Thank you all for the replies.
I was told the old glass is a lot sharper and in some cases better value for money.
Does anyone know what adapter I need to be looking at is it possible to get one without anything optical?
I dont mind manual focus.
thanks.
Thanks. From what I have read about recording video on a Dslr manual focus is the only way to go!
Nope, not with the new STM lenses.
Sharper? No. Lens design has come on in leaps and bounds in the last decade or so. A good modern lens will blow away a good old lens.I was told the old glass is a lot sharper and in some cases better value for money.
Thank you all for the replies.
I was told the old glass is a lot sharper and in some cases better value for money.
Does anyone know what adapter I need to be looking at is it possible to get one without anything optical?
I dont mind manual focus.
thanks.
A lot of the older lenses - from the quality manufacturers - are better built than their modern consumer equivalents, but I think the perception that they're sharper is largely a myth....
Lots of adapters don't have the optical element - and are usually cheaper - but there can be infinity focus issues....
MF on a DSLR crop body is a bit of a pain...
On for a 550d for exaple a stm lens wont make a difference.. you still cant autofocus while recording
I have Rokkor, Zuiko, Sigma and Vivitar legacy lenses and IMVHO every single one of them can stand comparison with modern lenses for sharpness. Brick wall tests against modern lenses gives some interesting results.
Infinity focus issues are specific to lens/body combinations such as Canon bodies and Canon FD or Rokkor lenses. It's only then that you need an adapter with a lens in it but even with these problem bodies there's often a legacy lens that you can use without a lens in the adapter, for example for Canon DSLR bodies Zuiko lenses just need a metal spacer without lens.
I have no doubt that many of the older lenses will stand comparison with modern ones for sharpness, but I was responding to the OP's comment that 'I was told the old glass is a lot sharper'. This implies significantly or considerably sharper, as a rule, and I'm not convinced that it's true, if we compare lenses of roughly equivalent quality. I'm not going to debate the results of tests based on shooting brick walls, because I'm not interested in doing this. I do use my old Nikkors on a 30D body sometimes, and I'm very satisfied with their performance in the field.
Sure, but the OP is a beginner, and you need to learn what combinations will work with a simple mount adapter, and which require an optical adapter. This can get a bit complicated for someone starting out and looking for inexpensive solutions.
If money is no object then the best modern lenses will probably be the best but at the price point some of these legacy lenses go for I think you'll have to look long and hard for a modern lens that'll match them and in that respect I suppose legacy lenses could be said to be a lot sharper. What modern lens is going to match a legacy 50mm f1.8 at a price point of £20-£50? A kit zoom? No chance
I was told the old glass is a lot sharper and in some cases better value for money.
nope, but with 70D you actually can get pretty decent results.
Bring on 5D mkIV with video AF and 4K RAW video!
Haha good luck with that. 4k will be a no show... what are you going to display it on? Your the only person I know of who actually wants video on a 5d. Id rather not have video and have a cheaper stills camera
We didn't get video on DSLR's because there was a massive clamour of photographers asking for it. It was a happy accident, and it'll follow whatever quality standard comes off the sensor.
Camera manufacturers wanted to appeal to all those digital P&S shooters who were used to a big rear screen (and stupid shooting position but I digress) so they fudged a 'live view' shooting mode.
Once this was done, it was a simple step to record the feed coming off the sensor - thus DSLR video was born - there wasn't a large number of videographers lobbying for video from stills cams, but when they discovered it they were hooked. The only 'improvement' required only for video is frame rate.
As for it being a small market , there's not a week goes by that I can't spot some DSLR shot video on TV, on a wide variety of shows, it gives a very different 'look' to even broadcast quality video cameras. The market for HQ video on DSLR's is massive, you need to understand how cheap it is in comparison to HQ video cam's.
I cant remember askin for the history of video on dslrs?
And yes they are being used more for tv as they are cheap. My point is ask a photographer if hed rather a cheaper camera which doesnt have video and im very sure hed take the stills. Every man and his dog had HD video now.. does anyone use it?... no
Yes, manual focus on DSLRs is more difficult than it used to be on 35mm SLRs years ago. The old camera were FF, had brighter viewfinders and often split image screens which made manual focus easy.
Manual focus on DSLRs is not impossible, not by a long way, it just takes a bit of practice and the focus confirmation in the viewfinder does help. However, this is a personal view and others may find it far too difficult.
But for the comparatively small cost of many old lenses I reckon it is worth a try.
Dave
The two shots I posted (post 12) on this - http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=494014 - thread were taken with a manual focus lens.
Yes, manual focus on DSLRs is more difficult than it used to be on 35mm SLRs years ago. The old camera were FF, had brighter viewfinders and often split image screens which made manual focus easy.
Manual focus on DSLRs is not impossible, not by a long way, it just takes a bit of practice and the focus confirmation in the viewfinder does help. However, this is a personal view and others may find it far too difficult.
But for the comparatively small cost of many old lenses I reckon it is worth a try.
Dave
The two shots I posted (post 12) on this - http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=494014 - thread were taken with a manual focus lens.