Canon’s Vintage FD L series lenses: 24mm F-1.4, 50mm F-1.2 & 85mm F-1.2. I feel like if combined in a set they could ACTUALLY become sentient and take over the world. TIME STAMPS: 0:14: Dragon’s Fire 0:55: Lens History 3:21: Photo Examples 5:08: SMC Takumar 50mm F-1.4 vs Canon FD 50mm F-1.2 (non scientific, just a spot check) 6:06: Low Light Performance
Just watch you don’t get price gouged :). FD’s work perfect adapted to Sony so just look for “no fungus” and minimal optical degradation. Fotodiox adapters I would recommend, FD to NEX, $20
I started taking photographs in 1962. In the late 70’s I was shooting Pentax. I was there, back then, and so I can assure you that the Pentax/Canon color difference existed back then. It was because of coatings. These days various brands are more similar to each other, with Zeiss and Leica being the most different. Back then every company was distinctive. Canon’s colors always favored greens and browns. It was a very natural look for landscapes and people. Pentax tended to be a little warmer and it favored more golden hues. It was fantastic for low sun and glowing portraits. I still have my Pentax 50’s - the 1.4, 1.7, and f2. I also have the FD 50 1.2L. I would rank them Sharpness: (1) Pentax-M 50/1.7, (2) Canon 50/1.2L, (3) Pentax-M 50/1.4, and (4) Pentax-M 50/2 Dreaminess: (1) (tied) canon 50/1.2 and Pentax-M 50/1.4, (2) Pentax-M 50/1.7, (3) Pentax-M 50/2. The Canon would win the sharpness if only considering above f2.8 but the Pentax is better wide open and close to the Canon stopped down. The Pentax-M 50/1.7 is remarkable for excellence from wide open. The 1.4 and the Canon surpass it around f8 but are beaten by the 1.7 for anything under f5.6 and above f11. It gets less respect than it deserves because everyone gets mesmerised by f1.4 and 1.2. As to dreaminess. The Canon would win this for sheer quantity of blur, but is let down by the artefacts introduced by the aspherics. The non-aspheric design of the Pentax gives it better quality of blur. Canon’s FD 50 1.2L was not the first f1.2 lens Canon made. The Canon R-series was introduced in 1959 and included a 58mm f1.2. The FL mount followed the R, and FD replaced FL. There are both 58mm and 55mm f1.2 lenses in the FL mount. In FD that became 85mm, 55mm, and 50mm 1.2’s. So there are a lot of choices for f1.2 in vintage Canon. Then, as now, the 85 is the best of the 1.2’s and the FD 85/1.2 is quite expensive to buy despite its age. BTW the new RF mount has nothing to do with the old R-series.
Mark Holtze I am always amused when I see younger people using lenses that I knew so well back when they were brand new. Of course back then Canon had just killed Leica and were turning their attention to Pentax and Nikon, but Pentax was bigger than Canon back then, and pros went mostly for Nikon. Nikon was just about quality, pentax was about simplicity and small cameras. Canon was about fast glass, and innovation. Pentax was the innovation leader in the 60’s but Canon stole a march with the AE1 in 1976 and from that point Pentax started losing ground. I loved the Pentax-M and shot M glass and bodies into the 1990’s, and then, like a lot of people I switched to Canon. My favorite glass, however, remains manual focus Leica, Pentax, Canon, and Nikon. They all made great lenses.
@artisrjoh Sir.... My salutes to you and thank you very much for sharing your realtime experience and would help us a alot please make one video with all your lenses would love to see the results I own a Helios 44 and at wide open this is the sharpest at any lighting conditions please correct me if I was wrong
A1Bokeh FD and old manual Nikon are generally excellent. Back then it was just like today - quality followed price as a general rule. Some lenses are over priced. An FD 85 f1.2 sells up to a grand. I wouldn’t want to pay that much money even though it is a wonderful lens. Here is a good resource for you - a list of all FD lenses cameraville.co/blog/list-every-canon-fd-lens-ever-made
It's true! Intro's, ain't nobody got time for that. I just did this one at the very end not really liking my intro at all lol. In the edit I just liked it the best.
