If I buy a Varionar lens(SRL) will it work with my rebel t3i?

[Pibc1104]

I am in desperate need of a zoom lens for my rebel t3i and quick so I found one on Craigslist in my area but the seller said it was used for film cameras, are they compatible?

[AtticusLake]

The Rebel T3i has an EF-S lens mount.  Lenses with an EF-S or EF lens mount should work.  So if you're buying a lens, you need to make sure that it is an EF or EF-S lens.  Some people will advertise lenses as being "for Canon", but this is worthless -- such a lens could have an RF or FD mount, or even something else.

I don't know anything about the Varionar lens you're referring to -- and you didn't provide much information -- but it doesn't sound like something that would have an EF lens mount.

[kvbarkley]

Even if it is an EF mount, there are many variations on "compatible". For example, it may lack autofocus or the ability to automatically set aperture.

[jrhoffman75]

Given that the seller states it is for a film camera, and given that I have not seen that brand name ever being sold, I am highly confident that it is a manual FD mount lens for film cameras released before the EOS EF mount in the mid-1980s.

It would not be compatible with your Rebel.

A good zoom for your Rebel would be the 55-250 lens from Canon.

[AtticusLake]

Based on the little googling I've done, I think it's more likely to be Mamiya than FD.  Certainly right about the date though; the Varionar lenses I'm seeing are from the 1970s, well before EF existed.

[jrhoffman75]

---

@AtticusLake wrote:

Based on the little googling I've done, I think it's more likely to be Mamiya than FD.  Certainly right about the date though; the Varionar lenses I'm seeing are from the 1970s, well before EF existed.

---

I agree that none of the search hits I saw mentioned Canon. I was probably incorrect in assuming that the seller at least knew it was for a Canon camera.