EF Lens adapter / EF Lenses / EOS Lens

Duncan Wilson · August 18th, 2004, 07:16 AM

Chris
I believe that quite a number of XL1 shooters use this lens, and I have never seen any serious adverse comments. I've used it a little, perhaps not enough to form a valid opinion. My impression was that the lens performed very well throughout most of its range, but was a touch soft above 300mm and wide open.

I bought a tele zoom to use with an XL1 a few months ago, and my choice was between the Canon 100-400 and the Sigma 120-300, which is in roughly the same price band. In the end, I went for the Sigma and have been very pleased with the results. The biggest advantage the Sigma has over the Canon is its speed: maximum aperture of f2.8 throughout its focal range, making it great for low light conditions. Optically, it is excellent. Another advantage is the zoom action. The Sigma zooms using a ring, and the length of the lens doesn't change. The Canon's push-pull action felt rather unwieldy, although I'm sure more practised users may not find it so.

Cheers
Duncan

Chris Gaston · August 18th, 2004, 10:56 AM

Duncan,

I would agree that the push pull zoom control is a bit of a handful and does push the front weight still further forward.

I am interested in your comment about the speed of this lense and I too thought that it might be better to go for a shorter lense and larger aperture to make up for low light found in the average UK woodland, so that remains a consideration.

I assume you purchased with a Canon mount and used the EF adaptor, so is the aperture control retained on the Sigma lense?

Do you mount the setup on the camera tripod bush, on the lense bush or do you have a dual mounting plate?

Just flicking through Practical Photography for August 04, they reviewed the Sigma 120-300 and commented that the optics are superb, but the price is near to £1700 in UK rather than £1170 for the Canon 100-400.

Regards,

Chris.

Duncan Wilson · August 23rd, 2004, 02:14 AM

Chris

>>I assume you purchased with a Canon mount and used the EF adaptor, so is the aperture control retained on the Sigma lense?

Yes, Canon fit with EF adapter. The aperture control is the wheel on the body of the XL1, not on the lens.

>>Do you mount the setup on the camera tripod bush, on the lense bush or do you have a dual mounting plate?

I use a dual mounting plate. I think this is essential with all heavy telephoto lenses, both for stability and to prevent damage to the lens mounts.

>>Just flicking through Practical Photography for August 04, they reviewed the Sigma 120-300 and commented that the optics are superb, but the price is near to £1700 in UK rather than £1170 for the Canon 100-400.

I could not find any reasonably-priced UK suppliers. I bought on-line from B&H in New York via mail order for $1800.

Cheers
Duncan

Chris Gaston · August 23rd, 2004, 02:20 AM

Many thanks Duncan, you have been a great help.

Regards,

Chris.

Neo Castillo · August 25th, 2004, 01:42 PM

When I purchased my xl1s used it came with an EF adapter. I would like to use this adapter to get more of a film look to my stuff. I am a student so I am on a small budget so a mini 35 adapter is out of my range. I am trying to use what I already have and in my price range. I have researched using the adapter and lenes, but since I am new to this I'm kinda confused.

What would happen if I used this EF adapter with a 8mm fisheye lens such as this one

http://www.sigmaphoto.com/html/fixed.htm

Since the EF adapter has a 7.2x magnification to the lens, would this make the lens equivalent to a 57mm lens or so?

If this is true would everything still look distorted as fisheye would normaly look on a SLR? or would it apear to be a normal lens becasue only the center of the lens is being used?

Has anyone tried the EF adapter with a fisheye before?

Or would it be better to go with a 12-24mm lens to achieve more of a film look.

Andrew Paul · August 31st, 2004, 05:41 AM

Hi Guys,

Another question for you wonderfully informed people out there.

I have just bought the adaptor to use canon Ef lenses but seem to be having a problem. I have put on a 80-300mm ef lense but it doesn`t seem to work. The minimum view is as expected (7 x closer to a subject) but if I zoom in, the distance covered is no more than the 16x that comes with the xl1s. Am I missing a setting here ?. The lense is a cheap one that comes with a package of 2 lenses with a canon camera, would this make a difference

Thanks in advance

Andy

Jeff Donald · August 31st, 2004, 06:55 AM

Are you saying the image size doesn't change when you zoom? What do you mean by "the distance covered?"

Andrew Paul · August 31st, 2004, 12:16 PM

When I zoom in on a subject it is not very much. I was expecting a massive zoom of 300m x7.2 (2100mm), but it only zooms in as much as I can with the canon xl1s lens fitted, nothing more.

Jeff Donald · August 31st, 2004, 03:37 PM

It is 40X the size of what the naked eye sees. The stock lens on the XL1 is about 12X what the eye sees.

Andrew Paul · September 1st, 2004, 01:39 AM

so if I put the adpator on and put a 300mm lense would that not give hundreds if not thousands of what the eye sees. With an adaptor and a 300mm lense I`m only getting the equivalant of a 16x zoom. What am I doing wrong, or can the adaptor be at fault. I know its working at the botom end of the zoom as everything seems 7 times closer and I cannot get very wide on the lens.

