# EdMika relaunch of FL 55mm 1.2 EOS brass conversion kit



## ontarian (Jan 29, 2012)

Hello all,

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/180807598906?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649#ht_1648wt_1370

We finally have the FL 55mm 1.2 conversion kits ready to ship. We have 31 on hand for now. Our CNC machine has a problem with lubrication and is currently disassembled and the problem is now found and we will hopefully have everything back together in days. Also I have less than 35 Dandelion reporting chips in stock and I have exhausted the global supply of them. The plant in Russia thinks they will have another large batch ready to ship on Feb1. Problem is it takes 2 weeks for them to arrive here in Canada with the only method they use for shipping.

Once those two hold ups are fixed, we are focusing on adjusting the design of our 0.5mm FD-EOS adapter slightly to ensure triggering of the mechanical switch in older EOS bodies. After that our development work will focus on the three FD 55mm 1.2 lens versions.


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## Harley (Jan 29, 2012)

Any differences between this kit and the previous version you made?


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## ontarian (Jan 29, 2012)

Harley said:


> Any differences between this kit and the previous version you made?



Hi Harley, Quite a few changes but nothing that really impacts functionality in this unofficially 3rd FL design version. This is the first FL kit we 100% made ourselves, the first two versions were outsourced to Toronto machine shops. We made the edges of the EF side exactly match an EF lens rather than having them more rounded before which used to allow a larger cutter to be used for minimizing tool wear and tool changes. We did this square edge thing because we could not assure that a mechanical lens detection switch on older EOS bodies (from the 1D2N and older) was being triggered in all bodies. We also added a small face groove to reduce friction while engaging and disengaging the lens. We added a small circular brass ridge to give me perfectly repeatable chip locating rather than the old notch I used for eyeballing. We also eliminated the sticker shims by adjusting cut depth since we found variability in the field was quite low and I was tired of sticking them all on by hand.

If anyone is interested in upgrading to the latest version (though I really think from a functionality point of view its rather unnecessary) I am willing to sell at a 40% discount with the return of the original adapter. The reason I'm interested in getting the old ones back is I've had an experience with one buyer in particular who claimed to have a problem with their adapter so I sent a free replacement and they turned around and sold the original one. I know this is just one case and overwhelmingly buyers have been extremely honest and excellent and supportive of what I'm doing but once burned its hard to not get a little bit jaded.


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## underjammer (Feb 18, 2012)

I saw your other posting of the 0.5mm FD kit, so did a quick search for the 55mm 1.2 kit posting.

Just wanted to say I ordered one of the 55mm 1.2 FL kits from the late-January batch. It arrived in 5 days (to California) - awesome!! And doing the conversion couldn't have been easier.. (screw driver, screws + spare included, etc..) The kit is spectacular and that piece of brass just looks perfect.

Congrats on getting your shop up and going! And thanks for the amazing attention to detail and continued exploration into converting more of the old lenses!


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## wickidwombat (Feb 18, 2012)

ontarian said:


> Harley said:
> 
> 
> > Any differences between this kit and the previous version you made?
> ...



pretty disappointing that people will do that considering its a fair priced item and all the R&D that went into it
BTW mine is going well, hoping to go out and shoot some kangaroos with the 600FD today if this rain clears up


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## Harley (Feb 20, 2012)

wickidwombat said:


> pretty disappointing that people will do that considering its a fair priced item and all the R&D that went into it
> BTW mine is going well, hoping to go out and shoot some kangaroos with the 600FD today if this rain clears up


Agreed -- that's ridiculous. I'm tempted to buy the new version of the adapter just to have both versions! BTW, I just posted a couple night shots with the FL 55mm here: http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php/topic,1758.msg73521/topicseen.html#new


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## The_Arsonist (Feb 20, 2012)

Loving my 55 1.2


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## The_Arsonist (Feb 20, 2012)

Anyone have any good solutions for a hood on this lens? I am looking at a generic 58mm screw in hood now, but was wondering if there are any good aftermarket replacements for the original S-60 hood


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## dr croubie (Feb 20, 2012)

hmmm, seems I, ... uh, ... "accidentally" bought an FL 55 f/1.2 off ebay overnight.

