{"id":2176,"date":"2016-02-23T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-02-23T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/?p=2176"},"modified":"2026-01-14T09:21:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T08:21:16","slug":"shootout-the-canon-fd-35mm-lenses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/shootout-the-canon-fd-35mm-lenses\/","title":{"rendered":"Shootout: The Canon FD 35mm lenses"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Out there in the web, there is little\u00a0information about the performance of the different Canon FD 35mm lenses and that is of varying quality. Since I was wondering, which of the nFD versions is optically the best I ran an extensive comparison and compared them in the most relevant\u00a0categories.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2187\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09060.jpg\" alt=\"DSC09060\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09060.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09060-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09060-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h1>Versions<\/h1>\n<p>I&#8217;ll start that comparison with a closer look at the FD 35mm lens family because otherwise this can be a bit confusing. There are at least six different 35mm lenses for Canon FD:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Canon FD 35mm f\/2.0<\/strong> S.S.C. Optical Design I: Uses radioactive thoriated elements and has a <strong>concave front element<\/strong>. Serial Number 10001-99999<\/li>\n<li><strong>Canon FD 35mm f\/2.0<\/strong> S.S.C. Optical Design II: Doesn&#8217;t use thoriated elements, <strong>convex front element<\/strong>, Serial number &gt;100000<\/li>\n<li><strong>Canon FD 35mm f\/3.5<\/strong> S.C. Precedessor of the nFD 2.8\/35mm<\/li>\n<li><strong>Canon nFD 35mm f\/2.0<\/strong>: much smaller and lighter than the FD 35mm lenses<\/li>\n<li><strong>Canon nFD 35mm f\/2.8<\/strong>: Only avialable in new FD mount<\/li>\n<li><strong>Canon FD 35mm f\/2.8 TS<\/strong> (Tilt-Shift): Avialable in FD and new FD mount<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>This comparison <\/strong>is about the <strong>new FD 35mm f\/2.8<\/strong> (<a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-canon-new-fd-35mm-12-8\/\">In-depth review<\/a>), <strong>new FD 35mm f\/2.0<\/strong> and the <strong>FD TS 35mm f\/2.8 S.S.C<\/strong>. I treat the FD TS 35mm f\/2.8 S.S.C as a normal lens and do not analyze it&#8217;s tilt-shift functionality.<\/p>\n<h1>Specifications<\/h1>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-8\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-8\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Lens<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Canon nFD 2.8\/35<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Canon nFD 2.0\/35<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">Canon  FD TS 2.8\/35 S.S.C.<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Diameter<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">63<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">63<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">67mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Length<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">40<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">46<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">74,5mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Weight<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">165g<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">245g<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">550g<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Filter Diameter<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">52mm<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">52mm<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">58mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Number of Aperture Blades<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">5<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">8<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Elements\/Groups<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">6\/5<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">10\/8<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">9\/8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Floating Elements<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">no<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">yes<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-9\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Close Focusing Distance:<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">35cm<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">30cm<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">30cm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-8 from cache -->\n<p>The difference in size and weight between the lenses shows dramatically on the spec sheet. The tilt-shift lens is by far the largest and heaviest lens, the difference between the 2.8\/35 and the 2.0\/35 is not that that big, although apparent.