Jeff Donald · September 1st, 2004, 06:16 AM

The standard 16X lens is about 88mm. Your EOS EF lens is 300 mm. In optics a mm is always a mm. So, the EF lens gives you 3.4X more magnification than the XL lens. The crop factor gives you 7.2 times additional magnification. If your saying that the subject appears the same size with the EF lens at 300mm as the XL lens at 88mm (maximum zoom) then something is wrong.

John Richards · September 6th, 2004, 03:07 PM

Still waiting for my adapter to arrive. The information on DV Info Net has clarified some questions on the long lenses but I'm wondering if the 100mm f2.8 macro (which gives 1:1 on 35mm) is usable and useful on the XL1s?
Anyone tried it or can give some comment?

Rainer Hoffmann · September 7th, 2004, 10:38 AM

John,

I guess the 100mm Macro lens would work just fine with the EF adaptor. But keep in mind, that a 100 mm lens on the XL1 would be equivalent to something like 700 mm. I wonder what you would shoot with this lens in macro mode. Boy, you could probably have the eye of a midget fill the whole frame! Focusing could be quite a challenge, though.

Let us see the results!!

Michael Dalton · September 16th, 2004, 01:17 PM

You may have seen the quick webpage I put up last year with my EF system (35-350 canon lens) It shows the Cavision support system that i had custom made in vancouver that is great!

http://www.digitalcrossing.ca/ef-1.htm

I'm off to Africa for a shoot next week, so i will redo these lens test, and create a better page for people to look

If you need a email address for Cavison, let me know.

Henry Gray · September 29th, 2004, 10:06 AM

I have searched all 19 pages of Canon XL1s Watchdog/lenses and optics and cannot find the answer. I hope someone can HELP.

I have a Canon XL1s and would like to fit a Sigma 120-300mm
f2.8 EX HSM Canon fit lens via a EF/XL adaptor.

My questions are:
Will the auto functions still operate, ie: auto focus,auto exposure, zoom from the camera controls.
If these functions do not operate is there any point in purchasing an auto lens.
Can anyone recomend a better & cheaper setup.
I must have f2.8 and 300mm. I will be using it for wildlife, often
in low light.
PS. I know all the problems with stability and depth of field.

Many thanks.

August 25th, 2004, 01:42 PM	#305
Neo Castillo Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 66	EF Adapter and this lens, what would happen? When I purchased my xl1s used it came with an EF adapter. I would like to use this adapter to get more of a film look to my stuff. I am a student so I am on a small budget so a mini 35 adapter is out of my range. I am trying to use what I already have and in my price range. I have researched using the adapter and lenes, but since I am new to this I'm kinda confused. What would happen if I used this EF adapter with a 8mm fisheye lens such as this one http://www.sigmaphoto.com/html/fixed.htm Since the EF adapter has a 7.2x magnification to the lens, would this make the lens equivalent to a 57mm lens or so? If this is true would everything still look distorted as fisheye would normaly look on a SLR? or would it apear to be a normal lens becasue only the center of the lens is being used? Has anyone tried the EF adapter with a fisheye before? Or would it be better to go with a 12-24mm lens to achieve more of a film look.

August 31st, 2004, 05:41 AM	#306
Andrew Paul Regular Crew Join Date: May 2004 Location: UK Posts: 130	Canon EF adaptor problem Hi Guys, Another question for you wonderfully informed people out there. I have just bought the adaptor to use canon Ef lenses but seem to be having a problem. I have put on a 80-300mm ef lense but it doesn`t seem to work. The minimum view is as expected (7 x closer to a subject) but if I zoom in, the distance covered is no more than the 16x that comes with the xl1s. Am I missing a setting here ?. The lense is a cheap one that comes with a package of 2 lenses with a canon camera, would this make a difference Thanks in advance Andy

August 31st, 2004, 06:55 AM	#307
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	Are you saying the image size doesn't change when you zoom? What do you mean by "the distance covered?" __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

August 31st, 2004, 03:37 PM	#309
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	It is 40X the size of what the naked eye sees. The stock lens on the XL1 is about 12X what the eye sees. __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

September 1st, 2004, 06:16 AM	#311
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	The standard 16X lens is about 88mm. Your EOS EF lens is 300 mm. In optics a mm is always a mm. So, the EF lens gives you 3.4X more magnification than the XL lens. The crop factor gives you 7.2 times additional magnification. If your saying that the subject appears the same size with the EF lens at 300mm as the XL lens at 88mm (maximum zoom) then something is wrong. __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

August 18th, 2004, 07:16 AM	#301
Duncan Wilson Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Jersey, Channel Islands Posts: 41	Chris I believe that quite a number of XL1 shooters use this lens, and I have never seen any serious adverse comments. I've used it a little, perhaps not enough to form a valid opinion. My impression was that the lens performed very well throughout most of its range, but was a touch soft above 300mm and wide open. I bought a tele zoom to use with an XL1 a few months ago, and my choice was between the Canon 100-400 and the Sigma 120-300, which is in roughly the same price band. In the end, I went for the Sigma and have been very pleased with the results. The biggest advantage the Sigma has over the Canon is its speed: maximum aperture of f2.8 throughout its focal range, making it great for low light conditions. Optically, it is excellent. Another advantage is the zoom action. The Sigma zooms using a ring, and the length of the lens doesn't change. The Canon's push-pull action felt rather unwieldy, although I'm sure more practised users may not find it so. Cheers Duncan