Thanks mate, the nice thing with my position (doing this just for fun) is that I don't need to let the number dictate my love affair with production or these lenses ;). The algo won't serve me up as much because this is super niche vs say M1 Apple videos right now lol. My philosophy ultimately (especially with this platform) is to not fuss over the numbers, do work that you enjoy and that brings value to people and enjoy the process, learn from it and grow. It's much more tangible than depending on a computer to serve your work up to an audience ;) Long story long sorry mate, but thanks for your kind words again. Stay safe out there.
@@MarkHoltze Yeah mate I love the content! I'm getting bored of the m1 MacBook stuff lol. yeah that's a good philosophy, I try to do that too but I haven't really found my niche yet. thanks for the reply mate, keep doing what you're doing! and stay safe
5 лет назад+16
I really don't think the price is worth it. I feel the jump from 1.4 to 1.2 is just relevant for sharpness improvement at something like f4. Even though I can't justify the price for me, I understand someone looking always for the best buying this lens. Great review.
Definitely paying a vintage premium for the L for sure. Chances are people who have these lenses and selling them know the "value". I really do think it's relative small size is handy as well, pro grade lens that's very small compared other 1.2's. Definitely in a different league for what makes vintage so valuable, but the pro market I still think the price is good. Thanks for watching and your thoughts Jeremie! Appreciate it! You have any 50's that you can recommend?
@@rodrrico Ya that price is dealers as well, Sim's found these for $400-$500 Canadian locally. The value is there for anyone who likes to collect and is getting paid to shoot video or take photos and doesn't mind manual. Totally agree
This person knows his stuff, as I love his reviews he is old school know how, I wish to see more of his videos as I love this guy's presentation on photography in technical point of view, than what his face and his floor dripper wife.
I figured not many people are talking about these old lenses, might as well put a different perspective on a much over talked about (photography) subject in this space. :) Thanks for the nice words Alex!
These are some of the best lens reviews I've seen in this space. Even better than the guys who get paid by Canon and Sony to shill their products endlessly. I also appreciate the real world examples vs taking photo's of a board to measure sharpness like it's the only thing that matters in a photo.
@@MarkHoltze While I totally agree that your videos and your presentation are just fantastic, I now have a burning need to see your floor dripper wife and to receive some level of education as to how she came to be referred to as such.
I have owned this lens for 35 years. It was my favorite street lens for 15 of those. Just bought a Metabones speedbooster .71 and look forward to using it with my BM4K pocket camera for shallow focus work. Super smooth and sharp. Glad I never sold all my old FD L glass.
With vintage lenses, I always set my wb according to each lens, but median will be 5000K, plus minus around 1000K the most but mostly around plus minus 500K, it help to preserve other colour and make the result easier to tweak later. As we know some vintage lenses can bring so much colour when you "lifted" it more than some modern one.
I own the Canon FDn 50mm 1.4 lens and honestly I see hardly any difference between the two here. I don't own the 1.2 but from your images and detailed look here the bokeh looks the same, CA similar and overall sharpness. I don't think the lens is worth the price for optic quality but for history, geekiness and all around charm I would love to own one :) Great review!
Collectors for sure. The FD 1.4 standard is an amazing lens. I had the 1.8 for awhile and it was brilliant. If I could get the full set I would consider the overall price for all three and just mod them for cine use. But I would have to sell off some stuff ;)
Omg that image at 5.59_6.01 is stunning. Loving that stand up into the forest light transition. You deserve weekend chocolate for being very humble and clever :)
Hey Urbano! Ya that shot I got super lucky on. The day I shot these was rain, sun, rain, sun rain sun. It poured as I arrived at the drive in (puddles) but after the long drive I figured I'd wait it out a bit, then the sun came out. Rained again on the way home and I saw the horizon was pretty clear so positioned myself in a spot I might be able to take advantage of it. Glad that I did, the bugs were bad lol.
Thanks so much! It’s funny putting all this effort into old glass, but I can’t explain it. Just wish I had more time to push them out more often but I guess the time between allows for new ideas to flourish :)
Oh my goodness. I don't even know where to begin. This is such a bloody good video! Hard to believe it's over 9 minutes as that whizzed right by with so many beautiful shots and valuable information. I say Nick-On rather than Ny-Con. But Then again I say Way-com instead of Wack-om. I think the one thing Canon has always done well is building amazing high end stills glass. This 50mm L easily holds up today with those butter shots you took as solid supporting material of that fact. Got to say that the crisp shots on the A7Sii are amazing. I always seem to favour more megapixels witht he A7Rii as my mains tills camera, but clearly it's your skills with the A7Sii that make the difference. Can hardly wait for your next video mate. Your production values and excellent audio effects / music choice alone is worth watching, but your personality and golden information put you above the rest. Boom!