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2188\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09070.jpg\" alt=\"DSC09070\" width=\"800\" height=\"454\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09070.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09070-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09070-768x436.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h1>Mechanical Quality<\/h1>\n<p>The <strong>nFD 2.8\/35<\/strong> shows the <strong>normal nFD-build quality<\/strong>. Compared to Contax or Olympus lenses, the build quality is one or two steps behind. Nothing to worry about, but the aperture ring feels a little dull and the used materials are less worthy. The focus ring feels smooth. The positive aspect of that is the very low weight of the nFD lenses.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>nFD 2.0\/35<\/strong> is known for having <strong>problems with the bearings<\/strong>. The rubber finish around the bearings is dissolving over the years which leads to varying lens performance and also to degradation in image qualiy.\u00a0To double-check the results, I bought two samples of the 2.0\/35 which showed virtually identical performance. Therefore, I am convinced that the result shows what can be expected when the lens is bought today. It is possible that the performance can be further improved if the bearings get renewed although this means a lot of work.<\/p>\n<p>Many FD lenses with floating Elements (2.0\/24, 2.0\/28, 2.0\/35, nFD 4\/200 Macro) are concerned by this phenomenon. I\u00a0have owned copies\u00a0of the 2.0\/28 and the 4\/200 Macro and the corner performance was horrible on both of them. I had I have the impression, that the issue affects . Both copies of the 2.0\/35 have <strong>play in the focus ring<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Apart from the focus-play-issue, the 2.0\/35 feels just like\u00a0the 2.8\/35.<\/p>\n<p>The 2.8\/35 TS feels very solid. Mechanically, it is one step ahead of the other two 35mm lenses. The aperture ring feels very well defined and the focusing ring has zero play.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Winner: <\/strong><em>2.8\/35 TS<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <strong>2nd:\u00a0<\/strong><em>2.8\/35<\/em>\u00a0 \u00a0 <strong>3rd:<\/strong> <em>2.0\/35<\/em><\/p>\n<h1>Handling<\/h1>\n<p>The Handling of the 2.8\/35 and the 2.0\/35 is very\u00a0pleasant\u00a0due to the light weight and the easy unlock mechanism. Mounting the \u00a02.8\/35 TS\u00a0takes more time\u00a0(like with all the FD lenses with breechlock) and the lens is much heavier so you think twice about taking it with you. The high weight could be an issue with the plastic bayonet A7\/A7R but it didn&#8217;t impress the A7II.<\/p>\n<p>The aperture ring of the 2.8\/35 and the 2.0\/35 has half stops while the aperture ring of the 2.8\/35 TS has only full stops. This is a matter of taste &#8211; for me, full stops are enough.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Winner:<\/strong> <em>2.8\/35 \u00a0 <\/em> <strong>2nd\/<\/strong><strong>3rd<\/strong><strong>:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0 <em>2.0\/35 (play in the focusing ring) \/ <\/em><em>TS <\/em><em>2.8\/35 (size and weight)<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<h1>Vignetting<\/h1>\n<p>The nFD 2.0\/35 shows significant\u00a0vignetting wide open, which is reduced a lot by stopping down once. It has the lowest vignetting of the three lenses at f\/2.8. The FD TS 2.8\/35 comes in at the second place and the nFD 2.8\/35 clearly comes last. Stopped down further, the nFD 2.8\/35 and 2.0\/35 keep a little amount of vignetting while the tilt-shift lens\u00a0shows\u00a0almost zero\u00a0vignetting.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Winners:<\/strong> <em>2.8\/35 TS (stopped down) and 2.0\/35 (large apertures)<\/em> \u00a0 <strong>2nd:\u00a0<\/strong> <em>2.0\/35<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2190\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Vorlage_FD_35_Vignette.jpg\" alt=\"Vorlage_FD_35_Vignette\" width=\"750\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Vorlage_FD_35_Vignette.jpg 750w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Vorlage_FD_35_Vignette-250x300.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/p>\n<h1>Sharpnes<\/h1>\n<h4>Close-Up<\/h4>\n<p>I didn&#8217;t move during this test, all pictures were taken at the distance of 35cm which is the minimum focusing distance of the nFD 2.8\/35mm. There are slight differences in the reproduction ratio due to different physical length of the lenses.<\/p>\n<p>The<strong> nFD 2.8\/35 is clearly the worst lens for close-up work<\/strong> due to the lack of floating elements and the longer minimum focusing distance. This is clearly visible in the crops below, the lens is much softer wide open then at f\/5.6.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>nFD 2.0\/35 and the FD TS 2.8\/35 feature floating elements<\/strong>, therefore I expected them to perform better than the nFD 2.8\/35. <strong>Especially the 2.0\/35mm shows great resolution at f\/2.8<\/strong>, the result is very close to the crop at f\/5.6. The FD TS 2.8\/35 performs much better than the 2.8\/35 but slightly worse than the 2.0\/35.