Review Generic Canon EF mount adaptor

[cjoliprsf]

This is about a generic (Chinese) electronic adaptor for Canon EF and EF-S mount to Micro 4/3.
I got this adaptor thanks to @LilSebastian from the "Free to good home / karma / pay it forward" thread (https://www.mu-43.com/threads/free-to-good-home-karma-pay-it-forward.109490/).

[Edit - see other photos of the adaptor in the post
https://www.mu-43.com/threads/free-to-good-home-karma-pay-it-forward.109490/post-1425659]

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On the side of the box, there is claim for:

• Exif transmitting
• Auto-focus support
• Aperture control
• IS function

Hence I intend to check these claims with the Canon EF mount lenses that I have...

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And I have a few of them, mostly Canon, but also a few Sigma lenses for Canon, and a Tamron 2x teleconverter.

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These lenses will be tested with my Lumix GX85 body.

 

[cjoliprsf]

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

This is the lens I mostly wish to see working with my m4/3 camera as I don't have a long telephoto in this system (longest I have is 100mm), and anything longer than 200mm from Panasonic or Olympus is quite costly...
This is an intermediate level lens for Canon, not as good as the L series, but better than the basic consumer lenses from Canon (such as EF 75-300 or EF-S 55-250). It is a fairly old design that dates back to 2006 (there is now a mark 2 released in 2016), but still quite nice with an OIS that is claimed to be good to 3 stops.

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Exif transmitting
This works perfectly.
Lens ID and Lens Type according to ExifTool :
EF to M43 70-300mm F4 -5.6
Although this is not the true ID of the lens, it is accurate enough and permits me to correctly identify the lens used.
The aperture and focal length are also properly indicated in the Exif.

Auto-focus support
The auto-focus works well, albeit maybe a bit slower than on a Canon body. In some occasions it hunts a bit but eventually hits the target. The accuracy is good - one one shot it missed the target, but this was probably my own fault...

One slight annoyance is the lens keeps on focusing even when I don't press the button... I might need to turn the switch to MF and back to AF to take the photo - I'll see on usage.

Aperture control
Again, this worked flawlessly. The camera knows the correct maximum aperture for all focal lengthes. The exposure is accurate.

IS function
I have tried lens OIS by itself, IBIS by itself, and both combined, and all worked, permitting shooting at 300mm FL with a speed of 1/50s handheld without perceptible blur. If anything, it seems to me the lens OIS is slightly more effective than the IBIS.

Conclusion
All claims from the manufacturer are satisfactorily met. I am quite pleased...

Here are a few shots, all handheld at 1/50s, F5.6. The target is the size of a big apple, and shot from a distance of about 5 meters. I tried to make the focus on the stem and leaves.

200mm, Auto-focus, and lens OIS

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200mm, manual focus and OIS combined with IBIS

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300mm, auto-focus and lens OIS. Here the focus is a bit too close, but this is probably me that didn't aim at the right spot...

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300mm, manual focus, IBIS

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[ac12]

Glad it worked.

Unfortunately for me, Nikon lenses will NOT talk to m4/3, so the Nikon lenses are FULLY MANUAL. At least that was the case when I looked for a Nikon to m4/3 adapter. So I can't practically use most of my Nikon lenses. I only use my OLD manual focus lenses.

 

[cjoliprsf]

Sigma AF 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM (Canon EF mount)

Of all my lenses, this one is probably the closest one to PRO quality. It is big and heavy and designed for APS-C sensor size. It mounts on a FF Canon body, but the image is much smaller than the sensor, resulting is heavy vignetting. I am not too sure when it was released, but it is now discontinued, having been replaced by the ART series from Sigma.

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This FL being slightly longer than "normal" and the wide aperture make it a good candidate for a portrait lens. However for my part, I mostly do portraits of apples (rather than of people). So the wide aperture is not so useful since I like to have a lot of depth of field for maximum precision of details. I also usually use a tripod (and it is a good idea considering the size and weight of the lens).

