What would you say are must-have FD lenses under $100?

RAART · Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 5:25 pm Post subject:

The FDn lenses very often are found in excellent condition opposed to FD counterparts...

Very useful reading here http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/canon/fdresources/fdlenses/50mm.htm

FD 50mm f/1.4 "reference" lens

The front and rear lens groups in Canon's FD 50mm f1.4 are symmetrical in optical design. Symmetrical lens construction is a feature of standard lenses which is not found in wide-angle or telephoto lenses. Main advantage of this optical design is permitting a large maximum aperture and still maintain excellent color reproduction. Because of these qualities, standard lenses are usually regarded as a starting point from which to build a lens system including wide-angle and telephoto lenses before the advent and popularity of zoom lenses which has slowly replacing the status of 50mm as 'standard lens'.

Canon's most famous as well as the most popular standard lens were the New FD 50mm f1.2L and also the New FD 50mm f/1.4 lens. Both lenses have excellent reputations for high performances and stable image reproduction capabilities. The 50mm f/1.4 lens was used for optical measurements at various public institutions and is also the standard which determines color balance for the rest of the nearly 60 lenses in the FD series. Perhaps instead of "standard", a more accurate name would be "reference" lens.

Canon's standard lens are excellent for a number of reasons; suitable for low light shooting situations, offers greater flexibility to choose faster shutter speeds with their fast maximum apertures and focusing in dim lighting conditions is another advantage with their bright viewfinder images. also due to the larger apertures concerned.

Considering their compactness and prices, both the 50mm f1.4 and f1.8 are attractive options. Always choose your lens depending on your personal requirement and budget. And since most people would not appreciate the broad scope of usage that are possible with 50mm lenses, they are usually very cheap in the used market, you can carefully take your time to go through the many used retail outlets to shop around for one.

New FD 50mm f/1.4

In spite of additional improvements over its famous predecessor, the lens has remained compact and lightweight. It weighs a mere 240 grams. Its high resolution and high contrast are achieved by using high refraction index glass and a method for distributing lens power that suppresses spherical aberration and off-axis halos. The lens' renowned color balance is the standard for all other Canon FD interchangeable lenses.(also see older FD lenses (S.S.C.)
50mmf14optic.jpg
Specification:

Focal length: 50mm
Aperture ratio: 1:1.4
Lens construction :6 groups, 7 elements
Coating: S.S.C (super spectra coating)
Angle of view: Diagonal: 46� Vertical: 27� Horizontal: 40�
Distance Scale:(m) 0.45 (magnification 0.15X) to 10.OO (ft) 1.5 to 30.oo; Focusing: Helicoid; Minimum aperture: f/22 .A; Diaphragm: Automatic
Filter Size. 52mm; Hood: BS-52 Cap: C-52 (CG2-0070) Function: Auto Aperture, Full aperture metering (AE operation when used with ALL Canon automatic SLR cameras.
Length x max. diameter: 41mm x 63mm; Weight: 235g

New FD 50mm f/1.8

This lens is the lightest (and also the cheapest) of all Canon FD interchangeable lenses. It weighs a mere 170 grams, even less than its predecessor. This reduced weight improves handling and portability. It has a solid reputation for stable picture quality and sharp, crisp picture performance. It was also the only lens in the FDn series that was given the S.C. (Spectra Coating) treatment as opposed to S.S.C.
50mmf18optic.gif
Specification:

Focal length: 50mm
Aperture ratio: 1:1.8
Lens construction: 4 groups, 6 elements
Coating: Canon's S.C (spectra coating) Coating
50mmf18shutterbladC.jpg 50mmf18shutterbladA.jpg

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Angle of view: Diagonal: 46� Vertical: 27� Horizontal: 40�
Distance Scale: (m) 0.6 (magnification 0.10X) to 10.OO (ft) 2 to 30 OO
Focusing: Helicoid
Minimum aperture: f/22 .A
Diaphragm: Automatic
Filter Size. 52mm
Hood: BS-52
Cap: C-52
Function: Auto Aperture, Full aperture metering (AE operation when used with ALL Canon automatic SLR cameras.
Length x max. diameter: 35mm x 63mm
Weight: 170g

RAART · Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 5:55 pm Post subject:

fermy · Joined: 17 Feb 2012 Posts: 2877

There are no "must have" lenses, be it Canon, Zeiss, or Leica. There are literally hundreds of great lenses, so for any of them a reasonable alternative can be found.

I have a pretty good collection of FD glass - it's all very, very good and worth having. I think FD 50/1.4 is probably the best starting point, as it's relatively inexpensive, fast, and technically one of the best 50mm lenses regardless of price. However, pretty much any FD lens starting from 24mm is well worth pursuing since as a rule you get better price/performance ratio in FD line than elsewhere.

I prefer FDns, for lower weight, some prefer older breech lock FDs for more metal, I don't think there is a huge difference between FDn and FD in terms of optical quality.