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08/18/2006 06:51:28 AM · #1 |
Looking for a bit of advice really guys...
I want to get a wide angle prime, mainly for fast aperture to use indoors (the 50mm f1.8 is a bit long for smaller rooms!).
Looking around on EBAY, there seem to many cheap lenses with the M42 mount system (Carl Zeiss etc). I understand that these can be mounted to the canon with the correct adaptor plate, but will they all work?
About actually using them...
Obviously, the camera cannot comunicate with these lenses to set aperture etc, so Manual it is, but if I set the camera to manual, then I can control shutter speed, but what would you need to set the aperture level at or wouldn't it matter as the aperture is fully controlled manually on the lens?
If the camera is set to shutter priority with one of these lenses on, when you half press the shutter release and the camera asseses your composition, does it actually give an accurate aperture reading, to help set the lens manually?
Finally, if aperture priority is used and the aperture set manually on the lens, can the camera accurately evaluate exposure to set the shutter speed?
I like the idea of getting a manual lens (I am starting to use manual settings and focusing more and more) though as you can tell, I'm not quite sure on the technical aspects if using one of these lenses!
Any help on understanding how this will work will be greatly appreciated!
AL.
Message edited by author 2006-08-18 06:52:31. |
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08/18/2006 07:29:31 AM · #2 |
//photonotes.org/articles/eos-manual-lenses/
Long, but excellent info
(ps ... the canon 28mm 2.8 is only $160 new and is an awesome lens - just thought I'd throw that out there) |
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08/18/2006 07:33:42 AM · #3 |
Hi
I have a t-mount to adaptor for my telescope, I havent used it much, but my understanding is to set it too Av (aperature priority), and it should select the correct shutterspeed. Then i take a few test shots and use the exposure compensation (and histogram) to nail it.
good luck dood! |
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08/18/2006 08:03:45 AM · #4 |
I've got a 28mm M42 lens for precisely those reasons; works great on the 20D (and I assume it'll be the same on the 350D, although I haven't tried it yet)
You'll need to operate in manual, however you won't be able to set the aperture on the camera (because as you mention, the camera can't control or even query it) so all you'll be changing is the shutter.
The good news is that because the lens is already stopped down, the camera meter works fine, so you can just use the exposure meter through the lens as you adjust the shutter speed (err, if that makes sense).
You won't be able to run in Av/Tv with one of those lenses; you have to operate fully manually.
You can get some great lenses for pretty good prices this way, and I don't find switching over to manual exposure nearly as hard as getting used to manual focusing!
edit: I notice that other sources suggest Av will work with manual lenses, in which case I was obviously just doing something wrong. I stand by the rest of my post though :-)
Message edited by author 2006-08-18 08:05:37.
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08/18/2006 08:16:13 AM · #5 |
Thanks guys...
Hopper - your link was quite long winded, but good none the less!
The only bit I am a bit confused about is the stop down pin he refers to? I have seen adaptors with and without holes in which this stop down pin would sit. Do I need the stop down pin pressed in or not? |
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08/18/2006 08:16:39 AM · #6 |
This is great information! Thanks guys.
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08/18/2006 08:40:12 AM · #7 |
OK - Found this adapter on EBAY.
While it is a little more pricey than some of the ones from Hong Kong, it features a "Push ring", which is to push in the pin so that all M42 lenses can be used and not just the ones with manual capabilities - is this right?
Link to Ebay
Also, what is the "Stop Screw" for? It says something about Infinity focussing. Is this a grub screw to hold the lens in place to stop it rotating once it is positioned right or something?
Thanks again,
AL. |
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08/18/2006 09:48:05 AM · #8 |
I have a Takumar 50mm F1.4 M42 mount lens and love it. Head to head tests showed it equal to the Canon 50mmF1.4 in quality.
There is a guy on Pbase that shoots with nothing but old M42 primes. He'll answer questions over email and has pretty good knowledge on them. I don't have a link on this computer though.
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08/18/2006 10:43:33 AM · #9 |
Originally posted by LoudDog:
There is a guy on Pbase that shoots with nothing but old M42 primes. He'll answer questions over email and has pretty good knowledge on them. I don't have a link on this computer though. |
Post a link up here when you can, if you remember!
