Any EF lenses with mechanical focus?

BnG_Murphy · Joined: 07 Jul 2018 Posts: 42

I bought an EF to FX dumb adapter thinking I would set the 40mm pancake wide open and manual focus. I later realized that is of course impossible as it has electronic focusing. I Googled it but only found talk of a Canon 50mm f1.4 having a manual focusing clutch. I am not sure if that would work? Do you know of any lenses which will work?

blotafton · Joined: 08 Aug 2013 Posts: 1554 Location: Sweden

Most of them. I thought all of them had mechanical focus but maybe the STM lenses do not?

The ones I have used on E-mount with a dumb adapter are: 10-22mm, 100mm 2.8 usm macro, 70-300mm is usm.

I used the macro the most with the aperture locked at f/8 to scan film.

kansalliskalaCafe · Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 12:59 pm Post subject:

DConvert · Joined: 12 Jun 2010 Posts: 902 Location: Essex UK

BnG_Murphy · Joined: 07 Jul 2018 Posts: 42

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9097 Location: Houston, Texas

I have a small collection of EF lenses and they all have mechanical focus. I think you'll find that it is only the more expensive "pro" models that have electronic focus, such as the 85mm f/1.2L and other large, fast telephotos.

SkedAddled · Expire: 2021-08-12

You'll find that most, if not all, EF/EF-S lenses have a terribly short focus ring travel.
This can make it pretty sketchy landing proper focus with such lenses, particularly
shorter focal lengths. The same generally applies also to third-party lenses such as
Tamron, Tokina, Sigma, etc.

I've owned a few; I have 2 now.
My current EF 28-135 has a longer focus travel than my Sigma 10-20,
but both are short as compared to manual lenses. I find it nearly impossible
to attain proper manual focus with the Sigma at any 'zoom' setting, while the
Canon 28-135 is difficult at 28mm but easier going as the reach increases.

BnG_Murphy · Joined: 07 Jul 2018 Posts: 42

DConvert · Joined: 12 Jun 2010 Posts: 902 Location: Essex UK

[quote="BnG_Murphy] I didn't find any on eBay yesterday so the adapter is going in the "camera stuff" basket. My recently bought Yashica is ultra easy to focus and the pristine metal construction of a mint Super Takumar yesterday left me cold when looking at EF lenses. Maybe my forthcoming first FD lens will warm me up to Canon.[/quote]

I don't use my EF lenses, but I do use EF adapters quite a bit.
They are about the shortest of the SLR mounts and widely adaptable, so if using a range of legacy mounts there's much less space needed for an mirrorless to EF adapter & then EF to lens adapters for the lenses being used.

I also use several special EF adapters (helicoid, focal reducing...) and can use these with nearly all my other SLR lenses greatly increasing flexibility without excessive cost/weight penalties.

There are a few SLR mounts that don't adapt to EF currently I think I only have a few of them - one Minolta/Sony A mount and five MD lenses that are rarely used.