August 18th, 2004, 10:56 AM	#302
Chris Gaston New Boot Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Brighton UK Posts: 17	Duncan, I would agree that the push pull zoom control is a bit of a handful and does push the front weight still further forward. I am interested in your comment about the speed of this lense and I too thought that it might be better to go for a shorter lense and larger aperture to make up for low light found in the average UK woodland, so that remains a consideration. I assume you purchased with a Canon mount and used the EF adaptor, so is the aperture control retained on the Sigma lense? Do you mount the setup on the camera tripod bush, on the lense bush or do you have a dual mounting plate? Just flicking through Practical Photography for August 04, they reviewed the Sigma 120-300 and commented that the optics are superb, but the price is near to £1700 in UK rather than £1170 for the Canon 100-400. Regards, Chris.

August 23rd, 2004, 02:14 AM	#303
Duncan Wilson Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Jersey, Channel Islands Posts: 41	Chris >>I assume you purchased with a Canon mount and used the EF adaptor, so is the aperture control retained on the Sigma lense? Yes, Canon fit with EF adapter. The aperture control is the wheel on the body of the XL1, not on the lens. >>Do you mount the setup on the camera tripod bush, on the lense bush or do you have a dual mounting plate? I use a dual mounting plate. I think this is essential with all heavy telephoto lenses, both for stability and to prevent damage to the lens mounts. >>Just flicking through Practical Photography for August 04, they reviewed the Sigma 120-300 and commented that the optics are superb, but the price is near to £1700 in UK rather than £1170 for the Canon 100-400. I could not find any reasonably-priced UK suppliers. I bought on-line from B&H in New York via mail order for $1800. Cheers Duncan

August 23rd, 2004, 02:20 AM	#304
Chris Gaston New Boot Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Brighton UK Posts: 17	Many thanks Duncan, you have been a great help. Regards, Chris.

August 31st, 2004, 12:16 PM	#308
Andrew Paul Regular Crew Join Date: May 2004 Location: UK Posts: 130	When I zoom in on a subject it is not very much. I was expecting a massive zoom of 300m x7.2 (2100mm), but it only zooms in as much as I can with the canon xl1s lens fitted, nothing more.

September 1st, 2004, 01:39 AM	#310
Andrew Paul Regular Crew Join Date: May 2004 Location: UK Posts: 130	so if I put the adpator on and put a 300mm lense would that not give hundreds if not thousands of what the eye sees. With an adaptor and a 300mm lense I`m only getting the equivalant of a 16x zoom. What am I doing wrong, or can the adaptor be at fault. I know its working at the botom end of the zoom as everything seems 7 times closer and I cannot get very wide on the lens.

September 6th, 2004, 03:07 PM	#312
John Richards New Boot Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Blackwood, Wales Posts: 16	EF Adapter with 100mm Macro Lens Still waiting for my adapter to arrive. The information on DV Info Net has clarified some questions on the long lenses but I'm wondering if the 100mm f2.8 macro (which gives 1:1 on 35mm) is usable and useful on the XL1s? Anyone tried it or can give some comment?

September 7th, 2004, 10:38 AM	#313
Rainer Hoffmann Major Player Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Syke, Germany Posts: 249	John, I guess the 100mm Macro lens would work just fine with the EF adaptor. But keep in mind, that a 100 mm lens on the XL1 would be equivalent to something like 700 mm. I wonder what you would shoot with this lens in macro mode. Boy, you could probably have the eye of a midget fill the whole frame! Focusing could be quite a challenge, though. Let us see the results!! __________________ Keep rolling Rainer

September 16th, 2004, 01:17 PM	#314
Michael Dalton Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Torotnto, Canada Posts: 139	EF lens test, and support system You may have seen the quick webpage I put up last year with my EF system (35-350 canon lens) It shows the Cavision support system that i had custom made in vancouver that is great! http://www.digitalcrossing.ca/ef-1.htm I'm off to Africa for a shoot next week, so i will redo these lens test, and create a better page for people to look If you need a email address for Cavison, let me know. __________________ www.digitalcrossing.ca www.4kafrica.com documentary filmmaker/screen writer

September 29th, 2004, 10:06 AM	#315
Henry Gray Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Selkirk, Scottish Borders, Scotland, UK Posts: 60	Auto function EF Adaptor I have searched all 19 pages of Canon XL1s Watchdog/lenses and optics and cannot find the answer. I hope someone can HELP. I have a Canon XL1s and would like to fit a Sigma 120-300mm f2.8 EX HSM Canon fit lens via a EF/XL adaptor. My questions are: Will the auto functions still operate, ie: auto focus,auto exposure, zoom from the camera controls. If these functions do not operate is there any point in purchasing an auto lens. Can anyone recomend a better & cheaper setup. I must have f2.8 and 300mm. I will be using it for wildlife, often in low light. PS. I know all the problems with stability and depth of field. Many thanks. __________________ henry g