Oh well, now i'll just have to get an adapter for it and use it, although i'll be torn as to what to do with my gorgeous Takumar 50 f/1.4 if the FL is better (Tak @ f/2 > 50/1.8ii @f/4).

Now the question is whether to get the 0.5mm tele kit at the same time to save on postage "just in case" I accidentally buy a 600mm FD as well...


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## Harley (Feb 20, 2012)

The_Arsonist said:


> Anyone have any good solutions for a hood on this lens? I am looking at a generic 58mm screw in hood now, but was wondering if there are any good aftermarket replacements for the original S-60 hood



If you like the original hood, you can find them often at KEH.com. Since you're shooting APS-C, you can also use the T-60-1 hood without it showing in the frame. It's a little deeper, so it helps eliminate flare even better.


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## Harley (Feb 20, 2012)

dr croubie said:


> hmmm, seems I, ... uh, ... "accidentally" bought an FL 55 f/1.2 off ebay overnight.
> 
> Oh well, now i'll just have to get an adapter for it and use it, although i'll be torn as to what to do with my gorgeous Takumar 50 f/1.4 if the FL is better (Tak @ f/2 > 50/1.8ii @f/4).
> 
> Now the question is whether to get the 0.5mm tele kit at the same time to save on postage "just in case" I accidentally buy a 600mm FD as well...



Speaking as someone who has both adapters (my tele is the 300 f/2.8 L), I say better to buy now just on the off chance that you purchase an FD supertele without knowing it. At least then it will be usable right away.


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## Jon Gilchrist (Feb 20, 2012)

Wait, what? An adapter for the FD 1.2 lenses? Guess I better start shopping for lenses again...

I *love* my FL 55/1.2 with EdMika adapter. Took a bit to get the focus confirm calibrated, but now it works like a dream. 1/2" dof at 3 feet? Yes please!


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## The_Arsonist (Feb 20, 2012)

Harley said:


> The_Arsonist said:
> 
> 
> > Anyone have any good solutions for a hood on this lens? I am looking at a generic 58mm screw in hood now, but was wondering if there are any good aftermarket replacements for the original S-60 hood
> ...



Did you mean T-60-2 or is the -1 correct? I can't find any info on the -1.

From the pictures, it looks like the chrome part of the hood slips over the black lip at the front of the lens, and there is a screw to clamp it on? I think I like that type of design over one that screws into the filter threads, as long as it's not going to slip off. The s-60/t-60 look pretty snazzy


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## Neeneko (Feb 20, 2012)

Glad to see these are back up on eBay ^_^

Though now I am wondering if I should grab one, or wait till the FD 55 1.2 kits are ready. I have heard good things about both lenses....


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## Harley (Feb 20, 2012)

The_Arsonist said:


> Did you mean T-60-2 or is the -1 correct? I can't find any info on the -1.
> 
> From the pictures, it looks like the chrome part of the hood slips over the black lip at the front of the lens, and there is a screw to clamp it on? I think I like that type of design over one that screws into the filter threads, as long as it's not going to slip off. The s-60/t-60 look pretty snazzy



I take it back, I have the T-60-2. It slips over the end of the lens (whether or not it has a filter on it). The screw pushes the hood's inner ring tight against the lens to keep it from slipping. It's easy to fix and to remove.

I believe there is also a T-60-1 hood and the difference is that one is slightly deeper than the other. The T-60-2 is about an inch and a half deep. The S-60 is about an inch. Both are all metal and have black felt on the inside of the hood.



Neeneko said:


> Though now I am wondering if I should grab one, or wait till the FD 55 1.2 kits are ready. I have heard good things about both lenses....



Get an FL 55mm! It's a great lens, compact, with excellent build quality and feel.


