{"id":3947,"date":"2016-09-04T22:04:56","date_gmt":"2016-09-04T21:04:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/?p=3947"},"modified":"2026-08-04T12:31:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T11:31:10","slug":"guide-canon-fd-lenses-digital-age-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/guide-canon-fd-lenses-digital-age-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The Guide to Canon FD lenses on the Sony a7 series"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3969 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/DSC05584-1.jpg\" alt=\"Canon FD lenses on digital cameras\" width=\"800\" height=\"643\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/DSC05584-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/DSC05584-1-300x241.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/DSC05584-1-768x617.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<h1>Introduction<\/h1>\n<p>This guide was written to give you a good idea what to expect from Canon&#8217;s older FD lenses, many of which still perform very well on modern digital cameras.<\/p>\n<p>All tests are performed with the 24MP full frame Sony a7\/a7ii. Our ratings are always based&nbsp;on using the lenses with these cameras,&nbsp;the evaluation will be a different one on a smaller sensor.&nbsp;To learn more about using manual lenses on the Sony a7 check our&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/manual-lenses-sony-a7\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">beginners guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Most of these summaries are based on our own experience but we also decided to also include<strong> l<\/strong>enses we haven&#8217;t used ourselves to pool useful information we found on the net which we have&nbsp;summarized&nbsp;based on our experience with reviewing lenses. <strong>We would also be very happy if you shared your own experience with Canon FD lenses we don&#8217;t have any reliable information on yet.&nbsp;<\/strong>We are quite picky with the information we use though. That&#8217;s because 95% of the information we come across is unreliable: Everyone has different standards, Person A might rate the very same lens as a great performer while person B thinks it&#8217;s total junk. So we are mostly interested in&nbsp;<strong>full resolution images taken with a fullframe camera including information on the aperture used.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>If you purchase the lens through one of the affiliate-links in this article we get a small compensation with no additional cost to you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n<h1>Wideangle lenses<\/h1>\n<h2>&nbsp;<strong>Canon (n)FD 4\/17<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><em>Status: Used by Jannik for a short time in the past<\/em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4789 size-medium alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/17mm_a-231x300.jpg\" alt=\"17mm_a\" width=\"231\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/17mm_a-231x300.jpg 231w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/17mm_a.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 231px) 100vw, 231px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>At f\/4 the center is quite good but&#8230;<\/li>\n<li>&#8230; I&#8217;d recommend to stop down to f\/11 for usable sharpness across the frame although it never gets tack sharp, partially because of the very strong lateral CA.<\/li>\n<li>Very low distortion (the biggest quality of this lens, especially in the film era), bad flare resistance and 6-bladed aperture.<\/li>\n<li>Medium size,&nbsp;and average price\/performance ratio.<\/li>\n<li>The age of this legacy lenses shows clearly when it iscompared to modern options. Nevertheless, it is&nbsp;pretty usable if you give the files some love in the post processing (remove CA&#8217;s and sharpening).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>360g + adapter | $200 |&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mir.com.my\/rb\/photography\/companies\/canon\/fdresources\/fdlenses\/17mm.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">technical data<\/a> |&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/albums\/72157670185787764\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sample images<\/a> | <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.canonclassics.com\/canon-nfd-17mm-f4\/10-59\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">&nbsp;user reviews<\/a><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/i.html?_nkw=canon+fd+17mm+4&amp;_sacat=0&amp;_from=R40&amp;_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&amp;_odkw=olympus+om+100mm+2.8&amp;_osacat=0&amp;mkcid=1&amp;mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&amp;siteid=0&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=20008&amp;mkevt=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">buy from ebay<\/a> &nbsp;(<em>advertisement, <\/em>affiliate link)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4790\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/2016-08-23_08-10-56.jpg\" alt=\"2016-08-23_08-10-56\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/2016-08-23_08-10-56.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/2016-08-23_08-10-56-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/2016-08-23_08-10-56-768x480.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><!--more--><\/p>\n<h4>Canon (n)FD 2.8\/20<\/h4>\n<p><em>Status:&nbsp;Used a lot by Phillip then sold to fund the <a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/sony-fe-16-35mm-f4-za-t-review\/\">FE 4\/16-35<\/a>. Owned by Jannik for a short time, but replaced by the <a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/rolling-review-zeiss-loxia-distagon-2-821mm-t\/\">Loxia 2.8\/21. <\/a><\/em><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-833\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Canon_FD_20mmmf2p8-266x300.jpg\" alt=\"Canon_FD_20mmmf2p8\" width=\"266\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Canon_FD_20mmmf2p8-266x300.jpg 266w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Canon_FD_20mmmf2p8.jpg 709w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 266px) 100vw, 266px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>At f\/2.8 the center of the image is sharp but quite strong&nbsp;vignetting, busy bokeh, strong coma and soft corners&nbsp;limit the usefulness of this aperture.<\/li>\n<li>From f\/5.6 it is good across the frame, very good at f\/8 and for the very good corner performance you should stop down to f\/11.<\/li>\n<li>Some mustache distortion and average flare resistance, the filter thread rotates which is annoying for polarizer use.<\/li>\n<li>Medium size and weight. Good price\/performance ratio.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>I can recommend this lens to anyone who&nbsp;needs an affordable solution for landscape photography but make sure to stop it down.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>305g | $160&nbsp;| <a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/canon-fd-20mm-28-review\/\">full review<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/18424354003\/sizes\/o\/\">aperture series<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/sets\/72157645651557914\">sample images<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/i.html?