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Winner:<\/strong> <em>2.0\/35<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0 <strong>2nd:\u00a0<\/strong> <em>2.8\/35 TS<\/em> \u00a0 <strong>3rd:<\/strong> <em>2.8\/35<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2194\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/FD_35_Close_Up_II.jpg\" alt=\"FD_35_Close_Up_II\" width=\"750\" height=\"1260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/FD_35_Close_Up_II.jpg 750w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/FD_35_Close_Up_II-179x300.jpg 179w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/p>\n<h1>Sharpness: Infinity<\/h1>\n<p>For this comparison, I created three sharpness charts to analyze the sharpness characteristics. The content of the crop may vary due to slight variation in effective focal length of the lenses and slight tripod movement when changing the lenses. This does not affect comparability.<\/p>\n<h4>Center<\/h4>\n<p>All lenses show decent center perfomance from f\/2.8. The <strong>nFD 2.8\/35 and the 2.8\/35 TS show higher microcontrast than the 2.0\/35<\/strong>. The<strong> 2.8\/35 TS <\/strong>seems to be<strong> slighty less sharp than the 2.8\/35 and the 2.0\/35<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Winner:<\/strong> <em>2.8\/35<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0 <strong>2nd:\u00a0<\/strong> <em>2.0\/35<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0 <strong>3rd:<\/strong> <em>2.8\/35 TS<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2204\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Sharpness_Center.jpg\" alt=\"Sharpness_Center\" width=\"800\" height=\"1704\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Sharpness_Center.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Sharpness_Center-141x300.jpg 141w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Sharpness_Center-768x1636.jpg 768w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Sharpness_Center-601x1280.jpg 601w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<h5><strong>Midframe<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>In the midframe, results start to differ. The <strong>2.8\/35 shows good sharpness even at f\/2.8<\/strong> which slightly increases at f\/4. The <strong>2.0\/35<\/strong> comes second place and <strong>catches up to the 2.8\/35 at f\/5.6<\/strong>. The Tilt Shift lens shows some lateral CA at all apertures. This decreases the sharpness impression at fine structures. The midframe sharpness of the 2.8\/35 TS peaks at f\/8.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Winner:<\/strong> <em>2.8\/35<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0 <strong>2nd:\u00a0<\/strong> <em>2.0\/35<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0 <strong>3rd:<\/strong> <em>2.8\/35 TS<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2206\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Sharpness_Midframe.jpg\" alt=\"Sharpness_Midframe\" width=\"800\" height=\"1704\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Sharpness_Midframe.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Sharpness_Midframe-141x300.jpg 141w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Sharpness_Midframe-768x1636.jpg 768w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Sharpness_Midframe-601x1280.jpg 601w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<h5><strong>Corner<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Let&#8217;s start again with <strong>the winner here: The 2.8\/35<\/strong>! The corners are very sharp at f\/5.6 and peak at f\/8. After that, diffraction gets visible. The <strong>corner performance of the 2.0\/35 seems to be one stop behind the f\/2.8 at all apertures<\/strong>. The <strong>2.8\/35 TS looks not very good in the extreme corners<\/strong>. The only aperture where I would consider it to be sufficiently sharp is f\/11.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Winner:<\/strong> <em>2.8\/35<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0 <strong>2nd:\u00a0<\/strong> <em>2.0\/35<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0 <strong>3rd:<\/strong> <em>2.8\/35 TS<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2205\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Sharpness_Corner.jpg\" alt=\"Sharpness_Corner\" width=\"800\" height=\"1704\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Sharpness_Corner.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Sharpness_Corner-141x300.jpg 141w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Sharpness_Corner-768x1636.jpg 768w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Sharpness_Corner-601x1280.jpg 601w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Sharpness &#8211; Verdict<\/h4>\n<p>The <strong>nFD 2.0\/35mm shows a very balanced performance<\/strong> between very good close-up and infinity sharpness. <strong>For pure landscape (edge to edge sharpness) work, the nFD 2.8\/35mm performs slightly better and is more contrasty<\/strong>. The FD 2.8\/35 TS shows decent close up performance but lags behind the other two 35mm lenses in terms of edge sharpness at infinity.