The difference between DSLR and Mirrorless, Help please

[Cas85]

Hi there I am fairly new to learning more about photography, however I have been taking photos for over 20 years. I have a canon eos rebel T5 and recently bought a canon FD NFD 800 mm f 5.6 L Ultra. Which I am defeated to find does not fit my camera. I asked a local photographer what camera I would need. She said a Canon Full Frame. However she’s a Nikon girly and can’t give more info….Can anyone please help guide me on which camera to buy that will heighten my photography of nature in Alaska please.  Also can someone explain the difference between DSLR and mirror less ? Just needing a nice camera to fit lens I paid way too much for. Thanks! 

[normadel]

A Canon FD lens fits Canon manual-focus film cameras. That's where the term "full-frame" comes from . . . a 24x36mm film frame, and a digital camera with a 24x36mm sensor size.

I'm confused about the lens you bought. The lens model name doesn't make sense.

1. "Ultra" is, sounds like short for Ultrasonic, one of Canon's autofocusing types.  Not a manual-focus lens. So there isn't an FD autofocus lens. 

2.  "NFD" (New FD) is a reference to second generation FD lenses.  The term is not part of a lens name.

3.  "L" lenses are the top-level Canon lenses. There were/are  "L" lenses in FD mounts and EF mounts.

4. Canon DSLR autofocus lenses are EF and EF-S mounts.  The EF-S mount is for Canon crop-sensor (APS-C) bodies ONLY, like your Rebel T5.  They ONLY fit crop-sensor bodies.

EF lenses are the original mounts for Canon EOS autofocus cameras, starting with EOS film cameras. An EF lens fits ALL EOS cameras made since 1987, film and digital.

So first, let's clear up what your lens is. It's exact name is on it, on the body of it and/or around the front of the lens.  Sounds like a mixup all over.

The term "DSLR" means "Digital Single Lens Reflex" camera. "Reflex" refers to incoming light being steered up at a right-angle by a mirror through a viewfinder  where it's directed to your eye by mirrors or a prism (in the hump on top of the body) to the eyepiece.  When you press the shutter button, the mirror flips up out of the way so the incoming light can hit the film or sensor. That's why the viewfinder goes black for the exposure time.

A mirrorless camera is not a reflex camera. Light thru lens goes straight to the sensor. You are seeing an electronic image in the viewfinder from the sensor.

This is no different than in the Nikon system. 

Anyway, I'm curious how you came to be sold the lens you have. It sounds like you got led astray. 

Oh yeah, one more point.  There ARE adapters that would mount an FD lens on an EF/EF-S mount body. Stay away. You lose all automation in exposure and focusing, and they have a negative effect on image quality.

[Cas85]

I will try and attach pics from seller on eBay if allowed. I am thinking I fell for a trap and or just not educated enough to have made the purchase… any help on which camera to get or an adapter for camera I currently have would be outstanding as I am stumped on what to find. Thank you! 

 

 

 

[ebiggs1]

You bought this lens?

You can use this lens on your T5 but you need an adapter. Ed Mika makes the best one and all the rest of them are pretty much junk. Ed Mika  <--- click me.  Ed has passed away after a rather long illness but you can find his adapters on the used market. I have several Ed Mika adapters on several old FD lenses. They work very well but the old FD lenses leave a lot to be desired so you will spend a lot of time in Photoshop trying to make them as good as any of todays EF lenses. The lens that does work very well with the adapter is my FD 500mm CAT lens.

If I were you I would look for a FD cameras like the Canon F1n but keep in mind it is film only.  There are tons of cheap FD to EF adapters so if you must buy one of them. You know it will be totally manual both focus and exposure settings.

"... can someone explain the difference between DSLR and mirror less ?"

A DSLR has a mirror and a mirrorless just like its name doesn't. Look inside the mirror box and you will see the mirror on your T5.

[ebiggs1]

"... I fell for a trap ..."

If you can, I would try to return it especially if you were told it would work on your camera. Ebay is pretty good at making sellers describe their items clearly. That lens will never work very well and like I said the images will be of poor quality, IMHO of course, at least not to my standards. Other then the Ed Mika adapter you will have to put a junkie adapter on a low quality lens. That lens was designed for film not a DSLR.

So there you go,...

1> Ed Mika

2> buy a FD film camera

3> junkie adapter

4> Return

[ebiggs1]

Buy this lens Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 for Canon for Alaska.

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

If possible, please return this lens.  🙂

[normadel]

Well, it's an FD "L" lens, which is a premium lens  for a manual-focus FD-mount camera. I don't see where the "Ultra" comes in. Looks like seller threw a bunch of terms together.

Return it if you can. It was misrepresented, I'd say, and eBay should do the return/refund.

DO NOT bother with an adapter for your camera. The Ed Mika adapters were pretty expensive, and only for certain lenses.

[shadowsports]

@Cas85,

Respectfully if you have budget, we'd really like to help you get a modern camera for your trip.  I'm hoping you can return that lens.  It's a chunk of cash you could do a lot with.  Its time to retire that T5.  Do you have any lenses?  EF-S or EF?   

[ebiggs1]

"The Ed Mika adapters were pretty expensive, and only for certain lenses."

Expensive, yes, but they work and one is made especially for that lens. It is a semi-permanent mount replacement.