_nkw=canon+fd+20mm+2.8&amp;_sacat=0&amp;_from=R40&amp;_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&amp;_odkw=canon+fd+17mm+4&amp;_osacat=0&amp;mkcid=1&amp;mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&amp;siteid=0&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=20008&amp;mkevt=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">buy from ebay<\/a>&nbsp;(<em>advertisement, <\/em>affiliate link)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3928\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC01137-1.jpg\" alt=\"DSC01137\" width=\"800\" height=\"561\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC01137-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC01137-1-300x210.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC01137-1-768x539.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Canon nFD 2\/24<\/h4>\n<p><em>Status: Phillip owned it for a short time back in the Nex-days, some&nbsp;reliable information available.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Quite soft wide open<\/li>\n<li>Performance seems to be a tiny little&nbsp;bit&nbsp;better than that of the nFD 2.8\/24 at the same aperture<\/li>\n<li>Quite expensive, especially because this lens suffers from dissolving&nbsp;bearings which cause significant play in the focusing ring so be very careful if you want to buy one.<\/li>\n<li>Remarkably light if you consider that the one stop slower nFd 2.8\/24 is just 45g less.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>It is a good&nbsp;lens but the only significant difference to the f\/2.8 version is that it is a stop faster and it isn&#8217;t very good at f\/2 so the much cheaper 2.8\/24 is the smarter buy if you ask me.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>285g | $200 |&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mir.com.my\/rb\/photography\/companies\/canon\/fdresources\/fdlenses\/24mm.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">technical data<\/a>&nbsp;| <a href=\"http:\/\/www.noland.photos\/reviews\/canon-fd-24-2-0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Review <\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/erphotoreview.com\/wordpress\/?p=4296\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">short review<\/a>&nbsp;| <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/birnenbaumgarten\/albums\/72157629715107195\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">test images Nex-5n<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/i.html?_nkw=canon+nfd+24mm+2.0&amp;_sacat=0&amp;_from=R40&amp;_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&amp;_odkw=canon+nfd+24mm+2.8&amp;_osacat=0&amp;mkcid=1&amp;mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&amp;siteid=0&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=20008&amp;mkevt=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">buy from ebay<\/a>&nbsp;(<em>advertisement, <\/em>affiliate link)<\/p>\n<h4><b>Canon nFD 2.8\/24<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><em>Status: Reviewed&nbsp;by Phillip who still uses it occasionally.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a class=\"hoverZoomLink\" href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Canon_nFD_24mmf2p8-6.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"hoverZoomLink alignright wp-image-1389 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Canon_nFD_24mmf2p8-6-300x260.jpg\" alt=\"Canon_nFD_24mmf2p8-6\" width=\"300\" height=\"260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Canon_nFD_24mmf2p8-6-300x260.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Canon_nFD_24mmf2p8-6.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Noticeable vignetting, busy bokeh, some coma and soft corners at f\/2.8. The center is sharp.<\/li>\n<li>Very good performance across the frame at f\/8 and f\/11.<\/li>\n<li>Moustache distortion and mediocre&nbsp;flare resistance.<\/li>\n<li>Quite small and light, excellent price\/performance ration.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>A very good solution for budget oriented landscape shooters, it is small, cheap and sharp. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>240g | $65 | <a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-canon-new-fd-24mm-12-8\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">full Review<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Canon_nFD_24mmf2p8.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">aperture series<\/a> |&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/albums\/72157659234411275\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sample images<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/i.html?_nkw=canon+nfd+24mm+2.8&amp;_sacat=0&amp;_from=R40&amp;_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&amp;_odkw=canon+fd+20mm+2.8&amp;_osacat=0&amp;mkcid=1&amp;mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&amp;siteid=0&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=20008&amp;mkevt=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">buy from ebay<\/a>&nbsp;(<em>advertisement, <\/em>affiliate link)<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3937\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC00426-1.jpg\" alt=\"Canon FD 2.8\/24\" width=\"800\" height=\"561\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC00426-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC00426-1-300x210.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC00426-1-768x539.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Canon nFD 2.8\/28<\/h4>\n<p><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-4793\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC09332-291x300.jpg\" alt=\"DSC09332\" width=\"291\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC09332-291x300.jpg 291w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC09332-768x793.jpg 768w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC09332.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 291px) 100vw, 291px\" \/>Status: Owned by Phillip for a few weeks.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">If you accept some funky bokeh f\/2.8 is usable with good central sharpness and acceptable vignetting.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">At f\/8 it is &nbsp;very sharp across the frame but the extreme corners are soft.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Decent&nbsp;flare resistance, sadly only 5 aperture blades.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Very low size and weight. Great price\/performance ratio.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>If you consider the price this a very attractive lens, not only for landscape photography but also other genres because it is quite usable wide open.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>170g | $35 | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mir.com.my\/rb\/photography\/companies\/canon\/fdresources\/fdlenses\/28mm.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">technical data<\/a> |&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Canon_nFD_28mmf2p8.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">aperture series <\/a>|&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/sets\/72157670975086655\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sample images<\/a>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/i.html?