Have 5D, which is the best R-lens adaptor?

[Iron Flatline]

Hi all.

I've heard a lot about using R lenses on the Canon cameras. I have a 5D, and would be interested in using an R lens. There's several adaptors I read about, which is the best one, and why?

Thanks for your help. I searched the forums, but could not find a definitive answer.

[sdai]

Speaking of mechanical quality, Kindai from Japan is the best one ... then the one from Novoflex is ok too. Currently I'm using those "AF" confirmation adapters made in China ... there're two guys on eBay one is called happypagehk and another is called ericc (can't remember this one exactly). I've tried both and they all work flawlessly ... just make sure you ask for the type which will work with a 5D or 1D series ... the older ones only work with rebels and 30D, 40D etc.

[cnguyen]

I use the AF confirm one for Leica/EOS adapter from this guy
AF-Confirm Adapter Pentax PK lens to Canon EOS camera - (eBay item 170156717881 end time Oct-14-07 01:42:06 PDT)

So far it's pretty good I would use the confirm focus since the stopdown metering with Av seems to be more correct than the non-confirm focus one.

[echorec]

I also have the AF-confirm model from Eric. Works great!

[echorec]

Here is the model i bought.

[phlogiston1]

Just ordered mine. Thanks. My Novoflex works well, very tight fit!

[Jamie Roberts]

I use the focus-confirming ones from HappyPage...

They work really, really well...

[svenning]

I have changed to haoda-adapters and so far I am pleased with the results :-))

Check the following link:

Leica R to EOS

All the best - Svenning, Denmark

[svenning]

Hello again - Iron Flatline,

Another thing you should know about the Haoda-adapters with electronic contacts is that the adapter tell the Canon digital camera that you have mounted a 50mm lens with a max aperture opening of F/1.8 (!)

Please see the difference of the exif-datas on the two attached pictures. The Canon 350D camera was set to Av-mode and F/3.4 was selected on the Leitz 180mm APO-telyt lens. One picture was shot with a Novoflex adapter attached and the other with a Haoda adapter attached. Otherwise the pictures were shot under the same lighting conditions - same ISO settings - same light measuring mode - and now comes the interesting part:

With the Haoda-adapter attached the camera selected a shutter speed of 1/320 sec
and the the Novoflex adapter it selected a shutter speed of 1/125 sec.

Why this difference (?) I do not know (!) It could maybe have something to do with the information about the focal-lenght and maximum aperture value to do given by the Haoda adaptor (?)

All the best - Svenning, Denmark.

[Iron Flatline]

Wow, thank you for taking the time to share this. VERY interesting!

[robsteve]

Originally Posted by svenning

Hello again - Iron Flatline,

Another thing you should know about the Haoda-adapters with electronic contacts is that the adapter tell the Canon digital camera that you have mounted a 50mm lens with a max aperture opening of F/1.8 (!)

Please see the difference of the exif-datas on the two attached pictures. The Canon 350D camera was set to Av-mode and F/3.4 was selected on the Leitz 180mm APO-telyt lens. One picture was shot with a Novoflex adapter attached and the other with a Haoda adapter attached. Otherwise the pictures were shot under the same lighting conditions - same ISO settings - same light measuring mode - and now comes the interesting part:

With the Haoda-adapter attached the camera selected a shutter speed of 1/320 sec
and the the Novoflex adapter it selected a shutter speed of 1/125 sec.

Why this difference (?) I do not know (!) It could maybe have something to do with the information about the focal-lenght and maximum aperture value to do given by the Haoda adaptor (?)

All the best - Svenning, Denmark.

Svenning:

The aperture value is used in the Metering. When I used a Leica lens with a Canon 1D, I used an uncoded adapter and set the 1D to f1.0. There is a custom function in the 1 series that allows you to specify an aperture when no lens is mounted. If the camera was set to f1, the metering was dead on.

The 5D is taking the aperture value and using it to calculate exposure. The 5D does not have the setting of an Aperture with no lens mounted capability of the 1D series. If I didn't set the 1D to f1, the exposures would be off.

[rollsman4]

Not to change the subject but is the quality better using the leica lense on a Canon body verses the Canon lense ? Is seems to be so much more work in worrying about the exposure the AF etc. Just need to know because I am thinking of buying leica lense for my Canon camera. thanks, rollsman

[svenning]

Dear Robert Stevens,

Okay - I think I understand you :-))

The Canon EOS camera's aperture setting must be set to F/1.0 - in order to expose the pictures correctly.

