Simmod Lens FD-to-EF Cine Conversion Kit for Canon FD 85mm F1.2 L Now Available

Lens News

by Jeff LochFebruary 10^th, 2023

Simmod Lens recently launched an interesting Cine Conversion kit for the Canon FD 85mm F1.2 L that turns it into an EF-mount lens. This mod is not reversible and requires you to remove the rear lens element of the lens, which is a tricky process. In case you scratch or break the rear element glass, Simmod also developed a replacement glass element so you can keep going. So let’s take a closer look at this mod!

American manufacturer Simmod Lens was founded by award-winning cinematographer Ron Sim, CSC. The company is famous for its numerous lens modification kits, including front cine rings, cine caps, follow focus gears, and so on. I warmly invite you to read this in-depth article about cine-modding vintage Contax Zeiss lenses; you’ll probably learn many valuable tips!

Back to our topic, Canon FD lenses have been trendy lately since the Canon K35 lenses are now out of reach for most of us mere mortals. This includes the Canon FD 85mm F1.2 L prime lens that features a similar optical formula to its K35 cousin.

If you want to convert your FD lenses to Canon EF, for example, you can, of course, use a simple lens mount adapter. However, for a more rugged and permanent solution, you can change the entire lens mount of your Canon FD lenses; this is where Simmod Lens comes into play!

Simmod Lens conversion kit for the Canon FD 85mm F1.2 L

The Simmod Lens FD-to-EF cine conversion kit for the Canon FD 85mm F1.2 L – in partnership with Edmika – consists of two main parts: an EF mount made out of brass and an aperture control ring. The kit also comes with a set of shims if you need to recalibrate your lens’ infinity mark.

This lens mount modification was previously only made in-house by Simmod Lens for a simple reason: the Canon FD 85mm F1.2 L rear glass element needs to be removed and put into the new EF mount. While it sounds like a simple thing to do, removing that rear element is risky, as shown in the video above. There are high risks of scratching the rear glass element, breaking it, or not even being able to remove it, which means you would need to cut the original Canon FD lens mount.

To minimize that problem and make it a DIY-ready lens conversion kit, Simmod Lens developed a replacement rear glass element that is available for purchase. However, the company mentions on its website, “before purchasing this kit, we strongly ask that you attempt to remove the native rear element to determine whether you will need a replacement glass.”

In short, this kit removes a bit of pressure off your shoulders if you decide to go for a definitive lens modification and are afraid of ruining your precious vintage lens. Once the rear glass element is out, the process is reasonably straightforward: break the old FD pin, put the new aperture ring on, screw everything back in, and you’re ready to go!

Price and availability

The Simmod Lens FD-to-EF Cine Conversion Kit for the Canon FD 85mm F1.2 L is available now, starting at $225 and $325 if you need a replacement rear glass element.

For more information, please visit Simmod Lens’ website here.

What do you think about this lens mount conversion kit? Would you feel confident doing it yourself, or do you prefer sending it to a professional installer? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments down below!