_nkw=canon+nfd+28mm+2.8&amp;_sacat=0&amp;_from=R40&amp;_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&amp;_odkw=canon+nfd+24mm+2.0&amp;_osacat=0&amp;mkcid=1&amp;mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&amp;siteid=0&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=20008&amp;mkevt=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">buy from ebay<\/a>&nbsp;(<em>advertisement, <\/em>affiliate link)<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3965\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/DSC04736.jpg\" alt=\"DSC04736\" width=\"800\" height=\"561\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/DSC04736.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/DSC04736-300x210.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/DSC04736-768x539.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Canon nFD 2.0\/35<\/h4>\n<p><em>Status: <\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">At f\/2&nbsp;the center is sharp, and there is some vignetting. Corners are soft.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>From f\/8 it is very good across the frame.<\/li>\n<li>Some barrel&nbsp;distortion and decent&nbsp;flare resistance.<\/li>\n<li>Rather low size and weight. Good price\/performance ratio.<\/li>\n<li>Best bokeh of all FD 35mm lenses, 8 aperture blades.<\/li>\n<li>Excellent close-up-performance and good minimum focusing distance<\/li>\n<li>Can have issues with the bearings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>All in all the most balanced FD 35mm lens. Recommended.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>245g | 120\u20ac | <a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/shootout-the-canon-fd-35mm-lenses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">comparison<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/i.html?_nkw=canon+nfd+35mm+2.0&amp;_sacat=0&amp;_from=R40&amp;_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&amp;_odkw=canon+nfd+28mm+2.8&amp;_osacat=0&amp;mkcid=1&amp;mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&amp;siteid=0&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=20008&amp;mkevt=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">buy from ebay<\/a>&nbsp;(<em>advertisement, <\/em>affiliate link)<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">&nbsp;Canon FD 2\/35 (convex)<\/h3>\n<p><em>Status: Borrowed&nbsp;by Phillip for a few weeks, some reliable information available.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>At f\/2 it is sharp in the center with little CA, bokeh is decent and vignetting quite noticeable.<\/li>\n<li>From f\/5.6 good across the frame sharpness.<\/li>\n<li>I can&#8217;t judge the flare resistance.<\/li>\n<li>Solid build quality but also rather large and heavy for a 35mm lens. Good price\/performance ratio.<\/li>\n<li>There is also an older, optically different version of this lens with the smallest aperture of f\/16 (not f\/22) and a concave front element which <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lummukka.com\/canonfd35.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">is radioactive<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>All in all an attractive lens with a wide range of applications an good performance in most aspects, a little on the heavy side.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>370g | $130 | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.noland.photos\/reviews\/canon-fd-35-2-0-ssc-ii\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">noland.photos short review<\/a>&nbsp;&nbsp;| <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/birnenbaumgarten\/10541100386\/sizes\/o\/in\/photostream\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">aperture series<\/a> |&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/albums\/72157637024044083\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sample images<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/i.html?_nkw=canon+fd+35mm+2.0&amp;_sacat=0&amp;_from=R40&amp;_trksid=m570.l1313&amp;_odkw=canon+nfd+35mm+2.0&amp;_osacat=0&amp;mkcid=1&amp;mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&amp;siteid=0&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=20008&amp;mkevt=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">buy from ebay<\/a>&nbsp;(<em>advertisement, <\/em>affiliate link)<\/p>\n<h4>Canon nFD 2.8\/35<\/h4>\n<p><em>Status: Owned by Phillip for a few months.<\/em><\/p>\n<h4><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1564\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Canon_nFD_35mmf2p8-6-300x261.jpg\" alt=\"Canon_nFD_35mmf2p8-6\" width=\"300\" height=\"261\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Canon_nFD_35mmf2p8-6-300x261.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Canon_nFD_35mmf2p8-6-800x695.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Canon_nFD_35mmf2p8-6.jpg 1199w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>At f\/2.8 most of the image is sharp, &nbsp;vignetting is visible,&nbsp;bokeh is decent and &nbsp;coma is not much of an problem so this aperture is fully usable.<\/li>\n<li>From f\/5.6 it is very good across the frame, and improves a little at&nbsp;f\/8. It has only 5 aperture blades which affects the bokeh.<\/li>\n<li>Less sharp at closer distances.<\/li>\n<li>Some barrel&nbsp;distortion and decent&nbsp;flare resistance.<\/li>\n<li>Very low size and weight. Great price\/performance ratio.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Not only is it small and affordable, it is also quite sharp&nbsp;from f\/2.8 with rather smooth&nbsp;bokeh so it is a&nbsp;lens with a wide range of applications.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>165g | $50&nbsp;| <a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-canon-new-fd-35mm-12-8\/\">full review<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Canon_nFD_35mmf2p8_infinity.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">aperture seri<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Canon_nFD_35mmf2p8_infinity.jpg\">es<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/sets\/72157660432856858\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sample images<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/i.html?_nkw=canon+nfd+35mm+2.8&amp;_sacat=0&amp;_from=R40&amp;_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&amp;_odkw=canon+fd+35mm+2.0&amp;_osacat=0&amp;mkcid=1&amp;mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&amp;siteid=0&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=20008&amp;mkevt=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">buy from ebay<\/a>&nbsp;(<em>advertisement, <\/em>affiliate link)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3938\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC00567.jpg\" alt=\"Canon FD 2.8\/35\" width=\"799\" height=\"548\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC00567.jpg 799w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC00567-300x206.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC00567-768x527.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Normal lenses<\/h4>\n<h2>&nbsp;Canon nFD 1.2\/50 L<\/h2>\n<p><em>Status: Never owned ourselves, some&nbsp;reliable information available.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>At f\/1.2 very similar performance to the much bigger FD 1.2\/55 Aspherical that is moderate resolution in the center but quite good contrast.<\/li>\n<li>At f\/5.6 it is of course excellent in the center but unlike it&#8217;s slower (an much cheaper) cousin the 1.4\/50 it can&#8217;t hold this sharpness to the corners.<\/li>\n<li>It shows very obvious onion rings.<\/li>\n<li>Weight and size is a little above average for a 50mm lens but not&nbsp;by much. It is very expensive.