FS7 with vintage Canon FD glass - bad idea?

megabit wrote on 2/16/2015, 9:59 AM

As some of you guys may know, due to my neck spine condition I cannot effectively use my (not great ergonomically) cameras any more. After (and if) I manage to sell my HD stuff, I'll be considering something future prof and ergonomic (for my weak arm) - and the FS7 looks like an ideal candidate for the rest of my life, and used purely as a hobby. The question I'm going to ask is a trivial one, but I'd just like to make sure:

- I used my FS100 with a number of vintage but optically great Canon still glasses with FD mount; I have a number of primes plus one nice zoom, each with its own FD->E mount, hood etc. If the kit version of the FS7(K) proves to be above my means pricewise, does it make any sense at all to shoot 4k with these lenses - or should I forget it?

Of course you have guessed the reason I eve consider this - the zoom lens coming with the FS7 (in the form of the FS7K kit) is great with all its controls, but increases the base camera price considerably... So maybe I'd buy it later on - but being able to use my vintage Canon lenses would cut the initial investment...

TIA

Piotr

PS. I have Zacuto Z-Finder EVF Pro viefinder; now I hear about their Gratical HD - of course the latter has higher resolution, color depth and contrast - but will my EVF be good enough for focusing in 4K? Or is the camera's own good enough - has anyone tried that?

Comments

Cliff Etzel wrote on 2/16/2015, 11:31 AM

I'm using a brace of Nikon MF primes on my Canon DSLR's - in fact I"m in the process of selling off my Canon Zooms as they for the most part sit in my bag unused.

When I shot film, I was a devout Canon user when I worked in newspaper and magazine and I loved every single FD mount lens I used with my Canon F-1's and T90's. I didn't realize there were adapter mounts for those old FD mount lenses due to the way their lens mount.

Shane Hurlbut is a big fan of using vintage glass for digital cinematography and he was instrumental in my moving to Vintage Nikon MF primes. When I use my Canon Zooms I don't care for the look of my footage shot with them. Stills is another matter though but I rarely shoot stills anymore.

If the glass works (especially if you have any FD mount "L" series lenses), then by all means use them. It's been my experience so far that there's a certain look to that older glass that takes the digital look and softens it in a way that's visually appealing.

That's my personal opinion anyways. I'm looking at getting a7s bodies later this year and will be using my Nikon glass on them. I've even seen shooters using Red Cameras with vintage Nikon or Leica glass (The documentary Damnation is one example) so I say give it a shot and see how it looks to you.

megabit wrote on 2/16/2015, 12:03 PM

Thanks Cliff. I used those lenses a lot with both my Letus 35mm adapter (on the EX1) and on my F100 super 35mm camera (using very simple and cheap FD->E mount adapters; actually these are so cheap I have one permanently attached to each of my Canon lens so that changing them is fast and easy - like in the dark when I not even once failed fitting a lense on the camera at the first attempt - and quickly, too). So for HD, I know from my own experience they work great (the iris not being "declicked" was the only disadvantage).

So if I asked this question in the FS7 context has been for its 4k resolution; I'm not photo lens expert and am not sure whether the stills glass is good enough for such a high resolution picture - but I guess it is good enough...

Piotr

farss wrote on 2/16/2015, 1:27 PM

I'd be most concerned about the wider angle lenses. Digital sensors can be designed to expect the light to be coming at them with a high incident angle and some of the old optics designed for film have the light exiting with a low angle of incidence.

I wish I could be more specific, from what I've heard some of the old glass can be fantastic and some of it not. I doubt even the Sony kit lens will resolve 4K edge to edge over it entire range of focal length. If you want a zoom that might do that you're probably looking at an investment of around $50K.

Do you really need to worry about this. Unless you're shooting content for the mega screen cinemas or IMAX 4K is overkill anyway.

Bob.

megabit wrote on 2/16/2015, 3:29 PM

"Worry" isn't rational by definition, Bob. So of course, I don't need to... But then - why care about 4k at all?

I know I'm not being rational most of the time, like many of us. I used to try and rationalize my not being rational, but I don't any more - just accept it :)

Piotr

PeterDuke wrote on 2/17/2015, 5:13 AM

We all lust after something better. As the song goes:

How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm