OM lenses on a DSLR

[Richard Griffith]

I currently have 2 systems: OM4Ti and OM1 and various lenses which I love and want to keep. I also have a FM3a, D700 an various ais lenses.

I would like to just have the one system and have been wondering about selling my nikon gear. I understand I could use my OM lenses via an adapter on e.g. a Sony A7, or Canon 6D (would prefer to stick with full frame).

Just wondering whether anyone has any experience of doing this with their OM lenses and if so, how well it works?

Richard

 

[AlexBG]

I have a friend who uses his om 50 1.8 on his 6d more than his canon nifty 50, he loves it. There's also a post today about om lenses on an A7 but no photos yet so maybe keep an eye on that. I use my om 28 2.8 on my e-p3 a lot and love the results. If it wasn't for that lens I would have sold the e-p3 and got an RX100ii a few months back.

 

[wakarimasen]

The use of legacy lenses - in stop down mode - is the thing that has always put me off using them. This is the reason I keep thinking of changing wholeheartedly from Canon to Nikon.

 

[sreed2006]

Using Zuiko lenses on Canon DSLRs is a worthwhile adventure. This Flickr group discusses adapting all sorts of lenses to Canon bodies. There's discussions about Zuiko lenses going back several years.

https://www.flickr.com/groups/eos-manual-lenses/

I purchased an adapter from the head bartender here, years ago, to mount Zuiko lenses to a Canon 5D, and have had a blast. The biggest drawback is the aperture control is not automatic: focus wide open, then stop down to take the picture. Sometimes, Aperture Priority metering works well with a 5D/Zuiko pairing, sometimes it doesn't. Review the histogram and adjust the exposure compensation as needed. The 5D and 5D Mark II allow changing the focusing screen, and I use the focusing screens that are designed for manual focusing. Those focusing screens are just a tiny bit dimmer, but the in-/out-of-focus is easier to see. With live view on a 5D Mark II, and the camera on a tripod, exact focus is a cinch.

One final note, I have put a very wide variety (from 18mm through 500mm) of Zuiko lenses on the 5D and 5D Mark II and never once had a problem with a lens interfering with the mirror.

Here is a 90/2 in action on a 5D Mark II.


Photo op with the Rolleiflexes by sreed2006, on Flickr

And the result:

RolleiflexRolleiflexRolleiflex by sreed2006, on Flickr

 

[Richard Griffith]

Thank you all for your replies so far.

I know you can get great results using OM lenses on either a Canon or Sony body. It is more the day to day practicalities of doing so that I was interested in. I'm not bothered about using stopped down metering (used to do that with my E1 with OM lenses). I didn't realise the adapter for OM to Sony mount was quite so large.

Maybe I'll just order a OM to Canon adapter then try it out at my local friendly camera shop.

 

[sreed2006]

Thank you all for your replies so far.

I know you can get great results using OM lenses on either a Canon or Sony body. It is more the day to day practicalities of doing so that I was interested in. I'm not bothered about using stopped down metering (used to do that with my E1 with OM lenses). I didn't realise the adapter for OM to Sony mount was quite so large.

Maybe I'll just order a OM to Canon adapter then try it out at my local friendly camera shop.

From a practicality standpoint, it takes more effort to use the system because of the aperture not being automatically controlled by the camera, the exposure meter not always being accurate, and accurate focusing being tough to do with the stock focusing screen. Once you get the kinks worked out, though, it is rewarding. Would it be easier to use a system where all the parts were designed by one company to work together? Sure.

 

[f16sunshine]

Hello Richard

I've been adapting Contax and Zuiko lenses to the Canon system since my first Eos in 2006.
The zuikos are a natural for adaption as the lens mount lock release is on the lens. One can easily mount an adapter and leave it in place to use all of the zuiko lenses as if they were native mount.

Presently I use a 5Dii with the Canon high contrast focus screen (eg-s iirc). B+H sells the screen for around $35-$40.
I've also used the 5D classic and 40D.
I'm not sure the focus screen in the 6D is replaceable. This is a very important point.
Also buy a very high quality adapter for a tight fit with correct infinity focus and, the latest AF emulation chip.
The Chip will allow "green light" focus confirmation (although it's red in the eos).
It also will support all of the metering modes with your Zuikos and in the 5Dii also allows you to tweak af lens confirm point as well as program exif data.

I bought my adapters from ebay seller "happypageHK". It was very high quality gear with the chip installed. It's been years since I purchased my last adapter so .... please do further research.

As to stop down focus and metering. It's a very simple workflow.

*Set to AE
*adjust exposure comp as/if desired
*Focus wide open
*Stop down for desired DOF
*Capture... etc....

With the chip installed the AE system works very well and you will not need to adjust exposure to stop down.

Cheers!

 

[Richard Griffith]

Thanks Andy

That is really useful information!

I will look out those adapters you mention

Many thanks

Richard

 

[Godfrey]

I currently have 2 systems: OM4Ti and OM1 and various lenses which I love and want to keep. I also have a FM3a, D700 an various ais lenses.

I would like to just have the one system and have been wondering about selling my nikon gear. I understand I could use my OM lenses via an adapter on e.g. a Sony A7, or Canon 6D (would prefer to stick with full frame).

Just wondering whether anyone has any experience of doing this with their OM lenses and if so, how well it works?

