If like me, You’re a Nikonian with a considerable investment in Canon glass, you might consider getting one of these. In exploring the option of converting my FD lenses for use with my new Nikon body, I came across many a claim that this is simply not possible.
To say that it’s impossible to adapt a Canon lens, or any other lens with a negative flange-to-film-plane distance for that matter, is simply a lie. Of course it’s possible. If they can make a teleconverter or an extension tube that couples with a lens and a lens that contains its own focusing motor, they can make an adapter from a Nikon body to a Canon FD lens. So for better or worse, I parted with $40.00 to prove these claims false.
The build quality is not the best, but it does the job. It mounts smoothly to both camera and lens, and features a rotating collar that unlocks the aperture blades. You set the aperture, compose and focus wide open, and rotate the ring to stop down and take the picture.
The optical quality is another story.
If your intent is to avoid purchasing redundant Nikon lenses, forget it. If your intent is to have fun and say, “Hey, look what I can do!”, then go for it.
To be truthful, I wrote this off way too soon. Sensors hate legacy wide angle lenses, so judging it solely by a 24mm f/2.8 lens at its maximum aperture was a little too harsh on my part. The images were actually quite sharp. It’s just that they’re veiled in coma, giving them a soft-focus effect which can be quite effective if that’s your intent.
But stop down, and things change drastically. One stop is a sizable improvement, but two, and the image is quite usable. The 24mm f/2.8 looks good at f/5.6, the 50mm f/1.8 looks good at f/4.0 and the 35-105 f/3.5 looks good at f/8, but was still quite usable at f/5.6; and that was at 35mm! At 105mm, I could easily resolve a window screen at twenty-five feet.
Yes, for about the cost of a new lens, the quality could be improved. I’m not sure even I would pay that. The thing is, this thing costs less that the price of a good filter. And at that price, it does a pretty good job.
Build Quality ★★★
Enameled brass with dull-chromed mount (Canon side). Fit and finish acceptable. Mounts firmly, and aperture collar rotates smoothly.
Compatibility ★★★★
It allows products from two completely different brands to work together; how much more compatible can it be? If it coupled the lens’ aperture to the body, it would have gotten five stars.
Optical Quality ★★★
Usable, but not good at wide apertures. Images are sharp, but suffer from clarity issues. Depends largely on the lens. Shoot at around f/4-5.6 minimum, and you’ll get reasonable images.
Value ★★★★
For less than the cost of a good filter, you can play with your old lenses and make them feel useful again.
Versatility ★★★★
Because the optic can be easily removed, (the website now points this out as a feature) it can be used to mount a Canon lens to a Nikon extension tube for macro use with no optical degradation. It can also be used on the mount end of a reversed Canon lens to protect the rear element and unlock the aperture ring for macro work in place of the hard-to-find Canon Macro Hood and Diaphragm Adapter.
Included Accessories
Includes a “reproduction” Canon body cap and Nikon rear lens cap.
Specifications
You can view Fotodiox’s Specifications for this product by visiting their website.
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