Lens Compatibility with Digital SLR Cameras PDF Tips References
In most cases, the answer is yes. If you have a lens for a fairly recent 35mm SLR camera, it can be used on a new digital SLR from the same maker. (See the information below under the various camera brands for specific details about using existing lenses on new cameras.) If the 35mm camera lens produces good, sharp, contrasty images on film, it will produce good digital photos, too. One big difference is the angle of view. The imaging sen- sor in most digital cameras is smaller than 35mm film, measuring about 23 x 16mm. Therefore, wide-angle lens- es for 35mm camera are not as wide when used on a digital camera, but telephoto lenses are stronger.
With 35mm cameras, a 50mm lens is the “normal” focal length that gives you about the same view as the human eye. Below 50mm, the view gets wider, above 50mm it becomes telephoto and draws the subject in closer. For digital cameras, this “normal” focal length is about 32mm, so an old 50mm lens from your 35mm camera will be a short telephoto (equal to 80mm) when used on a digital. An 18-200mm zoom lens for a digital camera has about the same wide coverage and telephoto magnifying power as a 28-300mm lens on a 35mm camera. To convert the equivalent view of a 35mm lens when used on a digital camera, multiply by 1.6X. A few high-end digital cameras, such as the Canon EOS 1Ds and EOS 5D have full-frame sensors. Since these sensors match the 24mm x 36mm size of 35mm film, there is no conversion factor when they are used with 35mm lenses. Since the future of SLR photography is digital and since most digital cameras have sensors that are smaller than 35mm film, manufacturers are making digital-only lenses.
The primary difference is the reduced area of coverage provided by digital-only lenses. These lenses have the same mounting style as 35mm format lenses and they can be mounted on 35mm camera bodies (except Canon EF-S lenses), but they will not cover the full image size. This causes vignetting around the edges of the 35mm image, especially at the widest end of the lens zoom range. In the late-1980s, Canon introduced the EOS 35mm camera system with autofocus and the latest electronic technology. Canon lenses for EOS cameras are marked EF on the front, such as “EF 28-85mm”. With the intro- duction of digital SLRs, Canon continues with the EF lens system. All EF-series lenses for 35mm cameras can be used on all Canon small sensor and full-size sensor digital SLRs. When Canon created the Digital Rebel, they introduced a line of digital-only lenses are called EF-S series lenses. These lenses have the same physical mount and electronic coupling system, but cannot be used on older Canon digital cameras and on no Canon 35mm cameras.
This is because the rear portion of EF-S lenses extends deeper into the mirror chamber and damage to the mirror on older cameras can occur. Canon EF-S lenses should only be used on the Canon EOS 20D, 30D and Digital Rebel series and newer models designed to be compatible with EF-S lenses. Before the EOS system was introduced, Canon cameras used a different lens mounting system called the “FD” mount. These manual-focus lenses had a mechanical aperture ring and cannot be used on EOS film or digital cameras.
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May 6, 2010 | Posted in Canon Manual, Digital Camera, Olympus Manual
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