<\/p>\n<h1>Distortion<\/h1>\n<h5>Analysis<\/h5>\n<p>First, look at the uncorrected images:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2264\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Distortion.jpg\" alt=\"Distortion\" width=\"750\" height=\"1085\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Distortion.jpg 750w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Distortion-207x300.jpg 207w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em>Canon nFD 2.8\/35mm<\/em> &#8211; moderate linear barrel distortion. LR-Correction +5<\/p>\n<p><em>Canon FD TS 2.8\/35mm<\/em> &#8211; low barrel distortion with a slight mustache style sub-frequency. LR-Correction +3 seems to be the best compromise between borders and center although a dedicated lens profile would be needed for architecture photography.<\/p>\n<p><em>Canon nFD 2.0\/35mm<\/em> &#8211; low barrel distortion with a mustache style sub-frequency. LR-Correction +3 seems to be the best compromise between borders and center although a dedicated lens profile would be needed for architecture photography.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Winner:<\/strong> <em>2.8\/35<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0 <strong>2nd:\u00a0<\/strong><em>2.8\/35 TS<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <strong>3rd:<\/strong> <em>2.0\/35<\/em><\/p>\n<h5>Distortion &#8211; Verdict<\/h5>\n<p>Distortion of all three lenses is pleasantly low. The <strong>nFD 2.8\/35 distorts the most in absolute terms but the type of distortion is easy to correct, so this is nothing to worry about<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The FD TS 2.8\/35mm and the 2.0\/35mm show barrel distortion too but less pronounced. Unfortunately, it is paired with a slight mustache style sub-frequency. It is not dramatic and not as strong as with ultra wide angles (Zeiss Z\/Loxia 2.8\/21mm \/ Samyang 2.8\/14mm) but it is visible when the image consists of straight lines and you try to correct it. I would prefer the 2.8\/35mm for architecture work where tilting and shifting is not needed.<\/p>\n<h1>Bokeh<\/h1>\n<p>The weather in Germany is pretty dull this winter, therefore the samples are not as nice as usual. I took three different scenes to help you with your evaluation.\u00a0 I corrected vignetting sometimes to make the comparison easier. Please take into account that the 2.8\/35 TS is physically longer and has<\/p>\n<p>Before I draw my conclusion &#8211; look at the samples by yourself and judge by what you see:<\/p>\n<h5>Scene I &#8211; Close up, dark background<\/h5>\n<p>nFD 2.8\/35 &#8211; f\/2.8<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2276\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09175.jpg\" alt=\"DSC09175\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09175.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09175-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09175-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>FD TS 2.8\/35 &#8211; f\/2.8<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2277\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09176.jpg\" alt=\"DSC09176\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09176.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09176-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09176-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>FD 2.0\/35 &#8211; f\/2<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2274\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09173.jpg\" alt=\"DSC09173\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09173.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09173-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09173-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>nFD 2.0\/35 &#8211; f\/2.8<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2275\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09174.jpg\" alt=\"DSC09174\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09174.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09174-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09174-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<h5>Scene II &#8211; Close up, bright background<\/h5>\n<p>nFD 2.8\/35 &#8211; f\/2.8<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2279\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09178.jpg\" alt=\"DSC09178\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09178.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09178-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09178-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>FD TS 2.8\/35 &#8211; f\/2.8 <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2278\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09177.jpg\" alt=\"DSC09177\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09177.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09177-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09177-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>FD 2.0\/35 &#8211; f\/2<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2280\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09179.jpg\" alt=\"DSC09179\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09179.