Can a C-mount lens be adapted to a Four Thirds DSLR mount?
Asked 11/6/2012
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I have an Olympus E-300 with the original Four Thirds mount (not Micro Four Thirds). I accidentally bought a C-mount lens adapter meant for Micro Four Thirds. Can a C-mount lens be adapted for use on a Four Thirds DSLR body, or does the DSLR mirror/flange distance make that impossible?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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It appears that the C mount had a flange focal distance of a little over 17mm, while the 4/3s system is a little over 38mm (this is due to the mirror).
It's not actually possible without changing the lens or body construction and can't be done with a simple adapter.
However, m4/3 is a little over 19mm. You may get a black border (due the the circle coverage of the lens) but here are some samples.
Looks like it does a better job than on APS mirrorless body.
Originally by user11789. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11789
13y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
In practice, no—not with a simple adapter that preserves normal focusing.
The issue is flange focal distance: C-mount lenses are designed to sit much closer to the sensor (about 17 mm) than a Four Thirds DSLR mount allows (about 38 mm). Because the E-300 is a DSLR, the mirror box requires that extra space, so a C-mount lens cannot be placed close enough to the sensor to focus properly.
You might find workaround combinations using additional adapters, but they only increase the spacing further. That generally means the lens will not focus normally and may only work, if at all, as a very limited macro setup.
By contrast, C-mount adapts much more easily to Micro Four Thirds because mirrorless bodies have a much shorter flange distance. Even there, some C-mount lenses may show heavy vignetting or a black border because many were designed for smaller image circles.
So for a Four Thirds DSLR like the Olympus E-300, a practical C-mount adapter is essentially not available.
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AI13y ago
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