bjwags wrote:
I have an old camera i got years ago - a Minolta when i first got interested in slr cameras because they took so much better pictures than my old Kodak!! i learned a little bit about f stops and shutter speed but didnt keep up with photography, I now have a Canon EOS 5i and am slowly learning about using it - my main interest is flowers and landscape cuz i dont get out much. But my question is can i use a wide angle lens and a 135mm lens on my Canon camera with some kind of adapter to fit it onto my Canon? And will it take good pictures. I have a 135mm for my Canon but would like a wide angle lens, but dont want to buy one. What i really want is a macro lens but that is on the back burner. I just wondered how the other lens would work on my Canon. I dont know the brand of the lenses but they are not Minolta lenses, will check later for the brand. Thanks for any info.
Betsy
I have an old camera i got years ago - a Minolta ... (
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Minolta MD mount lenses are not easily adapted for use on modern DSLRs. As another response pointed out, the adapter has to have optics, which arelow quality (at least in affordable adapters... years ago Canon made a really high quality FD to EOS adapter.... that costs $1000 or more, if you can find one). The "corrective" optics of the adapter pretty much ruin the image quality of the lens.
Some exceptions:
1. If the lenses you have happen to be Tamron Adaptall or T-mount (many different brands), or one of several other interchangeable mount designs, it's another matter. Most types of interchangeable mounts are available for EOS. This would not be the case with Minolta branded lenses, but might be with third party (Tamron, Vivitar, yada, yada).
2. Some of the cheap adapters allow you to remove the image-quality-spoiling optics (or a hammer might work), in which case the lens it's used upon will no longer focus to infinity... but it will be closer focusing (although fare from "macro"). You mention wanting a macro lens and might be able to combine with macro extension tubes. The 135mm lens may be a good bet for that purpose. IF you buy macro extension tubes, with a purely manual aperture/manual focus lens like this, the really cheap tubes will do (the tubes without electronic contacts)... but they will not be usable with your Canon lenses.
If you do adapt the lens, look look for the "chipped" adapters. Those chips "tell" the camera there's a lens on it, so Focus Confirmation can work. That's really helpful when trying to focus manually (modern AF cameras are not set up very well for manual focus).
3. It doesn't help you much, but mirrorless cameras such as Canon's M-series or the new Canon EOS R (and Sony, Fuji, Olympus, Panasonic and others) all can easily use adapted lenses, including some of the more difficult ones like Minolta MD-mount (...and Canon FD ...and Konica K/AR ...and various rangefinder lenses).
You didn't specify what wide angle lens you have. Be aware that lenses that were wide on a film camera (such as 35mm or 28mm) are NOT particularly wide or at all wide on a camera like the T5i, which uses a smaller APS-C sensor. BUT, the good news is that if you want a wide angle lens, the Canon EF-S 10-18mm IS STM is just about the least expensive ultrawide zoom made by anyone... typically selling for under $300 (less used or refurbished). It's also one of the smallest, lightest and few that have image stabilization. It's a bit plasticky, but has surprisingly good image quality.
Here's some more info about using older lenses on EOS cameras:
http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/eosfaq/manual_focus_EOS.html