Exif transmitting
Lens ID and Lens Type according to ExifTool :
EF to M43 30- 30mm F1.4-1.4
Again this is accurate enough and permits me to correctly identify the lens used.
The aperture and focal length are properly indicated in the Exif.

Auto-focus support
The auto-focus works well. Actually, I have had some problems with this lens on Canon bodies as it often focused too short. Not anymore here, and it focuses tack on target. So I could say it actually works better on my Lumix camera than on a Canon body!

And again as with the previous case, the lens keeps on focusing even when I don't press the button.

Aperture control
This worked flawlessly. The camera knows the correct maximum aperture and the exposure is accurate.

IS function
This lens has no IS... But the IBIS should work OK (I haven't really tested).

Conclusion
All is fine. This will become my #1 lens for apple portraits...

A few shots of Rubinette apples... Focus is done at the base of the stem on the apple on the right.

At F1.4, it is a bit soft but this is characteristic of this lens. Also, contrast and color not as good as when closed a bit. Auto-focus.

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At F4.0, it is tack sharp. Manual focus.

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At F5.6, Auto-focus. Great rendering, very sharp, nice contrast and color.

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[Petrochemist]

I've heard AF adapters can be tricky working OK with some lenses but only as a dumb adapter for others. Having both Canon & Sigma lenses work is a good sign!
I only have two very low quality EF lenses (film era budget kit lenses with issues) but if a cheap AF adapter works well I might be tempted to invest in some better ones

 

[BDR-529]

Thanks for the test. I have the very same Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM but I have never tried to adapt that to MFT body because it doesn't have manual aperture control (just like every other EF lens I still have) and therefore it would be practically useless with 10€ mechanical adapter.

Previously the only AF adapters like Kipon I have seen were in well over 200€ price range and I didn't want to try no-brand chinese contraptions from eBay because I had never heard anyone confirming that they even work. It's interesting to hear that adapter is even able to feed enough power for IS to work.

Maybe I'll take the risk and try one of those 55€ "adaoters" (that's what it says on the box) too. Unfortunately I already have native m4/3 lenses which cover everything from 12mm to 200mm (+macro) so this would be just for the occasional moon shot at 300mm or something like that. Even at 55€, price for every shot I might ever take would end up being substantial but hey, it's only money.

 

[cjoliprsf]

I had been lurking at those for a while, balancing between a Viltrox or a generic, and not being sure how it would perform always made me hesitate. It is only when I saw it offered here that I thought this was the occasion to get one without risking much.

Today I intend to test my 50mm f/1.8s - I have the Mk2 and the STM.

 

[cjoliprsf]

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II
and
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM

These two are extremely popular prime lenses from Canon, they are sharp, relatively fast, and very inexpensive...
I got the Mk2 in 2009, with my first ILC digital camera, a Rebel XTi / 400D, and it has been used quite a bit. And when Canon released the improved STM version in 2015, it didn't take long before I got one.

The Mk2

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The STM

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Exif transmitting
Lens ID and Lens Type according to ExifTool is the same for both lenses:
EF to M43 50- 50mm F1.8-1.8
The aperture and focal length are properly indicated in the Exif.

Auto-focus support
With the Mk2 lens, Auto-focus does not work properly. When it works, it is extremely slow, and after a shot or two, it stops completely. In practice, only manual focus is possible with this lens.
With the STM, Auto-focus works perfectly. From what I can judge, it is just as fast and accurate as when the lens is used with a Canon body.

Aperture control
This worked flawlessly. The camera knows the correct maximum aperture and the exposure is accurate.

IS function - not applicable with these lenses

Conclusion
It is disappointing that the Mk2 lens doesn't autofocus as this lens is so inexpensive on the used market.
The STM however could be an interesting alternative at lower cost compared to the Oly 45mm or the Pana 42.5mm.

A few shots...

