Help!

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Old Lens/Digital Camera
Q. I recently acquired an old Kenko Fish-Eye 180 lens, similar to this one (a link to eBay was provided). I am a very amateur photographer, still very much in the learning process, and have a Canon EOS Rebel XSi D-SLR. Is there any way this lens could fit onto my camera? I have been looking at step-up rings and ring adapters, but some of those say they are only for filters.
McKenna Holmes
via e-mail

A. The eBay link you provided did not indicate what mount your Kenko fisheye lens has, but I would guess that it’s an old 42mm Universal screwmount. Several firms offer adapters for older screwmount lenses to newer D-SLR system camera mounts. Even if you can locate the proper mount for your Canon EOS Rebel XSi you will find trying to use any such older film camera lens with a D-SLR will be tedious. Metering would have to be done by stopping down the lens, which also dims the image visible on the D-SLR’s viewing screen. The camera would have to be set and used in Manual mode. You might be able to use it, but you will slow up your picture taking greatly. Adorama offers a Canon FD Lens to EOS Body Adapter. They offer mounts for other older lenses, too. I believe B&H also offers this type of mount, but you will have to know what lens mount your Kenko lens has first.

Canon Tele-Extender
Q. I would like to use a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L lens with a Canon EF 1.4X Extender on my Canon EOS 5D Mark II. However, the AF function does not work. The compatibility table of the Canon EF 1.4X Extender shows, however, that this combination is OK and the AF function ought to work. Also, reading various comments on the topic, it appears that some users of the extender had the same problem, but not all of them. Could you please advise?
Sergiu Luculescu
via e-mail


A.
I sent your question about your inability to get your Canon AF to work to my contact at Canon. Here’s what he replied: “Canon’s EF Extenders are physically compatible with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens, and they support autoexposure with any EOS camera when used with that lens. However, most EOS cameras, including the 5D Mark II, require a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or larger for AF. The maximum aperture of the EF 100-400mm lens becomes f/8 when used with the EF 1.4X Extender, so that combination is not compatible for AF with the 5D Mark II. For reference purposes, the only EOS cameras that support AF at a maximum aperture of f/8 are the EOS-1 series, including all 1D and 1Ds models.” The fact that this tele-extender results in a smaller effective aperture, which is not adequate for your particular camera, is the problem. It seems that you will have to resort to using manual focus when using this particular extender/tele-zoom lens combination with your Canon 5D Mark II D-SLR.

Pano 35
Q. I am having difficulty in finding a film processor that will handle 35mm film that has been shot in panoramic mode. As an example, I have an old Vivitar PZ3052 Panorama camera. I would like to be able to shoot film and have the prints from it made in 3.5x11.5” prints (or 4x12”). I have asked quite a few of the processors that advertise in Shutterbug with only negative results.
Gary Nelson
via e-mail

A. I haven’t had any panoramic prints made for several years, so I contacted a friend at Information Central of PMA (Photo Marketing Association), an organization to which many dealers and labs belong. He sent an e-mail inquiry and got responses from six labs scattered around the US and Canada that can assist you in making panoramic prints from 35mm negatives. I’m sure any of these labs can provide the printing you seek. You might want to check with each lab to determine their print pricing and shipping costs prior to actually sending your panoramic negatives for printing.
“While 4x12 is a standard size, we can go up to 12x36 if you’d like,” responded Technical Operations Manager Peter Wilson of The Camera Shop (25 7th Ave. S., St. Cloud, MN 56301; 800-793-0112; www.thecamerashop.com).
Other labs of interest include Fairbanks Photo (1096 Post Rd., Darien, CT 06820; 203-655-0404; www.fairbanksphoto.com);
Livingston Camera, David Guida (37 S. Livingston Ave., Livingston, NJ 07039; 973-992-8383; www.njcamera.com);
New Hope Photo, Ted Nichols (358 West Bridge St., New Hope, PA 18938; 215-862-9333; www.newhopephoto.com);
Concord Camera, Michael St. Germain (29 North Main St., Concord, NH 03301; 800-427-5891; www.concordcamera.com);
Pridham’s Studio in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada, Tom Mooney; (902-752-4282; www.pridhamsstudio.com).

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