When I mount the Haoda adaptor - it set the Canon EOS camera for F/1.8.

In order to expose correctly - I must then set the exposure compensation to + 1,75 EV on the EOS camera (?) I figure that +1,75 EV is the difference between F/1.0 and F/1.8 (?)

All the best - Svenning, Denmark.

[Iron Flatline]

Originally Posted by rollsman4

Not to change the subject but is the quality better using the leica lense on a Canon body verses the Canon lense ? Is seems to be so much more work in worrying about the exposure the AF etc. Just need to know because I am thinking of buying leica lense for my Canon camera. thanks, rollsman

Not sure whether modern-day sensors can resolve at the level of detail that a lens can deliver, but it's handy for people who own R lenses and want to shoot digital (and don't own the digital back for the R9).

[smokysun]

must confess i've gotten addicted to using r lenses on the canon. one thing is having to focus with one hand, holding the camera with the other. just bought an xti to use instead of the 20d and enjoying it more (smaller, simpler controls). i've canon l lenses and they do a great job, but the leica have a different quality and can be extremely sharp (especially the 28 2.8). i've also gotten a couple of zooms 75-200 and 28-70. beautiful. sure a lot cheaper than the m lenses. i have a 16 2.8 fisheye arriving today. on the 5d you have to shave the lense but everything i've read says it can be used with the 1.3 and 1.6. anyway, i'm a convert and say give it a try.

ps. i'd recommend getting a 50 summicron first. very, very reasonable at KEH Camera: Used Cameras, Digital Cameras, Film Cameras, Laptop Computers and More.

pss. the focus confirmation adaptors essential for me. i've gotten three from different chinese (ebay) sources and they're all accurate.

[biglouis]

Can someone explain the AF functionality using the appropriate adaptor? Does the Leica lens actually autofocus or do you still have to manually focus?

Is the metering accurate?

LouisB

[smokysun]

you have to manually focus, holding down the shutter button halfway until the little red light blinks in the viewfinder and you hear a beep (if you want it).

metering: gets brighter as you stop down and you have to compensate with the ev. at least that's been my experience. not a big problem.

note: you can't use all the automatic modes. i use aperture priority.

[smokysun]

E:\Play with Lenses Menu 2.mht


Pebble Place

these two sites very helpful. the fisheye has arrived and works beautifully on the xti (as far as i can tell). great to have a true leica wide-angle. (some barrel distortion, easily correctable.)

[Jamie Roberts]

Hmmm.... just to clear a few things up with my experience...cause I did (and do) a lot of shooting with R glass on Canon bodies still...

• Yes, you have to manually focus the R lenses on a Canon body
• The results look entirely differently than the Canon glass. Really. Contrast, colour distortion and CA are all obvious and really telling improvements using Leica R glass (old and new) instead of Canon glass. Try putting a 30 year old Summicron 50 on your 5d and compare it with the 50 1.8 Canon (or the 50 1.4 for that matter). Hah! Or shoot a high-contrast subject "into the light" and see what your EOS sensor is actually capable of recording
• Focus-confirming adapters actually blink "O" when focus is obtained, just like the AF lenses do. You're still manually focusing though.
• M metering in the newest 1 series mark 2s and probably 3s, and with the 5d, works exactly as it does with EOS lenses, without any compensation or resetting of the meter, etc...
  
  No, shutter priority (Tv) does not work, since only you can change the aperture ring
• I'm sure Robert S. is correct about the Canon 1d needing to be set to 1.0, and I don't use Av that much.
  
  But--and this is a big but--it seems to me that my 5d Av is just about as accurate as it always is when using Leica glass--the meter, after all, is reading Through The Lens, not through the "computer" in the lens. Remember, light varies even if the aperture doesn't
  
  So with any modern EOS it doesn't matter what the EXIF information says in the slightest, and that includes the Rebels.
  
  The camera reads the light entering the stopped down aperture on the Leica lens, and adjusts shutter accordingly (and usually wrongly, just it the autopilot does with EOS lenses Which is why I shoot M most of the time anyway!
  
  Anyway, the metering works exactly the same for both confirming adapters (that fool the electronics) and non-confirming adapters.

[smokysun]

just got a set of r extension tubes. did not expect the confirmation adaptor to work but just experimented at max magnification. surprisingly, the confirmation will work, given enough light and contrast.