As I said - I have the Canon 50mm 1.8, which is great apart from the fact it is an 80mm equivalent on the 350D, so can be a bit long in small room situations. I am looking at something like a Carl Zeiss 24 or 28mm f2.8, which seem to be pretty cheap, with quite a few about too... I just want to make sure I will be able to use what I buy! |
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08/18/2006 10:53:33 AM · #10 |
You should be in good shape with the CZ lenses. You can approach the adapter situation two ways; you can either buy an adpater for each lens, or you can affix an adapter to the camera and mount lenses as required. I took the first route. I have three M42 lenses that I've used with both the 10D and 5D:
- Peleng 8mm fisheye
- Asahi Optical 50/1.4 Super Takumar
- CZ (Jena) 75/1.5 Biotar*
* The Biotar needed slight modification to eliminate mirror interference on the 5D. I had to machine off a little bit of the ring surrounding the rear element. With the smaller mirror on the XT, interference is less of a worry.
Message edited by author 2006-08-18 10:53:55. |
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08/18/2006 11:15:29 AM · #11 |
Yes - Hoppers link metioned clearance issues with the 5D.
I have my eye on a couple of EBAY Items. I'll see what happens. If I win one, then I will see which adapter is best to get...
That Peleng 8mm fisheye is on my wish list. I was looking at those lastnight after seeing someone post about them - Fantastic lens for the money, especially when compared to the big brand competition!!! |
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08/18/2006 11:25:16 AM · #12 |
Originally posted by pix-al:
While it is a little more pricey than some of the ones from Hong Kong, it features a "Push ring", which is to push in the pin so that all M42 lenses can be used and not just the ones with manual capabilities - is this right? |
Yes; on "auto" M42 lenses there's a little pin on the back which the (M42-capable) camera pushes in to stop the lens down. If the adapter has a 'push ring' it permanently pushes the pin in so the lens is always stopped down, because the 20D/350D obviously wont know how to do that.
It looks like the adapter I've got is a cheap one without the push ring, but the M42 lens I have has a switch on it which does the same thing.
Having fiddled more with my M42 I've realised I was talking nonsense a bit; the 20D is quite happy in aperture priority and meters correctly. I was confused because it displays "0.0" as the aperture (so I assumed it was telling me it wouldn't work), while the D70 we used to have behaved less strangely. |
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08/18/2006 11:53:21 AM · #13 |
I've used M42 lenses and adapter tubes (want to buy mine? - adapter to EOS, tubes (m42 or eos, but NO electrical pass thru), vivi 135mm 2.8 - $45 incl shipping for all of it).
I used them back before i could afford lenses - works fine BUT without a prism inthe viewfinder you have to take care when focusing and forget action shots.
sample macro shot:
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08/18/2006 12:11:27 PM · #14 |
The best "budget" Wide Angle M42 prime that is readily available is the Zenitar 16mm. On a Canon 350D it will give you an angle of view that is about 25mm (in 35mm film camera terms). This is a decent wide-angle, and for many people it may be all the wide angle you will ever need.
I just picked one up myself off of ebay and I hope is shows up in the post by saturday.
Most reviewers of this lens find that it works quite well on digital SLRS, not sure how well it would perform with a full sized sensor.
By the way, I have a site on pbase and use almost nothing but M42 primes, but there are several others that operate the same way. So I am not thinking that I am "that guy" just one of them. I'd say 90 percent of the pics on my pbase site (many of them full sized SD9 jpegs) were taken with M42 lenses.
//www.pbase.com/mcmurma
M42 primes are great glass for the money, they are just more troublesome to use. If I had the dough I would buy Canon AF primes :) |
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08/18/2006 12:17:38 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by mcmurma:
The best "budget" Wide Angle M42 prime that is readily available is the Zenitar 16mm. On a Canon 350D it will give you an angle of view that is about 25mm (in 35mm film camera terms)... |
For clarity, the Zenitar is a fisheye. Because it's "fishy" it will be quite a bit wider than a 16mm rectilinear lens. |
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08/21/2006 09:02:08 AM · #16 |
Little update on this...
I have just found a very cheap (but seemingly very good condition) "Buy it Now" on ebay for a Vivitar 28mm F2.8 with polarising filter which I have gone and bought!
Also ordered a M42 adpater (the one with the push ring in my previous post).
Total spend was £21.48 ($40.48 USD) including P&P costs!
Just have to wait for them to arrive now to try them out!
AL. |
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