Hey Rod, thanks for the strong comment! NICK-on from now on GO! I'm longing for more MP in the Sony, I have it with the Canon 6DII but i don't like adapting FD's to it because of the lens element required. Looking forward to the follow up Paris trip videos!
There is something about your videos that I really like. I cannot entirely describe it in words, but one thing is, that I never feel "rushed" like in other youtube videos. I alway feel calm and well informed, without being overwhelmed with too scientific information. And you give very good examples on how to use these lenses. I guess I will keep an eye out for the FD 50 1.2.
One of the best camera videos I've ever seen. With so many videos out there in this category feeling exactly the same, it was exciting to feel like I didn't know what was going to happen next. Subscribed!
Wow thanks for the glowing feedback Ross. I felt compelled to go the extra mile with this one, an FD 50 1.2 L is a rare bird, if I was going to do it, it had to be "done right" or at least to the best of my ability. Thank you kindly my friend.
@@rosslmccallum the land of the best lenses. Contax Zeiss, Canon FD...man enjoy that. Everything I get comes from Japan and I'm sure they're getting them for way less than I'm paying ;)
I have it and also 55 1.2 asph version. I would say that 55 1.2 asph is little better, but it also has thorium and is bigger/heavier. I love my fd collection, I have many others fd L lenses and I use them occasionally.
Ut definately lives upto it. Its really really sharp and really really great performing lens with little to no chromatic aberration or anything. I follow you on IG and have seen some pictures you took from this lens and they are awesome. Loved it, keep it coming.
I agree, very sharp and accurate color renditions. This lens in a set of primes for DP work modded would be KILLER! Focus is SO smooth as well, shooting video with it is an ACTUAL pleasure.
@@MarkHoltze I believe in that. That bokeh must be so good in video for making the subject pop from the image. Love it. Couldn't find anything like it in my country.
Been getting more and more into video this year and I just got super lucky! I was talking to A photographer friend of my dads and he actually had one of these in his studio that he hasn't touched in probably 30 years. Sitting in the case and everything. And hes just giving it to me.... I had no idea how much they cost until he said he had it lol
Dude, I am so happy I found your videos. I was in the process of taking up Olympus on their Trade in Trade up to trade in my film Cannon AE-1 program for credit to, well probably the OM-D E-M5 Mark II. I have from my hight school days in the 80's my Canon 50mm f1.4, 50mm macro f3.5 28mm f2.8 and 70-210 f4. It is so great to learn that with a $20 adapter I can continue to use these lenses that I used to love so much with a new digital camera. Not trading them in.
It'll happen man, I found my Canon A1, FD 200mm f2.8 and an 85mm f1.2 L in a small town vintage shop in MS, all for 85 bucks. Talk about winning the lottery... You'll find yours, no doubt. Just keep looking.
@@risbill1 that makes two of us. I've had my best luck taking day trips out to small towns, two or three hours out. Places far away from cities where the folks don't have G.A.S.! lol.
I like your style - the best kind of intro to a video! Trying to decide between this lens and the FD 35mm f2, but only the concave looks satisfactory to me. This seems better value.
The L value has gone way up since even this so yea not sure it’s a great buy now unless you want a keep sake. Optically there are some better options for the $$’s for sure.
So first off... I love the transitions Mark! Second... I wanting to buy this exact lens but decided to buy the 85mm F1.2L lens and the 35mm F1.4L lens as the 50mm F1.2L lens was too close to the 35mm focal length for style of photography. I love that I can still us them on my analog bodies as well as on my Sony a7RII. Vintage lenses are over looked at the quality they posses and anyone with manual skills can appreciate it more than the guys that rely on Auto Focus to get shots that overlook the skills you need to develop when things go wrong! Great as per usual Mark! Thanks for LIKES on my IG feed every now and then! Hahahaha!