With the Mk2, this is the only shot I succeeded in Auto-focus...

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Mk2 lens in manual focus

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STM lens, Auto-focus

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And another in Auto-focus with the STM

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[cjoliprsf]

The "pancake" lenses
Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM
and
Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM

I got these two lenses to go with the Rebel SL1 / 100D, making an extremely small and light photography package for travelling. When released, the SL1 was the smallest and lightest APS-C DSLR - and I think it still is... One of the pancake lenses was on the camera, and the other in my jeans backpocket, and these two permitted to cover most situations I wanted to shoot.

The 24mm

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and the 40mm

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Exif transmitting
Lens ID and Lens Type according to ExifTool:
24mm : EF to M43 24- 24mm F2.8-2.8
40mm : EF to M43 40- 40mm F2.8-2.8
The aperture and focal length are properly indicated in the Exif.

Auto-focus support
Auto-focus works perfectly with both lenses. From what I can judge, it is just as fast and accurate as when the lenses are used with a Canon body.

Aperture control
This worked flawlessly. The camera knows the correct maximum aperture and the exposure is accurate.

IS function - not applicable with these lenses

Conclusion
All is fine with these 2 lenses.

 

[LilSebastian]

Thanks for reporting your experience with the various lenses. I’m glad most lenses are fully functional. Perhaps this thread should have a red Review header? @barry13 does that make sense?

 

[cjoliprsf]

Tamron-F 2X AF Tele-Converter (EF mount)

This is a pretty old auto-focus enabling teleconverter that used to work fairly well with my first Canon APSC camera (Rebel XTi / 400D) and old technology lenses such as the EF 50mm-1.8 mk2, but failed to focus properly with newer cameras. Hence I stopped using it... Will it get a second life adapted on M4/3?

Although this is claimed to be 2x, in fact I have tested it to really be a 1.85x converter.
It does transmit the electric signals from body to lens, but has no chip, and the information transmitted by the lens such as aperture and focal length are taken as is by the camera. Hence if the Exif says 100mm and F4.0, in reality the picture was taken at 185mm and the true aperture was F8.0.

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I have tested it with two lenses which are in my opinion the most sensible candidates to use with a teleconverter.

With the EF 70-300 F4-5.6 IS USM, to get a really long telephoto (555mm, equivalent to more than 1100mm in 35mm).

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and with the EF 50mm F1.8 STM to obtain a 92mm F3.5.

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Exif transmitting
Lens ID and Lens Type according to ExifTool is the same as for the the lens without teleconverter
The aperture and focal length are indicated in the Exif as if there was no teleconverter.

Auto-focus support
Auto-focus worked actuelly better than on recent Canon bodies.
With the telephoto it was a bit slow but actually nailed the subject quite accurately. Sometimes on first try it was off, but on a second try it nailed it.
With the 50mm, autofocus was fast but always missed the subject although the familiar "on focus" noise was emitted. Hence not usable other than on manual focus.

Aperture control
This worked OK, the exposure is accurate.

IS function
I was a bit worried for the IBIS as the focal length known to the camera is uncorrected, but apparently this is not an issue. I was able to take hand held shots with the long telephoto that do not show any blur.

Conclusion
Mixed result here... I might use it on the telephoto for the odd occasion where I need the reach.

Example shot with the telephoto, 335mm (converted). It is a bit soft when looking at it at 100%, but I think this is inherent to the converter... This was with auto-focus.

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[cjoliprsf]

Miscelaneous other lenses (which I am not likely to use as adapted lenses on micro 4/3 - but since I have them, might as well check how they work...)

Sigma 24mm f/2.8 Super Wide II (EF-mount)

Canon EF 35-105mm f/3.5-4.5

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM


The Sigma 24mm is an old design dating back to the 90s, and a fairly uncommon lens that was my normal prime lens on the Rebel XTi / 400D, and I have used it a lot. This kit also included the EF 50mm-1.8 mk2 as short tele. I stopped using the Sigma 24 when I got the Canon 24mm STM which was lighter with faster focus, but started using it again as a proper wide angle prime when I got the EOS 5D mk2 camera which is full frame.

