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This question is backward from what I see asked most often. What I want to do is find a modern lens.

dolfinwriter
Contributor

This question is backward from what I see asked most often, and I'm not even sure how to search on this question.

 

What I want to do is find a modern 18-135 (or so) zoom lens for my Canon EOS 750 film camera. I destroyed my previous lens on a vacation to New Orleans some years ago, but the camera body survived. I don't remember the specs on that one, but I loved its versatility

 

I would also be willing to buy an EF lens from back in the day, made for that camera, if I can find one. But with all the digital stuff out there, I'm not sure which one would work anymore. I've been searching ebay and Amazon for EF Zoom lens, but it most coming up are for DSLR.

 

I actually have an EOS T3i with an 18-135mm lens, but I have to sell it because we are downsizing our life (wife laid off and money is tight, and selling everything that ain't nailed down). I gave up on trying to sell the 750 years ago and realized that I can still get film and batteries for it, but I just need a new lens so that I can use it.

 

My battery is dead in my 750 as I write this, so I have go get a new battery to even see if the lense from my DSLR will work. But even so, I still have to still buy another lens, because this one goes with the T3i when I sell it.

12 REPLIES 12

CrystalCity
Apprentice

You can use any EF lens on your camera.  You cannot use EF-s lenses.

--Matthew

Yeah, I just tried to test fit the EF-s lens from the T3i and it won't even physically fit.

 

Thanks


@CrystalCity wrote:

You can use any EF lens on your camera.  You cannot use EF-s lenses.


But an EF digital lens may not give as good results on your camera as the lens you broke years ago. The light-gathering characteristics of digital sensors are different from those of film, and modern digital lenses are designed to correct for those differences. Whether you'd notice an effect on image quality is debatable, but you might as well be prepared for it if you have to settle for a digital lens.

Bob
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

ebiggs1
Legend
Legend

And my suggestion is not one you will like but it is probably far better for you than yours.

The EOS 750 was sold alongside the 600 series (circa. 1988), the EOS 750 provided only a very few basic feature set and was a cheaper alternative to the 600 series for those who wanted an autofocus camera without the bells and whistles. 

 

And my advise is the keep the T3i and lens you already have and set the 750 on the history shelf.  This will be cheaper in the long run for you.

Other than that any EF lens will work and will work very well.  If it remains your decision newer lense almost to a point will out preform any film lens.  IMHO, as always, of course.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

ScottyP
Authority
Unless you are selling your computer, I would think you'd stick with the T3i plus your kit lens for financial reasons.

1.). Keeping the digital camera You would not need to buy another lens, as you have everything you need.
2.). Selling the digital camera, you would not get very much now for a used T3i and used kit lens.
3.). If you go the film route you need to buy a lens, PLUS you have to start buying film, and also paying to get the prints developed. You would quickly eat through the money you get from selling the digital camera.

From a purely financial viewpoint it seems like keeping the digital is better, or certainly not worse. On top of that you lose the ability to share photos online (unless you buy a scanner) and you lose the ability to work on your digital images in post with a film setup.
Scott

Canon 5d mk 4, Canon 6D, EF 70-200mm L f/2.8 IS mk2; EF 16-35 f/2.8 L mk. III; Sigma 35mm f/1.4 "Art" EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro; EF 85mm f/1.8; EF 1.4x extender mk. 3; EF 24-105 f/4 L; EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS; 3x Phottix Mitros+ speedlites

Why do so many people say "FER-tographer"? Do they take "fertographs"?


3.). If you go the film route you need to buy a lens, PLUS you have to start buying film, and also paying to get the prints developed. You would quickly eat through the money you get from selling the digital camera.

From a purely financial viewpoint it seems like keeping the digital is better, or certainly not worse. On top of that you lose the ability to share photos online (unless you buy a scanner) and you lose the ability to work on your digital images in post with a film setup.

I get that and I have considered that, and thanks--but I need cash right now, and as much as I can raise. I'm not going to go into too much detail in a public forum, but when our financial situation gets stabilized, then I can go back and get another T3i, or by then maybe a T5i for what a T3i costs now.

 

We use a Canon Powershot S95 for most of our family photos, and which I use for my Amazon and ebay selling. I also had a cheaper Kodak digital that I took with me when I was traveling a lot for work--if I lost it or it got stolen, I was only out $60. (That one has mysteriously ceased to function, and nobody knows anything about it...)

 

This T3i was mainly for my own use for kid's sporting events and such where the little digital, as good as it is, just doesn't cut the mustard. I have one really good SLR and one so-so SLR, and I can't sell the so-so one, but I can get some cash for the really good one, especially since it has the 18-135 lens. I'm also selling a brand new 75-300 zoom for it that I've never taken out of the box yet.