I've used Nikkor, Olympus, Pentax and other lenses adapted to various DSLRs. They work. They are something of a pain to use due to the loss of auto diaphragm and meter coupling, but for specific purposes (a fast lens that isn't available in the cameras' native mount, or too expensive to purchase, etc) they'll do the job.

However, adapting the same SLR lenses to the 'mirrorless TTL' cameras is in most cases a pleasure. I've done this with various Micro-FourThirds bodies, Ricoh GXR-M for APS-C, and now with the Sony A7.

The Sony A7 in particular is a delight to use with adapted 35mm SLR lenses. It has the same format the lenses were originally designed for and is about the size, shape, and weight of a mid-range film SLR. The viewfinder is very good and the sensor seems an excellent match to most SLR lenses. The viewfinder's ability to amp up and down to preserve brightness regardless of lens opening for focusing and framing, the ability to use magnification and peaking focus aids may be a better focusing environment for your eyes. The ability to see live exposure information as you view and make adjustments also serves an advantage over an SLR.

I bought the Sony A7 specifically to use with my orphaned Leica R lenses and a few select Nikkor lenses as well. It does an excellent job with them, as it also does with Olympus OM lenses. I don't own any Sony EF mount lenses.

Since I stick to just these two mounts, I bought Novoflex lens mount adapters—best in the business. They're expensive but worth it, no problems with light leaks, poor tolerances, etc. I only need two of them, one for each mount.

G

 

[SteveM(PA)]

I used my 50 1.4 on my Rebel T3 for most of this video ... a little side project I'm doing. (I will probably cross-post this to the "RF culture" thread :angel🙂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZboQkqkJMk

 

[TXForester]

I don't own a FF dslr, but I use OM lenses on a Canon 10D and T3. I use a focus confirmation, chipped adapter in manual and aperture priority modes. I'm happy with the results. It helps if the adapter can be micro adjusted for focus if you are shooting very shallow dof.

 

[TXForester]

Cool video, Steve.

 

[SteveM(PA)]

Cool video, Steve.

Thanks! It took me a looooong time. Learning Premiere Pro as I go!

 

[Texsport]

My experience in using legacy lenses on Olympus film, Canon DSLR, and Olympus OMD m43 has been very interesting and rewarding.

The simplest way to go is m43, for which legacy adapters are readily available.

On an OMD camera, you have the advantages of built in camera, image stabilization, and live view focusing assistance, never available originally for these lenses.

Sometimes focusing difficulties occur, but can generally be solved with different adapters. Case in point, a Noritar 250/4.5 preset lens required an adjustable, sliding locus adapter for macro and Tele use.

Some legacy lenses I find particularly useful and satisfying:

- Zeiss Biotar 58/2 - wonderful color and bokeh as a portrait and macro lens (116mm equivalent on m43)

- Zeiss Biotar 75/1.5 - famous lens portrait lens

- Vivitar 90/2.5 macro - famous "Bokina" macro - among the sharpest lenses easily available.(macros and portraits)

- Vivitar 90-180/4.5 Flat Field macro - very handy " walking around" macro (180-360 equivalent macro)

-Steinheil Munchen Tele Quinar 135/2.8 -

- Olympus OM Zuiko 350/2.8 - spectacular wildlife lens up to 980mm equivalent with Tele extender on m43.

- Zoomar Kilfitt 1000/8 mirror - (2000mm equivalent on m43)

Many more - too numerous to mention.

Avoiding use of these legacy lens opportunities, many available at very reasonable prices, would have deprived me of great pleasure and many photos hanging on my walls, and given as gifts.

Texsport

 

[Godfrey]

I used my 50 1.4 on my Rebel T3 for most of this video ... a little side project I'm doing. (I will probably cross-post this to the "RF culture" thread :angel🙂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZboQkqkJMk

Nice work! Love those old records and hand-cranked phonographs too.
They're so fragile and so ephemeral... lovely stuff.

thanks for posting.

G

 

[newspaperguy]

I've used OM Zuikos ranging from 24-to-300mm on DSLRs, mostly with happy results.

The OMZ 100/2.8 is a fave, as is the 50/3.5 macro.

 

[redisburning]

some lenses work better than others, some are worth going through the pain and others not.

for example, I found my 28/3.5 to be quite lacking on digital, whereas the 28/2 is great. on film, it's hard to tell the difference out of the midzone where the 3.5 is better until you really close down.

in general longer lenses have less issues and you get more of what they have to offer out of them, and that is not just limited to ray incidence problems of cameras like the A7r with rf lenses. Just my experience.

 

[SteveM(PA)]

Nice work! Love those old records and hand-cranked phonographs too.
They're so fragile and so ephemeral... lovely stuff.

thanks for posting.

G

Thanks Godfrey! I'm completely obsessed with it, mostly within the past year.

 

[Godfrey]

Thanks Godfrey! I'm completely obsessed with it, mostly within the past year.

Sounds like me and Polaroid SX-70... 🙂

Honestly, though, to the OP: I can't think of a better way to utilize all your old favorite Nikon, Olympus, Leica R, Canon FL/FD, and what have you SLR lenses than the Sony A7 or A7/r. Unless you just want to keep shooting them on film with the original cameras they were designed for. Even some of the more compatible LTM and M-mount lenses do very well. The cameras may be a little clunky, but they work well enough for this purpose that I've stopped using my M9 and stick with Leica R lenses on the A7 instead.

G