FD 200mm f/1.8L, finally!

[Langstrum]

It has been 2 and a half year since I asked here about the use of Canon EF 200mm f/1.8L with a speed booster and how I can control the aperture without electrical contact. Someone suggested me the FD version of this lens. Oh well, it sounded impossible at that time (and even now) if I didn't suddenly get extreme luck to find one on sale in South Korea. It's cheaper than the current selling price on ebay with some fungus, but it's not a big deal to me. What a pity that I don't have the EF lens with me now so I can figure out how much they are different, but I can do that later. My first impression is this FD lens is very similar to the EF version. I just found out that it was produced AFTER the EF version due to the demand of users who didn't make it to the new EOS system in 1989, so it's different from what I knew before that the EF version is the successor and I can believe that they have the same quality.

I will do some portraiture when it's possible, but I did some quick test at wide open using A7ii. This lens works well with the AF adapter Techart Pro, as long as I choose a close focus point to where I need, and with the support from a monopod to handle the weight of the lens.

First are some photos of the lens:







and here is how it's compared to FD 300mm f/2.8 S.S.C. Fluorite and FD 300mm f/2.8 L (on the left)





Here are some wide open shot. I just used the standard sharpen function of the camera, no sharpness was added in post



and here is the center crop, it's very sharp





center crop





center crop



The sharpness is very close to FD 300mm f/2.8L wide open and very clean without chromatic aberration.



Some other wide open shots indoor with my dearest models





It's interesting that when I used Techart Pro adapter for autofocusing, it showed a bit degradation in the sharpness but I need to clarify it and repeat the test carefully.

[cooltouch]

Just one word: Wow!

Have you had a chance to check out the chromatic aberrations at all? Are there any?

[Langstrum]

You can see from the cropped photos, it has almost no visible chromatic aberration. If any CA is there, it's just about 1-2 pixel width. It's consistent with all of my shots.

[cooltouch]

Yeah, I couldn't see any, which is why I asked. Your shot of the cat on the rock would have yielded something, I'm thinking, especially with its whiskers. And I can see nothing. My Canon nFD 200mm f/2.8 would have gone nuts with CA with that photo.

Amazing lens.

[TrueLoveOne]

Very impressive lens and photos! Congrats! I didn't even know there was such a FD 200!

[Belgarion]

Hi, I'm a french amateur photographer so excuse my bad english...
I do love manuals lenses and own quite a few (Takumar, Carl Zeiss, Helios, Leica, Canon...) and I've read lots of posts on this very good forum.
Anyway this post push me to register so I can exchange with you even so my english is not so good. Anyway I just received the same lens last week, found it by chance and bought it even if I can't use it for the moment, my camera is Canon 5D. I've just order a conversion kit from edmika and with his help hopefully I'll be able to use it. I tried it last week end with a FD-EOS adapter (with lens) but wasn't really impress by the results (due to the adapter I'm sure).
The lens is very heavy (bear 3kgs) and need a tripod to use it. Mine is perfect with the aloe case and no fungus, just one dust which don't bother me.
I can't wait to use it properly on my Canon 5D but it's taking a few weeks to receive the conversation kit from canada.
And finally some pictures of the lens.


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[Belgarion]

The pics don't show but maybe it's because it's my first post?

[fuzzywuzzy]

[Langstrum]

@cooltouch: I also have the EF version, it also doesn't produce any chromatic aberration. It's hard to prevent CA with such a fast lens but Canon nailed it.
@TrueLoveOne: I didn't know that until few years back, it's still mythical to many people.
@Belgarion: what a coincidence. I never seen any information of this lens for years and suddenly I got one and know that a member of this forum got one too. Your lens definite looks better than mine so it may be even better. I'm just wondering if you can focus accurately because the DOF is so thin. Of course the normal FD-EOS adapter will ruin the image so you have to convert it with EdMika kit. If you use mirrorless camera like the Sony A7ii I'm using, the lens will be used at the best of its capability since I can use focus peaking and magnification to get correct focus and the lens is supported by the 5 axis image stabilization on camera body. I even can do autofocus with Techart Pro adapter if it require fast action. I'd glad to see your photos after getting the right adaptation.

[devinw]

WOW!

That's a damn fine piece of glass. Some of those cat shots are gorgeous.

I love those old FD L big lenses. A big old rivited on metal name plate...feels like some kind of industrial or military hardware. No joking around.

Very cool!

[devinw]

May I ask what you paid for that beast?

Seems like they go for $4000 USD or more!

[Himself]

I want one. That bokeh is mind drooling.

[Oldhand]

Ebay prices for this lens are insane.
Asking twice the price of a Canon EF 200mm f/1.8 L USM Lens is simply silly.
T

[Langstrum]

I got this lens with less than $3000 (cheaper than the EF I got 4 years ago) due to some fungus on one internal element, which may reduces the contrast a bit, but otherwise it's still too good. I can understand why it's more expensive than the EF version but the current ebay price is way above imagination.

[Belgarion]

@Langstrum : it was the same when I saw your post about this lens the day after I received mine and bought it by chance, didn't even know it exists, I thought that Canon just made the EF 200/1,8L and didn't want one because Canon didn't repait them and you can't focus manually if the USM motor die. I bought it from the first owner who wasn't a pro but just a fortunate amateur, I was very lucky.
I'm thinking about buying a second hand A7 and don't modify the lens for Canon. I don't know yet but I've ordered the edmika kit but it told me it's not so easy to convert it you have to modify the infinity a bit but it's not destructive. By the way I'm using the Canon 5D MK1 so no live view so the focus is very hard as you said because of the DOF so thin, especially at f:1.8.
The lens is quite heavy and that's a reason I will maybe resale it. I'll see after testing it but if I don't use it so much I prefer somebody to have it then standing in my bedroom...
And I quite agree they're much overprice on eBay!!
I'll post some picture later when I'll receive the edmika kit but it's taking a few weeks to arrive from canada

[leemik]

beautiful lens.. beautiful pictures!



another one of the dream lenses on my list.. one day..

[ZoneV]

One of my dream lenses!
I have the 300 and 400mm f/2.8 Canon FD ad do some speedboosting on them, but this f/1.8 is still a dream.
Congratulations to the owners!

[Langstrum]

Thank you all, I truly enjoy this lens even though it's heavy as a walk around lens...

I didn't take any portrait yet, but the spring is here already, so I will have some soon.

Here are 2 photos I took recently. They're shot at f/1.8

[thebbm]

you got a very nice group of lenses
I have the 400mm f2.8 L but not used it so much since i get last year.

Did you find a big difference between FD 300mm f/2.8 S.S.C. and FD 300mm f/2.8 L ?
The not L version i a lot cheaper

[Langstrum]

They're not much different. The Fluorite lens seems to have lower transmission so it's always darker if I used the same shooting conditions, but the image contrast and saturation are a bit better than L lens. At close focus distance, Fluorite lens seems to show focus breathing, so it's more or less like a 350mm lens. In term of handling I prefer L lens and it also focuses closer (0.5m).

[kds315*]

[erwin@e-vdh.be]

[JMC]

Very cool lens. I have the 200mm f2 EF version, and absolutely love it. Very very sharp, and amazing quality. I did toy with the idea of getting the 200m f1.8 version, but the image stabilization on the f2 one swung it for me. Plus I managed to find an ex-demo one, that the shop was wanting to sell, so were happy to take an offer on what was essentially a new unused lens.