graybeard

I am new to both automatic and digital photography. However, I am an old fart with 35mm SLRs and no doubt my terminolagy would betray that even if I didn't confess it up front. When I was gifted with a Canon T3 I was delighted with the advantages of digital vs. film, but saddened that my M42 screw mount lenses I had accumulated over the last 40+ years were now useless. Or so I thought until I saw, on ebay, adapters that would allow me to mount an M42 lens to a Canon EOS body. You had to give up autofocus and automatic exposure, but since the primary idea was to be able to use my Pentax F1.4 lens for low light situations, I don't mind manual focus and using only the aperture priority setting. Am I missing something? I have no doubt the purists will consider me a Philistine, but I am the pragmatic type. Feedback please.

Searcher Loc: Kent, England

I use these adapters on Nikon cameras / M42 lenses. In order to focus at infinity, the adaptor has to have a correction lens built in. If you are a pixel peeping purist, then forget the whole idea, but I don't have many problems at all with the set up. It is said the correction lens degrades the image, maybe they do, but I am pleased with the results I get.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

Welcome to the forum. There are a number of us here who recognize the optical and mechanical quality of many older lenses and are comfortable with manual focus and stop-down metering, and others who scoff at their use. Since buying a full-frame digital camera this past May, I've bought FotoDiox adapters and regularly use my Exakta and Leicaflex lenses. So from my point of view, you are not missing a thing. As long as you're enjoying yourself and producing quality pictures, other's contrary opinions are easy to ignore. Again, welcome. :)

graybeard

I haven't yet received the ring, it is on a slow boat from China, but when I do I will report my results and impressions. My Canon came with a 18-55 mm lens and I bought a 55-250 mm lens on ebay. When I shot low light pictures with them I did get exposures, but the light sources were blurred and over exposed. I am still learning this thing, it is another universe with a substantial learning curve. I also bought two lens extenders. Both Vivitars, one was a wide angle extender with macro, the other a 2.2 X tele-extender. They were cheap so I figured what the heck, I will see what happens. The wide-angle actually turned out pretty good, auto-focus thruout, with clear exposures with a widened range and only slight distortion except at the very furthest end. As for the tele-extender, forget it. Auto focus drops out about halfway thru, and beyond that you simply do not get a focusable image, even with the manual focusing ring. Garbage. 1 for 2 I guess.

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

With my Sony cameras, A57 and A99, there is no need of a correction lens. The adapter to the A-Mount focuses perfectly. I have quite a number of the older M42 lenses and just love the smooth action of the focusing. The newer lenses just don't have that same feel. With the m42 lenses, I have primarily gone after prime lenses -- 50mm, 90mm, 135mm, 200mm, 300mm and 500mm.

But I do need to be more careful about chromatic aberrations with the older lenses.

I have more modern lenses too, but the manual m42 lenses are just fun to use.

graybeard

My first cameras were a Kodak Brownie and a Polaroid J33. My first SLR was a Mamiya/Sekor 1000 TL with a F1.8 lens. Later I added Vivitar 35mm wide angle and 135mm telephoto lens, as well as a 2X and a 3X teleconverter. They all worked fine, but when I first went to Europe in 76 I found that most of my shooting was wide angle, and 35mm wasn't wide enough. About 80% WA, 15% tele and the rest, usually in low light situations, with my F1.8. Later I got an F1.4, and zooms for WA and Telephoto. I also find with my Canon digital that most of my shooting is with the 18-55. I am overwhelmed with all of the features. Variable ISO (!) up to 6400 makes me think a F3.5 is capable of low light shots. This ring only cost me 5.50 so I really have nothing to lose. I had been pondering getting a Canon EF F1.8 or F1.4, but thought I would try out my old lens first. Is there any market on ebay, or elsewhere, for old 35mm film equipment? I have 2 Mamiya/Sekor bodies, 1 Praktica, and 1 Pentax, as well as 2 zoom lenses. Just wondering. I know the minute I tried digital I knew I would never go back to film.

BigBob611 Loc: Charlotte NC

Fear not. I bought a Sony A3000 after many years collecting a fine array of Nikkor AIS lenses from 85, 180, 300 f/2.8 and a 600mm f/4 (which is always f/4). I have purchased adapters for each lens, to make switching quick and easy (And I have found the release pins of the cheaper adapters are not that good, so I found it was just better to leave an adapter on the lens.) I have experienced issues with focusing @ infinity, but discovered that the lens will focus, but also focus past infinity. The Manual Focus assist and focus peaking on the Sony allows me to do very critical focus, and I assume infinity is the most distant object. I have been told the more expensive adapter are guaranteed to give you infinity, as marked on the lens, but I am too cheap. BTW, the mirror-less Sony was on sale for $350 with a Zeiss design 18-55 zoom and yields 20 mp files.

Here is a small crop from the upper left corner of the frame. Look at the shadow detail and the tiny hairs along the edge of the4 leaf. The bug shadow was a whimsical bonus.

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

I regularly/occasionaly use my M42 Pentax lenses on my Nikon DSLR bodies. I have two adapters, one, with the correction lens for infinity focus. Manual focus / exposure setting, does not worry me, as I have passed my driving test on 5 x 4 Sinar and MPP cameras. Hope you have plenty of fun, re-using your manual lenses again.

bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.

I too use my old lenses on a modern camera. only one lens won't focus to infinity. the setting exposure is easy. I set the camera to manual ,focus the lens, set the apature, and turn the thumb wheel to center thee dial. if the shutter speed is too slow, I up the iso.

Finley Loc: Houston

I would never give up my 50/1.2 Nikor or my 180/2.8 Zeis Sonar that I see on my Nikon 7100!

gessman Loc: Colorado

Hmmm. I use some Nikon AiS lens on my Canon 5D MkII and prior 20D and use the adapter that does not have an element in it and get infinity focus. The only time I have to use an adapter with an element in it is with the Canon FD series lens but then I haven't tried an M42 but was under the impression it used the same elementless adapter as does the Nikon lenses. I haven't tried any Nikon autofocus lens but thought the mount was the same.

zooker9999

Please pardon me BigBob but which part of your image is supposed to be in focus? It seems to be alternating in and out of focus as I view the total image which, overall is a pleasing image. When you post an image, if you would click on "store original" it makes it easier to see an image so we don't have to ask.

James R. Kyle Loc: Saint Louis, Missouri (A Suburb of Ferguson)

+++++++++++++++++++

Yep! Me as well...

I use them on my Canons. Work good - Manual only for me... I do not think that outside of the ISO (on your camera) will be "auto" if you select it.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

The adapters to mount Nikon and M42 lenses on your Canon do not require a correction lens for infinity focus. The standard Nikon adapters will accept all autofocus non-G Nikkors, and FotodioX and Novoflex make one to fit all autofocus Nikkors including G Nikkors to EOS mount.

gessman Loc: Colorado

Thank you. I think that's about what I said just to offer a contrast to what is required for Nikon cameras to use some other manufacturer's lens in case anyone reading the thread was wondering about Canon bodies. Canon bodies readily adapt to most other manufacturer's older lens just not it's own prior generation of lenses.