Old 35mm lenses on a DSLR

klutz347 Member Joined Jan 2001 Posts 35653 EE 0% (0) MI, USA	Posted: 3/8/2023 8:52:51 AM EDT Back in the mid 80's I bought a Canon A-1 body and various lenses and filters for it. I've been wanting a nice DSLR and was wondering if the old lenses I have (Canon and I think a Vivatar zoom lisd) will work on the digital body? Thanks.
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Ef4life Joined Jul 2013 Posts 6878 EE 100% (1) AZ, USA	Posted: 3/8/2023 9:12:00 AM EDT [#1] There are adapters to put old fd glass on an ef lens mount body. Most won’t have electrical contacts so your lenses will become manual adjustment only. But camera and lens tech has improved a ton in the past 20- 30 years, so running an old lens will be a handicap to a newer body. Not saying you won’t or can’t get good results though.

nophun Joined Feb 2014 Posts 7499 EE 0% (0) MO, USA	Posted: 3/8/2023 10:18:06 AM EDT [#2] There are adapters to run FD glass on new RF mount cameras. There are plenty of Youtube vids about it. The FD to EF conversion was tricky because it required an adapter with a corrective lens. I'm thinking about finally diving into RF which will allow me to use all of my EF and FD glass, which is nice.

klutz347 Member Joined Jan 2001 Posts 35665 EE 0% (0) MI, USA	Posted: 3/12/2023 10:51:32 AM EDT [#3] Thanks for the info guys. It gives me something else to look at and ponder if I need to do it or not.
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rcav8r

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Posted: 3/12/2023 11:58:50 AM EDT

[#4]

Yeah, it may be time to bite the bullet and get a new setup.

My first DSLR is a Nikon D50, haven't used it in years, but I understand the lenses are compatible with the D7200. With mirror less becoming the norm, prices are coming down and I've been watching ebay.

Nikon does have a trade in program "to keep old gear out of landfills", but only towards their new Z series cameras.

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Well, the dumbass tree done drilled you in the butt and laid eggs in ya." -RJinks

entropy

Joined Sep 2001
Posts 6911
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Posted: 3/13/2023 11:23:20 AM EDT

[#5]

Quote History

Originally Posted By rcav8r:
Yeah, it may be time to bite the bullet and get a new setup.

My first DSLR is a Nikon D50, haven't used it in years, but I understand the lenses are compatible with the D7200. With mirror less becoming the norm, prices are coming down and I've been watching ebay.

Nikon does have a trade in program "to keep old gear out of landfills", but only towards their new Z series cameras.

View Quote

Just got an EOS R6 MKII, using the adapter for running older EF lenses. Works great.

But, yeah, those older lenses will be all manual.

warlord Joined Dec 2000 Posts 61658 EE 0% (0) CA, USA	Posted: 3/14/2023 3:37:03 AM EDT [#6] klutz347: Unless you have a super-tight budget, get the modern lenses, they are "head & shoulders" anything 20-30 years ago. The technology and materials have advanced tremendously. Go to the used market.

rcav8r Member Joined Nov 2005 Posts 14533 EE 0% (0) WI, USA	Posted: 3/14/2023 6:15:26 PM EDT [#7] Just won a auction for d7200 body. So we'll see if the lenses are really compatible or not.
	"You know how butt ugly people are said to have hit every branch on the way down the ugly tree. Well, the dumbass tree done drilled you in the butt and laid eggs in ya." -RJinks

warlord

Joined Dec 2000
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Posted: 3/15/2023 8:04:53 PM EDT

[#8]

Quote History

Originally Posted By rcav8r:
Just won a auction for d7200 body. So we'll see if the lenses are really compatible or not.

View Quote

Why bother with adapting the old lenses that can be had for a song, you're defeating the purpose of all of the electronic gee-wiz, or if you are just doing it for laughs & giggles. Get some used kit lenses. Those kit lenses are quite useable depending...

rcav8r

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Posted: 3/15/2023 8:12:15 PM EDT

[#9]

Quote History

Originally Posted By warlord:
Why bother with adapting the old lenses that can be had for a song, you're defeating the purpose of all of the electronic gee-wiz, or if you are just doing it for laughs & giggles. Get some used kit lenses. Those kit lenses are quite useable depending...

View Quote

Because as I understand it, this camera body and these lenses are supposed to be 109% compatible, no adapters needed, electronics talk to each other.

"You know how butt ugly people are said to have hit every branch on the way down the ugly tree.

Well, the dumbass tree done drilled you in the butt and laid eggs in ya." -RJinks

DocBull HA! HA! Joined Jul 2010 Posts 13851 EE 100% (1) OR, USA	Posted: 3/18/2023 5:50:58 PM EDT [#10] Some of those old manual lenses are fucking magic glass that the new stuff cannot touch.
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shooter220

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Joined Jan 2002
Posts 6950
EE 100% (14)

VA, USA

Posted: 3/29/2023 6:32:32 AM EDT

[#11]

Quote History

Originally Posted By DocBull:
Some of those old manual lenses are fucking magic glass that the new stuff cannot touch.

View Quote

This. I once worked with a Pulitzer winning photojournalist. His street lens was an old 50 1.8 that was so old the anodizing had warn off of it. This was at the time when the F4 was being replaced by the F5. I seem to recall he was shooting an N90 most of the time, which was known to be fast. But his view was that he could focus that lens faster and more accurately than the AF cameras worked with newer lenses. He was no-kidding good at his job…

-shooter

bulldog1967 Producer/Director Joined Apr 2001 Posts 49475 EE 100% (61) VA, USA	Posted: 4/3/2023 2:49:03 PM EDT [#12] Quote History Originally Posted By DocBull: Some of those old manual lenses are fucking magic glass that the new stuff cannot touch. View Quote Yup. I've always said the magic is newer sensor with older glass. Most of the new glass is too clinical.
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Mc_Gruff Member Joined May 2013 Posts 734 EE 100% (45) USA	Posted: 4/4/2023 5:00:50 AM EDT [#13] Quote History Originally Posted By bulldog1967: Yup. I've always said the magic is newer sensor with older glass. Most of the new glass is too clinical. View Quote I'd love to hear some of your suggested older lenses. I've been messing with quite a few older camera platforms and would like to blend the best of both worlds.

LArifleMAN Joined Nov 2003 Posts 8122 EE 100% (71) TX, USA	Posted: 4/10/2023 4:42:10 PM EDT [#14] The Sony E-mount system basically made any manual mount lens available for use. While I don't have any specific examples as "favorites," but old Russian lenses provide great IQ. All the old lenses provide some form of interesting flavor to images.

bulldog1967 Producer/Director Joined Apr 2001 Posts 49522 EE 100% (61) VA, USA	Posted: 4/10/2023 6:24:10 PM EDT [#15] Quote History Originally Posted By Mc_Gruff: I'd love to hear some of your suggested older lenses. I've been messing with quite a few older camera platforms and would like to blend the best of both worlds. View Quote Minolta Rokkor, Zeiss Contax, Canon FD, Mamiya medium format and Pentax 645 medium format glass is what I like.
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Old 35mm lenses on a DSLR

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