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The EF 35-105 is a true vintage lens, one if the first EF lenses released by end of the 80s, and one of the very few EF zooms to feature a push-pull zoom. It was quickly replaced by a more modern (but not as well built and slower) equivalent with a rotating zoom ring. This is a very nice lens, well built and fun to use on a FF camera. However since I have a P 35-100mm, I am not likely to use this in micro 4/3.

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The EF-S 18-55 is the kit lens that came with the Rebel SL1 / 100D when I bought it. I never used it much, as I always preferred to use the pancake primes with this camera. It is not a bad lens, but no point using it on Micro 4/3 as there are equivalent kit zooms which are much smaller.

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Exif transmitting
Lens ID and Lens Type according to ExifTool:
For the Sigma 24mm : EF to M43 24- 24mm F2.8-2.8
For the EF 35-105, the aperture wasn't correctly reported and I got the following: EF to M43 35-105mm F4 -4
(It should have been EF to M43 35-105mm F3.5-4.5)
For the EF-S 18-55, again the aperture wasn't correctly reported and I got the following: EF to M43 18- 55mm F4 -4 on some shots taken at F4, and EF to M43 18- 55mm F5.6-5.6 on shots taken at F5.6, so apparently it reports the aperture at which the shot was taken.
The aperture and focal length are properly indicated in the Exif.

Auto-focus support
Sigma 24mm - Auto-focus doesn't work at all.
EF 35-105 - Auto-focus extremely slow, but eventually nails the target.
EF-S 18-55 - Auto-focus fast and accurate.

Aperture control
This worked OK, the exposure is accurate.

IS function
Only the EF-S 18-55 has IS, and apparently this worked properly.

 

[cjoliprsf]

Summary

All in all, this adaptor works much better than I had expected. If I had known it would work that well, I wouldn't have hesitated to buy one.

So let's review the main functions:

Exif transmitting
Lens ID and Lens Type according to ExifTool is in general accurate and helpful to identify the lens used.
Only exception is with 2 zoom lenses for which the maximum apertures weren't properly indicated.
In all cases, the aperture and focal length for the shot are properly indicated in the Exif.

Auto-focus support
Old technology lenses dating back to film era (90s) did not auto-focus properly, and are pretty much limited to manual focus.
USM lenses apparently auto-focus properly (from the one such lens that I could test).
Recent STM lenses seem to auto-focus just as rapidly and accurately as on a Canon body.

Aperture control
This worked OK in all cases, the exposure is accurate.

IS function
I didn't do systematic testing for IS, but apparently the lens IS worked properly in all cases, and also camera IBIS also worked properly. There was no issue when both lens IS and IBIS were simultaneously on.

Conclusion
I am quite pleased with this adaptor, it will make a nice addition to my kit. I am most likely to use it with my 70-300 teleZoom, with my Sigma 30mm-1.4 for its wide aperture and great rendering, and with my 50mm STM, saving me the buying of an O45 or P42.5 which I had been GASing for recently... I will probably use it also with my 24mm STM to make a normal prime.

 

[cjoliprsf]

Adapted lens with chipped adaptor
I am adding this new post as I have recently hit a bone with this adaptor (from the French expression "frapper un os" meaning you meet an unexpected problem)...

So, we are talking here about a vintage manual lens, to which is fitted an adaptor for EF/EOS camera. Such adaptors may be chipped, and this greatly improves their usability on a Canon camera:

• Permits to use the focus confirmation signal from the camera.
• Sends a lens information to the camera, including focal length and maximum aperture (these numbers are programmable by the user on some models of chips - namely those called "EMF")
• These infos are written to the Exif, thus permitting to identify the lens used for a particular shot.

