FD-EOS converter a mixed bag

[Belmondo]

As some of you might remember, I bought one of the authentic Canon FD-EOS converters in hopes of using an FD 600mm f/4.5L that I bought at a particularly attractive price.

I had an opportunity to try it today, and the results, while generally satisfactory, make it clear that this is only a good combination, and not a magic bullet.

The first shot is for reference only, and was taken with a 50mm f/1.4 lens. This will give you some idea of my distance to the bus (remember the bus?).

http://www.onlinephotographers.com/gallery/albums/Hot-August-Nights/bus_view_reference.jpg

This is the bus taken from the same spot. This is effectively a 982mm lens after you figure in the 1.26X TC and 1.3X crop factor.
http://www.onlinephotographers.com/gallery/albums/Hot-August-Nights/bus_front.sized.jpg

This is probably the best train shot I got today, and it looks pretty good, too. At 100%, though, there's a bit of purple fringing, especially in high contrast areas.
http://www.onlinephotographers.com/gallery/albums/Hot-August-Nights/UP_8613_jpeg.sized.jpg

This is always my standard test for sharpness. If I can read the fire extinguisher sign on the locomotive door, I feel I've done okay. This is a crop from the picture above, and you can see some of the purple fringing in this shot. It looks pretty gross here, but on a 13 X 19 print, it is hardly noticeable.
http://www.onlinephotographers.com/gallery/albums/Hot-August-Nights/UP_8613_Door_Crop.jpg

I'm generally happy, and there's no doubt this lens is a keeper, but I don't think I'll be taking the big white EF lenses off my wish list anytime soon. Besides, I've really grown fond of auto-exposure and autofocus. This lens is completely manual.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Cool Tom.. thanks for the update.
It is certianly an impressive lens!!

FYI,. I don't think the 600mm was an "L" ? Am I wrong on that?

Also.. re "autoexposure" if you set the lens aperure to what you want, (with a long lens like this I usually shoot wide open) ..and you put the Camera in Aperture Priority.. will it not autoexpose by adjusting the shutter?

[Belmondo]

.. re "autoexposure" if you set the lens aperure to what you want, (with a long lens like this I usually shoot wide open) ..and you put the Camera in Aperture Priority.. will it not autoexpose by adjusting the shutter?
I was under the impression it would, but it didn't seem to work. I'll play around with it further, but shooting in manually is not a big problem.

Re: L designation.


Busted! I dont know where I got that except that it looks like an L lens.

(That counts for something, doesn't it?)

[CyberDyneSystems]

It does look like it... it's just missing the RED ring! rofl!

That's really weird about the exposure... I've done this with the 10D hooked up to spotting scopes, telescpes etc... it allways at least tried to expose.. (often it was slightly too dark)

[Belmondo]

I can certainly take care of the red ring.

As far as the L think is concerned, it must be my old dyslexia acting up again.

[Belmondo]

It does look like it... it's just missing the RED ring! rofl!

That's really weird about the exposure... I've done this with the 10D hooked up to spotting scopes, telescpes etc... it allways at least tried to expose.. (often it was slightly too dark)

The couple times I tried it, the image was way overexposed. As with so many things, I strongly suspect operator error, but I just didn't have time to try to ferret the whole thing out. The trains just don't want to cooperate...(they keep moving even though I'm not quite ready).

[IanD]

OMG! The bus is back!
Looks good though. Hell of a reach.

[thomascanty]

(remember the bus?).

Ah, it's by the wind farms! As I was driving down the 111 to the Salton Sea, with the railroad tracks on my left, I thought the terrain looked right. So, I was keeping my eye out for the bus. I guess I was looking in the wrong place... :)

[DocFrankenstein]

You're looking from 3 to 5 for shooting trains with a lens like that. :D

[Belmondo]

Ah, it's by the wind farms! As I was driving down the 111 to the Salton Sea, with the railroad tracks on my left, I thought the terrain looked right. So, I was keeping my eye out for the bus. I guess I was looking in the wrong place... :)
Actually, it's right at the Amtrak Station in North Palm Springs about a half mile off I-10.

[CoolToolGuy]

I'd like to post a few updates, based on my experiences with the FD-EOS converter:

I use Av mode, and stop the lens down to the desired aperture, and the auto-exposure works as well as an EF lens. I have also accidently had the camera set to "P" mode and that gives the proper exposure as well.
Here are some shots with an FD 500 f4.5L and the FD-EOS converter. They are straight out of my 1D MKII N, with absolutely no adjustments.
http://photoshow.comcast.net/watch/Me7Ea6cn
Considering the moving subjects and my need to re-adjust myself to manual focusing techniques I think the images are pretty good quality.
The FD lenses don't have the modern coatings and such to combat ghosting and purple fringing, but they are the same basic optical formulas as their newer EF versions. Over the years Canon has also made some of them faster (from 4.5 to 4.0) and added IS.
The cost of the converter is quite a hit - they are now going for $800 or so on eBay (July 2006). But FD lenses are dirt cheap. I paid less than $300 for my FD 300 f2.8L, $550 for my FD 500 f4.5L, and $150 for a mint FD 200 f2.8. So if you get 2 or 3 of them you are way ahead of the cost of the EF versions.
Learning or re-learning manual focusing can take a few minutes, but if you did it in the past it comes back to you. Manual focusing is obviously not as easy as AF, but thousands of dollars in savings can justify the learning curve.As for the L designation for the FD 600 f4.5, it was put into production before Canon created the L designation, and their approach was to add the L designation when the lens was next upgraded. The 300 f2.8 and the 500 f4.5 were the first two Ls.

Have Fun,

[triumph]

regarding the purple fringing, can you not take a test picture that shows a lot of purple fringing then use lens distort in photoshop CS2 to remove it. You can save this setting that you have made a preset and use it on all further pictures taken with this lens.
There are other programs that have this feature if you do not own CS2.

Cheers

[Xpri]

Yes, if the purple fringing is bad near the edge of the image and good in the center then it's most probably chromatic aberation which can easily be improved in Photoshop.