Zenitar 16mm 2.8 lens

[Jonny Norquist]

Does anyone have experience using this lens? It's cheap, wide angle, f/2.8 and hopefully will be a great lens for video. Does the on-camera aperture function work with this lens? I've read some reviews but don't quite understand what it means to have to manually stop down. I never use any auto features on my 7d the first place, however, is there something even more manual about the Zenitar 16mm? Does manually stopping down mean I have to take the lens off and do something, or will this still work?

http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/517/76160250.jpg

[Regis Hervagault]

there is an aperture ring on the lens itself to control the iris manually as the camera has no way to communicate with such lens.
oldschool style !

[Michael Liebergot]

Originally Posted by Jonny Norquist

Does anyone have experience using this lens? It's cheap, wide angle, f/2.8 and hopefully will be a great lens for video. Does the on-camera aperture function work with this lens? I've read some reviews but don't quite understand what it means to have to manually stop down. I never use any auto features on my 7d the first place, however, is there something even more manual about the Zenitar 16mm? Does manually stopping down mean I have to take the lens off and do something, or will this still work?

http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/517/76160250.jpg

Johnny, the Zenitar lens was discussed in this thread on Vintage Manual Lenses, by Mark Von Lanken.
This relates to the T2i, but transfers to the 7d just the same.
BTW, this thread was on purchasing old vintage lenses, which were all manual lenses. You can pickup some great info here and from Chris Watson's Vintage lens article in Event DV Vintage Lenses in the DSLR Age.

Stop down, means that aperture control is on the lens, not on the camera.
You will have to turn on the LCD screen for video use, as manual glass doesn't have electrical contacts, so the camera doesn't know a lens is attached. Your Canon will read 00 for aperture, as the aperture is controlled don the lens, so simply turn the aperture ring to adjust accordingly.

You still have exposure readings in the camera, and have the ability to do any other auto features, except for auto focus, which manual glass doesn't have, and aperture control which is on the lens.

Here's where the Zenitar lens is mentioned.
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-eo...ml#post1548214

Here's where Mark posts a sample. Looks like a great lens for ultra wide filming.
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-eo...ml#post1548755

I will probably pick one up myself down the road. I like manual glass for video, but not as much for photo. As I prefer the auto focus ability of full auto lenses for photo, especially in fast situations like sports filming.