Canon FD 300mm F2.8L?????????

[flyingdogguitar]

Hi everyone,
I'm thinking about buying a used Cannon FD 2.8L lens. I currently have an Canon EOS 10D camera. I also have a canon adapter to go from a Non-autofocus lens to an auto focus camera body. Would anyone advise me to go ahead and purchase the lens?
I'd like to get into wildlife photography, plus some airshow stuff. I can't currently commit to an a'll singing all dancing' fast auto-focus lens, but I feel it maybe a good learning process for me.


Any thought will be gratefully received

your sincerely

Dave C

[CyberDyneSystems]

Depends on price,.. and on whether you understand the limitations.

You will obviously losse autofocus.

You may also lose focus to infinity.. depending on your adapter... Does your FD to EOS converter have glass in it? or is it just a mechanical converter?

If the latter.. then it will behave like an extension/macro tube.. forcing your new 300mm FD to focus closer than normal,.. in which case you may lose infinity focus.

On the other hand,. that is a sweet peice of glass... I don't know how much I'd pay for such a thing though as I rely on AF too much.

[ron chappel]

See the lens conversion advice i gave in this thread.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=47218&sid=011bd1598d7a13a201dee66 c1940eeb5

The FD300/2.8 is the model lens i seriously want to convert to EOS.The physical conversion is relatively easy and cheap.I may even try to adapt electronics from an EOS lens so that the metering, auto aperture control and focus confimation work too! :D

[andrew748]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Canon-FD300mm-1-2-8-L-lens_W0QQitemZ320288772052QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item 320288772052&_trkparms=72%3A12|39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14#ebayphotohosting

End time: 1 hour 58 mins

just a heads up

[checkitout]

Hi Dave, Ah yes, finally something I have first hand knowledge of. I am a new member and will be patient before being able to post my FD 300 2.8L, original FD-EOS adapter, and my load of other FD stuff. But, until then, just my 2 cents to help with your decision: I put my 300(great glass) with my mint($1000) adapter on my 5D body...andWOW! The images are spectacular. Granted no AF is a bummer, wildlife would be fine but airshows would not work. I tried at the last Chicago Air Show and got very few keepers, simply because of the focus issue. When hit right, the pics are perfect, as in "perfect". These adapters are as good as you hear about as far as quality. I was a sceptic until I tried with my good 300L. Also, as you manually stop down the aperture, the view darkens also. But, again, talk about super clean pics! I'll be happy to give you any other advice I may have regarding using the original adapter like I have done. Steer clear of all the other cheaper "glassed" adapters, completely different quality. So, if you don't already have the expensive adapter, that 300 you are considering would not be served justice with your eos body. Hope this helped. Curt

[440roadrunner]

Or you could just buy a Nikkor

http://forum.manualfocus.org/viewtopic.php?id=12912

[DreDaze]

haha...this thread is over 4 years old...and the o.p. hasn't posted in 3 years...:)

welcome to the forum curt

[checkitout]

oh well...guess I'll stick to shooting. cya all in about 30 days if you want some of my FD stuff. I never cease to amaze myself. haha thanks for being kind DreDaze

[scoopj]

Does anyone know the canon product code for the front lens cap or trunk? This is for the 300mm fd f2.8L.

[S.Horton]

Does anyone know the canon product code for the front lens cap or trunk? This is for the 300mm fd f2.8L.

Welcome to POTN. You are posting on a very, very old thread -- Hopefully, someone who knows will pop by to respond, but you could start a new thread if you don't get an answer here.

@checkitout I think many people would be very interested in your FD keepers here!

;)

[richardfox]

I'm using a "made in Europe" FD to EOS adapter with a focus confirmation chip on my 50D with my Canon FD 300mm 2.8 L, and am getting excellent results. I've done some comparison shots with my new 100-400 4.5/5.6 L autofocus zoom, and there is very little difference in overall quality. A "perfect" solution? Probably not, but an excellent alternative to spending $4500 on a new 300 2.8 AF L lens. Also, and not to be too critical of many of the posts, I'm not shooting for the cover of Time magazine, nor are most others. I'm shooting for myself! I've also used my FD 1.4 and FD 2x extenders with excellent results. If I'm getting virtually the same photos with the FD 300 2.8 conversion versus the new 100-400 AF L lens (even with the new 2x EOS extender), how can I complain? Try this. If you have expensive FD glass, spend the 75 bucks on the European FD to EOS adapter and compare the results yourself! A 75 dollar experiment is far less than a new prime lens, and it may surprise you with the results. Just being honest here!

[Jman13]

Why does this thread continue to be resurrected?

[amfoto1]

Halloween... Things come back from the dead.

[richardfox]

Why does this thread continue to be resurrected?

Because there is still interest in using FD lenses on EOS bodies.

[j37r]

It's also that some of us look beyond the herd mentality that say it can't be done, or the results will be rubbish, and try it out for ourselves.

I have been using FD lenses on my 350D/XT for 2 years now, been very pleased with the results. I now point people to my website so they can see the results for themselves and make their own decisions, I have also posted pictures on here before taken with FD on EOS and received a good response.

John :)

[zildjansg]

where can i find a FD 300mm 2.8?been looking this great lens for almost a year now?any idea?

[gasrocks]

eBay, Keh.

[zildjansg]

eBay, Keh.

Thanks,but theres no stock.

[richardfox]

It's also that some of us look beyond the herd mentality that say it can't be done, or the results will be rubbish, and try it out for ourselves.

I have been using FD lenses on my 350D/XT for 2 years now, been very pleased with the results. I now point people to my website so they can see the results for themselves and make their own decisions, I have also posted pictures on here before taken with FD on EOS and received a good response.

John :)

John, it seems that it's too easy to say "results will be garbage" when using an FD to EOS adapter. Sure, I'd like to run out and spend about 25 grand on a bunch of new EF L lenses, who wouldn't? I think the biggest part is the continual "strive for perfection", yet if I did this, I could dismiss 30 years of photography as I could critique EVERY photo I've ever taken! My advice? Try it yourself (as you and I both did) as judge if the results are acceptable.

I've taken a lot of nature shots that are crisp and clear with the 300 2.8 that rival the quality of my 100-400 4.5/5 L EF lens!

Groundbreaking? No. Effective use of equipment? Absolutely!!!

[j37r]

Richard

Couldn't agree more, I for one do not have the money to go and buy top of the range lenses, it would take me more than a year to save the money for a 70-200mm F4 L, so I looked at alternatives. I already had the Fd lenses, (all of which cost me less than the 70-200 would), the adapter was the way to go and I have not regretted it.

John ;)