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The red L-ring is of course alluring and it&#8217;s contrast at f\/1.2 was unrivaled back in the day but I wouldn&#8217;t be willing to pay $600 for this lens when a lens like the not much more expensive Sigma 1.4\/50 plays in a totally different league.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imx.nl\/photo\/technique\/technique\/hslenses.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">&nbsp;<\/a>380g | $600 |<a href=\"http:\/\/www.imx.nl\/photo\/technique\/technique\/hslenses.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">&nbsp;MTF Diagram <\/a>(scroll down) |<a href=\"http:\/\/www.jeroenterlingen.com\/blog\/2015\/7\/19\/canon-fd-50mm-lens-comparison\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> comparison with 1.2\/55 Asph. and 1.4\/50<\/a>&nbsp;|<a href=\"http:\/\/www.verybiglobo.com\/sony-fe-55mm-f1-8-z-vs-canon-fd-50mm-f1-2-l\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> comparison with FE 1.8\/55<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/i.html?_nkw=canon+nfd+50mm+1.2+l&amp;_sacat=0&amp;_from=R40&amp;_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&amp;_odkw=canon+nfd+35mm+2.8&amp;_osacat=0&amp;mkcid=1&amp;mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&amp;siteid=0&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=20008&amp;mkevt=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">buy from ebay<\/a>&nbsp;(<em>advertisement, <\/em>affiliate link)<\/p>\n<h4>Canon nFD 1.4\/50<\/h4>\n<p><em><em>Status: Phillip&nbsp;has reviewed it&nbsp;and uses it occasionally.<\/em><br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<h4><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-914\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/DSC04008-300x238.jpg\" alt=\"DSC04008\" width=\"300\" height=\"238\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/DSC04008-300x238.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/DSC04008.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>The nFD version is <a href=\"http:\/\/www.imx.nl\/photo\/optics\/optics\/page81.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">slightly better<\/a>&nbsp;optically and noticably smaller and lighter than it&#8217;s FD precedessor which is more solid.<\/li>\n<li>At f\/1.4 it is sharper than most other 50mm lenses but even in the center contrast is a bit muted, the resolution is fine though and the corers are lousy. Vignetting is very obvious, bokeh is on the busy side and coma very high.&nbsp;So you can use f\/1.4 but most often it makes sense to stop down to f\/2 where contrast, sharpness and bokeh are much better.<\/li>\n<li>From f\/5.6 it is spectacular, only the corners improve a little at&nbsp;f\/8.<\/li>\n<li>Low barrel&nbsp;distortion, strong vignetting at f\/1.4 and average &nbsp;flare resistance.<\/li>\n<li>Low size and weight. Great price\/performance ratio.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>A versatile lens which changes it&#8217;s character completely as you stop down. It is somewhat soft wide open but excellent stopped down. It is small, fast and affordable so I can only recommend it.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>235g | $50&nbsp;| <a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/canon-new-fd-50mm-11-4-review\/\">full review<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/21728431498\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">aperture series <\/a>|<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/albums\/72157648508801988\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> sample images<\/a>&nbsp;| <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imx.nl\/photo\/technique\/technique\/hslenses.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MTF Diagram<\/a>&nbsp;(FD Version)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/i.html?_nkw=canon+nfd+50mm+1.4&amp;_sacat=0&amp;_from=R40&amp;_trksid=m570.l1313&amp;_odkw=canon+nfd+50mm+1.5&amp;_osacat=0&amp;mkcid=1&amp;mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&amp;siteid=0&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=20008&amp;mkevt=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">buy from ebay<\/a>&nbsp;(<em>advertisement, <\/em>affiliate link)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3940\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC09023.jpg\" alt=\"Canon FD 1.4\/50\" width=\"800\" height=\"561\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC09023.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC09023-300x210.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC09023-768x539.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Canon nFD 1.8\/50<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-4792\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC09331-291x300.jpg\" alt=\"DSC09331\" width=\"291\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC09331-291x300.jpg 291w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC09331-768x793.jpg 768w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC09331.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 291px) 100vw, 291px\" \/><\/h2>\n<p><em>Status: Owned by Phillip for a few months, doesn&#8217;t see much use.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>At f\/1.8 it has good resolution but quite low contrast, high vignetting and busy bokeh, from f\/2.8 it is excellent in the center&nbsp;but the corners stay soft.<\/li>\n<li>From f\/5.6 it is truly excellent across the frame.<\/li>\n<li>It has simpler coatings and is quite susceptible to flare. It als has only 5 aperture blades and the close focusing distance is 0.6m.<\/li>\n<li>Very low size and weight. Excellent<br \/>\nprice\/performance ratio.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>It isn&#8217;t a bad lens but the nFD 1.4\/50 is a significantly better lens for only a few bucks more so I can&#8217;t really recommend this one.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>170g | $20 | <a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/canon-newfd-50mm-f-1-8-a-review\/\">full review<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Canon_nFD_50mmf1p8.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">aperture series<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/albums\/72157671015584945\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sample images<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/i.html?_nkw=canon+nfd+50mm+1.8&amp;_sacat=0&amp;_from=R40&amp;_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&amp;_odkw=canon+nfd+50mm+1.4&amp;_osacat=0&amp;mkcid=1&amp;mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&amp;siteid=0&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=20008&amp;mkevt=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">buy from ebay<\/a>&nbsp;(<em>advertisement, <\/em>affiliate link)<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4093\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/DSC04791.jpg\" alt=\"DSC04791\" width=\"800\" height=\"561\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/DSC04791.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/DSC04791-300x210.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/DSC04791-768x539.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Canon (n)FD 3.5\/50 Macro<\/h4>\n<p><em>Status: Never used&nbsp;ourselves, some reliable information available.