FD 85mm 1.2 vs EF 85mm 1.2

hey gang--
i've been thinking about getting an FD 1.2 and converting it with an EdMika kit for EOS, not really because of price, but because i like the idea of manual focus. Has anyone done this? Has anyone regretted it?

The reason that i ask is that ive been watching ebay for a long time and i've never seen one converted thats come up for sale. There are lots of FD's on there every day, but never one thats been changed to EF mount.

thanks!

Couldn't you just get the EF version and focus it manually?

nellyle wrote in post #15800004
Couldn't you just get the EF version and focus it manually?

I don't think that this is fun because of focus-by-wire.

lennartsw wrote in post #15800008
I don't think that this is fun because of focus-by-wire.

Ah, fair enough, didn't know it used that. I have that on my 28-80L, not great.

Does that kit have an optical element?

Why not just get the Rokinon 85mm 1.4?

Manual focusing at f/1.2 would be very challenging...

lennartsw wrote in post #15800008
I don't think that this is fun because of focus-by-wire.

Focus-by-wire is not as bad as you seem to think.

oklaiss wrote in post #15800143
Manual focusing at f/1.2 would be very challenging...

Of course. and then you practice and get it down... like photographers did for years.

go for it OP. I love my 58mm 1.2 and i spent less than $100 on it. got a conversion kit and it's wonderful.

thanks Mackeral.

im just wondering if i'll end up liking it (because of manual focus and DIY) or for about the same money I could have just gotten the EF.

I'd go ef if the price is comparable. I lucked into my 58mm for $10 and spent $70 on the conversion kit. I wouldn't have considered the lens if not for this.

I have bought and converted a Canon FD 85mm f/1.2L before ED Mika made his kit.
I bought this lens because of its better near field correction and non jigsaw iris than my Zeiss Contax 85mm f/1.4 AE.

Manual focus with a EOS 5D classic and EE-S screen is not the big problem in my experience - for me a lot easier than AF with its drawbacks.

The FD 85/1.2L was one of the most expensive lenses that I bought - and I am not 100% happy with it.
Probably because I don´t like onion bokeh - and the risk to get this in images I don´t want that shape.

The lens performs well, and it is very well build. A very good lens in most terms!

I was thinking the same option a year ago, instead went for the Samyang and I am perfectly happy with the Samyang.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong but I thought the FD 85mm 1.2 will have the mirror contact problem on infinity setting with Canon full frames no matter how the conversion is done? That's what turned me down eventually from the FD 85mm. Really would have loved to give it a try, though

Ed Mika has in his conversion kit - as far as I know - a moving back lens. So it could work even at infinity. I have limited the focus in my lens to ~10 meters distance, but should alter this now, becasus eI have shaved my camera mirror a bit.

Ed states in one of the videos that You will have to shave the mirror on the 5Dc just slightly to get infinity on the 85mm 1.2. On the 5D2 and 5D3 he says to use live view to avoid mirror shave.