Most versatile lens system to adapt onto RF?

[shefakh1]

Hi guys, just picked up an EOS RP, after selling my 60D, 24-105 F4 and my old 50mm 1.4. I wanted to go smaller, prime only, simpler.

I’ve picked up a 50mm 1.8 STM and I’d like to stick to primes only so I’m thinking to adapt to some old MF lenses. What’s the best lens system to adapt to? I’m thinking FD? Just so I can pick up a few different focal lengths -, maybe an ultra wide, 24mm, an 85mm, etc.

[normadel]

Adapting FD lenses doesn't make anything simpler.

1. You won't have ANY auto function....focus or exposure.

2. Using an FD-to-RF adapter will change the effective focal length of the lens, by spacing-out the lens from the body.

3. If you now have EF or EF-S mount lenses you can adapt them to RF.

4. Simpler would mean, to me, having one or two zooms to cover the range you want, not multiple primes.

5. And, in the opinions of many (I can't comment on this), FD lenses are surpassed by modern lenses in image quality.  

[TomRamsey]

When adapting lenses, I don't think there is a "best system", as normadel pointed out you will have no auto functions.  There are many good older primes from different manufacturers that are good, stay away from autofocus as they usually have a shorter focus throw, making them a little touchy to focus.  Look at the quality and prices of adapters, and of the lenses you may want.  You should be able to get some of the focal lengths like 28 and 50 pretty easily without a lot of cost.  85 and 24 will be harder and pricier, but they are out there.  Personally I'm not a fan of adapting lenses and wasting the great capabilities of a modern camera, but I know a of of people that do and very much enjoy it.  If you are in that category you may find yourself with lenses from many systems before you know it and you'll have a lot of fun.  I said I'm not a fan, but I did buy an adapter for using Pentax lenses on my R6 MarkII, but I haven't had an urge to do so yet

[johnrmoyer]

I use a 45 year old Minolta lens from a film camera with an Urth adapter on my EOS R5. The lens has no electronics, but works better on the EOS R5 than it did on the Minolta film camera. The Urth adapter was not very expensive.

Good luck and I expect you will have fun.

[normadel]

What does "works better" mean?

[Stephen]

That is actually very common. 

Another surprising result is the opposite. People will use their all-time favorite film lens, adapted to work manually on their new mirrorless camera, and no matter what they do, they will see lens aberrations, distortions, or other image anomalies. This is because the optics must be much more precise than technology allowed us to make on analog lenses. 

[johnrmoyer]

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@normadel wrote:

What does "works better" mean?

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On my EOS R5, there is higher resolution than I ever got with 35mm film. The automatic metering is much better. A digital unsharp mask is much more convenient and less expensive than trying to do it with enlargers. 

My Minolta lens is a very good one. The bokeh is pleasing to me. As for aberrrations, it is nearly perfect stopped down to F/2 although it does not handle color as well as some newer lenses and does better than my EF 50 1.8 for black and white. It does not have some of the lens coatings like newer lenses. Wide open at F/1.4 photographing stars, there will be some coma toward the edges, but most of that goes away at F/1.8.

Disadvantages include no autofocus, manual only aperture, and Canon DPP digital lens optimizer does not work.

I used other software for Richardson/Lucy algorithm to remove small aperture diffraction blur. (Could not do that with film)

https://www.rsok.com/~jrm/2022Jun26_birds_and_cats/2022jun17_wildflower_IMG_9568cRL.html 

Rudbeckia hirta (also called Black Eyed Susan) and Castilleja indivisa (also called Indian Paintbrush) blooming in Norman, Oklahoma, June 17, 2022

F Number	16.0
ISO	250
Shutter Speed Value	1/332
Focal Length	50.0 mm
Lens Model	Minolta MC ROKKOR-X PG 1:1.4 f=50mm

[normadel]

So it's not the LENS that is working better, but the BODY it's attached to. 

[TomRamsey]

I’ve read that the digital cameras bypassed the resolution of 35 mm film at maybe around 20 megapixels.  So it’s very probable that the R5 is getting a lot more out of the lens.  But the lens has to be high quality to start with, and Minolta made some great lenses.