What's this thing made of?

[michaelpowell]

Hello again - I'm getting back into photography after about 35 years of letting life get in the way.  I've purchased an F1N on Ebay, and a murder (the correct term for the group) of FD lenses. I want to get an 85mm FD f/1.8 next.  While all of my other FD lenses have been very reasonable, the used 85s on Ebay are going tor $180+. What the hey??!!!  I mean I bought a 100mm for aroung $50; so why so much for the 85? THanx.  Michael

[TTMartin]

Some FD lenses have gained popularity for shooting video on mirrorless cameras. I suspect the FD 85mm f/1.8 is one of them. Supply and demand.

edit: Also the Ed Mika has created a converion mount for the 85mm f/1.2 to allow it to be used on EOS cameras. Also increasing the demand for the lens.

[michaelpowell]

Thank you, TT

[ebiggs1]

You are wanting to shoot film?  Not digital?  FD lenses are great for film cameras.  But they are not worth the effort to convert to digital.  It never works well.  Plus you lose AF and AE, two big reasons for a DSLR.  Its your money, and time, and hair but believe me it isn't worth it.

The Ed Mika converters are the best there is but I recommend their use on only the great whites from the FD series.

[michaelpowell]

Thank you, EB

[amfoto1]

Keep shopping. I paid $90 for my 85/1.8 FDn lens. Came with the matching hood, too.

As stated, it's supply and demand. 85/1.8 was a fairly expensive lens when new, so there are fewer of them around than, say, 50/1.4, 50/1.8. 100/2.8 isn't as desrable. !00/2.0 and 135/2.0L are both more valuable.

I disagree about only the "big white" lenses being worth converting for use on digital. There are quite a few very high quality and valuable FD/FL mount lenses that weren't painted white and are well worth the conversion The Ed Mika costs about $100, but also is lens specific and there simply aren't adapters made for all models of FD/FL lenses.

Cheaper converters need optics to allow lens to focus to infinity, and the quality of the optics used seriously degrades image quality. Some (many?) people who use those adapters end up removing the optics and simply not being able to focus the lens to infinity, which might be fine in many cases anyway.

Of course, using them on an F1N, you don't need any adapters at all.

Another way of looking at it... compare the price of the FD/FL lens with it's modern equivalent. That will usually make the price of the vintage lens much more palatable.

[michaelpowell]

Thank you, Amfoto

[ebiggs1]

Now you have two opinions.  Don't do it and do it.  I would like it if you could let me know, after you try, which you find is more correct.

[amfoto1]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

Now you have two opinions.  Don't do it and do it.  I would like it if you could let me know, after you try, which you find is more correct.

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Do or don't do what? I don't understand.

OP has an F1N. He's gonna need FD/FL mount lenses to use on it. No adapters needed for that.

All I was attempting to do was clarify that there are Canon FD/FL lenses other than just the "big white" that are adaptable with Ed Mika's replacement bayonet mounts, that may be worth doing if wanting to use them on EF mount EOS cameras (film or digital). I know folks who have adapted 55/1.2 SSC and Aspherical, 14/2.8L, 85/1.2L, for example. Those ain't "white" but many people consider them worth adapting... and the Ed Mika replacement bayonet mounts are the best way to do that. At around $100 per lens, it's rather high priced. And in some cases with full frame/film cameras the adapted lenses will have some limitations due to mirror interference. So it's going to come down to personal decision whether or not to adapt. See Ed Mika's website for more info.

But... again... adapters aren't needed for what Michael is doing... Shooting film with an F1N, which requires FD/FL lenses anyway. 

So I don't see where there are conflicting opinions, correct or incorrect answers, or where there will be anything to report back about.

***********
Alan Myers

San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7D(x2), 50D(x3), some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR & PRINTROOM 

[TTMartin]

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@amfoto1 wrote:

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

Now you have two opinions.  Don't do it and do it.  I would like it if you could let me know, after you try, which you find is more correct.

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Do or don't do what?

OP has an F1N. He's gonna need FD/FL mount lenses to use on it. No adapters needed for that.

All I was clarifying was that there are lenses other than just the "big white" that are adaptable with Ef Mika's replacement bayonet mounts, and worth doing. I know folks who have adapted 55/1.2 SSC and Aspherical, 14/2.8L, 85/1.2L, for example. Those ain't "white" but are worth adapting... and the Ed Mika replacement bayonet mounts are the best way to do that.

But adapters aren't needed for what Michael is doing... shooting film with an F1N, which requires FD/FL lenses anyway. 

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I agree. The only reason Ed Mika mounts were brought up, is they have impacted the price of some FD lenses. For a while all FD lenses were dirt cheap. Then mirrorless users started using them, and Ed Mika came out with his mount. Both of those things have caused some FD lens prices to increase significantly.