EF 35-105mm 1:4 -5.6

[margstamps]

I'm hoping to purchase a Canon 40D. . . I'm looking at my old film Rebel S. Will this EF 35-105mm 1:4 -5.6 lens work on the 40D? Thanks for the info. - m

[dr_spock]

Any EF or EF-S lens should work with the 40D.

[margstamps]

Thanks

[peripatetic]

Yes it will work, but you won't like the results. (My prediction).

It's certainly no substitute for the 40D kit lens. Even the cheapest digital kit lens will blow it away i.t.o resolution, etc.

Also don't forget the crop factor. It will give the same field of view as (35-105)*1.6=56-168mm lens on your film camera.

[NHL]

peripatetic wrote:

Yes it will work, but you won't like the results. (My prediction).

I tend to agree - The newer lens that are design for 'digital only' will blow away the older lens in sharpness and contrast just because the way they are designed to get the projected image on the sensor straight on rather than at an angle...

[Electron]

NHL wrote:

... because the way they are designed to get the projected image on the sensor straight on rather than at an angle...

What?

There are differences between lenses designed for digital sensors and those designed with film in mind, but that's not one of them. First, the dimensions can be more compact in lenses designed for crop-factor cameras (like the Canon EF-S mount). This is because the projected image circle doesn't need to be as large, since an APS-C or 4/3 chip is smaller than a 35mm film frame. Mounts like the EF-S also take advantage of the smaller mirror swing allowed for by the smaller sensor, accomodating more rearward (physical) projection of the lense behind the mount. None of this affects resolution or contrast (or any other optical property); they're issues of form factor.

Improved coatings are used on "digital" lenses to cut down on internal reflections that can lead to ghosting and diminished contrast. This was a response to the increased reflectivity of silicon sensors compared to film. Under certain conditions, lenses used on film cameras will also benefit from use of these coatings.

I don't have any experience with the EF 35-105. While it may be true that one lens outperforms another, it isn't for the reasons mentioned above and you shouldn't discount a lens simply because it was designed before CMOS chips became the standard. Or maybe you should... It might help keep the prices on used lenses down for the rest of us.