Those likes are earned mate, no need to thank ;). Agreed about being overlooked, big reason why I've dedicated time to do reviews, try to showcase their potential. This one is a bit on the high end price wise, but it's history, quality and availabilty all kind of speak to that. Lenses are always a great long term investment, they cost a lot but retain their value over the years/decades in this case.
Such a good production behind this. Got lost in all those nice shots. Got the 55mm f/1.2 and it's probably not as sharp as this one, but it's a treat to shoot with. Both on full frame and on m4/3 with a focal reducer. Keep up the great work!
Getting lost was my intention ;) That 55 F/1.2 was the lens this one was inspired from. It's "direct successor" if you will. Hold onto that, it's a collectors item for sure! I'm on the lookout for one of those now, I want to see how it compares in size vs the L 1.2 Thanks for the kind words mate, appreciate it!
@@MarkHoltze It sures does the trick! There are a few on eBay for a reasonable $180 dollars from Japan. That's where I got mine from. The FD system has grown on me for sure! And I will keep my hands grasping tight on that lens 😅
I for real think this lens will be worth a ton like 10-20 years from now. some of these older lenses are for real a great investment if stored properly and taken care of. but shit, I would wanna use that thing for sure. it looks so fun and great.
I have one of these, brand new, in the box. I have the regular FD 50mm f1.2 for my Canon f-1 New camera so I never got around to using it. I'd be willing to sell it for the right price. I have sold some of lenses to cinema studios for adaptation to their digital cameras. If been looking for this lens, but without 40 years of wear, I have one.
Ever had hands on the old nikon 1.2 noct? Thing's still worth a few grand! So i'd say this lens is definitely worth the price tag considering the cost of a new 1.2 these days..
😂 thanks mate. Nobody cares about the old dusty lenses. It’s all about hype tech on this platform. That’s okay, less is more here I think. Stay authentic and less compromised this way
Well, you can either capture the trends and short term search traffic spikes or play a long tale game. I care, Mathieu cares, and it seems like few more ppl do as well.
Hey Mark, another wonderful video--thank you! I should mention, while I have learned about vintage lenses before and through others (including other YTers), it has been your efforts that really lit my passion for them. Thanks. So, I got the Canon FD 50/1.4 and 28/2.8. I should say, mostly for video work, but have been seduced into using the 50 for some still images. JUST A REALLY WONDERFUL IMAGE! (the 28 strikes me as rather average, much the way my eos 28/2.8 EF lens from the 1980s renders an image). Truth be told, I'm not sure I see enough benefit from the 1.2L over my 1.4. And was not a fan of the bokeh. So not regretting the choice of 1.4. But I do want to share that I also picked up a PIXCO FD > MFT (G85) speed booster. Basically, the cheapest one I could find, with fingers crossed. It was only $89 on Amazon, and a couple of weeks wait from China. Just a physical adapter and optics, no electronics (non needed for these old lenses). I have to say I am loving the images I am getting thus far. Have not totally pixel peeped, just a bit. but as others have noted in reviews, the image quality is nary effected at all. So for UNDER $200, I got a 50/1.4, a 28/2.8, and a booster that gave me a converted 35/1.0, and 20/2.0, respectively. Oh, and the converted 28 is now impressively crisp. WHAT A DEAL ALL AROUND!
Your videos are always absolutely stunning, anyone with working eyeballs should be able to see the pure passion in your videos! looking forward to what you put up next!
Wow thank you, sincerely. Glad that resonates, they make me happy so i’ll continue as long as they do. Game changers for me, so much inspiration from these it’s hard to contain it. Have a good weekend mate.
@@MarkHoltze Not a problem! You have a very unique way of making videos. Plus I love the humor here and there you inject into your videos. Keep that inspiration flowing! Thank you, you too!
I've got a Canon lens that says 1.4 50mm FD made in Japan, my Dad gave to me years ago. I never really liked the look because when I was new to the photo world everything had to be tack sharp, super vibrant colors with added clarity in processing. Needless to say taste change over time. I saw this lens while cleaning the other day and thought, that might take some neat shots. Now I just watched your video, I'm taking it out tomorrow to see what it can do.
