Best options for adapting EF lenses

So, I have a collection of EF lenses from when I owned a 5D-II. They are quite nice (mid-telephoto length L primes, a tilt-shift, macro, some manual focus Zeiss), but have been unused for a number of years, having transitioned over to Sony A mount FF. I'd like to get them used again, as I never really replaced those specific lens lengths. So, I probably have 3 options - adaptor against a Sony, a Canon SLR, or a Canon mirrorless. The SLR doesn't interest me, and the adaptor I have is an early meta-bones, and is pretty useless.

Any recommendations on what would be a good approach to this?  Do new adapters work well?  Pick up a used R6 I?  Wait for R5 II?

I'm clearly not in a hurry, but interested in different approaches.

pdub99 wrote:

So, I have a collection of EF lenses from when I owned a 5D-II. They are quite nice (mid-telephoto length L primes, a tilt-shift, macro, some manual focus Zeiss), but have been unused for a number of years, having transitioned over to Sony A mount FF. I'd like to get them used again, as I never really replaced those specific lens lengths. So, I probably have 3 options - adaptor against a Sony, a Canon SLR, or a Canon mirrorless. The SLR doesn't interest me, and the adaptor I have is an early meta-bones, and is pretty useless.

Any recommendations on what would be a good approach to this? Do new adapters work well? Pick up a used R6 I? Wait for R5 II?

I'm clearly not in a hurry, but interested in different approaches.

The R10, R7, R5 all work brilliantly with EF lenses.

I have no intention of buying many RF lenses for medium term - I only own the one.

For full frame general use - a mint used R6 mark i with dealer warranty at a discount is probably best value and will be huge improvement of 5DII. It's a pro body and for me tops the R8.

If you need "reach" the R10 and R7 are great APS-C bodies. I'd personally stay clear of the R50 due to lack of controls plus in the UK one can get a better R10 for the same price. The R7 is good apart from rolling shutter and only 2 dials.

Or the R5 - pricy but low mileage dealer warranty bodies now starting to be discounted. Much better "reach" the the 5DII plus all full frame advantage too.

There are a few RF lenses which are transformative vs EF - such as the 50 and 85 f/1.2's and the 28-70 f/2. And some seem to like the very dark 600/800 f/11s. The 16mm is cheap and very small. The 85 f/2 is quite interesting too - as is the 100-500 (for a big price premium over say a mint used EF 100-400).

Otherwise one gains very little IMHO with RF lenses other than in some cases some size reduction (at huge cost premium like the 70-200s) or more often pretty similar IQ - from the 24-105 f/4 through to the RF 600 f/4 which is simply an EF III with a built in adaptor.

When I first bought my Canon EOS R 4 years ago, there were only 4 lenses for the system, and I bought 2 of them with it - 24-105 L and 35 f1.8. The camera came with an EF adapter, and I also bought one with a control ring at a reduced price. I've used that camera and more recently an R6 for much of my pro work, almost exclusively using my EF L lenses with these adapters (and for the record, I've not used the control ring hugely). In many ways they work better on R cameras than they did on my 5D IV - more accurate AF, in particular with the f1.2 lenses. (In fairness, the 5D IV does focus perfectly in Live View too, but that's not ideal for my conference shooting.)

How much is the combined camera/adapter/lens balance affected vs. RF lenses with the mass extended the thickness of the adapter?  Is it even noticeable?

CameraCarl wrote:

The Canon brand adaptors work perfectly with no issues. I would not consider anything less.

What is it that ef lenses can do on canon bodies that they can’t do on other bodies such as Sony?

by and large I have found ef lenses much better on Sony than on canon dslrs, given on sensor af and ibis, as well as new af modes and video through evf. They are also as good or better than Sony a mount glass on same cameras.

personally, I would choose a camera based on the lenses I wanted to buy, but assuming you are intending to remain with ef glass (much prefer native) then I think the r8 and r5 are great options, for which Sony would require you to buy used to be competitive (e.g a9 or a7riv)

Life is good for EF lens owners. There is not only a full frame to full frame adapter (EF -EOS R, with or without control ring), but this light boosting baby below.