How to "translate" legacy lenses to DSLR or m4/3? • Non-Gaming • Photography • Eurogamer.net

Tonka 7 May 2010 07:38:51 31,980 posts
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Right, I bought an old Olympus OM1 so that I could get my hands on the 50mm f1.8 lens and use it with my PEN E-PL1 camera. (The nice leather neckstrap in near mint condition was a pleasant bonus).

Right, what does 50mm translate into on a m4/3 camera? I know that a 50mm m4/3 lens translates to 100mm in 35mm equivalent. So what is the long reverse? Am I making any sense?

Reason I'm asking is that I'd like something a bit wider for my PEN and now I'm starting to suspect I'd have to go veeery wide on a legacy lense for it to be wide on my m4/3.

henro_ben 7 May 2010 08:44:17 2,393 posts
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Tonka wrote:

Right, what does 50mm translate into on a m4/3 camera? I know that a 50mm m4/3 lens translates to 100mm in 35mm equivalent. So what is the long reverse? Am I making any sense?

Ahem... that's a pretty easy sum, even this early in the morning ;-)

PEN E-PL1 has a crop factor of 2. So times everything by 2 and you'll be alright...

i.e. an old 28mm lens will be roughly a 56mm lens on your PEN.

Edit: so yes, you're going to be looking at fairly wide angle lenses I guess, 17mm will give you a 35mm lens, reckon that'll be about as wide as you'll be able to go, although don't know much about Olympus stuff.

otto Moderator 7 May 2010 09:05:07 49,322 posts
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Ooh, sod the PEN, I'd be wanting to play with that OM1!

Nth 7 May 2010 09:25:07 3,164 posts
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Got one in the studio here at the moment, lovely bit of kit. OM1 I mean. Played with an E-PL1 the other day and didn't like it

smoothpete 7 May 2010 09:29:35 37,743 posts
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Do you want the OM1? Mine has some electrical fault, I'll buy it off you

Tonka 7 May 2010 09:39:23 31,980 posts
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otto wrote:
Ooh, sod the PEN, I'd be wanting to play with that OM1!

It was in near mint condition with something called "MANUAL ADAPTER" attached to it. Had that special camera smell I remember from when I was young.

Back to my question.

It started because a friend of mine said that old lenses (should they be called legacy lenses?) get cropped on his DSLR (he has a Canon D-something). So full frame needs to be converted to 35mm. Then I would have to convert it again (for the crop).

So I'm wondering if a 50mm legacy lense translates to more than 100mm on my PEN.

And no, I have no immediate use for the OM1. But since I live in Sweden I think shipping costs would outstrip the price of a second hand one from around where you live.

smoothpete 7 May 2010 09:43:20 37,743 posts
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Tonka wrote:
And no, I have no immediate use for the OM1. But since I live in Sweden I think shipping costs would outstrip the price of a second hand one from around where you live.

Well, not necessarily... It depends, if it will cost me more to get my one fixed than it would to buy yours off you and get it sent over, then that's fine for me. How much did you pay, if you don't mind me asking?

otto Moderator 7 May 2010 09:51:52 49,322 posts
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Tonka wrote:
It started because a friend of mine said that old lenses (should they be called legacy lenses?) get cropped on his DSLR (he has a Canon D-something). So full frame needs to be converted to 35mm. Then I would have to convert it again (for the crop).

Sounds like he has misunderstood (or perhaps you misunderstood him).

Crop factor

A 35mm film camera is 'full frame'. The sensor on most consumer DSLRs is smaller than 35mm film so it will crop the image. The sensor on m4/3 cameras is even smaller than the sensor on DSLRs so it will crop the image even more.

otto Moderator 7 May 2010 09:58:26 49,322 posts
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To put it simply, you multiply the lens' field of view by 1.5 on a DSLR and by 2 on a m4/3 camera to compensate for the smaller sensor sizes.

So if on a full-frame digital camera (or 35mm film camera) a lens has a field of view of 50mm, on a DSLR it will have a FOV equivalent to a 75mm lens and on a m4/3 camera it will have a field of view equivalent to a 100mm lens

The confusion here arises from the use of '35mm' to describe the sensor size on full-frame cameras (because it's the same size as the 35mm film which went into film SLRs); confusing because 35mm also happens to be one of the standard lens focal lengths.

