Lens converters - worth a try?

[hannibf]

Being a student and all, money is not what I have most of. And since I recently purchased a new Canon camera with some additional kit, I really can't afford to spend much more money on photo equipment at the moment. That's too bad, since I really would like to play around with faster lenses, macro lenses and wide-angle lenses.

However, my girlfriend's father has lots of old high-quality Nikon lenses from his younger years, which he kindly offered me. I had to say no, as those lenses of course are incompatible with my Canon DSLR. But then I found this website. A Nikon to Canon lens converter! I'm slightly skeptical, though, so I thought I'd ask around if anyone here knows anything about such converters.

Are they worth a try? Anyone who's ever tried one? My biggest fear is that a converter like that might break my camera, but in any case it might impair the optical quality so much that it's no use. Any opinions?

[Colin Southern]

Are they worth a try? Anyone who's ever tried one? My biggest fear is that a converter like that might break my camera, but in any case it might impair the optical quality so much that it's no use. Any opinions?

If you connect it via an adaptor then it can't damage anything, but as a rule things like auto-focus don't work (although focus confirmation might), and you may be limited to just a few apertures.

Personally, I'd stick with Canon lenses - you probably got an 18-55mm with the camera, so if you add a 2nd hand 75-300 you've got most basic ranges well covered.

Hope this helps

[rpcrowe]

It would depend on the quality and type of Nikkor lenses. You can get a converter for a Nikkor mount to the EOS mount which will allow you to focus manually. This is great for a macro lens and not too bad if you have access to a long and fairly fast Nikkor lens.

However, although the conversion is feasible, I would not do it unless the Nikkor lens was exceptional and if I could live with it manually focusing.

A funny aside: you cannot use a non-optical converter to switch from the EF Canon manual focus lenses to the EOS and the optical converters are expensive, rare and over-priced. Additionally, the IQ is pretty sorry. The non optical converters from EF to EOs don't allow focusing to infinity.

[hannibf]

Thanks, Colin and rpcrowe, for swift and useful replies!

Colin, you're right about my kit lens, and you're even right about my second lens, the only other lens I have purchased so far! Unfortunately, my 70-300mm lens is without IS, but I'm saving up money

The manufacturer of the Nikon-Canon lens converters also claims that focus confirmation works, as Colin supposed it would. I think I might give it a go, as it's just about $80 anyway - and then I'll be able to test the f/1.2 prime and f/2 macro lens available from the Nikon kit I was offered *excited*. These lenses also match the "criteria" rpcrowe suggested, and manual focusing is okay for me, particularly when it comes to macro photography.

I'll get back to this forum with my opinions on the converter when I know if the whole thing works okay - to share my experiences, so to speak! In any case, it will be an interesting experiment!

Thanks for all help and info!

[Colin Southern]

No worries (or know worries as the case may be)

Looking forward to seeing how you get on.

[rpcrowe]

Thanks, Colin and rpcrowe, for swift and useful replies!

Colin, you're right about my kit lens, and you're even right about my second lens, the only other lens I have purchased so far! Unfortunately, my 70-300mm lens is without IS, but I'm saving up money

The manufacturer of the Nikon-Canon lens converters also claims that focus confirmation works, as Colin supposed it would. I think I might give it a go, as it's just about $80 anyway - and then I'll be able to test the f/1.2 prime and f/2 macro lens available from the Nikon kit I was offered *excited*. These lenses also match the "criteria" rpcrowe suggested, and manual focusing is okay for me, particularly when it comes to macro photography.

I'll get back to this forum with my opinions on the converter when I know if the whole thing works okay - to share my experiences, so to speak! In any case, it will be an interesting experiment!

Thanks for all help and info!

A few of my friends use manual focus NIKKOR lenses for macro photography with their Conon DSLR equipment and the combination works very well for them since we do most of our macro work using manual focus.

The converter will be well worth its price in order to allow you to use the NIKKOR macro lens, and therefore any other lenses it will allow you to use will be a bonus.

BTW: If you are shooting with a 40D, 50D or with a 5D MKII camera, you can easily switch your focusing screen to a Matte focusing screen which facilitates manual focus. See page 162 of the 40D Manual. I don't think that this option is available with earlier Canon cameras or with the xxxD series. It is available for many of the 1D series cameras.

The screens are available on the U.S. market at a very reasonable price. I am not sure how much a matte screen would cost in the U.K.

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Focusing.../dp/B000BX61CW

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...creen_for.html




http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Focusing.../dp/B000BX61CW