Converter FD-EOS??

Ok so I just have to ask...is it worth it? I have been reading up on it, and I mean I am sure fd L glass is just as amazing as this ef L glass. So what wouldn't work on my camera? It is manual focus only right? What about metering, how does that work? I know my numbers, and I know how to find exposures and all of that. I want a 400mm 2.8 and do not have the money for a new, or even used ef, however I found a professional fd-eos converter and was wondering how bad is it going to work? I don't want to go out and spend 1400 bucks if it isn't worth it, I would just go get new 16-35mm L. Anyone have experience with this? Thanks for all the help in advance.

I've been using a FD 500 f4.5 with a FD-EOS converter. I can get some very
good photos from this combination. I guess the main problem is the focal plane
of a FD lens is in front the sensor on an EOS camera, so spacers don't work. You
need to put in an optical lens/converter that moves the focal plane back. Usually
these converters are also teleconverters, around 1.25x. This means the optics of
the lens are effected by the new glass, so just as any TC it will effect the image
quality. So with my FD 500, I end up with a manual focus and aperature controlled
600mm f5.6 lens. Here are a few sample shots:

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So if I understand this whole lens converter correctly it will only work with selective telephoto lenses, and is really hard to focus with. So any sports with this set up is just out of the question. What about all the other fd lenses out there, like the 7.5 fishy, or any other L glass that is normal focal length. How do these lenses work, or do they not at all?

Oh and nice photos by the way, they look great

revert wrote in post #2123563
So if I understand this whole lens converter correctly it will only work with selective telephoto lenses, and is really hard to focus with. So any sports with this set up is just out of the question. What about all the other fd lenses out there, like the 7.5 fishy, or any other L glass that is normal focal length. How do these lenses work, or do they not at all?

First point - Yes, the Canon FD-EOS lens converter works only with selected FD lenses.

Second point - Focusing is no different than the FD lenses without the converter.

Third point - The photogs that were using FD lenses before Canon introduced the EF lenses managed to shoot sports, nature, and all other types of photography with them, so out of the question? Not on your life.

Manual focusing is a skill that every photographer had to know before autofocus came out. Are the EF lenses easier to use for sports? Yes.

Exposure automation works in the Av mode, and you must stop the lens down to the f/stop you want to use. Smaller than f11 starts to be difficult through the viewfinder.

Image quality is unaffected with the Canon FD-EOS converter.

The economics can be compelling. As I type this, there is a Canon FD-EOS converter on eBay. It will probably go for around $1000 USD. Another $1000 for an FD 500 f4.5L, and $800 for an FD 300 f2.8L and you have two outstanding L lenses that will go on your DSLR for less than a used EF 300 f2.8L - but you have to focus manually. Okay, so learn to focus.

My 2 cents (from the man who owns them).

Have Fun,

Thanks rick for that post. Now I manual focus 90% of my shots. I thought, by the way people have been answering this question, that it was a lot harder to manual focus with the converter than just normal manual focusing. As people said "You do need good light to be able to manually
focus, you also need a fairly stationary target, and you need to be willing to take
several shots of the same subject while you make minor adustments to the focus."
Now reading that it seems impossible to shoot some sports, no? But if it is just like any other manual focus on my ef lenses, sign me up.

Revert, I'm a believer - the entrance fee is steep, but you get a good return on it with every lens you buy to use with it.

I typically shoot motorsports with the FD lenses, and I mostly set the lens one or two clicks from wide open. Set the camera to Av mode, and you're off and running.

So if you are serious, hop on over to eBay (unless you have another source), and join the club.

http://cgi.ebay.com …ZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcm​dZViewItem

Have Fun,

revert,
If you're use to manually focusing, then there's not much different. In the old days
I had split screen and other aids for manual focusing. With the 20D and FD 500 it's
just how clear it looks in the view finder. With shallow depth of field of the long
lenses, it means a little extra effort to get a really clear image of your target. With
most sports the targets are a lot bigger then the birds that I've shown here, and
the distances are a usually greater (at least for outdoors sports) so you have a
better chance of getting at least part of them in focus. Also predicting the path of
movement is usually easier, so you can plan the shots better.

Here's another example of the FD500L on my 20D from this afternoon:

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Edit: I thought I had some shots, but they disappeared from my hosting site -oops!

Have Fun,

Thanks all, that helped me a lot with my choice