Can old DVT vision-system Tamron lenses be adapted to a modern consumer camera?
Asked 1/20/2014
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I have several older Tamron lenses from obsolete DVT machine-vision cameras (roughly 12mm, 25mm, 50mm, 75mm). I believe they may be C-mount lenses. Can these be used on a modern consumer camera such as a Canon EOS Rebel, and if so, what limitations should I expect?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
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It appears to be possible with adapters, however there are a lot of caveats to go with it. One of the biggest (which goes for pretty much all pre-digital lenses) is that digital sensors are far more reflective than film. Without coating the interior most lens with an anti-reflective coating, it is common to get ghosting from light reflecting off the sensor, off the rear of the lens and back on to the sensor.
Additionally, if the sensor in the camera is larger than the film that it was originally designed to work with, either the lens will have to be further away from the sensor (which removes the ability to focus at infinity (like using an extension tube) or results in the image circle not covering the sensor (which results in heavy vignetting.)
There are times when the discounted price you can get a lens at make it worth dealing with these caveats, but you should be aware going in that a pre-digital lens will not perform anywhere near the same way as a modern lens designed for digital, so take that in to account when deciding what to purchase.
Originally by user11392. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11392
12y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Possibly, yes—if they are C-mount lenses, adapters exist for some modern cameras, including Canon DSLRs. But there are important limitations.
The biggest issue is image circle: machine-vision/C-mount lenses are often designed for much smaller sensors than DSLR APS-C or full-frame sensors, so you may see severe vignetting or the lens may not cover the sensor at all.
Mount geometry is another concern. If the lens must sit farther from the sensor than intended, it can behave like it’s on an extension tube, which may prevent infinity focus.
Optically, some older lenses can also show ghosting or flare on digital cameras because digital sensors are more reflective than film or older imaging systems.
So: yes, adaptation may be possible, but usually as a low-cost experiment rather than a practical everyday solution. These lenses are more likely to work better on cameras with smaller sensors than on a typical EOS Rebel. Expect caveats, and don’t be surprised if the results are only useful for fun or specialty use.
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