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09179-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09179-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>nFD 2.0\/35 &#8211; f\/2.8<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2281 alignnone\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09180.jpg\" alt=\"DSC09180\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09180.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09180-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09180-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<h5>Scene II &#8211; Mid distance &#8211; Difference between f\/2 and f\/2.8<\/h5>\n<p>nFD 2.8\/35 &#8211; f\/2.8<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2273\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09166.jpg\" alt=\"DSC09166\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09166.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09166-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09166-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>FD 2.0\/35 &#8211; f\/2<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2272\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09164.jpg\" alt=\"DSC09164\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09164.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09164-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09164-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<h5>Bokeh &#8211; Verdict<\/h5>\n<p>To my mind, the <strong>2.0\/35 is the clear winner when it comes to bokeh<\/strong>. It does not only have the <strong>biggest potential for subject isolation<\/strong> but also the <strong>smoothest and most beautiful rendering style<\/strong> &#8211; even at f\/2.8. Especially the nFD 2.8\/35 lags behind the nFD 2.0\/35 when it comes to bokeh.<\/p>\n<p>The additional three aperture blades (5 vs. 8) of the nFD 2.0\/35 and the\u00a0 FD TS 2.8\/35 help to keep the bokeh highlights more round when the lenses get stopped down although I didn&#8217;t compare that here.<\/p>\n<p>The evaluation of the TS 2.8\/35 could be slightly distracted by the longer focal length and the longer physical length (results in lower depth of field) but it&#8217;s bokeh looks more pleasant than the Bokeh of the 2.8\/35.<\/p>\n<p>All three lenses show some spherochromatism towards the edges when there are bright highlights.<\/p>\n<p>If you look at the bike image, the difference between f\/2.0 and f\/2.8 is still visible but not as dramatic as with close up images.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Winner:<\/strong> <em>2.0\/35<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0 <strong>2nd:\u00a0<\/strong><em>2.8\/35 TS<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <strong>3rd:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>2.8\/35<\/em><\/p>\n<h1>Conclusion<\/h1>\n<p>Head-to-head comparisons like these are always much more work than conventional reviews. I guess that is the reason why they are not made that often. I had the impression that a direct comparison of the Canon FD 35mm lenses is still missing and that everybody recommends a different lens. This review really surprised me<\/p>\n<p>Although I didn&#8217;t analyze every aspect of the lenses, the recommendation is already pretty easy and also a bit surprising.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Get the nFD 2.8\/35 when:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You want an edge to edge sharp and contrasty<strong> landscape lens<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>You are looking for the <strong>smallest and lightest 35mm FD lens<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Get the FD 2.8\/35 TS when:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You want a <strong>tilt shift lens<\/strong> and a collectors item. Period.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Get the <strong>nFD 2.0\/35 when:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You want one 35mm lens which <strong>performs decent in all situations<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>You want to do 35mm portrait work with <strong>decent bokeh<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>You like 35mm <strong>close-up photography<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Once more, the most expensive option isn&#8217;t automatically the best one, it really depends on your needs here.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>nFD 2.8\/35 was the surprising winner of the infinity sharpness comparison and rendered the images very clean and contrasty<\/strong>. If you are a landscaper and look for a very small and light but sharp 35mm lens, I highly recommend it. If you look for a general purpose 35mm lens, it stops to shine that bright.