Contemplating selling my Canon 20D...

[gregnash]

So I have had my 20D for years, it has served me well and given me some great photos for my hobby. However, as the wife and I have become more active outdoors I find myself only taking the Canon when I know that I will be sitting around (i.e. she is paddleboarding and doing some training runs) or when we are going to a family function/car show/etc.

I find myself, in other occasions, wishing that I had a powerful P&S that still offered the "fun" of my 20D. I have been hoping that Canon would release a m43 or something along that lines and know they are rumored to be doing that at the end of the month but I am just not sure anymore. I have been lurking and looking at the NEX series and Panny G series but the biggest thing for me is that I would love to keep my Canon glass (not the best in the world but works for me).

Anyways, this purchase is still a bit off but wondering if anyone has the Canon adapter and lenses with sample pics. Would love to pick up a used C3, 5, or 5N (if the price was right) for our trip to NYC in August but at this point I don't know if anyone would be willing to trade theirs for an aging 20D with grip and tons of batteries etc.

 

[Bimjo]

I'd keep the 20D. There are some things that are just better done with a dslr. Pick up a used NEX body and an adaptor and you'll be set. I have a Pentax K20 w/grip that spends most of its time in a camera bag because it's heavy and I no longer relish lugging it around.

Cruise the DPR Sony NEX forum and search for pics there. I know several guys are using Canon glass, though someone here might be as well.

 

[gregnash]

Thanks for the info Bimjo. Like I said, this is something that I have been contemplating for a while as the wife's Canon SX230HS is nice but I long for the "adaptability" of changing lenses. I do not shoot a lot of action stuff and actually shoot more low light then action and from what I have seen the NEX line-up all does well in this regard. I will definitely have to keep my eyes open for a used C3 or 5N but still curious about the Canon adaptability.

Question with regards to "adapters", I assume I wil lose some function when adding the adapter, but does that change with the type of adapter or lens? Will the adapters add much "bulk" to the camera? I would love to give this a shot with one of the NEX and my Nifty Fifty (Canon 50mm f/1.8).

 

[Bimjo]

You probably won't miss the Canon then.

Adapters run from dumb adapters that do nothing but adapt the lens to the camera (mostly for lenses w/aperture rings), to the Conurus, which provides more functionality for Canon lenses w/no aperture ring. There are dumb adapters with limited aperture control as well.

The adapter will add about an inch to the length of the lens.

 

[dbmiller]

Canon EF lenses are one of the few that won't work well on a NEX. Aperture control is purely electronic, and nearly all of the adapters out there don't have any way of setting the aperture. I had seen reports of an adapter that would do it, but it was REALLY expensive. So you're stuck with shooting a lens that is wide open (EF lenses open up when the camera is powered off). Some lenses will retain the current setting if removed while the camera is still powered on, but you're still limited to that particular aperture. The other idea tried is an iris in the adapter to act like an aperture, but it's at the wrong distance - Doesn't change DoF and vignettes because it is merely blocking the light.

AF definitely won't work, and if your EF lens focuses "by wire", MF won't work either.

 

[Bimjo]

Ah, thanks db, I was hoping someone more familiar with Canon than I would chime in.

 

[gregnash]

Ok thanks for the info everyone.... so looks like out of all the lenses I have there would be 1 maybe 2 that would work (Tokina 19-35mm and Tamron 24-135mm) and out of the two I use the Tokina the most. Others are all EF lenses so I am SOL there.

I have seen some of the adapters that have the internal iris but like dbmiller said it causes its own issues. And the Conurus (Metabones) version has not really gotten all the great of reviews from what I have read. I guess really it is pretty much going to be full committal if I do go with the NEX (well not really FULL). I still have a few months before this purchase so I have time to gather information and what not, and hopefully by that time Canon will have really released their CSC mirrorless and I will then have a good comparison to work from.

 

[Ray Vardy]

Best of luck but we hope to see you back here in a few months with ya NEX