Canon FL-F 300/5.6 Fluorite Lens

[Abbazz]

Sometimes, I feel like a little boy in a candy store when I browse the gorgeous website of Marco Cavina -- by the way, it seems that his hard disk has crashed and he's seeking some help. I drool when I see these ultrafast lenses from the foremost lensmakers and all these sweet telephotos with exotic glass, but I know that most of these lenses are made of pure unobtanium and that their price is out of my reach.

So I was very happy when I saw one of these legendary lenses for sale on eBay, the Canon FL-F 300mm F/5.6 lens -- and I was even more delighted when I actually won the auction. This 1969 lens is the first lens ever built with two optical elements made of artificially grown fluorite crystals in order to reduce chromatic aberrations. Here's the link to Marco Cavina's page about this interesting lens: http://www.luciolepri.it/lc2/marcocavina/articoli_fotografici/Canon_FLF_300_500/00_pag.htm.

A few other links:
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/canon/fdresources/fdlenses/earlyfdlenses/300mmfd.htm
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/canon/fdresources/fllenses/index1.htm
http://www.pierretoscani.com/echo_cristal.html (interesting page about fluorite lenses in French)

The lens just arrived this morning. The construction is really impressive, Canon should be ashamed of the lenses it produces today . In fact, the lens is really small for a 300mm but it is quite hefty at 880g. Here are a couple of pictures from the auction:





I have tried the lens on the Olympus E-P1 during my lunch break and it works really well. The pictures taken wide open are incredibly sharp and contrasty for a lens having a focal length equivalent to 600mm in 35mm terms when used on the small Micro 4/3rds sensor. I will upload a few samples later...

Cheers!

Abbazz

[kds315*]

Congrats Sebastien!

Yep, that is a milestone in lens making indeed and a tack sharp lens!

[estudleon]

Well done, man !!

I'm sure that all of us want to watch that pics.

Rino.

[kl122002]

I have one too.
Sharp and good contrast. Worth to collect and use item.

[Abbazz]

Tack sharp it is, Klaus.

All these pictures were taken handheld -- but with the help of the image stabilization of the E-P1 -- and wide open.

Here is the Brunei Handicraft Center taken from 200m away upriver (don't forget this lens is a 600mm equivalent on the E-P1):



A 100% unsharpened crop from the center of the frame -- note that there is not purple fringing in the areas of high contrast -- you can see people working inside the building:



Another 100% unsharpened crop, from the edge of the frame -- note the absence of lateral chromatic aberration:



A few pictures from the banks of the Brunei river and the speedboats used for commuting:









A cash register located on the ground floor of a shopping mall, shot from the second floor:



A 100% unsharpened crop, it is possible to read the brand and the phone number of the distributor:



Another 100% unsharpened crop, you can actually read the newspaper:



A few handicraft items, also from the second floor:



A 100% unsharpened crop:



The bokeh is not bad either:





Cheers!

Abbazz

[exaklaus]

That looks good. Gratulation for getting that lens.
Klaus

[trifox]

PERFECT samples !

The FLUORITE means APO-PERFORMANCE

I have got a sibling of your lens:



tf

[Abbazz]