M42 adapter & lenses

A friend at work who has been into photography forr over 40 years told me about an adapter he bought off ebay that converts his 350d into M42 thread. He then went on to tell me that he also bought several lenses of excellent quality(zeiss and pentax, I think). He showed me some images he had taken and the quality was outstanding.

So, as I only have a kit lens for doing portaits at present I thought I'd give it a good so I bought an adapter for £6 and recently a Pentacon f1.8 50mm (80mm on the 350d) for £20. It may be a mistake but I'd rather spend less than £30 trying to get a better picture than hundreds on a canon lens.

Anyone else done the same or have any comments?

I have done that, but to really benifit from using manual lenses, you need a new focus screen

Yes, my friend did say that he was having fun trying to get things in focus, I thought it was just his failing eyes

If I changed the focus screen, wouldn't I lose functionality of the existing screen?

I bought one and it's a lot of fun. The Canons work just fine in AV and M mode with the old lenses, and the IQ from the old Pentax primes rivals that of my L's. As an added benefit, the MF really makes you slow down and be more deliberate about your photography. It's a great $50 investment. Reminds me, I need to do it again this winter!

Here's a few I've shot with various M42 lenses (mostly Pentax) on both a 300D and 350D:

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Aren't focus screens difficult to install though? How much is the adapter?

I use Nikkor lenses a lot, (& one rates higher than an equivalent L). Adaptors run from under $40 on ebay, to $200 here:
http://www.cameraquest​.com/frames/4saleReos.​htm

I can`t comment on the manual lenses on a 350, but i use mainly all old manual lenses on my 20D. I have nearly 30 manual lenses, Vivitar series 1, Zeis, Nikons, 5 Russian mirrors, C90 celestron, C97 meade, and a EXT 90.
I went this route because i couldn`t afford the high expense to get crisp photos with super expensive current day lenses. I am an advanced amateur. I do mostly super close up and macro. I am not in a position where i can`t take my time to get the shot. If i was a sports photographer, then i`d use an automatic lens. I have a couple of Canon auto lenses, but i rarely use them. There are many M42 lenses out there that you can try. It`s cheaper to try one of them first before you lay out big bucks for a new auto lens.
Shop around for the adaptors. I have also read that using the converter for FD lenses to EOS does not give you a clear photo. That adaptor has a corrective lens in it. Have fun.

I use them too. I prefer them to canon actually... especially the slower primes - the canon versions are mediocre at best.

This is a very interesting thread, I've been frustrated with what to buy lately, with regard to new lenses, and this could be a solution, or at least partial solution in some cases.

What are some popular non-Canon mount lenses to use? Can someone provide a small list?

m42
contax/yashica
nikon :P
some of the m39 lenses

DocFrankenstein wrote in post #2363693
m42
contax/yashica
nikon :P
some of the m39 lenses

Sorry, I was hoping for something specific, like whihc lenses in particular, especially since I don't know anything about those lines. Like with Nikon for instance.

Get a Nikon to EOS adaptor, ( under $24.00 ) then look for the Nikor "Q" 200mm lens.It is an awsome lens. I use it with a nikon TC 2x converter. The adaptor has a slight amount of play, but no to worry. The top of the line adaptor is $90.00. The Vivitar series 1, 70-210 mm, macro. ( 67mm filter ) is another sharp lens, i use it with the Vivitar 2X matched multiplier. Vivitar series 1, 90mm macro, Any of the Russian mirror lenses,
Pentax super takumars. This is just a few.

Jamie, what M42 lens did you use on the picture of the street car and building ? Very sharp. Nice shots. Ken.

jcw122 wrote in post #2364068
Sorry, I was hoping for something specific, like whihc lenses in particular, especially since I don't know anything about those lines. Like with Nikon for instance.

Are you kidding me?

There's like a couple dozen brands and 50 years of production history with every focal length and budget imaginable.

You gotta narrow down the budget, speed and focal length for one.