Tonka 7 May 2010 10:07:47 31,980 posts
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Cheers otto. It must have been an understanding. I'm pretty sure he said 35mm wasn't full frame so I'll blame it on him.

@smoothpete I paid 400SEK. That would be 35 and change in GBP. (did I get ripped off?) I'm pretty sure you'd be able to get a working OM1 house for less than that. (Dunno what the shipping would be from my place to yours).

I'll need to keep the house until I get my OM to m4/3 adapter. (I use it as a lens cap at the moment) That might be another problem with shipping. I have no cap for the OM lense mount.

But other than that. It's a very nice house in really good condition. There is that Manual Adapter thing that was fully operational (according to the seller). I only had a short play around with it. The light meter indicator was working but I have no idea what to look for.

I took the neck-strap though.

If you are interested and there is some handy way to make a deal I'm up for it since I have no use for he house other than a lens cap and later decorative object in my bookshelf.

You could have the house for 200sek + shipping.

Tell you what. I'll try and upload some images of the camera this weekend.

smoothpete 7 May 2010 10:39:02 37,743 posts
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SOLD. I'll happily take it off your hands for that, once you're done with it. I'm sure the shipping won't be all that expensive. I had to get the electrics fixed before in my current one and that cost �50

smoothpete 7 May 2010 10:41:01 37,743 posts
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Don't worry about not having a body cap by the way. They're not like digitals, a quick puff of air to get the dust out is enough

Tonka 7 May 2010 10:51:09 31,980 posts
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OK, I'll have a look at the post office so that I can work out the postage.
PM me your address and I'll set the ball in motion.

otto Moderator 7 May 2010 10:52:38 49,322 posts
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Bloody hell, bargain!

/high fives Pete

Tonka 7 May 2010 12:03:41 31,980 posts
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Works out great for me too. It covers most of my adapter thing plus my wife will love me for not cluttering our home with things I don't use.

/covers box of N64/GC games

...and colelction of tin robots

...and those little Zelda Gachapon figures

... and the fez collection

Cuchulainn 7 May 2010 12:29:22 845 posts
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One thing that people forget is that a crop sensor also changes the depth of field - with the 4/3rd sensor being a factor of two, a 1.8 lens will look like a 5.6 in this sense. Note that the exposure doesn't change, you'll just lose some of the depth of field.

otto Moderator 7 May 2010 12:33:20 49,322 posts
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Cuchulainn wrote:
One thing that people forget is that a crop sensor also changes the depth of field - with the 4/3rd sensor being a factor of two, a 1.8 lens will look like a 5.6 in this sense. Note that the exposure doesn't change, you'll just lose some of the depth of field.

I've never been able to work out the science or optics of this. How does that work? Because the depth of field at a given aperture is constant regardless of lens.

Deleted user 7 May 2010 12:34:36

TT posted a really complicated link that explains it once, but I couldn't really understand it. I did notice the difference when I got my full frame though, it was pretty dramatic in fact.

beachedvinyl 7 May 2010 12:39:31 318 posts
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Tonka wrote:

otto wrote:
Ooh, sod the PEN, I'd be wanting to play with that OM1!

It was in near mint condition with something called "MANUAL ADAPTER" attached to it. Had that special camera smell I remember from when I was young.

.

is it an OM1 or an OM10? I thought the manual adapter was an add-on to the OM10

Tonka 7 May 2010 14:19:13 31,980 posts
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Well, I might to have another look. It has a manual adater on it and if those are for the OM10 then that is what it is.

*blushes*

smoothpete are you getting this

Tonka 7 May 2010 14:21:28 31,980 posts
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I'm sorry. It looks like I really fucked this up. After a quick look I now see that it was indeeed the OM10.

Deleted user 7 May 2010 14:31:22

Just popped into my local old camera shop, and they are doing OM1s for �180.

They are fully serviced and in 100% working order with a 6 month guarantee, and that includes a lens, but still, that sounds really expensive to me.

beachedvinyl 7 May 2010 14:41:19 318 posts
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bit.ly/adaOeq almost half that and in black. nice.

Tonka 12 May 2010 07:31:39 31,980 posts
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Right, smoothpete had a change of mind and decided to fix his broken camera instead of buying a new one.

So, if anyone is interested in a OM10 house with the manual adapter extra just let me know.

You will get it shipped to the UK for 400SEK.

Any takers?