T3i Lenses.

[DarrellB]

I would like to know if the old Canon AE-1 lenses (FD Mount) will fit on the T3i / 600D

[inkista]

All the digital Canon dSLR bodies use the EOS mount. So, FD/FL won't fit directly onto a Canon dSLR.

You might be able to find an FD -> EOS adapter, but it will have to have a glass element in it if you want the lens to achieve focus to infinity. And any reasonably priced adapter is likely to have cheap glass in it that might add some softness to the lens. And, of course, you won't have autofocus, aperture control from the camera body (i.e., you have to shoot in M or Av modes), and you'll be using stop-down metering, not wide-open metering.

For most folks, this is more hassle than they want to deal with, unless the FD-mount lenses are Ls.

The only camera bodies that you can easily adapt FD lenses to with simple mechanical rings would be the mirrorless compacts, like micro four-thirds, Sony NEX, or Samsung NX, (or one assumes the upcoming Fuji film X-Pro 1).

[Doug Pardee]

Originally Posted by DarrellB

I would like to know if the old Canon AE-1 lenses (FD Mount) will fit on the T3i / 600D

Short answer: No.

Long answer: It's possible, but not worth the cost or effort except for close-focus macro work (and even then you're stuck trying to manual-focus using the T3i's viewscreen). Close-up macro is all you can do with adapters that don't have glass, and adapters that do have glass come in two kinds: cheap and producing unbelievably awful results, or extremely expensive ($1000 or so) plus impossible-to-find plus only usable on certain L telephoto lenses if you can find one and can afford it.

Reasonable answer: No.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by Doug Pardee

Long answer: It's possible, but not worth the cost or effort except for close-focus macro work (and even then you're stuck trying to manual-focus using the T3i's viewscreen).

Most of my macro work, at 1:1, is actually done with liveview active and magnification on-screen.

[DarrellB]

Thank you all for the help and taking the time to explain your answers.
I am sure I will be back with more questions as I have caught the photography bug in a big way.