SL3-S with Canon EF lenses

[Jakub1501]

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Hey there!

im about to change my old camera to a SL3-S. I have a plenty of lenses for my old Canon D40 and now wondering if with adapter they could be used with the Leica Body. I found that Sigma has an adapter with electronic but want to double check that. The lenses are EF mount. 

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[BernardC]

Sigma's MC-21 mount converter (EF to L version) should indeed work. Sigma only guarantees compatibility with a list of their own lenses, but people here have reported that most Canon-brand lenses are also compatible.

You may want to consider whether it's worthwhile to go down this path. You didn't say which EOS lenses you have, but chances are that many of them won't be worth using on your SL3-S, especially if they are APS-C lenses (there is no Canon D40, but the 40D is an APS-C camera from the mid 2000's). On the other hand, if you have some high-quality Canon telephoto lenses, they are definitely worth carrying-over to your new camera.

[PCPix]

My experience with the Sigma adapter on the SL2 wasn’t great and ended up returning it (good service from Wex, UK).

All my lenses were L-series and the auto focus was all over the place… the 35/1.4 Mk I would take loads of back and forth before nearly-but-not-quite hitting focus, 70-200/2.8 Mk I was rubbish, yet with the 1.4x converter was ok - don’t ask why/how?? Some of the others were sort of ok, but compared to using them on a 1DX, the Sigma converted Leica felt like wading through treacle…!

 People using the TS lenses seem happy however - but they’re only relying on the  electronic aperture actuation - not the AF. 

I would really suggest you try a shop who have the adapter and a SL3-S in stock for you try your lenses… and check if they will work - many of them certainly do. 

[TVP]

I have never been happy using adapted lenses on any system.  It just never plays out well unless they are manual focus lenses it seems.  And having the two extra points of connection that can play sometimes...mkes me nervous about end performance.  I have the sigma adapter for my SL3.  I stopped using Canon over a decade ago but still have some lenses.  The old 24-105L focus was kind of crazy.  Modern lenses seem to perform way better as well...especially with built in corrections and lens profiles that load into Lightroom and Capture one.  Ide rather have that when it comes to me shooting with intention.  If it's just leisure and play, im less picky and it's fun to play with other lenses.

The canon TS-E lenses work wonderfully actually...and if you have good copies of them, they perform really well.  I've been more impressed with them on the Leica than I ever was on the canons.  

[chrismuc]

I use many Sigma EF Art and Canon EF lenses with the MC-21 on my S1R and AF works perfectly (of course only in SAF). I tested a bit on the SR1II, there they also work in CAF. So, I think the adapter AF functionality is well implemented ... as long as a Panasonic (or Sigma) L-mount camera is used. It seems to work much less reliable on Leica L mount cameras.

[leica_kh]

I don't have an SL3 but I do use a SL2-S and I've been using my Canon EF glass via the Sigma adapter with mixed results, too. The more contemporary EF glass like my 70-200 f2.8 III works much better than my EF 300mm f4. My EF16-35 f2.8 works pretty well too but my older EF 50mm f1.8 is horrible. And what I mean is the autofocus. As far as relaying the f-stops and exposures, they're all fine. The EF glass that doesn't play nice, I switch them over to manual focus. 

[ralitza]

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Has anyone tried SL with the Viltrox Pro adapter with the Canon TS-E 17mm? Although it is quite tight, I know it is not screwed to the lens well because I get a lens communication problem. It attaches to the camera without any issues.

[KitW]

I got a Viltrox adapter and on my CL it barely works at all. I think I got one lens to focus occasionally. Usually it just crashes and you have to turn the camera off and on again. I then bought an Urth adapter which works with most lenses in SAF but not CAF and won't let you record video through some lenses. I wish I'd sent it back but too late now.

[Midnight69]

Hello everyone! I tested Sigma MC-21 adapter first on the Sl2-S and then on the SL3-S.

In both cases, it worked inconsistently (missed focus, long focusing times, and lens errors when pressing the shutter button).

Later, I switched to the Commlite CM-EF-L adapter, which works about 30% better with EF lenses.

I tested Sigma Art 40 EF, Sigma 100-400 HSM, Sigma 24-70 HSM, 50 1.2 EF and 70-200 EF IS II, IRIX 11 mm Firefly (did not work at all).

All of these are definitely half-measures, and only the native optics work perfectly, unfortunately.

[Tirpitz666]

My experience with the Sigma MC-21 on the Leica SL2s has been much worse vs adapting Canon EF glass to Nikon, Sony and Fuji bodies unfortunately.

Besides the known fact that it's AF-S only (guess a limitation of CDAF only), i would agree that it works decently only with Sigma Art/Contemporary lenses and newish Canon EF lenses.

So far I've tried the following:

- Sigma 105 F1.4 Art: works well

- Sigma 50-150 F2.8 OS: works, albeit slow (but it's a quite an old lens)

- Sigma 12-24 F4.5-5.6: doesn't work (another old lens)

- Canon EF 70-200 F2.8 IS II: works well

- Canon EF 100 F2: doesnt' work, AF racks back and forth (this is notable since this is by far the most "adaptable" lens I've ever tried, it works flawlessly on every other body I've adapted it to)

- Canon EF 200 F1.8 L: doesn't work (a real pity). The more recent EF 200 F2 supposedly does.

I'm tempted to get ahold also of a Viltrox or Commlite adapters to see if they could be a bit more compatible with older glass than the Sigma, but not holding my breath about that..

[helged]

4 hours ago, Tirpitz666 said:

My experience with the Sigma MC-21 on the Leica SL2s has been much worse vs adapting Canon EF glass to Nikon, Sony and Fuji bodies unfortunately.

Besides the known fact that it's AF-S only (guess a limitation of CDAF only), i would agree that it works decently only with Sigma Art/Contemporary lenses and newish Canon EF lenses.

So far I've tried the following:

- Sigma 105 F1.4 Art: works well

- Sigma 50-150 F2.8 OS: works, albeit slow (but it's a quite an old lens)

- Sigma 12-24 F4.5-5.6: doesn't work (another old lens)

- Canon EF 70-200 F2.8 IS II: works well

- Canon EF 100 F2: doesnt' work, AF racks back and forth (this is notable since this is by far the most "adaptable" lens I've ever tried, it works flawlessly on every other body I've adapted it to)

- Canon EF 200 F1.8 L: doesn't work (a real pity). The more recent EF 200 F2 supposedly does.

I'm tempted to get ahold also of a Viltrox or Commlite adapters to see if they could be a bit more compatible with older glass than the Sigma, but not holding my breath about that..

With EF-lenses on SL-bodies, I use manual focus with focus magnification. Works fine with eg Canon EF 400mm f4 DO v2 and EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM.

Edited July 31 by helged