I have a Rebel 2000 (EOS 300) body. I want to use Manual lense(Canon or some other third party) with it. Is is possible at all? If possible, is there any chance to damage the camera body?

-- Tapas Das (tapasd@skytechsolutions.co.in), March 22, 2002

Answers

Move the switch from "AF" to "MF".

-- Isaac Sibson (isibson@hotmail.com), March 22, 2002.

The short answer is no. Canon FD lenses (the manual ones) won't work on the newer autofocus bodies. The Rebel takes EF lenses. You can, as Isaac suggested, focus them manually, though this is hard since there is no split prism or any other visual focusing aid. I myself can't do it.

If you are interested in manual stuff, the best thing to do is buy a manual body and manual lens. The used Canon stuff is not terribly expensive. And, dare I say it in this forum, Olympus and Nikon are great for used manual cameras--you can learn a lot about photography with the manual approach. The great "student" camera of all time is the Pentax K-1000, again fairly inexpesive and fun to use.

-- Preston Merchant (merchant@speakeasy.org), March 22, 2002.

You can use manual-focus lenses under certain circumstances, assuming you have the correct physical adapter ring to attach the lens to your camera. However it may or may not be worth the trouble. I have an article on the topic which should clarify things:

http://teladesign.com/photo/manual-lenses.html

-- NK Guy (tela@tela.bc.ca), March 22, 2002.

Why do you need to use manual lenses. Do you have them or you want to buy them. In either case you shouldn't have gone for a AF camera. Someone at http://www.photo.net/canon/eos-300 said that he could beat Rebel 2000 with a 1957 camera worth just $32. So investing so much on an AF camera and not using its features is just foolishness. with a MF lens, you won't be able to autofocus>, meter, etc. if you are switching from one brand (or model) to another, try to switch over completely. get rid of your old gears and get the new/used one of the brand of your interest. if $$$$ is the problem, then Guy has a good suggestion. get an adaptors. but someone on forum said that such adaptors has glass which lowers the optical quality. i never understood why does an adaptor (of any kind) should have glass. but nonetheless, you should be aware of it.

happy shooting.

-- sajeev (chack74@yahoo.co.in), March 23, 2002.

>someone on forum said that such adaptors has glass which lowers the optical quality. i never understood why does an adaptor (of any kind) should have glass.

*Some* lens adapters contain glass elements, not all.

You need a glass element in an FD lens to EOS body adapter if you want to retain infinity focussing. This is because the distance from the rear nodal point of the lens to the camera's film plane is very different between FD-mount and EF-mount (EOS) cameras.

-- NK Guy (tela@tela.bc.ca), March 23, 2002.

If it fits, it works.

-- Lee (Leemarthakiri@sport.rr.com), March 23, 2002.

Thanks guy. I never knew why this adaptors had any kind of glass. But then I would say that canon should have come up with a mount that is capable of accepting its manual lenses instead of a completely new EF mount. I mean one should be able to attach the MF lenses on an AF camera. Rest (metering, AF,...) need not work. Anyway, I am not much depressed by this since I don't owe any MF canon lenses. But I really feel pity for the manual camera users who wants to upgrade their bodies to AF. The only remains is to get rid of all his gears and go AF.

-- sajeev (chack74@yahoo.co.in), March 25, 2002.

Thanks everyone. Could anyone suggest some adopter for Rebel 2000? I want to use a Normal Canon lense (manual). I guess Autofocus will not work, but the metering(center weighted should work). Am I right?

-- Tapas Das (tapasd@skytechsolutions.co.in), March 25, 2002.

have a loot at this.

-- sajeev (chack74@yahoo.co.in), March 26, 2002.