Home

Please support mflenses.com if you need any graphic related work order it from us, click on above banner to order!
SearchSearch MemberlistMemberlist RegisterRegister ProfileProfile Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages Log inLog in

Canon FD 200 f/4.0 S.S.C.
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Manual Focus Lenses
View previous topic :: View next topic  


PostPosted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:12 am    Post subject: Canon FD 200 f/4.0 S.S.C. Reply with quote
I bought this on Ebay for the huge sum of £9.67/US$15.63. I then had to get it across the Atlantic; luckily I have a good friend in the US who could post it on - we send stuff back and forth from time to time.

I bought it out of curiosity having not seen one in the UK, never mind at such a favourable price.

I've only taken a few test shots so far to see how it copes with a glazed adapter. What do you think? These images are converted from RAW to jpeg and otherwise straight from the 5DII.

Maintenance question: the front element is "milky" in places and though I need to shoot a plain, one-colour background to confirm this it doesn't seem to affect the results. How easy would it be to pop the front element out, how easily might it clean and importantly how easy would it be to replace it exactly in the correct place?



crop of same image:






PostPosted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 7:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
wow! --

The results are fantastic

tf


PostPosted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 8:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
***I've only taken a few test shots so far to see how it copes with a glazed adapter. What do you think?***

erm you have a Canon 70-200 f4 L, so you should be telling us if your purchase is a good copy Wink


PostPosted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 9:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
what'ya mean is it a sharp copy: I haven't had chance yet to take it back to jesso#s fifteen times!


PostPosted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 8:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Very nice, wanna see more!


PostPosted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 8:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nice lens, focus length very usable. I use this lens only with my F-1.






Wink


PostPosted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 12:03 am    Post subject: Re: Canon FD 200 f/4.0 S.S.C. Reply with quote
tikkathree wrote:
I bought this on Ebay for the huge sum of £9.67/US$15.63. I then had to get it across the Atlantic; luckily I have a good friend in the US who could post it on - we send stuff back and forth from time to time.

I bought it out of curiosity having not seen one in the UK, never mind at such a favourable price.

I've only taken a few test shots so far to see how it copes with a glazed adapter. What do you think? These images are converted from RAW to jpeg and otherwise straight from the 5DII.

Maintenance question: the front element is "milky" in places and though I need to shoot a plain, one-colour background to confirm this it doesn't seem to affect the results. How easy would it be to pop the front element out, how easily might it clean and importantly how easy would it be to replace it exactly in the correct place?



It's actually the second from front element that gets hazy/cloudy (milky). I have 3 of these, each with the haze, and in each case, it was not possible to clean. I suspect it's actually a change in the glass surface or coatings. I even tried to REMOVE it along with the coating using metal polish (!!!!!), but I was unable to do so.
Every time I see one of these for sale, I check the front(looking for a good sample to swap the element), and every time it has the same problem.


It's not so difficult to remove those elements and reposition them, but I don't think it's worth the trouble.


PostPosted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 1:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have the later New FD 200mm f/4 IF. I guess Canon may have fixed this issue between the two versions? Because the glass in my 200/4 is crystal clear. BTW, this is a very underrated lens. Mine is absolutely tack sharp.


PostPosted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 4:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
cooltouch wrote:
I have the later New FD 200mm f/4 IF. I guess Canon may have fixed this issue between the two versions? Because the glass in my 200/4 is crystal clear. BTW, this is a very underrated lens. Mine is absolutely tack sharp.


Yes, I was talking about the older FD. I guess they found out that a lot of those had problems and fixed the glass/coatings before the New FD.
Nevertheless, if you get a crystal clear old one, the results are still sharp.


PostPosted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 6:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Well I have a Canon FDn 200mm f4, but don't use it as my Kiron 80-200mm F4 is more useful, esp when after tests (inc crops) when I can't see the difference between Kiron at 200mm and the Canon.

e.g. same film and camera and shot within minutes of one another... one is the Kiron at 200mm and the other the Canon.




PostPosted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 6:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
So, which one is which? And were you using the same aperture settings on both lenses?


PostPosted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 8:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
cooltouch wrote:
So, which one is which? And were you using the same aperture settings on both lenses?


The 2nd one is the Kiron and an interesting point mentioning apertures as although I used a camera T70 (tv) at IIRC propped on a post at 1/500 sec the camera might have chosen (because of tolerances) the best aperture for the Kiron which might have not been the best for the Canon, but then with other tests over a few days it confirmed that the Kiron was a match for the Canon.
Of course disagreeing with people who praise a lens, could sometimes be that the person disagreeing has a poor copy Wink AFAIK the Kiron shouldn't be equal to the Canon as the Kiron doesn't seem to be on the list of "must have" zooms.


PostPosted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 8:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Okay I had a good reason for asking the above questions. When I look at the above two photos, it appears that the depths of field are occurring in different ranges for each lens even though the cows are in focus in both images. You'll note that more of the foreground is in focus with the Canon than it is with the Kiron. But if you view the fence, far in the background, there is slightly more detail with the Kiron than there is with the Canon. Now, when I first saw the fence, I was about to pronounce the second photo as being taken with the better lens, but then I noticed the foregrounds, so I don't want to make that claim. All I'll say at this point is that the Kiron appears to be an excellent zoom. But then, Kiron zooms do have a great reputation.


PostPosted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 9:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
***But then, Kiron zooms do have a great reputation***

Indeed and only two so far have not impressed me:- 28-70mm because of cheap plastic construction (like the Canon FD 35-70mm kit lens), and the 70-210 f4 zoomlock..heavy well built lens and the KironKid would probably praise it, but there ya go I'm not impressed with the results on film even though it's in mint condition and powerful looking.
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Manual Focus Lenses
Page 1 of 1