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Excellent performance in the center from f\/3.5, corners are good enough.<\/li>\n<li>At f\/8&nbsp;it is very sharp across the frame but it doesn&#8217;t quite reach the excellent performance of the infinity optimized faster 50&#8217;s.<\/li>\n<li>Rather strong vignetting wide open<\/li>\n<li>Small and affordable.<\/li>\n<li>It only reaches a 1:2 magnification and usually comes with a &nbsp;25 mm spacer to reach 1:1.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>If you need a 50mm macro lens I wouldn&#8217;t hesitate to buy this sharp and affordable lens.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>230g | $60 |<a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Canon_nFD_50mmf3p5_Macro.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">aperture series<\/a>&nbsp;| <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/albums\/72157670198496263\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sample images<\/a> |&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mir.com.my\/rb\/photography\/companies\/canon\/fdresources\/fdlenses\/fdmacro\/50macro.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">technical data<\/a> |&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.imx.nl\/photo\/optics\/optics\/page61.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MTF Diagram&nbsp;<\/a>| <a href=\"http:\/\/www.digicamclub.de\/showthread.php?t=14422\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">User report <\/a>(in German)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/i.html?_nkw=canon+fd+50mm+3.5&amp;_sacat=0&amp;_from=R40&amp;_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&amp;_odkw=canon+nfd+50mm+1.8&amp;_osacat=0&amp;mkcid=1&amp;mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&amp;siteid=0&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=20008&amp;mkevt=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">buy from ebay<\/a>&nbsp;(<em>advertisement, <\/em>affiliate link)<\/p>\n<h4>Canon FD 1.2\/55<\/h4>\n<p><em>Status:&nbsp;Borrowed from a friend for two&nbsp;weeks, ran one <a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/?p=4372&amp;preview=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">extensive comparison<\/a> with it.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Released as FL, later updated to FD, coatings were probably updated.<\/li>\n<li>At f\/1.2 contrast is low and bokeh rather busy but sharpness is surprisingly high. At f\/2 contrast is a lot higher and the bokeh smoother.<\/li>\n<li>At f\/8 it is excellent&nbsp;across the frame.<\/li>\n<li>Big and heavy for a 50mm lens, handling is pleasant and build quality very high. Short focusing distance is high at 0.6m.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>I think this is an underrated lens,&nbsp;sure it isn&#8217;t small and the bokeh isn&#8217;t the smoothest but I was surprised by the sharpness and it is rather affordable compared to other f\/1.2&#8217;s.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>565 g | $150 |&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/albums\/72157671522680596\">Phillip&#8217;s images<\/a> |<a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Canon_FD_55mmf1p2.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> aperture series<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/birnenbaumgarten\/galleries\/72157669989575721\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">full resolution collection<\/a> |<a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/comparison-minolta-mc-1-258-vs-canon-fd-1-255\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> comparison with Minolta 1.2\/58<\/a> |<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/search\/?user_id=28476552%40N04&amp;view_all=1&amp;text=canon%20fl&amp;sort=interestingness-desc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sebboh&#8217;s images<\/a>&nbsp;| <a href=\"http:\/\/farm8.staticflickr.com\/7720\/16976723808_6112642237_o.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">comparison with other normal lenses at f\/8<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/groups\/1145621@N25\/pool\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">flickr pool<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/i.html?_nkw=canon+fd+55mm+1.2&amp;_sacat=0&amp;_from=R40&amp;_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&amp;_odkw=canon+fd+50mm+3.5&amp;_osacat=0&amp;mkcid=1&amp;mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&amp;siteid=0&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=20008&amp;mkevt=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">buy from ebay<\/a>&nbsp;(<em>advertisement, <\/em>affiliate link)<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4438\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/DSC06772.jpg\" alt=\"DSC06772\" width=\"800\" height=\"561\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/DSC06772.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/DSC06772-300x210.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/DSC06772-768x539.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Canon FD 1.2\/55 Aspherical<\/h4>\n<p><em>Status: Never used ourselves, reliable&nbsp;information available.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>At f\/1.2 contrast is a higher than that of the nFD 1.4\/50 at f\/1.2 which is a remarkable performance for such a fast lens sharpness is a bit lower though. Bokeh is quite pleasant without obvious onion rings.<\/li>\n<li>It&nbsp;features floating elements which &#8211; compared to other normal lenses &#8211; improves performance at shorter distances quite a lot.<\/li>\n<li>At f\/5.6 there is quite a bit of astigmatism at the edges whereas&nbsp;the nFD 1.4\/50 is free from it and therefore superior for landscape images.<\/li>\n<li>A hlarge, heavy and expensive lens.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>All in all it is a good&nbsp;performer for portraits and other stuff where contrast and good central sharpness as well as bokeh matter but not the best choice when off-center sharpness matters and modern lenses like the Mitakon 0.95\/50 are probably a better choice.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>575g <\/strong>|<strong> $650&nbsp;<\/strong>| <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/albums\/72157670649719555\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">full resolution samples images<\/a> |&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.digicamclub.de\/showthread.php?t=13863\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">user report <\/a>(German) | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.imx.nl\/photo\/technique\/technique\/hslenses.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MTF Diagram<\/a> (scroll down) | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jeroenterlingen.com\/blog\/2015\/7\/19\/canon-fd-50mm-lens-comparison\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">comparison<\/a> with 1.2\/50 L and 1.4\/50<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/i.html?_nkw=canon+fd+55mm+1.2+aspherical&amp;_sacat=0&amp;_from=R40&amp;_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&amp;_odkw=canon+fd+55mm+1.2&amp;_osacat=0&amp;mkcid=1&amp;mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&amp;siteid=0&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=20008&amp;mkevt=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">buy from ebay<\/a>&nbsp;(<em>advertisement, <\/em>affiliate link)<\/p>\n<h4>Canon FD 1.2\/85 Aspherical<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-3971\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Canon_FD_85mmf1p2-1-3-300x215.jpg\" alt=\"Canon_FD_85mmf1p2-1-3\" width=\"300\" height=\"215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Canon_FD_85mmf1p2-1-3-300x215.