Pleasant surprise with FD 50mm f/1.8

[tikkathree]

I have this 50mm FD lens.

I don't like the FD mount - I find it too fiddly.

I tried this lens previously on my 5DI with a "glazed" FD to EOS adapter and disliked it so much that I put the lens, the adapter and an unglazed adapter on EBay for a slightly cheeky B-I-N in aniticipation of an acceptable offer.

It didn't go straight away.

I took delivery of a lovely new 5DII.

I put the FD 50mm on the unglazed adapter and took it for a walk one morning this week.

It will only focus at around eight inches. I nearly took it off again but with a dew laden morning something told me to go with it.

I came home surprised, delighted and happy, immediately withdrawing the lens from EBay.

Okay, the images acheived aren't all razor sharp and I need to stop the lens down further than the f5.6 I was using.

Last year I sold my macro lens figuring I'd get by with other lenses and extension tubes. I made the correct decision.







and for bokeh:

[tikkathree]

No comments?

Nothing good, bad or indifferent?

At all?

[mo]

I wouldn't worry we find the posts eventually,I do like the way it handles the greens...how about the reds and yellows?
I don't have anything to do with canon lenses...although I have been curious to see what these FD lenses can do and if they are hidden gems.

[Excalibur]

[trifox]

no. no . no!

Canon FD line is very bad - please, do not buy any

lol == joking, of course ..

The FD lenses are 'slightly behind the time' in use on digital bodies in comparison to other lenses they can be fit easily via adapter on digital cameras - especially full frame ones.

Since all this 'hysteria' has begun - I mean using MF lenses on digital bodies - there has not been such a big opportunity using FD glasses on digital because Panasonic, NX, NEX and other systems are still a bit young and using this on FF bodies (i.e. EOS with EF mount) is in very slow progress.

I am not saying that owners of FD glasses using them on film cameras didn't know about their good quality!!!

I just want to mention that the instant digital pictures are easy to share on various websites and pixel peeping is going further and further.

I discovered about 12 FD glasses so far from cheap to more expensive and they are more or less superb - let's say that Canon has done a great job with FD lenses in general!

and yes -- we can expect prices rising shortly..

Back to the FD 50 f1.8 - great lens , cheap, nice colours and -- be careful - it's going to be valued more and more .. even that one was just cheap kit lens.

tf

[tikkathree]

Thanks Trifox.

My modest observtions are that EBay brand "glazed" FD/EOS adapters mar the potential of FD lenses. I'm also playing with a Sigma 400 in FD mount: I get almost infinity focusing with the glazed adapter but some fringing, or with an unglazed adapter, a maximum focla length of about 30 feet. The results are still in the camera but I'm hoping that the fringing will have disappeared.

[cooltouch]

I've been shooting with FD glass since the early 1980s. Back in those days, Nikon was God and Canon was an also-ran. But we FD users knew that our lenses were just as good, if not better than the Nikon stuff.

Now I shoot with both Canon FD and Nikon, as well as Canon EF. I love my Nikkors, but honestly, I still prefer my Canon FD optics. One of my favorites is my 50mm f/1.4 SSC, which can still be found on feeBay and other places for reasonable sums.

FD 50mm f/1.4 @ f/1.4


FD 50mm f/1.4 @ f/8


FD 50mm f/1.4 @ f/1.4

[trifox]

Michael - this is not fair!

We are discussing FD 50 f1.8 and you are forcing me to buy 50 f1.4!

Thank you very much!!!

tf

[trev]

Canon 50 1.8 is a brilliant lens imo, but the 1.4 is superb!!!!!!!!

[tikkathree]

I'm going to say this very quietly, I've got my eye on an FD 1.2

[altwebid]

I got a 50 1.8 bundled free when I bought my Tamron 90SP.
Haven't bothered to buy an adapter as I read bad things about them.
Which is a shame because it's mint.

I have a Pentacon 50 1.8 pretty much glued to the front of my camera (even over my Sigma 1.4!) - are the FD lenses worth a try?

[Excalibur]

****are the FD lenses worth a try?***

Great on a film camera

[cooltouch]

Sorry guys, got caught up in the excitement and all.

The great thing about the 50/1.8 is you can usually pick one up for nothing -- you just have to buy a camera that it's attached to. In these situations, the 50/1.8 is little more than a body cap. So you buy an AE-1 for $20, keep the lens, then resell the AE-1 for $20. Heh.

Okay, I had to think for a minute about this. Problem is, all my uses of the FD 50mm f/1.8 occurred over 20 years ago and I remember only a handful of images I took with that lens.

This was the easiest one to find. It's actually a fairly small crop from a Kodachrome slide, so don't be looking for a lot of resolution.


Just in case you're wondering, here's the ugly original:


As you can see, I used a flash and "foreground clutter" reflected back most of the flash's light, so fortunately for me, the fire-eater wasn't affected by the flash. Should have used a longer focal length lens and dispensed with the flash. One of those situations where I ended up with a good photo despite being a total dumbass about the way I went about it.