Which Canon film SLR can use EF lenses, and will EF-S lenses work?
Asked 11/1/2011
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I want to try film photography and would like to reuse my Canon DSLR lenses if possible. I'm confused by the range of Canon film SLR bodies. Which Canon film SLRs can use EF lenses, and can EF-S lenses be used on film EOS bodies? If reusing my current lenses isn't practical, would it make more sense to choose an older manual-focus film camera instead for learning exposure and technique?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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It depends on the lenses you have. If all you have are EF-S lenses then they won't (as far as i know) fit on a film EOS camera as the fitting is EF only.
If you had Tamron or Sigma lenses however for your Canon digital that have a red dot on them instead of a white dot (red dot signifies EF mount white is EF-S), then they will fit on your camera and work ok. If they are zoom lenses they will however have vignetting (dark edges with no or bad quality picture) as it is not filling the full frame of the film, but you can zoom in to a longer focal length to remove this vignetting though, as I can use my Sigma 8-16 from 14mm-ish onwards if I want something really wide. This is a problem you won't be able to overcome with a prime lens however so you will be missing picture at the edges.
If you have EF lenses then all will work ok with any EOS film camera.
I personally have a Canon EOS 300V, and can recommend this as a nice simple film camera to use. It has all the manual modes and various presets like landscape and portrait etc. Whilst the extra options are more basic than a higher end film camera, you can get something like this model for around $30-40 on ebay. This is one of the newer low end models too so has slight improvements here and there.
Originally by user3584. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user3584
14y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Canon EOS film SLRs use the EF mount, so they can use Canon EF lenses. EF-S lenses are for crop-sensor DSLRs and are not suitable for Canon film SLRs: they generally won’t fit properly, and forcing one risks mirror interference because film/full-frame bodies use a larger mirror.
If you have third-party crop-only lenses, fit depends on the specific lens. Some may physically mount, but they can vignette heavily because they don’t cover the full 35mm film frame.
So the best choice depends on your current lens kit:
- Mostly EF lenses: a Canon EOS film SLR is a sensible way to reuse them.
- Mostly EF-S or crop-only lenses: reusing lenses is not practical, so consider buying lenses specifically for the film body.
If your main goal is improving technique, an older manual-focus film camera can be a better learning tool. A simple body with direct shutter speed, aperture, and manual focus encourages you to slow down and rely on exposure knowledge rather than instant review or automation.
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