<\/p>\n<p>The<strong> 2.0\/35mm is nearly as sharp as the nFD 2.8\/35 at infinity<\/strong> distances but shows lower contrast. Apart of that, the <strong>close-up performance, the speed\u00a0and the bokeh are the strength of the lens and it would be my favorite walkaround lens<\/strong> (out of these three) when I don&#8217;t know what I&#8217;m going to shoot. The complex distortion needs a dedicated correction profile, therefore this lens is not the first choice for architecture photographers.<\/p>\n<p>One thing to keep in mind when buying the 2.0\/35 is that it will probably have some play in the focus ring. If you can live with that and look for a decent allround 35mm legacy lens, this is the one to go.<\/p>\n<p>The<strong> 2.8\/35 TS<\/strong> lens was one of the earlier lenses of it&#8217;s type. Maybe that&#8217;s the reason that there are obvious <strong>weaknesses when it comes to edge sharpness<\/strong> although it isn&#8217;t completely bad. To be honest, I expected it to perform better because tilt-shift lenses have to cover a larger image circle than normal lenses. It has some of the nFD 2.0\/35 flavor (8 aperture blades, floating elements, decent bokeh + close up performance) mixed in but falls behind in comparison with it&#8217;s non-tilt-shift cousin. One thing to keep in mind is that the<strong> focal length is slighty longer compared to the other two 35mm lenses<\/strong>. I guess, it is more a 38-40mm lens in reality. The color renderition is warmer and slightly more greenish than the nFD lenses. All these aspects should not keep you away from buying this lens. <strong>With it&#8217;s tilt-shift functionality, it is unique in the Canon FD system<\/strong>. 35mm tilt-shift lenses are rare on the market and if this is your favored focal length, it is one of the only options you have. Lastly, don&#8217;t forget that you can do awesome and creative things with tilt shift lenses that do not neccesary require optical perfection.<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to the financial aspect, <strong>the 2.8\/35 is the real steal<\/strong>. I bought it for 25\u20ac. When I compare it to the 20 times more expensive 2.8\/35 TS (around 500\u20ac), the price performance ratio is nothing short of stunning. The <strong>nFD 2.0\/35 is still pretty cheap when you take it&#8217;s good allround performance into account<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>One last note &#8211; you probably see that this comparison has become pretty long. I hope you understand that I could not cover every single aspect of lens performance here. <strong>What&#8217;s your favorite? Let us know in the comments!<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"aruba_field_title_area\"><em>If you found this article helpful please consider\u00a0using one of these\u00a0affilate links:<\/em><\/div>\n<div class=\"aruba_field_title_area\"><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>The nFD 2.8\/35mm usually sells for 35$-100$ at <a href=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/rover\/1\/711-53200-19255-0\/1?icep_ff3=9&amp;pub=5575153444&amp;toolid=10001&amp;campid=5337822190&amp;customid=&amp;icep_uq=canon+fd+35mm+2.8&amp;icep_sellerId=&amp;icep_ex_kw=&amp;icep_sortBy=12&amp;icep_catId=&amp;icep_minPrice=&amp;icep_maxPrice=&amp;ipn=psmain&amp;icep_vectorid=229466&amp;kwid=902099&amp;mtid=824&amp;kw=lg\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ebay.com <\/a>and for 35\u20ac and 90\u20ac at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/rover\/1\/707-53477-19255-0\/1?icep_ff3=9&amp;pub=5575153444&amp;toolid=10001&amp;campid=5337822190&amp;customid=&amp;icep_uq=canon+fd+35mm+2.8&amp;icep_sellerId=&amp;icep_ex_kw=&amp;icep_sortBy=12&amp;icep_catId=&amp;icep_minPrice=&amp;icep_maxPrice=&amp;ipn=psmain&amp;icep_vectorid=229487&amp;kwid=902099&amp;mtid=824&amp;kw=lg\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ebay.de<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>The FD 2.8\/35 Tilt Shift sells for 450$-700$ at <a href=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/rover\/1\/711-53200-19255-0\/1?icep_ff3=9&amp;pub=5575153444&amp;toolid=10001&amp;campid=5337822190&amp;customid=&amp;icep_uq=canon+fd+35mm+2.8+TS&amp;icep_sellerId=&amp;icep_ex_kw=&amp;icep_sortBy=12&amp;icep_catId=&amp;icep_minPrice=&amp;icep_maxPrice=&amp;ipn=psmain&amp;icep_vectorid=229466&amp;kwid=902099&amp;mtid=824&amp;kw=lg\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ebay.com<\/a> and for 400\u20ac-700\u20ac at <a href=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/rover\/1\/707-53477-19255-0\/1?icep_ff3=9&amp;pub=5575153444&amp;toolid=10001&amp;campid=5337822190&amp;customid=&amp;icep_uq=canon+fd+35mm+2.8+TS&amp;icep_sellerId=&amp;icep_ex_kw=&amp;icep_sortBy=12&amp;icep_catId=&amp;icep_minPrice=&amp;icep_maxPrice=&amp;ipn=psmain&amp;icep_vectorid=229487&amp;kwid=902099&amp;mtid=824&amp;kw=lg\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ebay.de<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>The nFD 2.0\/35 sells for 80$-150$ at <a href=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/rover\/1\/711-53200-19255-0\/1?icep_ff3=9&amp;pub=5575153444&amp;toolid=10001&amp;campid=5337822190&amp;customid=&amp;icep_uq=canon+fd+35mm+2.0&amp;icep_sellerId=&amp;icep_ex_kw=&amp;icep_sortBy=12&amp;icep_catId=&amp;icep_minPrice=&amp;icep_maxPrice=&amp;ipn=psmain&amp;icep_vectorid=229466&amp;kwid=902099&amp;mtid=824&amp;kw=lg\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ebay.com <\/a>and for 100\u20ac-170\u20ac at<a href=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/rover\/1\/711-53200-19255-0\/1?icep_ff3=9&amp;pub=5575153444&amp;toolid=10001&amp;campid=5337822190&amp;customid=&amp;icep_uq=canon+fd+35mm+2.0&amp;icep_sellerId=&amp;icep_ex_kw=&amp;icep_sortBy=12&amp;icep_catId=&amp;icep_minPrice=&amp;icep_maxPrice=&amp;ipn=psmain&amp;icep_vectorid=229466&amp;kwid=902099&amp;mtid=824&amp;kw=lg\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u00a0 <\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/rover\/1\/707-53477-19255-0\/1?icep_ff3=9&amp;pub=5575153444&amp;toolid=10001&amp;campid=5337822190&amp;customid=&amp;icep_uq=canon+fd+35mm+2.0&amp;icep_sellerId=&amp;icep_ex_kw=&amp;icep_sortBy=12&amp;icep_catId=&amp;icep_minPrice=&amp;icep_maxPrice=&amp;ipn=psmain&amp;icep_vectorid=229487&amp;kwid=902099&amp;mtid=824&amp;kw=lg\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ebay.de.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1>Further Reading<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-zeiss-sonnar-t-100mm-f3-5-cy\/\">Carl Zeiss Sonnar 3.5\/100 T* (C\/Y) Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/lenses\/canon-fd\/\">Canon FD Reviews<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/manual-lenses-sony-a7\/\">Manual lenses on the Sony a7 series<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This site contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using any of the links marked as affiliate links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support the creation of future content.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Out there in the web, there is little\u00a0information about the performance of the different Canon FD 35mm lenses and that is of varying quality. Since I was wondering, which of the nFD versions is optically the best I ran an extensive comparison and compared them in the most relevant\u00a0categories.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4333,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[419],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-vintage"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Shootout: The Canon FD 35mm lenses - phillipreeve.net<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/shootout-the-canon-fd-35mm-lenses\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Shootout: The Canon FD 35mm lenses - phillipreeve.net\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Out there in the web, there is little\u00a0information about the performance of the different Canon FD 35mm lenses and that is of varying quality. Since I was wondering, which of the nFD versions is optically the best I ran an extensive comparison and compared them in the most relevant\u00a0categories.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/shootout-the-canon-fd-35mm-lenses\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"phillipreeve.net\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-02-23T17:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-14T08:21:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09060.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"533\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jannik Peters\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jannik Peters\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"15 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/shootout-the-canon-fd-35mm-lenses\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/shootout-the-canon-fd-35mm-lenses\/\",\"name\":\"Shootout: The Canon FD 35mm lenses - phillipreeve.net\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/shootout-the-canon-fd-35mm-lenses\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/shootout-the-canon-fd-35mm-lenses\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09060.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-02-23T17:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-14T08:21:16+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2d79dee0416d0a6153413b443cd7d8cb\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/shootout-the-canon-fd-35mm-lenses\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/shootout-the-canon-fd-35mm-lenses\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/shootout-the-canon-fd-35mm-lenses\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09060.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC09060.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/shootout-the-canon-fd-35mm-lenses\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Shootout: The Canon FD 35mm lenses\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"phillipreeve.net\",\"description\":\"Sony \u03b1 | Leica M | Nikon Z\/F New articles every week\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2d79dee0416d0a6153413b443cd7d8cb\",\"name\":\"Jannik Peters\",\"description\":\"I am a passionate photographer from northern Germany and I love landscape, architecture, travel, portrait and family photography. 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