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Canon_FD_85mmf1p2-1-3-768x549.jpg 768w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Canon_FD_85mmf1p2-1-3.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/h4>\n<p><em>Status: Owned by Jannik for a few months then sold to Phillip who has owned it for a few months.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>At f\/1.2, the center has usable sharpness, the midfield and the edges are not sharp. Because of spherical aberrations contrast is quite low but still better than most 1.4\/50 lenses wide open. We&#8217;d only recommend to use this setting for atmospheric portraits or low-light photography.<\/li>\n<li>The whole image sharpens up a lot at f\/1.6, the center is very good as is the contrast from this aperture.<\/li>\n<li>The center sharpness peaks at f\/2.8, the midfield shows good sharpness but the corners are softer.<\/li>\n<li>At f\/4, the image is excellent, only the extreme corners are just good.<\/li>\n<li>To get the best corner performance, stop down to f\/8.<\/li>\n<li>The bokeh is smooth&nbsp;at typical portrait distances but gets a bit nervous at longer distances<\/li>\n<li>Low barrel distortion and bad&nbsp;flare resistance. Make sure to get a hood, it doesn&#8217;t need to be the expensive original one.<\/li>\n<li>Large size and weight, very good&nbsp;built quality<\/li>\n<li>There is a &#8220;L&#8221; and a &#8220;S.S.C. Aspherical&#8221; Version &#8211; optically, there is no difference except of an additional aperture blade for the Asperical version, which causes better bokeh stopped down and different sun stars. The current EF version isn&#8217;t any sharper.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>If you consider that this lens was released 45 years ago it&#8217;s performance is absolutely astonishing and it still shines today.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>756g | $650&nbsp;| <a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-canon-fd-85mm-f1-2-s-s-c-aspherical\/\">review<\/a> |&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Blendenreihe_85mm.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">aperture series<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.imx.nl\/photo\/optics\/optics\/page61.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MTF Diagram<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/albums\/72157670649719555\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sample images<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/i.html?_nkw=canon+fd+85mm+1.2+aspherical&amp;_sacat=0&amp;_from=R40&amp;_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&amp;_odkw=canon+fd+55mm+1.2+aspherical&amp;_osacat=0&amp;mkcid=1&amp;mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&amp;siteid=0&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=20008&amp;mkevt=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">buy from ebay<\/a>&nbsp;(<em>advertisement, <\/em>affiliate link)<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3963\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/DSC05429.jpg\" alt=\"DSC05429\" width=\"624\" height=\"799\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/DSC05429.jpg 624w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/DSC05429-234x300.jpg 234w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Canon (n)FD 1.8\/85<\/h4>\n<p><em>Status: Jannik owned the lens (S.S.C. version) but sold it some time ago.<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-4802 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC01301-221x300.jpg\" alt=\"DSC01301\" width=\"221\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC01301-221x300.jpg 221w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC01301.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 221px) 100vw, 221px\" \/>Wide open it is already pretty sharp in the center.<\/li>\n<li>From f\/2.8 it is excellent in the center.<\/li>\n<li>Shows some field curvature, especially at short distances. Therefore, corners can appear unsharp.<\/li>\n<li>Bokeh is pretty decent.<\/li>\n<li>Axial CA&#8217;s are pretty low but not absent<\/li>\n<li>Light weight and rather small portrait lens. (applies only to the nFD version. The S.S.C. version is much heavier and larger)<\/li>\n<li>Recommended for portrait work. When it comes to landscape photography, the 2\/100mm and the 1.2\/85 perform better.<\/li>\n<li>Average price\/performance ratio.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>345<\/strong><strong>g | $170<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/birnenbaumgarten\/galleries\/72157667711611084\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/a><strong>|<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/birnenbaumgarten\/galleries\/72157667711611084\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>gallery<\/a> |&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.canonclassics.com\/canon-nfd-85mm-f1.8\/10-75\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">user reviews<\/a>&nbsp;| <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jeroenterlingen.com\/blog\/2015\/8\/24\/canon-nfd-85mm-lens-comparison\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">comparison with 1.2\/85 L<\/a>&nbsp;| <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/groups\/2797149@N22\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">flickr group<\/a>&nbsp;| <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mir.com.my\/rb\/photography\/companies\/canon\/fdresources\/fdlenses\/85mm.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">technical data<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4800\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/post-66313-0-92352000-1422608446.jpg\" alt=\"post-66313-0-92352000-1422608446\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/post-66313-0-92352000-1422608446.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/post-66313-0-92352000-1422608446-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/post-66313-0-92352000-1422608446-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Canon nFD 2.0\/100<\/h4>\n<p><em>Status: Jannik owned the lens for some time but sold it. <\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">At f\/2.0, the center is very sharp, the midfield and the edges reach good sharpness. For portraits and shallow depth-of-field work, this is excellent.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">All regions of the frame improve by stopping down to f\/2.8. The center is excellent there and doesn&#8217;t improve any further. The corners are very good at f\/4 and peak at f\/5.6.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Pleasant bokeh, vignetting is present but not really a problem.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> The only issue is a medium amount of CA. How much it affects your image depends a lot on your subject.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Very low pincushion distortion and average &nbsp;flare resistance.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Small but pretty heavy, much glass in a small case. Therefore, the writings are on the edge of the barrel.