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## Neeneko (Feb 20, 2012)

Harley said:


> Get an FL 55mm! It's a great lens, compact, with excellent build quality and feel.



That is my current plan, I guess I will see if eBay plays along.

It is a pity the TS 35mm lenses are so pricy, that looks like it would be a fun one to convert...


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## The_Arsonist (Feb 20, 2012)

Harley said:


> I take it back, I have the T-60-2. It slips over the end of the lens (whether or not it has a filter on it). The screw pushes the hood's inner ring tight against the lens to keep it from slipping. It's easy to fix and to remove.
> 
> I believe there is also a T-60-1 hood and the difference is that one is slightly deeper than the other. The T-60-2 is about an inch and a half deep. The S-60 is about an inch. Both are all metal and have black felt on the inside of the hood.



Thanks for the info, I found a T-60-2 on KEH and it's on the way to me as we speak (type?)

This thing does like to flare. It may be a nice effect sometimes, but I'd rather lessen it in most circumstances with a hood.


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## Harley (Feb 21, 2012)

Neeneko said:


> That is my current plan, I guess I will see if eBay plays along.
> 
> It is a pity the TS 35mm lenses are so pricy, that looks like it would be a fun one to convert...



Right on! The TS can be found for around $600 or so if you keep an eye out for deals. KEH.com has them occassionally. Blue Moon Camera currently has one: http://www.bluemooncamera.com/inventory.php?menuID=0&catID=100&deptID=121 That's such a compact lens for a tilt-shift -- a lot nicer to carry around than a TS-E lens. And like the FL 55mm, the build quality is really solid plus beautiful glass with the S.S.C. coating.



The_Arsonist said:


> Thanks for the info, I found a T-60-2 on KEH and it's on the way to me as we speak (type?)
> 
> This thing does like to flare. It may be a nice effect sometimes, but I'd rather lessen it in most circumstances with a hood.



Glad you found one! It'll definitely help with the flare.


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## Neeneko (Feb 21, 2012)

Harley said:


> Right on! The TS can be found for around $600 or so if you keep an eye out for deals. KEH.com has them occassionally. Blue Moon Camera currently has one: http://www.bluemooncamera.com/inventory.php?menuID=0&catID=100&deptID=121 That's such a compact lens for a tilt-shift -- a lot nicer to carry around than a TS-E lens. And like the FL 55mm, the build quality is really solid plus beautiful glass with the S.S.C. coating.



Interesting. I will have to keep my eyes open. For some reason I had it in my head that they were a lot pricier then that.. but maybe I was confusing that with when I was looking at Canon's 0.95f lenses.


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## Harley (Feb 21, 2012)

Neeneko said:


> Interesting. I will have to keep my eyes open. For some reason I had it in my head that they were a lot pricier then that.. but maybe I was confusing that with when I was looking at Canon's 0.95f lenses.


Yeah, not nearly as expensive as a TS-E lens. Plus I think the 35mm focal length, which is not available in the TS-E line, is just a great, usable focal length. The length and weight of the lens balances nicely with my 7D body. 
Ed's adapter retains all the rotational functionality of the lens, too! So you can rotate it 180 degrees in order to tilt and shift horizontal or vertical or in whatever direction you need. It has detents at every 15 degrees. It's really a brilliant adapter.


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## dr croubie (Mar 3, 2012)

So the FL 55/1.2 turned up on Wednesday, and the EdMika adapter on Thursday.

Firstly, good idea adding in that extra ball-bearing. I didn't lose the one on the mount, but my lens had an "issue" that I knew when I bought it (and got it for cheaper). The front ring had come off, only held on by 1 screw (found a 2nd screw in the packing), but the aperture-click ball-bearing was gone. Ed's replacement ball that he so kindly gives everyone fit in the spot nicely, now my aperture clicks again.
I normally de-click my MF primes, but it's going to be useful for my 50-55mm prime shoot-out i'm planning (borrowing my mate's EF50L plus i've got 3x50mm and 3x55mm now), and I might stick with the clicky-aperture for a while (and I can presumably sell it for a profit now that it's complete, too bad I'm in love with it and don't want to ever part with it).

