Canon FD 35mm f2 good deal?

[jun]

Someone is selling me a Canon FD 35mm f2 lens for $50. Lens is clean of fugus (so he says) and barrel cosmetics is ok based this picture.
Would you say that it is a fair price?

[cantman]

If it has a concave front element and thorium glass, it is a very sharp lens. One issue which usually can be resolved is the yellowing of the thorium element. Thorium is slightly radioactive and does concern some people.
Placing the lens in bright sunlight for an extended period of time will "bleach" the yellowing. Some say this lens with age induced yellowing is an excellent black and white lens.

[IAZA]

That's good price. if it has clean glass
Modified mount is more expensive
What camera you have to use?
DSLR need modification that will cost araound $30
Mirrorles has adapter for it

[jun]

hi
i am using a nex and already have a canon fl-nex adapter. usually these deals come once in awhile so i try to grab it when it arises.
thanks for the responses.

[casualcollector]

The lens illustrated appears to be a Vivitar/Kiron 28mm f2 and not a Canon made FD or FD-SSC 35mm f2. Breech lock era Canons had their distance scales in white and orange. My experience with the Vivitar/Kiron lens is that the iris is sluggish or inoperative due to lube migrating from the helical to the aperture leaves. I've had four examples of this lens and all had the same problem.

[ManualFocus-G]

Could that be a version in between the earlier breechlock version and the nFD model (see below):

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/canon/fdresources/fdlenses/35mm.htm

Edit: No, it can't be as the minimum focusing distance seems to 35cm on that one above.

[tikkathree]

Chaps, the OP asks if the lens is a good buy, not whether it's made on production line 2 on wednesday afternoon!

I'd say have a go and if you don't like it you can sell it on. I've recently picked up an FL 35mm and an FD 35mm and whilst I'll play with them for a while have concluded that the length of the lens doesn't do an awful lot for me. But that's just me.

[ManualFocus-G]

[tikkathree]

[uhoh7]

here is the good one:

http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/lens/fd/data/17-35/fd_35_2_sscv1.html

it's worth 125-225 depending on condition.

the lens pictured here is not the same.

however it may be worth 50bucks

here a shot from the famous one:



@f2

[IAZA]

[tikkathree]

And here then, samples taken first with the FL 35mm f3.5 and secondly with the FD 35mm f/3.5 S.C.

FL 35mm f3.5





FD 35mm f/3.5 S.C.

[IAZA]

I just saw this Click here to see on Ebay looks same as casualcollector said. So far EUR 60.00
Approximately US $83.94, 17 hour left
If its same lens, $50 is still good price

[Excalibur]

[IAZA]

oops, I didn't catch that. I never have one anyway

[cooltouch]

Good catch on the green lettering, CC. When you mentioned that, I thought, "wait a sec, it has the green circle like the early FD lenses do." So I started rummaging through my FD lenses, and found one with a green circle -- and white and orange lettering. Hrm. Picked up an old Vivitar S1 zoom. Green circle, and green and white lettering. Hrm again.

I have a Vivitar 35mm that's older than that one. It's a 35mm f/1.9 with the metal focusing collar. Mine is a good lens, but I'll admit that I haven't put it through a set of rigorous tests yet. Still, I'd say that, even if it is a Vivitar, that it's worth $50. As long as the optics are good and the aperture iris is snappy. I think I paid $40 for mine.

BTW, I have never had the opportunity to use Canon's thorium 35, but my favorite Canon 35mm continues to be the FL 35mm f/2.5. Those can still be picked up for reasonable prices and they are marvelous lenses.

[casualcollector]

The Kirons had their distance scale in blue and white. Here's my circa 2003 article. Scroll to the bottom to read it.

http://sites.google.com/site/casualcollectorproject/Home/lenses

The lens mounted on the SRT I was able to repair and gave to a friend. The one mounted on the FTb is the unit I bought new and has worked fine since its third repair. The one sitting by the FTb I bought for about $20 U.S. from a disenchanted previous owner. It's a later unit, ca. 1984-85 and has a black breech lock ring and significant differences in the FD mount. Kino reduced the number of balls in the aperture races to the bare minimum. I haven't fixed this one.

I also have a 28/2.8 that I have experimented on. It got dunked and the ball races are locked up tight. I was able to get the diaphragm unt apart, cleaned and back together again successfully. I also removed the close-up stop screw but that made little difference in the close focus distance.

The lens is nice to use but not outstanding. My opinion might differ if I were to use it on APS-C type digital camera. For full frame, film use I don't value it highly but it's light and easy to focus.

Not a lens I would hand over money for without being able to examine it for proper operation.

Bill

[iangreenhalgh1]

[iangreenhalgh1]

This is a Canon FD 2.8/35, it has green lettering:





Still doesn't look like the OP's lens though.

[cooltouch]

Yeah, that's a New FD lens. Entirely different.