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Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.

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Canon FL 28mm f3.5
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Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2016 12:42 am
Post subject: Canon FL 28mm f3.5
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Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2016 12:42 am
Post subject: Canon FL 28mm f3.5
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There is almost nothing about this lens on the net.
I am unsure how common it is, but it is - at first blush, an impressive lens.
My initial trials with this lens show very fine resolution even from widest aperture and excellent results closed down.
Here are some quick images from this morning.
If you have other shots from this lens please share them here.
OH

Open aperture f3.5
#1


f8
#2


#3


#4


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Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2016 7:03 am
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Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2016 7:03 am
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Thanks for sharing, I haven't had a chance to shoot my FL or FD silver nose 28/3.8's.


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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2016 7:53 am
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2016 7:53 am
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OK, finally found an opportunity to take this little lens upriver.
Here are some images.
OH


#1


#2


#3


#4


#5


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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2016 9:55 am
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2016 9:55 am
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Like 1 Like 1 Very nice Thomas...


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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2016 3:48 pm
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2016 3:48 pm
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Really nice! Like 1 small

Love #3 in the second post. Lighting and color is very nice.


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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2016 4:18 pm
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2016 4:18 pm
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+1!


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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2016 4:25 pm
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2016 4:25 pm
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****There is almost nothing about this lens on the net***

Looks like a VG lens..but just to add, there is not much on the net using the FL 100mm f3.5 either (that I've just bought)...even more difficult is to find example shots using the FL 19mm f3.5 R that I own also. Rolling Eyes


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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2016 9:20 pm
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2016 9:20 pm
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Thanks everyone for the affirmations.
Here is another shot at distance. The lens is a good performer from up close to infinity, and from wide open to closed aperture.
I thought that this lens must have been uncommon, but there are plenty for sale on ebay starting quite cheaply.
A bargain at those prices I think
OH


#1


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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2016 10:26 pm
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2016 10:26 pm
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looks equally as good as the Pentax PKA Like 1 small


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Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2016 12:35 am
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Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2016 12:35 am
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kryss wrote:
looks equally as good as the Pentax PKA Like 1 small


Yes, Kryss, co-incidentally, I had the same thought.
Here is the same shot as the last, but taken with the Canon FD 2/28 SSC immediately afterwards at the same settings.
I cannot discern any difference. Of course the difference in purchase price is significant.
Smile
OH


#1


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Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2016 11:35 pm
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Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2016 11:35 pm
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A pair of crested hawks are building a nest above where we sit on our deck.
I had my camera with this lens, and was taking something else when I noticed them above me.
28mm is not the best focal length for bird shots, but was all I had.
Here are some quick snaps.
OH




#1


#2


Crop from above
#3


Tighter crop shows the feather detail from this lens. Aperture was 5.6 and there is camera movement with the bird in flight.

#1


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Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2016 11:53 am
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Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2016 11:53 am
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Like 1 small Like 1 small Like 1 small


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Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 6:18 pm
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Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 6:18 pm
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Nice samples!
I bought the same lens but mine doesn't quite reach infinity.
Perhaps it is the adapter?


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Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 7:26 pm
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Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 7:26 pm
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Thinking the FL 28mm f3.5 might be optically identical to the FD 28mm f3.5..this lens too is very good.


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Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 8:13 pm
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Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 8:13 pm
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Looks very good, much better than the FD 3.5/28 I had which was pretty mediocre, lots of CA, especially on the outer part of the frame.


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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 6:57 am
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 6:57 am
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Excalibur wrote:
Thinking the FL 28mm f3.5 might be optically identical to the FD 28mm f3.5..this lens too is very good.

The FL is a 7/7 design while the FD is 6/6
FL: http://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/fl95.html
FD: http://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/fd137.html


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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:31 am
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:31 am
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iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
Looks very good, much better than the FD 3.5/28 I had which was pretty mediocre, lots of CA, especially on the outer part of the frame.


Well nothing wrong with the sharpness using FD 28mm f3.5 on a film camera Smile :-


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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:38 am
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:38 am
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Lightshow wrote:
Excalibur wrote:
Thinking the FL 28mm f3.5 might be optically identical to the FD 28mm f3.5..this lens too is very good.

The FL is a 7/7 design while the FD is 6/6
FL: http://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/fl95.html
FD: http://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/fd137.html


Thanks...looks like Canon made the FD ver cheaper for Joe public and the CA mentioned could be the result because of lens design change from FL to FD.

Last edited by Excalibur on Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:54 am; edited 1 time in total


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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:42 am
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:42 am
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Here is a photo of the adapter I am using.



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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 9:17 am
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 9:17 am
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Excalibur wrote:
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
Looks very good, much better than the FD 3.5/28 I had which was pretty mediocre, lots of CA, especially on the outer part of the frame.


Well nothing wrong with the sharpness using FD 28mm f3.5 on a film camera Smile :-


Where did I say it wasn't sharp? There is a LOT more to a good lens than merely 'sharpness'.

Furthermore, why do you think that a single sample of a lens is indicative of all of them?

I said 'the FD 3.5/28 I had' and I only had one copy, otherwise I would have said so, therefore I can only comment on the one I had which was a lot different in performance to the very nice results from the FL version shown here.


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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 10:05 am
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 10:05 am
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Here are a few more images from this lens.
Tom


#1


#2


And this one is an HDR merge of three images done in LR6


#1


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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 10:25 am
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 10:25 am
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Nice photos, Tom.
Did you notice my question about the adapter BTW?
Thank you.


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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 11:22 am
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 11:22 am
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iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
Excalibur wrote:
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
Looks very good, much better than the FD 3.5/28 I had which was pretty mediocre, lots of CA, especially on the outer part of the frame.


Well nothing wrong with the sharpness using FD 28mm f3.5 on a film camera Smile :-


Where did I say it wasn't sharp? There is a LOT more to a good lens than merely 'sharpness'.

Furthermore, why do you think that a single sample of a lens is indicative of all of them?

I said 'the FD 3.5/28 I had' and I only had one copy, otherwise I would have said so, therefore I can only comment on the one I had which was a lot different in performance to the very nice results from the FL version shown here.


D'oh you said the lens "was pretty mediocre, lots of CA..." note you put a comma after mediocre and added lots of CA.
So why didn't you just say " My copy was sharp but had problems with CA, bokeh was crappy or whatever you thought about the lens"? ....end of story.


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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 11:44 am
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 11:44 am
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uddhava wrote:
Nice photos, Tom.
Did you notice my question about the adapter BTW?
Thank you.


Oops - missed it.
I have a different adapter and have no trouble with infinity.
It might be your adapter perhaps.
Here is mine and a shot of the lens as well.
Tom



#1


#2


#3


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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 12:10 pm
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 12:10 pm
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Thank you.
It is slightly different looking and on ebay I notice that it has screws on the top
of the breech mount which might allow modification if necessary. Mine doesn't have such screws.
Now I remember I have a FD 50 1.8 lens I can test on my adapter. Likely it must be the adapter
though as the error is very small and it seems likely it wouldn't be the lens.
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