# FD lenses



## mrsfotografie (Feb 7, 2014)

I was wondering if there are any affordable but 'outstanding', 'good' or simply 'fun' FD or FL lenses that you would recommend to use on a mirrorless camera like the EOS-M or Sony NEX that I own. 

I have an FD adapter and tried the FDn 70-210mm f/4 on my NEX but the lens's performance was poor with lots of purple fringing. I sold it and now bought a Canon FD 200mm f/4 S.S.C. that I have better hopes for. 

Other old stuff I own:

Vivitar C/FD 28mm f/2.8 Auto Wide Angle
FDn 28mm f/2.8
FL50mm f/1.8 II
FDn 50mm f/1.8
FL 135mm f/2.5 (haven't tried this yet but should be fun)

What's your experience with adapted FD lenses?


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## Sella174 (Feb 8, 2014)

Can't say that I like FD lenses, although I have fondled one or two of the S.S.C.'s and they're adequate. Honestly, I prefer my Takumars.


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## Zv (Feb 8, 2014)

mrsfotografie said:


> I was wondering if there are any affordable but 'outstanding', 'good' or simply 'fun' FD or FL lenses that you would recommend to use on a mirrorless camera like the EOS-M or Sony NEX that I own.
> 
> I have an FD adapter and tried the FDn 70-210mm f/4 on my NEX but the lens's performance was poor with lots of purple fringing. I sold it and now bought a Canon FD 200mm f/4 S.S.C. that I have better hopes for.
> 
> ...



I haven't used them much but I've got a FD 50mm f/1.4 S.S.C and a FD 100mm f/2.8 S.S.C that I bought off ebay to use specifically with the EOS M. I'm using a Fotasy adapter and it's doing a pretty decent job. I mucked up at the beginning as I didn't mount the lens properly and the lens was stuck at f/1.4 (I also failed to notice this until later so all my shots were a bit soft). However, even when I shot wide open the images came out quite good, better than I expected. I think it would be cool to try some portraits with it. It has a kind of dreamy quality that is unique. 

The 100mm seems sharper wide open but I only played with it a little around my living room. Still need to test that out properly. I like the reach ( ~ 160mm) you get for the extremely small size this combo gives. Good for snapping candids! 

I use Magic Lantern to help with focusing but even without it I'm getting better at manual focus that its not that much of an issue. 

I don't know if Canon will ever decide to release a AF tele lens for the M mount so until then I'll make do with these two lenses.


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## mb66energy (Feb 8, 2014)

mrsfotografie said:


> I was wondering if there are any affordable but 'outstanding', 'good' or simply 'fun' FD or FL lenses that you would recommend to use on a mirrorless camera like the EOS-M or Sony NEX that I own.
> 
> I have an FD adapter and tried the FDn 70-210mm f/4 on my NEX but the lens's performance was poor with lots of purple fringing. I sold it and now bought a Canon FD 200mm f/4 S.S.C. that I have better hopes for.
> 
> ...



I have checked with the EOS M
4.0 17mm New FD
2.8 28mm S.C.
1.4 50mm S.S.C.
3.5 50mm S.S.C.Macro
1.8 85mm S.S.C.
2.5 135mm S.C.
4.0 200mm S.S.C.
4.0 300mm New FD 

and found that only 

*1.4 50mm S.S.C. *and *3.5 50mm S.S.C.Macro*
see http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=16907.msg324375#msg324375
the strip chaped crop is a 1:1 crop.

are optically very good and interesting.

The tele lenses are a little soft and show strong longitudinal CA (wide) open.

The 4.0 17mm might be interesting vor video because it has very low distortion and
good brilliance. Sharpness is o.k. for 1080p.

A true gem is the 3.5 35mm macro lens with the FD bellows.
But I have no infinity focus mount for that lens - a speciality lens.

Sorry that I cannot provide a "visual" comparison but it was eminent
from the first photos that the new EF lenses are much better - except
the two 50mm lenses I mentioned.

Using them on an EOS M is a pain because only Av mode gives good
exposure simulation - but EOS M has an exposure lock (*) button. It
is usable. The quality of the images which EOS M delivers, is very good.
I am trying to build a loupe adapter around an achromatic lens I still
have - with that "electronic" viewfinder finding focus is much easier
- thanks to the great display of the EOS M. There should be a finger
hole in the adapter to operate the touch screen - but this might be
done with ease.