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Decent price\/performance ratio.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">All in all a excellent lens for portraits and for landscape photography. <\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Highly Recommended<\/span><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>445g | ~300\u20ac |<a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Canon_nFD_100mmf2.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> aperture series <\/a>| <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/theweekendlens\/sets\/72157662937758012\/with\/30552600226\/\">sample images<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.digicamclub.de\/showthread.php?t=16430\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">user review<\/a> (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.digicamclub.de\/showthread.php?t=16430\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">German) <\/a>|&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theweekendlens.com\/canon-fd-100-f2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">user review<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h4>Canon nFD 2.0\/135<\/h4>\n<p><em>Status: Jannik owned the lens shortly but sold it some time ago. <\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4801 size-medium alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC02853-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"DSC02853\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC02853-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC02853.jpg 407w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/>At f\/2.0, the center is very sharp, the midfield and the edges reach good sharpness. For portraits and shallow depth-of-field work, this is excellent.<\/li>\n<li>All regions of the frame improve by stoping down to f\/2.8. The center is excellent there and doesn&#8217;t improve any further. The corners are very good at f\/4 and excellent at f\/5.6.<\/li>\n<li>It is sharp across the frame with pleasant bokeh, vignetting is present but not really a problem. The only issue is a medium amount of CA. How much it affects your image depends a lot on your subject: It can be a&nbsp;problematic&nbsp;e.g. when photographing metallic objects or unproblematic&nbsp;e.g. for portraits.<\/li>\n<li>For best results when shooting landscapes, stop down to f\/5.6, the improvement isn&#8217;t large but noticeable and vignetting will be all but invisible at this aperture. For portraits, don&#8217;t hesitate to shoot it wide open or at f\/2.8.<\/li>\n<li>Very low pincushion distortion and average &nbsp;flare resistance.<\/li>\n<li>Large size and weight, good built quality.<\/li>\n<li>Decent price\/performance ratio.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>All in all a excellent lens for portraits and also good for landscape photography. Highly Recommended<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>660g | ~300\u20ac | <a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Blendenreihe_135mm.jpg\">aperture series<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/theweekendlens\/sets\/72157673735997231\/with\/30148806911\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sample images<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theweekendlens.com\/canon-fd-135-f2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">theweekendlens.com review<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h4>Canon nFD 2.8\/135<\/h4>\n<p><em>Status: Phillip&nbsp;has reviewed it but not used much since then.<\/em><\/p>\n<h4><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1645\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Canon_nFD_135mmf2p8-10-300x242.jpg\" alt=\"Canon_nFD_135mmf2p8-10\" width=\"300\" height=\"242\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Canon_nFD_135mmf2p8-10-300x242.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Canon_nFD_135mmf2p8-10.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>At f\/2.8 it is sharp across the frame with pleasant bokeh, vignetting is present but not really a problem. The only issue is CA which is quite strong. How much it affects your image depends a lot on your subject: It can be a&nbsp;problematic&nbsp;e.g. when photographing metallic objects for portraits it is less of an issue.<\/li>\n<li>For best results stop down to f\/5.6, the improvement isn&#8217;t large but noticeable and vignetting will be all but invisible at this aperture.<\/li>\n<li>Very low pincushion distortion and average &nbsp;flare resistance.<\/li>\n<li>Medium size and weight, average built quality.<\/li>\n<li>Great price\/performance ratio.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>All in all a very good lens for portraits and landscape photography&nbsp;for a great&nbsp;price.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>398g | $60 | <a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-canon-nfd-2-8135\/\">full review<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Canon_nFD-_135mmf2p8.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">aperture series<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/sets\/72157658968528963\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sample images<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/i.html?_nkw=canon+nfd+135mm+2.8&amp;_sacat=0&amp;_from=R40&amp;_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&amp;_odkw=canon+fd+85mm+1.8&amp;_osacat=0&amp;mkcid=1&amp;mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&amp;siteid=0&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=20008&amp;mkevt=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">buy from ebay<\/a>&nbsp;(<em>advertisement, <\/em>affiliate link)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3939\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC00578.jpg\" alt=\"Canon FD 2.8\/135\" width=\"799\" height=\"561\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC00578.jpg 799w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC00578-300x211.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC00578-768x539.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Canon nFD 2.8\/200 IF<\/h4>\n<p><em>Status: Never used ourselves, some reliable&nbsp;information available.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>There&nbsp;are two different versions of the nFD 2.8\/200 lens, the older one focuses conventionally and has identical optics as the S.S.C. version. The newer one which is a bit smaller &nbsp;focuses internally and has different optics.<\/li>\n<li>Sharp across the frame from f\/2.8 but with a tremendous amount of CA.<\/li>\n<li>This lens is usually very affordable which could make the strong CA bearable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.mir.com.my\/rb\/photography\/companies\/canon\/fdresources\/fdlenses\/200mm.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">technical data<\/a> |&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/birnenbaumgarten\/galleries\/72157667838554474\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sample images<\/a><\/p>\n<h4>Canon nFD 4\/200 IF<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-5052 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/artikelbild.jpg\" alt=\"artikelbild\" width=\"300\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/artikelbild.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/artikelbild-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/h4>\n<p><em>Status: Never used&nbsp;ourselves, some&nbsp;reliable information available.