Can You Mount EF Lenses on a PL Camera?

The popularity and abundance of Canon EF lenses make them a perennial favorite for filmmakers, videographers, and anybody recording moving images. But what if you are stuck using a camera body with a PL mount? Can you still use your favorite Canon glass?

Canon EF Lenses DO NOT Adapt to PL

The ability of a lens to adapt to a camera body is defined by one simple number: the flange focal distance. If the distance is longer for the lens than the receiving camera body, you only need to space it further away from the camera body. If it is shorter, then the lens cannot be mounted without significant optical intervention - either by physically modifying the lens or by designing a much more complicated (and expensive) adapter that corrects for this disparity.

The flange distance for EF lenses is 52mm, while a camera with an PL mount has a flange focal distance of 44m. Unfortunately, that means the lens would have to be mounted much closer than is physically possible for a PL camera. And adding insult to injury, no major manufacturers currently sell EF to PL adapters. If you are interested in learning more, Matthew Duclos has an excellent article on mixing EF and PL mounts.