HELP - Seeking adapter, FD 50mm to Rebel T3i

[spclarke46]

Hello everyone!

I stumbled upon a small Canon FD 50mm 1 : 1.8 Lens

My current camera is a Canon EOS Rebel T3i with the classic 58mm threading.

Is it possible to adapt the lens I found to my T3i? I'm relatively new to the whole lens game so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

Steve

[MikeSowsun · Accepted solution]

Using a Canon FD lens on your T3i is really not a very good idea. The FD 50mm lens is Manual focus and Manual aperture. FD lenses also have a different mounting system, but more importantly, they also have a different "Flange to Focal Plane" distance.  

Any adapter that will allow you to mount an FD lens on your EOS camera will need to have an optical correction lens in it so that the focus can reach infinity. This optical correction lens will seriuosly degrade the image quality.  It also acts like a 1.4 multiplier so your 50mm lens will now be a 70mm lens.

Most of these adapters with optics will give you the option to remove the glass, but then you can only focus at very close distances. This isn't a bad option if you want to use the lens for close-up "Macro" photography. 

If you really want to experiment with older manual focus lenses, you would be better off selling the FD lens and buying a lens which can be used without optical correction. 

Nikon, Pentax, Olympus, and others can be used with a simple mechanical mount adapter. 

Lots of good info on manual focus lenses here: Using Manual Focus Lenses on Canon EOS bodies

[shadowsports]

fotodiox...  send you a PM

[MikeSowsun · Accepted solution]

Using a Canon FD lens on your T3i is really not a very good idea. The FD 50mm lens is Manual focus and Manual aperture. FD lenses also have a different mounting system, but more importantly, they also have a different "Flange to Focal Plane" distance.  

Any adapter that will allow you to mount an FD lens on your EOS camera will need to have an optical correction lens in it so that the focus can reach infinity. This optical correction lens will seriuosly degrade the image quality.  It also acts like a 1.4 multiplier so your 50mm lens will now be a 70mm lens.

Most of these adapters with optics will give you the option to remove the glass, but then you can only focus at very close distances. This isn't a bad option if you want to use the lens for close-up "Macro" photography. 

If you really want to experiment with older manual focus lenses, you would be better off selling the FD lens and buying a lens which can be used without optical correction. 

Nikon, Pentax, Olympus, and others can be used with a simple mechanical mount adapter. 

Lots of good info on manual focus lenses here: Using Manual Focus Lenses on Canon EOS bodies

[TCampbell · Accepted solution]

Keep in mind that a brand new Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens is only $125 and it's going to work a lot better... auto aperture will work, auto-focus will work, the optics will be accurate, etc.

Attempting to force an FD lens to fit on an EOS body means no auto-focus, no auto-aperture, and the lens is forced to mount several millimeters farther from the sensor than intended.  This means it is "as if" you're using an extension tube and shifts the entire focus range of the camera.

The lens was desisgned to be used with a camera that has a split-prism focus aid and you don't have a split-prism focus aid in your T3i

[ebiggs1]

There is but don't waste your time or money.  It isn't worth it.

[RobertTheFat]

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@ebiggs1wrote:

There is but don't waste your time or money.  It isn't worth it.

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!!

[shadowsports]

spclarke46...

So you got everyone's replies.  Given the body and age of the lens you were trying to mate, I provided the least expensive (not neccessarily) best option believeing that you would know the road you were embarking on.  Manual aperature. infinity focus, and so forth.

I am not a jury rig kind of guy, and honestly, would not bother with trying to get a FD lens onto a DLSR body.  I probably should have stated that upfront.  LIke the guys pointed out, the $100 upfront cost of the 50mm (which I own) is a much wiser +$65 dollar investment. I am not a proponet of using 7+ year old equipment, but this comes down to personal preference, so at least you have all the facts now.