Canon EF and FD

What is the difference? I notice a large difference in the price on eBay and do not understand why.
I am planning on going into the most remote mountains in Wales next week and want a f/2.8 28mm or something in that order, but notice that there is a huge difference in price.
I see that there are about 20 people bidding on an EF f/2.8 28mm which is used 'with fungus', and nobody bidding on a canon FD f/2.8 28mm which is in 'excellent condition'.
Why?
Dan

FD is the old, manual lens mount (therefore these are manual lenses). Apart from the fact that you will need an adaptor, the adaptor will have optics affecting aperture. So the f2.8 will never be as bright as the EF 28 f2.8

For all pratical purposes you cannot use FD on your Digital Canon camera and you can use EF.

MakisM1 wrote in post #15989587
FD is the old, manual lens mount (therefore these are manual lenses). Apart from the fact that you will need an adaptor, the adaptor will have optics affecting aperture. So the f2.8 will never be as bright as the EF 28 f2.8

Not entirely true, there are glassless adapters and people doing conversions, but they tend to cost quite a bit more than the $20 Chinese converters with the Coke bottle bottoms stuck in them.

Dan, converting FD lenses to EF effectively is not inexpensive, so it tends to be something you do if the EF equivalent is very expensive; like a supertelephoto or a super-fast prime. For not much less than the cost of conversion (if it's any less at all) you could get an EF 28 f/1.8. you could also look at other manual focus options like M42 mount lenses. They tend to be plentiful and relatively inexpensive. Adapters aren't too expensive either.
If you're not afraid of manual lenses but want something more modern than a 25 yr old lens (nothing wrong with old lenses BTW) you could give the Samyang/Rokinon 24mm f/1.4 a shot. Just remember that manual focus lenses will be tough to focus through the focus screen as the standard screens aren't capable of showing just how shallow the DOF is for lenses faster than f/2.8. You can either get a special precision focusing screen or you can use Live View either on a tripod or in conjunction with the focus peaking option of Magic Lantern.

Scatterbrained wrote in post #15989889
Not entirely true, there are glassless adapters and people doing conversions, but they tend to cost quite a bit more than the $20 Chinese converters with the Coke bottle bottoms stuck in them.

I would appreciate a lead to glassless adapters that maintain infinity, as I still have some FD lenses and other gizmos I'd like to play with...

Can you recommend one?

MakisM1 wrote in post #15991546
I would appreciate a lead to glassless adapters that maintain infinity, as I still have some FD lenses and other gizmos I'd like to play with...

Can you recommend one?

Impossible. There are no adapters that can do what you want.

The only way to use an FD lens on an EOS camera is to do a mount conversion yourself, have someone do it for you, or to buy a conversion kit like EdMika makes. http://www.ebay.ca …ash=item27cb1b2​4ca&_uhb=1

EdMika call it an "adapter kit" but it is not an adapter. It is really a Do-It-Yourself EF mount conversion kit that completely replaces the FDmount. It only works with specific lenses with the FDn "Bayonet" mount. (does not work on older "Breechlock FD lenses)

These are all expensive options and will cost you $140 or more.

If you use a cheap ebay glass-less adapter it will only focus out to about 2 feet in front of the camera. It ends up acting like a small extension tube and can be used for Macro or cloes-up shots. The thinner the adapter, the longer out you can focus.

EdMika does have a $150 .5mm thick glass-less adapter but it only gives infinity focus (or near infinty) with long telephoto lenses. http://www.ebay.ca …ash=item2a2987e​753&_uhb=1

Look up Ed Mika. I have an FD 600 f/4.5 and an FD 300 f/2.8L with his adapters and I have infinity focus. He started with a simple brass adapter for supertelephotos but has been making mount conversion kits for other, shorter lenses like the 50 1.2 and the 35 TS-e,
http://www.ebay.ca …from=&_ipg=&_tr​ksid=p3686

Mike,

Thank you. I thought that was the case, but I hoped against hope that somebody solved the problem for a glassless adapter.

I have a glass one from the days of yore (unchipped) and is absolutely worthless...

Scatterbrained wrote in post #15991595
Look up Ed Mika. I have an FD 600 f/4.5 and an FD 300 f/2.8L with his adapters and I have infinity focus. He started with a simple brass adapter for supertelephotos but has been making mount conversion kits for other, shorter lenses like the 50 1.2 and the 35 TS-e,
http://www.ebay.ca …from=&_ipg=&_tr​ksid=p3686

Thank you, I took a look... I have to think whether it is worth it...

What about these?

http://www.trademe.co.​nz …=268174135&hbc=​12&ct=link

NCHANT wrote in post #16006671
What about these?

http://www.trademe.co.​nz …=268174135&hbc=​12&ct=link

I wouldn't put much stock in them. . . . .
I have one that looks almost identical to that one. It came with my 600mm f/4.5. It's complete junk.

MakisM1 wrote in post #15991608
Mike,

Thank you. I thought that was the case, but I hoped against hope that somebody solved the problem for a glassless adapter.

I have a glass one from the days of yore (unchipped) and is absolutely worthless...

NCHANT wrote in post #16006671
What about these?

http://www.trademe.co.​nz …=268174135&hbc=​12&ct=link

"absolutely worthless"


With an that adapter like that you will notice a BIG loss of sharpness if you shoot it wide open at f/1.8 Sharpness will increase as you stop down, but I doubt it will ever get as sharp as your 18-55 IS kit lens at the same aperture and focal length.

Here is a thread that gives you a good idea of what wide open sharpness loss will look like: https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1028174