EF and FD

I know this sounds old, but I have a perhaps new idea. Maybe it's stupid, but it does have some logic.

Would it be technically possible and practically not rocket-science-difficult to turn a digital camera, say a D60 or 300D into an FD mount camera? I forget why exactly there cannot be a lenseless FD to EF converter made, the FD lenses were somewhat closer to the film or something.

Yes, you get the legendary lenses like 200 1.8L, 400 2.8L, 500 4.5L ($1150)or 85 1.2L ($650) at an acceptable price. Personally I really wouldn't mind manual focus at all (not using AI servo much, heh). Of course the D60's screen would have to be exchanged.

The distance between the mounting pane on the lens and the optical pane on the EOS system is 44 mm vs. 42 mm on the FD system.

That means that the FD lens would have to intrude 2 mm more into the camera body ... check the mirror clearance if you have an FD lens.

Then, of course, it's on to the workbench. Dismantle your D60, and fit it with an FD mount instead of the EOS mount. Replace the focusing screen and you're set. Sounds like an interesting project.
Maybe talk to Ron Chappel, he would be the right partner for such a venture

Best regards,
Andy

Oh man that sounds like a project for an engineer,not a home brand hacker like me! LOL

I prefer doing it the other way 'round ,making up a special mount for the FD lens.This is dead easy compared to trying to make room for the FD lens on the camera (i imagine)

One of these days i'll convert an FD lens to EF icluding full electronics- something i haven't tried as yet. Then of course there is the inbetween option where one could fit the basic EF electronics but not bother with a focus drive.In this case one would have to focus manually but would have focus confirmation and full electonic aperture ability.

Later on i'll have some time to spare - i'll have a look at my 300D and see what kind of work would be required to do a full conversion to FD mount.It's an interesting thought

So 2mm more into the EOS body? That it? If the mirror intrudes, I assume it would be possible to take it out and cut a few mm of it, so it doesn't intrude no more. Ron, I believe you're right, converting FD lens to fit EF mount would appear to be easier to do.

Another thought, suppose you'd make an EOS fitting FD lens; if you mount that to 20D, suddenly the mirror problem would disappear as the mirror in 20D is somewhat smaller than the regular 35mm format mirror, right?

I thought of that EF-MF conversion when I saw a 300D on sale with AF malfunction - at half the price (of the regular price of a used 300D).

I've been thinking about the same thing for a while.

I think you would be able to do it with 1.6 or even 1.3 sensor bodies (if you're insane enough to hack a 1D)

I don't know if you'd be able to remove a part of the mirror to decrease the backfocus distance though. The shutter mechanisms are precise and may malfunction if the weight of the mirror is reduced.

Also, the FD mount is not the best one to adapt to an AF body. there's a few levers and buttons which are pushed in/out in the mount to stop down the aperture. So you'll have to include a lever which keeps the FD lens in DOF preview mode all the time.

The easiest thing to do, would probably be to:
1) get an FDlens/EOS body adapter
2) find by how much it needs to be shifted (those 2mm? )
3) modify the 1.6 body by shifting the EF ring/mount closer to the sensor by those 2mm

It seems doable. You probably wouldn't even need to change the front cover in any way.