So, three photos that pretty much sums it all up. FL- to EF-mount in 3 minutes, not having practised or even read the instructions, and I was hardly working quickly either.
And a shot I took this morning in the fog, f/1.2, iso100, 1/125s handheld, MFD. I took a lot this morning actually, I think there's finally a different lens to be called "glued on my camera" more than my 70-300L, I absolutely love it...


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## ontarian (Mar 3, 2012)

dr croubie said:


> So the FL 55/1.2 turned up on Wednesday, and the EdMika adapter on Thursday.
> 
> Firstly, good idea adding in that extra ball-bearing. I didn't lose the one on the mount, but my lens had an "issue" that I knew when I bought it (and got it for cheaper). The front ring had come off, only held on by 1 screw (found a 2nd screw in the packing), but the aperture-click ball-bearing was gone. Ed's replacement ball that he so kindly gives everyone fit in the spot nicely, now my aperture clicks again.
> I normally de-click my MF primes, but it's going to be useful for my 50-55mm prime shoot-out i'm planning (borrowing my mate's EF50L plus i've got 3x50mm and 3x55mm now), and I might stick with the clicky-aperture for a while (and I can presumably sell it for a profit now that it's complete, too bad I'm in love with it and don't want to ever part with it).
> ...



I'm running out of the tiny ball bearings and was thinking of not including them in the kit. I guess I should find some more since they do come in handy apparently. They came from a 2x FD extender that was broken a few years ago and my 100+ bearings are down to a dozen or so.


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## gmikol (Mar 4, 2012)

100 ball bearings from a single 2x extender?

I hope you can find another source for your ball bearings to keep supplying them. I'd have to imagine there are all sorts of industrial suppliers in Toronto (assuming your general location from your name) who could supply you with the right size bearing.

I nearly lost the one on my FL55 when I did my conversion. Fortunately a quite strong rare-earth magnet swept over the floor beneath my desk found it. It's easy to lose, even if you're trying to be careful.

BTW...here's to hoping that the redesigned mirror assembly on the 5D3 will allow infinity focus. (via Planet5D comments/notes from Chuck Westfall). ("There’s a totally new mirror mechanism to handle the 6fps")

http://blog.planet5d.com/2012/03/canon-eos-5d-mark-iii-hands-on-what-isnt-in-the-canon-press-release/

--Greg


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## Harley (Mar 18, 2012)

FYI, I lost a ball bearing when putting on the new FL 55mm adapter -- I sure was glad to have that spare!


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## dr croubie (Mar 18, 2012)

Ed, I was thinking, why not just buy some old lenses full of fungus and sacrifice them for the good of the balls? I've seen some FD/FL lenses go for as little as $10, even one should last you a while, ends up maybe 10-20c a ball...


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## ontarian (Mar 18, 2012)

dr croubie said:


> Ed, I was thinking, why not just buy some old lenses full of fungus and sacrifice them for the good of the balls? I've seen some FD/FL lenses go for as little as $10, even one should last you a while, ends up maybe 10-20c a ball...



Yeah, the next time I order something from keh.com I'll fill the basket full of 10 dollar ugly grade nFD lenses and harvest them for bearings. Hate to do it but if they are really bad and at the consumer grade end of the lens scale I could probably live with myself doing it, good idea.


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## Neeneko (Mar 22, 2012)

Just ordered my first conversion kit ^_^
Well, the TS one, but still looking forward to trying out the f/1.2 one.


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## dr croubie (Mar 22, 2012)

ontarian said:


> dr croubie said:
> 
> 
> > Ed, I was thinking, why not just buy some old lenses full of fungus and sacrifice them for the good of the balls? I've seen some FD/FL lenses go for as little as $10, even one should last you a while, ends up maybe 10-20c a ball...
> ...



Actually, I just wanted to be able to say "sacrifice them for the good of the balls" ...


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