'Film' lens on Canon 400d

Flyer · April 23, 2007

I've had a Canon EOS 600 35mm camera for years, love it to bits. But It's time I moved on and I want a 400D

I have a Tamron 24-70 F3.3 / 5.6 and a Canon 100-300 F5.6 for the 600, both old lenses but I'm not sure how old.
Will they work ok on the 400d?

I think they will have a different focal range, so I need to multiply by 1.6?

There's also something about the coverage of the sensor that's possibly affected by the lens? And I'm not sure about that.

Rather than buy the 400d with the kit lenses I'd rather spend my money on one really good lens and use these two as well - if that's a good option?

If I need to get a small zoom I like the look of the Tamron 17-50 F2.8 dIll or the Sigma 18-50 F2.8 EX DC. rather than the Canon EF-S 18-55 F3.5 / 5.6
Are either of those a better lens than the Canon, I've used Tamron for years and like them.

Dave

gtc · April 23, 2007

old lenses
EOS mount lenses will probably work fine on your 400-metering etc should not be affected.Some old Tamron lenses however may need to be re-chipped.Shoot away and see what happens.

The 1.6 crop factor means that the edges of the lens are cropped out by the aps-c sized sensor-edges are where you will sometimes get softness and distortion-the crop factor leaves you with center sharpness-it effectively increases the length of your tele- zoom and reduces the width of your wide.

Shoot away with your old glass and spend some money on some new lenses to fill any gap in your focal length collection.

A canon 10-22 mm zoom or sigma 10-20 mm would sort your wide end nicely.

Tee Why · April 23, 2007

Both should work on the 400D. 28mm isn't wide on a cropped sensor, so you may end up looking for a wider lens in the future though.

ziggy53 · April 23, 2007

Let's start with the Canon EF100-300mm, f5.6. If it is the "L" version, it's still a fairly nice lens in good light. You might be able to use that as your long zoom until you get something better (faster anyway). I think you will find it slow to focus on low contrast subjects, and you may have to rely soley on the center dot focus, because it is the most sensitive AF sensor.

More info here:

http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/reviews/x-300.html

The Tamron 24-70mm appears to be fairly low quality, so I doubt you will like it for long on a digital body. Do test it to be sure. If you find that it is sub-par, the Tamron SP 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD has an awfully good reputation, especially on the crop bodies.

I use the Sigma 18-50mm, f2.8 EX DC (not the "macro" version) and it compares fairly well to my copy of the Canon EF 17-40mm, f4L. I do find that the Canon delivers more shots in focus, but when the Sigma gets the focus correct, it's a darned good image.

I tested the Sigma here:

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=14651

I would suggest that the "macro" version of this lens appears to be a little bit better and more versatile than the version I have.

The Tamron SP 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD is a very viable alternative, that others here have and enjoy.

Flyer · April 24, 2007

Thanks for that, a lot to think about there.

I like landscape photography for pleasure, but I also compete in, and photograph, a lot of 4x4 off road action such as 4x4 Trials and a bit of off road racing.

So a fairly quick acting lens is what I'd like. I've been spoiled by the EOS 600 which is great with both of the lenses I have ( Tamron 24-70 F3.3 / 5.6 and a Canon 100-300 F5.6 ) and I'd like that kind of reaction time again.

I've got a Canon PowerShot G5, and although it's a good camera it takes a week to react!

One other point, I have discalculia - it's dyslexia with numbers - and years ago I had a Canon A1 which I just had to sell because the display was in half stops and it took me way too long to figure out what was going on.
I haven't had a chance to handle the 400D, does it have a standard display in 'normal' stops? It took me 30 years to get used to the way the numbers are on a regular camera, I don't want confusing again.............

Dave

ziggy53 · April 24, 2007

Flyer wrote:

...
One other point, I have discalculia - it's dyslexia with numbers - and years ago I had a Canon A1 which I just had to sell because the display was in half stops and it took me way too long to figure out what was going on.
I haven't had a chance to handle the 400D, does it have a standard display in 'normal' stops? It took me 30 years to get used to the way the numbers are on a regular camera, I don't want confusing again.............

Dave

Dave,

I don't have a Canon 400D/XTi, so I don't know for sure, but from the documentation it looks like it is selectable from either 1/2 or 1/3rd increments on f stops, but not full stops. I will ask someone who should know for sure and get you a definitive answer.

ziggy53 · April 26, 2007

ziggy53 wrote:

Dave,

I don't have a Canon 400D/XTi, so I don't know for sure, but from the documentation it looks like it is selectable from either 1/2 or 1/3rd increments on f stops, but not full stops. I will ask someone who should know for sure and get you a definitive answer.

I have a definitive response:

"Your answer is correct: The EOS Digital Rebel XTi displays aperture values in 1/3 stops at its default settings. This can be modified to 1/2 stops via Custom Function control, but there is no option to limit the display to full f/stops only. In our current digital SLR line-up, this feature is only available in the EOS-1 series.

We''l pass along this request in our next monthly market feedback report. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!

Best Regards,

Chuck Westfall
Director/Media & Customer Relationship
Camera Marketing Group/Canon U.S.A., Inc."

Flyer · April 26, 2007

Ziggy
thanks for finding that out, it's that kind of detail that makes a huge difference when we buy a camera.

Dyscalculia is a kind of dyslexia, I just don't process anything with numbers easily. After a very short time they move about the page and become meaningless - much like a dyslexic reading a book.
Somehow I became an engineer, but at the age of 53 I now realise that I would probably have special tutoring if I was at school today.

After about 30 years of using SLR's, from the Ae1 to the EOS600 I still don't 'know' the set of f stops when I see them flashed up in a viewfinder, I recognise them by shape and the fact that they are in a sequence, and have learned that "a smaller number = a bigger hole".
If I concentrate on the lcd display to set up a picture then I can figure it out, but each time is like doing it the first time.
I suppose familiarity has enabled me to sort it out.

I'm going to have to play with the 400d before I commit to it.

Thanks again for your research.

Dave

ziggy53 · April 26, 2007

Dave,

Understand that you are not alone. Understand that because you explained the need, Canon is now aware that there is a need for full-f-stop settings on "all" of its dSLR cameras.

Mr. Westfall is in a position to make that sort of a thing happen, and I hope that they do make it happen. I suspect it is not a big deal to change the hardware, and/or firmware, and that it would probably help many folks in many situations.

Thanks for the suggestion and thanks for being so candid with this discussion.

Flyer · April 27, 2007

Yeah, full f stops would be great. If the display shows an unfamiliar number - a half stop - then I have no idea where it is in the scale and which full stop is above or below it.

It's the reason I sold the A1, which is a camera I loved in every other respect, and went back to an Ae1P, which I still have along with the EOS 600.

I agree that it's probably just a software adjustment to enable the change, but it's something that I also think many people would welcome.
The 400D is often sold as an entry level camera, so beginners could also find themselves confused by the half stop display.

If I decided that the half stop display is too confusing for me, what alternatives are there?
The 1 series is out due to price, so it's left to a different manufacturer.
Which camera would offer a comparable spec' in the same price range and display in full stops?
I have had an Olympus and a Pentax in the past and like the quality of both, but any decent brand would be considered.

Dave

Flyer · April 27, 2007

And having dragged the EOS 600 out of the cupboard where it's been for about 2 years and put a new battery in it, I discover that it also displays in half stops!

Which is possibly why I used the mode settings so much?

So, maybe it won't be the problem I imagined

Dave

'Film' lens on Canon 400d

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