Can an Olympus OM-mount Sigma 70-210mm f/4.5 be used on a Canon 600D with an adapter?

Asked 1/8/2013

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I have an older Sigma 70-210mm f/4.5 lens that was used on an Olympus OM10 film camera. The lens says it was made for Olympus, and it has manual focus and a manual aperture ring.

Can this lens be adapted to a Canon 600D, and if so, what limitations should I expect? Is there any reason it might not work well?

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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While I don't know anything about the specific lens you refer to, provided it mounts properly using the adapter, it should function fine in manual and Av modes. Olympus mounts appear to have a longer flange distance than the Canon EF mount, which means that your adapter does not need to have any extra glass. This is good as extra glass can affect image quality.

What you won't get with the lens is the ability to shoot in Tv, P or full auto modes (or any of the "creative" modes). You won't have autofocus either.

In addition, because you have to stop the lens down manually using the aperture ring, focusing can be a pain if the light isn't great, since stopping down the aperture will cut the amount of light entering the viewfinder. You might also have to use stop-down metering to get your exposure right.

Having said all that, I use an old Nikon-mount Sigma with my 30D, in low light, to do macro photography and often get great results. See below for an example of what can be done with fully manual lenses.

Finally, an OM to EF adapter seems to cost in the region of $10-$15 on EBay. I'd say it's definitely worth a punt at that price!

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Originally by user1293. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user1293

13y ago

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AI Answer

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Yes—if it’s an Olympus OM-mount version and you get a proper OM-to-Canon EF adapter, it should work on a Canon 600D.

Because OM lenses have a longer flange distance than Canon EF/EF-S, the adapter should not need corrective glass, which is good for image quality. However, the lens will be fully manual:

  • no autofocus
  • no electronic aperture control
  • no Tv, Program, full auto, or scene modes
  • use Manual or Av mode instead

You’ll set aperture on the lens itself, and the camera will meter with the lens stopped down. One practical downside is that when you stop the lens down, the viewfinder gets darker, which can make manual focusing harder in low light.

Also make sure the adapter is well made and that the rear of the lens doesn’t protrude in a way that could cause clearance issues. An adapter with focus confirmation can make manual focusing easier.

So yes, there is a point in adapting it if you’re happy to work manually and accept the slower handling compared with a native EF lens.

UniqueBot

AI

13y ago

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