ballsafire Loc: Lafayette, Louisiana

I am tired of ordering old lenses on Ebay because the lens adapter will not fit my Canon T1i/500d (crop 1.6). Today I received the "Sears auto multi-coated 1:2.8 f=135mm Dia. 52mm model101737388" lens; in other words, a ventage Sears f/2.8 135mm lens. I don't have any clue why the "M42- EOS" adapter I ordered doesn't fit. So-- is it some kind of FD lens? I tried to do a lot of research but as of now not succeeded - please help if you know.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Maybe post a picture of the rear mount of the lens...

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Definitely the FIRST step to resolving the issue since no mount was in the lens description.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

You have MANY posts asking about adapting old lenses to other cameras. With all the problems you have had, wouldn't it just be better to simply buy a PROPER lens to actually FIT your body and be done with it?

melismus Loc: Chesapeake Bay Country

M42 is a screw mount. If it does not have a big threaded ring it is not M42.

ballsafire Loc: Lafayette, Louisiana

Yes, that is one thing I should do and will do that tomorrow unless someone has the "savoire faire" to help me - I am thankful for your efforts.

ballsafire Loc: Lafayette, Louisiana

You are absolutely right, but the challenge is there and the challenge is good enough for me to solve somehow because I have not found much information to help me solve this widespread problem….so many kinds of lenses and cameras. I have not spent much money on these old lenses and I was curious just what they were like. There are so many adapters on Ebay, most of them inexpensive. I did however started to read old posts but I haven't do many yet.

ballsafire Loc: Lafayette, Louisiana

That is what prompted me to do this thread; I did see a some threads inside the lens but my adapter does not fit them or else I can't get the adapter close enough. In my research I ran across 12 brands which are supposed to take the M42-EOS adapter and Sears was among them. Is it just another KIND of M42-EOS adapter? Or does it have to do with FD mount to EOS EF adapter? I do see in the back of the lens where there is a long "blade" sticking out with another shorter "blade" that gets in the way of adding an adapter.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Your Canon EOS DSLR T1i Rebel will use any EF or EFS lens with no adapters. If you want to shop for used equipment, shop at KEH.com for these lens mounts. Are you interested in photography or something else?

ballsafire Loc: Lafayette, Louisiana

Yes, I know but I need to get an adapter for my old Sears 135mm f/2.8 lens and my m42 to eos adapter doesn't fit -- it may be a bayonet mount? I am intereste in using old lenses for the moment. Thanks for the advice on Keh.com!

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Will you please take a picture of the rear of the lens and the text on the front end or elsewhere so that we can identify it properly.

Even then getting it to fit on the camera and to function may be different things. You are clearly frustrated by this, but some of us here may be able to help if given enough information.

Take a look at this, it may enable you to identify whether your lens is a Canon FD lens or not. Canon FL lenses are not the same, but similar.: http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-246186-1.html

I have a M42 Russian Helios 44-2 58mm f/2 lens working well on my T3i, also Contax/Yashica lenses doing the same, all with focus confirmation. The right adapters matter.

This may not help with your problem, but may eliminate some of the possibilities.

Good luck.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

OK, here is a picture of the mount {back} ends of two 50mm lenses, an FD-mount on the left and an M42-mount on the right.

If you were to look at all possible mounts, you would find that most are like the FD-mount in having an index point {the orange/red dots} telling you how to align the lens when attaching it to the camera; the M42-mount lens is the only one I happen to be aware of that has no such markings.

Another feature common to many lenses is the two levers on the FD-mount, one at about 12 o'clock and one at about 4 o'clock in this image; much newer lenses, such as modern Canon EF-mount lenses, have a partial circle of electrical contacts; a few M42-mount lenses have nothing, but most are like this one and have a thin rod {in this case, at about 6 o'clock} which pushes in towards the front of the lens.

I have also drawn a red arrow pointing to the cylinder in the M42-mount which is threaded, on its outside.

I'm guessing this is not enough to identify your lens, but I am reasonably confident that someone here will be able to identify it if you provide two images - one like this of the back end and one of the front end.

(Download)

ballsafire Loc: Lafayette, Louisiana

Yes the lens is just like the one on the LEFT -- I have just now looked at the lens so I guess it's an FD mount?

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

If it is "exactly" (*) like that lens, then yes, it is an FD-mount.

(*) I inherited an old Canon camera that my mother used to take pictures of grandbabies {they are all in their twenties now}, and I see that the index markings are less prominent on the other two {Vivitar} lenses.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

OK, so then it becomes a different issue. It may be exactly like the one on the left which is a 'new FD or FDn' bayonet mount, or possibly the original FD breach lock mount. Any adapter for these lenses will need a corrective lens to focus properly at infinity, which many people think can compromise image quality. The other way is to replace the individual lens mount which is only really worth doing for good glass and non trivial. See the link I posted about what is possible: http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-246186-1.html. Also, this is generally not worth doing with full frame EOS cameras, there can be serious mirror contact issues.

If you wish to discuss using old Canon FD lenses with Canon EOS cameras, feel free to PM me.