Using manual 400mm telephoto lens on 300D digital SLR?

[myronc]

Hello all. I'm new to these forums, so forgive me if it shows. I have seen some awesome wildlife photos on these fora, so I take my hat off.

I've done a lot of wild deer photography over the years. My favourite combo has been a 35mm film camera with electronic cable shutter release running onto a 400mm Novoflex follow-focus lens. This lens is the real mccoy (German made) and is huge with a pistol grip and shoulder pod mount that generally looks like you're going into a war zone with a bazooka! (Actually, it provides good results as well). It would be way expensive to buy now about $4500+ Aus the last time I checked. My particular rig has a pentax bayonet mount on it, so I used to use a Ricoh KR10M camera with it. Inexpensive camera with great features, electronic release worked from a trigger on the Novoflex, and the right bayonet mount. But now the camera has been damaged (someone bumped it off a rock, and smashed the top hood part).

I haven't had time to go into this yet, but I've idly wondered why I couldn't use the Novoflex (manual focus) with a digital SLR camera. Why can't I take the camera lens off on say the Canon 300D, and then (with a bayonet adapter) fit the Novoflex and go right ahead and use it as per normal? Can the camera be put into manual mode in it's menu, and then 'work' with (any) telephoto manual lens? I'm thinking we don't want to know about autofocus anyway, and f5.6 is f5.6 is f5.6! Have you learned folk got any insights or experience you can advise me about this style of thing? Thank you so much. regards, Myron

[jyrgen]

Sure you can. Canon EF mount is especially good in terms of being able to use almost any lenses with appropriate adapters (sad exception being Canon's own FD lenses, which require optical adapters and thus lose some of beauty). If Pentax bayonet is the same as Pentax K, you certainly can get an adapter.

[EXA1a]

Yes, technically that's possible. I shot the last moon eclipse with an old manual Sigma 600mm/f8 mirror reflex lens on my 300D.
However, it is quite difficult to focus such a lens on a dSLR like 300D. The viewfinder is smaller and darker, the center area of the viewfinder is not really crisp (at least on my 300D) and you don't have any focusing aids like split screen of microprism.

--Jens--

[Jim_T]

If you can find an adapter and the lens is FULLY manual, it should be easy..

The only problem you may have is the aperture.. If you can't set it manually, then you'll have to use the lens in it's 'normal' position. (Usually wide open)..

With the EOS system, the camera communicates with the lens and electronically adusts the lens aperture as the shot is taken. This won't happen with a "foreign" lens.

[CyberDyneSystems]

If it is a manual lens than I am sure the aperture is set manually too?

It would work fine.. the EOS camera will meter through a cardboard tube.. :)

Good luck finding an adapter.. if you have trouble.. run over o the Fred Miranda forums and find a guy named Blair Bunting (or search for his own website)

He makes custom mounts made for EOS cameras.. (actually there is someone here who does this as well.. and I apologize in advance to him for forgetting who! :( :( :( )