Advice on lens needed.

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Name
Simon
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Hi,

This is possibly a daft question but can you use Lenses off a film SLR (Canon EOS 650) on a new dSLR (Canon 50d). The Lenses fit and are recognised by the camera but Im usure of what the image/quality effect would be.

I tried the search engine but it doesnt seem to work for me.

Thanks
 
Yes you can - so long as they are EF lens mount - which has been going sin I think '85. Before that it was FD mount, which I believe will work on an EOS but you will need an adapter. ;)
 
As above really, if they are Canon lenses and EF mount, yes will fit / work fine, if they are Sigma / other make and are a Canon EF mount they should work - depends on there age, I have read some don't work on the new digital bodies ? something to do with needing chipping ????
 
Thanks for the replys, sounds like good news for me then.

One is the Canon EF 50mm F1.8 and the other is a Sigma EF 400mm.

Ta
Simon
 
Thanks for the replys, sounds like good news for me then.

One is the Canon EF 50mm F1.8 and the other is a Sigma EF 400mm.

Ta
Simon

It's not all good news Simon, as I think you were alluding to in your OP.

Because the digital sensor is smaller than a frame of film, you have to apply a crop factor to get the equivalent field of view. It's 1.6x on Canon.

That is, if you fit your 50mm lens on a 50D, the field of view will be as if you were looking through an 80mm lens on your old EOS 650 (50x1.6=80).

It's always a good idea to get a kit lens when moving to digital, which has a shorter focal length range and so compensates for the crop factor. The Canon 18-55 IS for example is both cheap and pretty sharp. It will get you started, at least until you find your feet with the new camera. The 50mm will be very limiting.

I'm guessing that your 50mm f/1.8 lens is also a Mk1 (metal mount) which is quite sought after around here. You could sell it for more than the price of an 18-55mm zoom.
 
Hi,

Yes the lens is the 50mm mk1 and although it was bought in 1987 with the EOS is still in mint condition, pretty good rearly as Ive used it loads over the years. This I will be keeping it for now though as I like to use it in lower light.

I have got a 2 newer lenses, the 17-85 EFS and the 70-300 EF IS which cover the rest of the range.
It looks like the only one I cant use properly is the Sigma 400mm as after I contacted them today it cannot be chipped anymore, pitty.

Thanks for the replys

Simon
It's not all good news Simon, as I think you were alluding to in your OP.

Because the digital sensor is smaller than a frame of film, you have to apply a crop factor to get the equivalent field of view. It's 1.6x on Canon.

That is, if you fit your 50mm lens on a 50D, the field of view will be as if you were looking through an 80mm lens on your old EOS 650 (50x1.6=80).

It's always a good idea to get a kit lens when moving to digital, which has a shorter focal length range and so compensates for the crop factor. The Canon 18-55 IS for example is both cheap and pretty sharp. It will get you started, at least until you find your feet with the new camera. The 50mm will be very limiting.

I'm guessing that your 50mm f/1.8 lens is also a Mk1 (metal mount) which is quite sought after around here. You could sell it for more than the price of an 18-55mm zoom.
 
The Sigma 'might' work on some digital bodies, so if you can try on say a 10d/20d you could sell on e-bay but advertise it will only work on those.

Matt
 
Good Idea, I will look into this
Ta

The Sigma 'might' work on some digital bodies, so if you can try on say a 10d/20d you could sell on e-bay but advertise it will only work on those.

Matt
 
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