Best - Michael


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## tcmatthews (Feb 8, 2014)

I have the following that I use fairly reguarly on my Nex6

Canon FD 24mm f2.8 S.S.C.
Vivitar C/FD 28 f2.5
 Canon FD 35mm f2 S.S.C. 
 M42 Pancolar 50mm f1.8 Carl Zeiss Jena DDR
 M42 Super-Takumar 50 f 1.4 
 Canon FD 135mm f2.5 S.C.

The 135mm f2.5 is good but shows purple fringe in spectral highlights such as water drops.

I also own a Canon FD 50mm F1.8 S.C., Canon FDn 50 3.5, Macro and a M42 77M-4. The Canon FD 50mm f1.8 is the last 50mm lens that I would choose to use. It is not that it is a bad lens. It is just so boring. I kinda have the same problem with the EF 50mm 1.8. The act about the same. They both suck wide open (compared to some of my other options) have excellent sharpness stopped down especially in the center. 

But so do all the other 50mm lens I own. It has a terrible minimum focus distance compared to the Zeiss. The Zeiss and the M77-4 have swirl bokeh wide open and tons of character. It cannot go as wide as the Super-Takumar. If on the EOS M the EF 50 1.8 I own has auto focus. On the Sony my the Sony E50 1.8 can be used wide open and has Sony IS. 

The truth is the Canon FD and EF 50mm f1.8 lens are my last chose for 50mm lens period. 

Personally I prefer using the Sony Nex to the EOS M for all old lens. The Sony focus peeking works better then ML focus peeking. I have noticed that all of the converted lens are a little week at infinity focus.


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## tcmatthews (Feb 8, 2014)

135mm 2.5 on Nex 6 Example photo That includes purple fringe spectral highlights.


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## mrsfotografie (Feb 8, 2014)

Thanks all, looks like there aren't really any gems that can be had for a song, as seen from these posts. The affordable FD lenses obviously are made for 35mm film camera's that usually don't print all that large. I'm a little disappointed to read the 200 SSC may not be all that good - another dud? If I can find the time I'll try and play around with some of these older lenses on my Nex this weekend, the FL ones may be interesting; I don't expect them to be good but however show a lot of character. We'll se. Thanks for posting! Any more samples you have are welcome 

*tcmatthews*, you're right about the Sony focus peeking, it's really good (and can be seen in the EVF as well!)


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## mrsfotografie (Feb 8, 2014)

Did a few quick test shots with the FL 135 f/2.5 on my NEX despite it getting dark around here... and it has beautiful bokeh as well as appearing tack sharp at f/2.5 from corner to corner (on a 1.5 crop). It does show some purple spectral highlights like the FD version. Samples at f/2.5 below. The license plate on the car in the lower right (shot through window glass) can be easily read at 100%. Sorry it's quite a noisy picture at iso 3200.


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## JumboShrimp (Feb 8, 2014)

The 55/1.2 FL is an outstanding lens with excellent character. It's chunky, befitting its quality construction. It also has 58mm filter threads - use the excellent Canon 250D close-up lens for pseudo-macros taken at f/1.2. Not cheap but look to KEH or eBay.


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## mrsfotografie (Feb 8, 2014)

JumboShrimp said:


> The 55/1.2 FL is an outstanding lens with excellent character. It's chunky, befitting its quality construction. It also has 58mm filter threads - use the excellent Canon 250D close-up lens for pseudo-macros taken at f/1.2. Not cheap but look to KEH or eBay.



Amazing that these lenses from the 60's can still cut it today...


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## wickidwombat (Feb 11, 2014)

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=5103.0

here are some examples from my 600 f4.5 FD shot with a 1Dmk3


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## mrsfotografie (Feb 11, 2014)

wickidwombat said:


> http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=5103.0
> 
> here are some examples from my 600 f4.5 FD shot with a 1Dmk3



Cool, did you have an optical adapter in between?


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## wickidwombat (Feb 12, 2014)

mrsfotografie said:


> wickidwombat said:
> 
> 
> > http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=5103.0
> ...



no optics just the edmika brass adapter he makes himself and sells on ebay, he is on this site a really great bloke with tons of knowledge adapting FD lenses to EF, the adapters are chipped so you get AF confirm and EXIF data showing the lens and widest aperture


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## mrsfotografie (Feb 22, 2014)

My newest acquisition 8)


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