 

I still have five 24 exposure rolls of film and a 36 in the 750, which will get me by for a while (I was wrong--the battery isn't dead). I still have a working 75-300 zoom for that camera, and I have used it at my son's soccer games. But I wanted to do more. Costco has inexpensive developing and you can have all of the images put on a DVD so no scanning required. The quality of those image files is light years better than when they used to put them on floppies. For what I do, it's good enough for me. And I haven't been in a darkroom since High School.

 

As for buying a lens, I've been looking on ebay and I can get a 35-105 EF lens WITH camera for $22. And a case, which I don't have and had been looking for. One in particular I'm looking at is a Rebel-S II, which is probably a better camera than my 750. But I've long ago lost track and I'm not up to speed on all the advances in digital, let alone the film cameras that were coming out at the start of the digital revolution.

 

I appreciate all of the input and food for thought. I was really trying to find out if anyone knows of some kind of compatibility chart where I can tell which lenses will work on my 750, and what compromises there might be (e.g., fits but autofocus won't work).

 

RobertTheFat's comment is the kind of information I was really looking for, and what I suspected. So I do need to look for an EF lens that was intended for a film camera, not a digital--for best results, that is.

 

The ironic part of all of this to me is that I miss my old Canon AE-1. I sold it in 1989 to buy this 750. I wish I had that AE-1 back. I miss playing with the settings to get different results, and I took better pictures with that camera than anything I've had since. Maybe I should buy an AE-1 on ebay with lenses and manuals, and sell the T3i and try to sell the 750 again! From the looks of it, I could even buy a spare camera body for $10.

While I'm at it, does anyone know where I can get a NEW camera strap with film canister loops? The elastic is shot on mine that is probably 30 years old.

 

Thanks!

In your case and your stated need of quality, any EF lens will work for you. The above comments about EF digital lenses do NOT apply.  You can ignor them.   Get the best EF lens for your needs.

Personally I think you are making a mistake and will see little money differential when all is said and done.  But that is your decission.  I hope all works out for the best.  Smiley Happy

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

I've been doing what I always do when I find myself less informed than I think I oughtta be--I've been reading everything Google and Amazon and ebay can provide on Canon film cameras, the Canon camera museum, and reading reviews and descriptions, and articles about "Which is better?" and "Should I get this or that?".

 

Although nostalgic for my old AE-1, I recognize that the later film cameras were more advanced, and some significantly better in a number of ways than the AE-1, and a lot better than the crappy 750 I wasted my money on so many years ago. I plead that at the time I was young and single and this is one of my many lessons learned.

 

ebiggs1 expressed twice that he thinks what I'm trying to do is a bad choice in the long run, but you don't know our situation, and I'm not going to give details in a forum. We've turned off our landline and cut our cable services to the minimum to cut costs. I would drop my smart phone and data plan, except that my employer reimburses me for it in lieu of a company phone. I'm literally selling everything that isn't nailed down. I'm looking for a used small pickup to buy for cash and sell my current daily driver to save on gas, taxes, insurance... and also use it to help support a small home business. We're down-sizing our entire household and cutting expenses across the board.

 

I don't anticipate taking that many pictures with this camera that I will see a "break-even" point any time soon, and I can't justify keeping several hundred $$ tied up in a camera right now. I acknowledge your point about "when all is said and done". I can't look at that right now. I have a very immediate situation to deal with. From THAT perspective, it would have been better for me to do this research two years ago and NOT bought the T3i, but the T3i was on sale, and we were in better shape financially and things were actually improving. That did not last.

 

There is an immediate situation where my finances and credit history will be or already are being scrutinized for my job, and that's all I can say. There is a second competing more mid-term thing where I need to drop several thousand $$ on our home to appease the insurance gods who don't care if anything works, as long as the front looks good. And there is a long term goal of doing major rennovations, repairs and remodeling on our house and then sell or rent it, and move out of the state we live in.

 

I've decided to stick with the 750 for the immediate future, and add a second body and a 35-80 lens I picked up for $20, and go ahead and sell the T3i and lenses. Blasphemy, I know... Now that I know what they 750 is really worth, I can turn around and sell them when I'm ready.

 

Maybe it will or maybe it won't make you feel better about my choice, but in a month or so when a particular event where I need to show maximum assets and minimal debt is past, I will replace the 750 with an Elan 7, or maybe two of them, since I'm seeing bodies by themselves for ~$25. And maybe I'll pick up an AE-1 cheap just for nostalgia's sake.

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