topic Re: Lens compatibility in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

Lens compatibility

kaycee08 — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 17:43:50 GMT

Hi -- looking to upgrade from 4D to 6D or 7D body. I have lots of canon lenses I want to make sure are compatible with new models. Can anyone tell me if 50 mm, 16-35 mm (EW-88), 100 mm, ET-83II will work?

thx

Re: Lens compatibility

Skirball — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 17:52:09 GMT

I don't know what a 4D is, I'm assuming mean 40D or 400 series? The 7D is a crop sensor camera and will work with any modern (EF of EF-S lens), like the 40D and rebel series (400, 500, 600, 700 series). The 6D is full frame and won't work with EF-S lenses, but the three you list before are all fine. The ET-83 is a lens hood... it'll work with a 70-200. The 70-200 is EF and will work with any of those cameras.

Re: Lens compatibility

kaycee08 — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 17:56:02 GMT

Yes I'm using the 40D now. Thanks for your answer!

Re: Lens compatibility

HDCamTeam — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 18:55:31 GMT

@kaycee08 wrote:
Yes I'm using the 40D now. Thanks for your answer!

Hi Kaycee08 and welcome!

If you are using a EOS 40D all your existing EF-S lenses will work on a EOS with APS-C sensor (like 60D, 7D, T3i, T4i, T5i)

If you also have EF lenses ("full frame" lenses) like the EF 16-35mm 2.8L II USM or EF 100mm 2.8 Macro, they will work on both APS-C and Full Frame Canon EOS cameras.

Som things to keep in mind:

- You cannot use EF-S lens on Full Frame cameras like 6D or 5D Mark III (you can mount it, but you will see a dark vigneting around the image circle since those lenses are designed for APS-C sensor-based cameras which is a smaller sensor than "full frame")

- You can use any EF lens on both APS-C and Full Frame DSLR.

- In case you mount a EF lens on a APS-C DSLR, keep in mind the field of view will be different compared to mounting it on a full frame DSLR.

You probably know it, but the "crop" factor is 1.6. So, for instance, the 100mm 2.8 Macro (which is a EF "full frame" lens) will work as 160mm 2.8 Macro on a APS-C camera (the aperture and minimum focusing distance don't change, just the focal length)

One of the main advantages of EF lenses is that you can use them on any Canon EOS camera. The advantage of EF-S lenses is that they are usually smaller and lighter (cheaper in most cases too), but will only work properly on APS-C cameras.

Hope this helps!

Regards

Re: Lens compatibility

ebiggs1 — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 19:28:51 GMT

Just for a little clarification on probably the two most misused and misunderstood terms in photography.

Full Frame and crop factor.

Every camera is 'full frame' meaning you are going to get exactly what you see in your view finder or LCD screen. The term is meaningless to most amateurs as is, most likely, the crop factor.

But, now to the 'crop factor'.

A lens with a 100 mm focal length on a 1.6 crop factor body compared to the reference format of a 35mm film camera will yield the same field of view that a lens with a 160 mm focal length would show on that same format.

The focal length of the lens does not change by using a smaller sensor. The field of view is smaller because a smaller area of the image circle cast by the lens is used by the smaller sensor.

A 100 mm lens is and will remain a 100 mm lens no matter what body it is used on.

Re: Lens compatibility

HDCamTeam — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 01:18:33 GMT

@ebiggs1 wrote:
Just for a little clarification on probably the two most misused and misunderstood terms in photography.
Full Frame and crop factor.
Every camera is 'full frame' meaning you are going to get exactly what you see in your view finder or LCD screen. The term is meaningless to most amateurs as is, most likely, the crop factor.
But, now to the 'crop factor'.
A lens with a 100 mm focal length on a 1.6 crop factor body compared to the reference format of a 35mm film camera will yield the same field of view that a lens with a 160 mm focal length would show on that same format.
The focal length of the lens does not change by using a smaller sensor. The field of view is smaller because a smaller area of the image circle cast by the lens is used by the smaller sensor.
A 100 mm lens is and will remain a 100 mm lens no matter what body it is used on.

Hi ebiggs1,

Just a side note: I clearly understand your point, but don't completely agree. The "full frame" sensor cameras are those with a 35mm film equivalent size. The other types of cameras have different sensor sizes.

Of course you always get the full image from your camera' sensor, but the current nomenclature is aimed to make a clear difference between the cameras' sensor size to avoid confusion.

Canon itself calls "Full frame" to the DSLR with a 36x24mm sensor: "With supercharged EOS performance and stunning full frame, high-resolution image capture, the EOS 5D Mark III is designed to perform (..)"

The "universal" convention is to call "APS-C" cameras to those with an APS-C sensor (that may slightly vary between brands), and "Full Frame" cameras to those with a 36x24mm (35mm film equivalent) sensor size.

Regards

Re: Lens compatibility

ebiggs1 — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:49:32 GMT

"The term is meaningless to most amateurs as is, most likely, the crop factor."

Never indicated it any differently than your description. The fact remains the two terms are used with abandon on forums and new photographers and amateurs get not only confused but concerned that somehow they just bought a sub-standard camera.

Which for the most part, if they bought a Canon Rebel, they did not.

Again to most folks the two terms are meaningless.

If you have been in this business as long as me, you know full well how many times you hear, "That is a pretty good picture for a APS-C sensor." Or, "Your 100mm lens is now a 160mm lens on a crop sensor." And even, "A 7D can't take landscape photos."

All not true!

Re: Lens compatibility

Underachiever — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:10:52 GMT

Give it a rest.