Here is a Zeiss 50mm/1.4, C/Y mount with a chipped adaptor:

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Now the problem
Then when I want to use such lens on a M4/3 body and I use this electronic EF to M43 adaptor, the focal length is not properly sent from the chip to the camera. The camera records a focal length of 1mm, which is then written on the Exif, whatever the chip says. This has a major inconvenient for the IBIS setting: if IBIS is working for a FL of 1mm, I think it would be like no IBIS at all!

The solution (not entirely satisfactory)
The only possible solution then if I want to be able to use the IBIS of my M43 camera, is to use a dumb adaptor with the vintage manual lenses... The camera then sees a "No lens" situation and asks for the correct focal length. We however do lose the advantages of the chip, which permits (on a Canon camera) to correctly identify the lens used from the Exif data.

 

[RAH]

Very nice review, @cjoliprsf . I am very interested in buying one. Can you give a link to it? Also, just to ask, I have a Canon EF-S 15-85 lens, and also a canon 400mm 5.6L lens. Any idea if these will work (esp the 400)?

 

[cjoliprsf]

Can you give a link to it?

I am afrait not. I got the adaptor from a member of this forum through the "Free to good home / karma / pay it forward" thread (https://www.mu-43.com/threads/free-to-good-home-karma-pay-it-forward.109490/).

Also, just to ask, I have a Canon EF-S 15-85 lens, and also a canon 400mm 5.6L lens. Any idea if these will work (esp the 400)?

The only lenses that did not work properly were very old technology lenses. As far as I know, the 2 lenses you are mentioning have fairly modern USM focus, and probably would work fine.

 

[PakkyT]

I missed this thread the first time around and only seeing it now that it was updated. I recall the adapter being claimed in the Free to Good Home thread.

Lens ID and Lens Type according to ExifTool :
EF to M43 70-300mm F4 -5.6

I think it is pretty cool that they grab the basic lens info (focal length and aperture range) from the lens and tack on "EF to M43 " in front of it. Very useful I think and a nice little touch.

Sigma AF 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM (Canon EF mount)

I bought this lens in the 4/3rds mount for my Oly dSLRs (initially the E-520) and I actually still have it (although haven't pulled it out in some years now). As you mentioned, this lens had a bit of a "Pro" quality to it from the interesting textured finish on the body and hood (which I sadly lost) to the full time manual focus ring which I thought was pretty smooth operating as this lens used Sigma's version of an "SWD" focus system. Big lens too with a big front element considering the focal length. However this lens back in the day was notorious for...

Actually, I have had some problems with this lens on Canon bodies as it often focused too short. Not anymore here, and it focuses tack on target. So I could say it actually works better on my Lumix camera than on a Canon body!

The internet was filled with posts about this lens front or back focusing as all cameras back then used Phase Detect autofocusing so the two light paths created could cause issues with this lens, my first copy included. It made it so you couldn't really use it wide open since any slight focusing error at f1.4 was pretty noticeable. Sigma replaced mine with a new one and that one worked great. But I recall reading lots of reports of people actually sending their Canon and Nikon cameras in the with this lens to get the "system" calibrated so the lens would work right on that body. As you note, on mirrorless cameras, this is no longer an issue since the imager and the focusing system are the same.

This was a lens I really liked but also found to be very challenging to use. Even after I got the constant back focusing resolved, at f/1.4 it would still slightly misfocus sometimes on my Olympuses so you couldn't just point and shoot it when working wide open. You really had to pay attention to your focus and it was this lens that really got me into the habit of "feathering" the shutter to get the camera to AF several times (as sometimes you would press it once and it would almost be right but a second press would get it to correct itself) and really spending the extra second making sure the focus was correct before fully pressing the shutter. But when this lens nailed it, man, it could make some really nice photos if you were willing to put up with its misbehaving sometimes.

Ah memories. And now I think I need to pull out the old Sigma 30/1.4 and give it a twirl again for old time's sake.