# Will a 35mm camera lens work with a digital camera?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-35mm-camera-lens-work-with-a-digital-camera/623094>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 25, 2012, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-35mm-camera-lens-work-with-a-digital-camera/623094 "2012-05-25T19:25:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-35mm-camera-lens-work-with-a-digital-camera/623094/1 "2012-05-25T19:25:03Z")

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I’m plan to surprise my nephew with a new camera for his birthday but I need to know if I should just buy the camera body or a lens also. My camera knowledge is fairly limited and looking on the internet the answers seem to come down to some will, some won’t. So I’m giving you all the info I have and hopefully someone has the answer.

He has a[Canon t50](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_T50)

I’m looking at buying[this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_EOS_600D)

The lenses I know he has are a Canon 18-55mm, and a Vivitar 85-210mm. He also has one called a Chinon but I don’t know any numbers for that one.

So, new body only or body and lens?

Thanks, Hup

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**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-35mm-camera-lens-work-with-a-digital-camera/623094/2 "2012-05-25T19:30:37Z")

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The T-50 sure looks like it takes the now-abandoned FD-mount. If so, no current Canon camera will accept his lenses. One reason I switched to Nikon.

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**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-35mm-camera-lens-work-with-a-digital-camera/623094/3 "2012-05-25T20:11:08Z")

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Nope, the FD lenses won’t work on the EOS bodies. Different mount, and they’re manual focus.

Adapters are available, but IMHO they’re more trouble than they’re worth. And he’ll still have a manual focus lens.

Get the [T3i](http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/753762-REG/Canon_5169B003_EOS_Rebel_T3i_Digital.html) with the 18-55 kit lens, or, save yourself some money and get him the [T2i](http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/861937-REG/Canon_4462B003_EOS_Rebel_T2i_Digital.html) (the previous model) with the kit lens. (Those links are for B&H Photo in New York.)

The only major difference between the two is the articulated monitor on the T3i. [Here’s a side-by-side comparison between the two.](http://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/side-by-side?products=canon_eos600d&products=canon_eos550d)

As for the lenses he already has, you’ll need to find out what mount they are. The current, autofocus mount is the EF (and EF-S for crop cameras).

You say he has an 18-55mm? That _may_ be an EF mount, but you should ask him. I can’t find anything in the [Canon Camera Museum](http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/index.html) that shows they made any FD zooms wider than [24-35mm](http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/lens/fd/zoom.html).

(By the way, you’re a cool uncle!)