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Very sharp across the frame from f\/4 with moderate vignetting wide open.<\/li>\n<li>Since it is quite good from f\/4 it gains only a little bit at smaller apertures.<\/li>\n<li>There is some axial Ca, the only real weakness of this lens<\/li>\n<li>Rather small and lightweight, easy to focus thank to IF.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Sharp, light, affordable: There is&nbsp;a lot to like about this lens, &nbsp;CA is the only shortcoming I see.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>440g | $40 |<\/strong>&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Canon_nFD_200mm_f4.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">aperture series<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/albums\/72157672887073496\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sample images<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/i.html?_nkw=canon+nfd+200mm+4&amp;_sacat=0&amp;_from=R40&amp;_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&amp;_odkw=canon+nfd+135mm+2.8&amp;_osacat=0&amp;mkcid=1&amp;mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&amp;siteid=0&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=20008&amp;mkevt=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">buy from ebay&nbsp;<\/a>(<em>advertisement, <\/em>affiliate link)<\/p>\n<h4>Canon nFD 4\/300 L<\/h4>\n<p><em>Status:&nbsp;Part of Phillips setup for more than two years.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>At f\/4 it is fully usable&nbsp;with very good sharpness across the frame, moderate vignetting and only a little CA. Bokeh is very good.<\/li>\n<li>From f\/5.6 it is spectacular with excellent sharpness, very low CA and little vignetting<\/li>\n<li>Flare can be a problem<\/li>\n<li>At about 1kg it is neither small nor light but it is still small enough to put it into an average camera bag and handling on the a7 works well enough.<\/li>\n<li>Decent&nbsp;price\/performance ratio.<\/li>\n<li>All in all a great lens but the price reflects that.&nbsp;<strong>Highly recommended.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>1060g | $350 | <a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/canon-fd-300mm-4-l-review\/\">full review<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/farm4.staticflickr.com\/3770\/14096505230_11c641980d_o.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">aperture series<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/albums\/72157644645021275\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sample images<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/i.html?_nkw=canon+nfd+300mm+4.0+l&amp;_sacat=0&amp;_from=R40&amp;_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&amp;_odkw=canon+nfd+200mm+4&amp;_osacat=0&amp;mkcid=1&amp;mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&amp;siteid=0&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=20008&amp;mkevt=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">buy from ebay<\/a>&nbsp;(<em>advertisement, <\/em>affiliate link)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3941\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC06737.jpg\" alt=\"Canon FD 4\/300 L\" width=\"799\" height=\"561\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC06737.jpg 799w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC06737-300x211.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/DSC06737-768x539.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>&nbsp;Thanks<\/h4>\n<p>A&nbsp;big thank you to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Micharl for providing test images for the 3.5\/50 macro and 4\/200 IF.<\/li>\n<li>Giovanni for providing images for the FD 4\/17.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.noland.photos\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dan Noland <\/a>for the nFD 2\/24 samples and feedback on the list.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1>Honorable mentions<\/h1>\n<p>We have no personal experience with these lenses but we have read positive&nbsp;reports about them from reliable sources. If you have full resolution images from them we are very interested :).<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>nFD 2.8\/20-35 L &#8211; As good or better as the 2.8\/20 but bigger, more expensive and a longer short focusing distance.<\/li>\n<li>nFD 3.5\/35-105 &#8211; not small but very good performance.<\/li>\n<li>nFD 2.8\/100 &#8211; Small, affordable and quite a good performer by all reports<\/li>\n<li>nFD 1.8\/200 L &#8211; super rare and expensive but it is by some margin the best lens in the system<\/li>\n<li>nFD 2.8\/300 L &#8211; Excellent performance<\/li>\n<li>nFD 4.5\/500 L (can have bearing issues) &#8211;&nbsp; Excellent performance<\/li>\n<li>nFD 4.5\/50-300 L<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1>Other articles<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/manual-lenses-sony-a7\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Manual lenses on the Sony a7 \u2013 A beginners guide<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/affordable-manual-lenses-for-the-sony-alpha-77r7ii7rii-and-7s\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Affordable manual lenses for the Sony Alpha 7,7r,7ii,7rii and 7s<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/lenses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Our reviews<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1>Support Us<\/h1>\n<p>Did you find this article useful or just liked reading it? Treat us to a coffee!<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=3K9EJRRQVXT4J\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-40345 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/donate2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"103\" height=\"29\"><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/en_SE\/i\/scr\/pixel.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\"> <span style=\"color: #999999;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/en_SE\/i\/scr\/pixel.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\"><em>via Paypal<\/em><\/span><\/p>\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>Introduction This guide was written to give you a good idea what to expect from Canon&#8217;s older FD lenses, many of which still perform very well on modern digital cameras. All tests are performed with the 24MP full frame Sony a7\/a7ii. Our ratings are always based&nbsp;on using the lenses with these cameras,&nbsp;the evaluation will be &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/guide-canon-fd-lenses-digital-age-2\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">The Guide to Canon FD lenses on the Sony a7 series<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,7,419],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-canon-fd-mount","category-lenses","category-vintage"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Guide to Canon FD lenses on the Sony a7 series - phillipreeve.net<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This extensive guide to Canon FD lenses on today&#039;s digital cameras like the Sony a7 series will give you a good idea what to expect from these lenses.\" \/>\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\/guide-canon-fd-lenses-digital-age-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Guide to Canon FD lenses on the Sony a7 series - 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