Yashica/Contax lenses on dlsr body

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Peter Huebner - 29 Dec 2009 11:03 GMT

My old Slr kit includes several yashica bodies as well as several of the
wonderful Zeiss lenses with the yashica/contax bayonet plus a couple of
yashica lenses that were not half bad in their own right.

Now, I understand that one can get converter rings to fit these lenses
to several dslr cameras - the Canon eos line being one of them.

Has anyone here undertaken such an adaptation?

One thing that I am not clear about is the AF. I understand that the
diaphragm auto does not work through the adapter, so I have to set the
camera to manual there (my preference any old how), but will autofocus
still work? I simply do not know how the dlsr cameras handle that.

And I am wondering also about conversion factors --- would the Zeiss
200mm lens work as a 320mm on a canon eos (assuming a 1.6 conversion
factor - I am not sure on this value either).

I'd probably be eyeing the Canon 450D as a body for this project if it's
feasible at all, not sure what Panasonic has to offer by comparison.

any input greatly appreciated, tia -P.

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nospam - 29 Dec 2009 18:05 GMT

> My old Slr kit includes several yashica bodies as well as several of the
> wonderful Zeiss lenses with the yashica/contax bayonet plus a couple of
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Has anyone here undertaken such an adaptation?

using a converter ring is easy. you put the adapter on the camera and
then the lens on the adapter.

> One thing that I am not clear about is the AF. I understand that the
> diaphragm auto does not work through the adapter, so I have to set the
> camera to manual there (my preference any old how), but will autofocus
> still work? I simply do not know how the dlsr cameras handle that.

with rare exception, nothing works. you have a fully manual lens. the
adapters are so that the lens mounts, not to translate the electronic
signals. however, there is a nikon-canon adapter ring that supports
some of the electronics in nikon lenses.

> And I am wondering also about conversion factors --- would the Zeiss
> 200mm lens work as a 320mm on a canon eos (assuming a 1.6 conversion
> factor - I am not sure on this value either).

all lenses are affected. any 200mm lens on a 1.6x canon body is
effectively a 320mm field of view on a full frame body.

> I'd probably be eyeing the Canon 450D as a body for this project if it's
> feasible at all, not sure what Panasonic has to offer by comparison.

4/3rds has a lot more options for using older lenses because the flange
distance is shorter, but canon should work. however, you might want to
consider just how effective this all will be, and whether getting new
lenses is a better long term option.

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