with the market being part of the issue, it is a niche market and not really worth the cost of support and development from any of the manufactures to make a camera specifically designed for decades old technology, which actually the real issue even more than the market. True the DSLR has brought a whole bunch more people that shoot really nice gear they don't understand on auto because they can afford to. But there is a very large market of people who shoot manually but it is spread across many brands and formats, and the evidence is there through the fact 3rd parties have found was to make adapters for all sorts of lens and body combinations.
Perhaps the compromise solution for FD lenses would be a full-frame mirrorless "DSLR style" larger-sized retro-looking camera body (for better balance and handling of larger FD lenses than the M series ILC) that lets you use an extension-tube style adapter not requiring the correction optic to focus at infinity??? Then it would really be awesome if the extension adapter had the mechanicals to translate the FD lens adjustments into electrical signals the digital body could understand, making a nearly smooth & trouble free interface that for all practical purposes functions as if the camera was a dedicated FD mount body.
...and once you've successfully created the adapter for the FD lenses, it wouldn't be too far of a stretch to create similar M2E (mechanical to electrical) adapters for many other brands of older style mechanical lens mounts.
It doesn't work that way. You really have to know the EOS protocol. Is not just an electric selector with multi-contacts, so you know the aperture position. You need the internals of the EOS lens that manages the aperture. There is a stepper motor and a microcontroller in slave mode, communicating via an SPI protocol. The body gives the microcontroller commands and tels it how many steps for the motor to turn when the picture is taken, then the aperture reverts back, to the widest opening. There is a microswitch that marks the "end of travel" for the motor. Is the only position of the aperture the microcontroller of the lens is aware of. But for a motor to be able to turn the aperture mechanisms of a FD lens, needs a lot of torque and electric power. Look at an adapter for Fuji X mount: Fotodiox does not have the required tech capacity and if they have, they will enter in making real EOS lenses.
I think the biggest problem is not the technical aspect of producing a new camera but the changing need for one, most people who use or have the older type of technology are middle to older men , younger people prefer their mobile phones with all the bell and whistles that can immediately upload their photos and can fit in with their life style, I am afraid the camera companies prefer to target them and not us, such is life.
Probably that and FD lenses haven't reached the mythological status of Zeiss optics! Although many students are still taking traditional film photography classes and discovering there were a lot of great cameras and optics made before the camera phones existed. Many of the bigger selling and cheaper lesser known cameras and lenses, and certain film types have developed nearly cult followings as evidenced by "Lomography" keeping creative exploration and film aesthetics alive and well!!! The endless barrage of selfies and FB dinner plates will hopefully morph into something away from the unimaginatively trite droning repetition. It is indeed a troubling state of affairs when one of your largest marketing segments consider the "selfie stick" as one of the greatest innovations of recent times. LOL!
work with the way photography is going I don't think it is all doom and gloom there are some nice lenses, flash units and equipment coming out of China. Think back to when Japan first started making camera and all they were was cheap copies of German cameras and lenses, they have come a long way. I think we should give Chinese equipment a go and. I have a Chinese 85 mm F1.8 lens with a EOS mount and no auto focus. It may not be in the same league as the top brands but it takes some very nice shots, manual focusing is not dead yet.
Totally agree, 3rd party has come a long way over the years. I like the Rokinon I picked up, and love my Yongnuo flash trigger system.
Regarding third parties, the South Koreans from Samyang are guilty for the Rokinon lenses, and to be honest, I prefer them to the Chinese factories (not that these won't perform better in future).
My only caution with MIK (Made in Korea) lenses is sticky iris/aperture blades. I have seen lots of used manual focus (MF) MIK stuff that is stuck wide open or very sluggish to stop down. If you have used MIK lenses, store them off camera with the iris/aperture closed at f/22 (or whatever is largest f/#) and keep away from heat. I've also seen on a more often basis the same problem with older Vivitar MF zooms as well.
