EOS REBEL XT Lens Compatibility

[DeerHaunter]

Hey guys, 

I'm just getting into photography and bought a used older Rebel XT EOS. I was wondering what lenses are compatible with this model. 

[deebatman316]

Any Canon brand EF or EF-S lens is compatible with your camera. EF-M, RF, RF-S & FD Mount lenses are INCOMPATIBLE with your camera. What is your budget for a lens. What do you take pictures of. 

[DeerHaunter]

After some digging the lens I bought with it is compatible for exactly what I wanted. I want to do landscape and wildlife photography. I was able to snag a canon zoom lens ef 75-300mm 1:4-5.6 iii with it as well.

[deebatman316]

The EF 75-300mm F/4-5.6 lens lineup is very poor optically and uses a very slow AF. Sure it will work but the lens suffers from lots of Chromatic Aberration (purple and green fringing). For landscapes a wide angle lens is better for that type of work. For general purpose photography the EF-S 18-55mm lens will cover most of the work. The very best lens for general purpose work is the EF-S 17-55mm F/2.8 IS USM lens.

[DeerHaunter]

Thank you so much. I'll check those out!

[deebatman316]

If you go with the EF-S 18-55mm lenses look for the models with "STM" in the name. The other versions use a very slow AF motor like the EF 75-300mm F/4-5.6 lens lineup. Canon has made 9 different EF-S 18-55mm lenses over the years. These lenses are ok optically but the AF motor is very slow. A good upgrade from the EF-S 18-55mm lens lineup is the EF-S 17-55mm F/2.8 IS USM lens. It uses a very fast AF motor and allows you to override AF by turning the focus ring. Which CANNOT be done with older versions of the EF-S 18-55mm lens lineup it will cause damage to the lens. Only the versions with STM in the name AF can be overridden when the lens is set to AF. The focus ring on the lens is electronic and is not connected to the lens' internals. A good replacement to the EF 75-300mm F/4-5.6 III is the EF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 IS II Nano USM lens. This lens uses a fast AF motor and adds Image Stabilization reducing camera shake in pictures. AF can be overridden when the lens is set to AF. The focus ring on the lens is electronic and is not connected to the lens' internals.

MM= Micro Motor very slow AF motor retired and replaced by STM. Doesn't allow Full Time Manual Focus. DO NOT attempt to turn the focus ring with the lens set to AF mode. Only turn the focus ring with the lens set to MF.

STM= Stepper Motor replaced Micro Motor and very quiet and allows Full Time Manual Focus via Electronic Focus ring.

USM= Ultrasonic Motor very fast AF motor allows Full Time Manual Focus via a mechanical clutch system or Electronic Focus Ring. Doesn't use gears to adjust focus.

Ring Type USM AF motor found in the EF-S 17-55mm F/2.8 IS USM lens

[ebiggs1 · Accepted solution]

"The EF 75-300mm F/4-5.6 lens lineup is very poor optically and uses a very slow AF. Sure it will work..."

There are thousands upon thousands of people that are totally happy with that lens. And most stay that way until or unless somebody comes along as tells them it isn't a good lens. In my classes it was probably the second most popular lens that the people had. Yes, pure amateurs but like you said, "Sure it will work..." 

[normadel]

ALERT! ALERT!  You are being given some bad information! 

The Rebel XT, like the Rebel XS, and the EOS 10D  are NOT compatible with EF-S lenses. The earliest APS-C (crop-sensor) bodies preceded the existence of EF-S. They WILL NOT accept EF-S lenses. EF-S compatibility started with the EOS 20D.

[deebatman316]

That’s not true the first Digital Rebel camera introduced EF-S lenses in 2003. The information you have is INCORRECT. Unless you’re talking about the Rebel XS film camera. The only APS-C DSLRs that don’t support EF-S lenses are the 10D, D30 & D60. The Rebel XT was released in 2005 2 years after the EF-S Mount was created. Canon’s online camera museum highlights this important information. Also why would the 20D released in 2004 have the EF-S Mount. But yet the Rebel XT released in 2005 doesn’t have it. Nor does the Rebel XS. That would make zero sense. All Digital Rebel series cameras have it. The original digital Rebel debuted this new mount NOT the EOS 20D.

[normadel]

Well then there is confusion out there about which cameras can use EF-S. I checked before i wrote my reply.

Here is a Canon Knowledge Base list I (not easily) found of what cameras can use EF-S. Too bad I didn't see this in my search:

https://support.usa.canon.com/kb/s/article/ART116154