@@MarkHoltze Hey. I thought I'd give you an update... for landscape I thought the images were still too soft. What really has me baffled is when editing, I shot as I normally do, exposing for the highlights, everything was in range on my meter, but when I tried to bring back the shadows they got real muddy. Curios if that's something you've experienced? Almost like it had negative impact on the dynamic range of the camera. I'm not giving up on this lens though, I see some potential for woodland photos.
@@BrentTouchstone FD's and EOS DLSR's have an issue with infinity focus unless you're using an adapter with a glass element. What adapter are you using? I've found M42 lenses work fine with DSLR's, but FD's specifically have an issue with Canon cameras which is a shame really. The Canon mirrorless don't have any issues. I would try to do less landscape where it's hard to dial in your focus (if you don't have EVF it makes it tricky to focus as well) the flange distance between the mirror reflecting the image and the actual recorded image don't line up because again, of that mirror. Try LIVE VIEW in video mode and see if you can nail focus that way, also I would suggest using some subjects closer in with a lot of texture to do some tests that way. You have to work a bit given the camera that you have, but the lens will outlast the cameras seeing as DSLR's are making way for mirrorless cameras. I don't have any issues at all with my Sony A7sii, Lumix S1H or Canon C100, but none of those cameras have a mirror. I did a test on my 6D and Canon 24mm F2.8 with a glass adapter and while it worked well enough, wide open the contrast and image was a bit more hazy that I normally get on that lens. The glass element in the filter will compromise the image somewhat unfortunately.
@@MarkHoltze Thanks for the tips, I don't remember the exact adapter, as I bought it years ago, but it does not have a glass element, so that's good to know. I used live view and zoomed in, but it was kind of hard to dial in as usual. Unfortunately, I don't have a mirrorless; I've got a T3i, SL2, SL3 and the 6D... One day I want to get into Sony though. Thanks again :)
I need to find the name of it, it's from the Epidemic Sound library. This sequence is on an old computer, I'll see if I can figure out a way to bring it back up and find the name, it's dope, I agree. Makes my head melt every time I hear it.
My gosh!! $100?!?!! You got the deal the decade mate! So jealous! Make magic with it that’s all I ask ;). Thanks for watching, enjoy your weekend and the L!!!
Wow, sharpness is really usable wide open! I own the FD 55mm 1.2 which is really soft wide open. Still a nice lens though. :) I also own the 50mm 1.4, which is probably the best value for money out of all the FD 50s. It lives on my Canon A1. :)
That 55 1.2 was the lens that inspired this one. That's a collector item Daniel, keep that! How big is it? It was aspherical as well wasn't it? Do you have the 50 SSC 1.4 or just the FD?
Fortuna, you did such a job with behind-the-scenes / previews of this video on your other social media outlets, you had me whipped into a frenzy of anticipation for this video. So worth it. I loved the match-light intro (so theatrical). But I think I'm really going to hear your brief comments on learning from a challenging piece of gear (" ... creative freedom of experimentation ... ") next time I'm kicking myself for not producing perfect images. Thanks. Now to hybernate in desperation for your next video.
So the strategy WORKS! lol. I figured they're good places to showcase additional stuff, I really have no idea if it resonates or not so happy that it does for you. I've been doing this for a LONG time (shooting/editing) so what keeps me inspired and creatively motivated is constantly trying to test the limits so to speak. My space isn't the most inspired to work in, but with the right lighting I think it really works. There's also this mad push regarding gear. Expensive gear at that, which is all great, but it sometimes makes people forget that they may have some very viable options you don't have to spend a few thousand on to pay with. You might not even LIKE it. Thanks for your comment mate! :) Enjoy the weekend
Ya the Tak 50 is a gem, total gem. Amazing value for the money. It doesn’t have the marketing machine of the red line L series behind it; but that’s our little secret ;)
My tests indicate that the Takumars are NOT nearly as good if you pixel peep. In their defense, the Takumars gradually improved from 1970 ish up to the K versions, but never matched the Cannons. Yes, pukey YELLOW too...
I love Canon FD lenses and in future I want to get a set of FD L primes as well as Zeiss Primes. I just hope they won't go crazy in price by the time I'm actually buying them. FDs are fantastic lenses... The thin red line is worth it.
@@MarkHoltze all the Konica Hexanon AR lenses are pretty great! The 57 1.4 is really quite affordable and fantastic, and follows the same design as the 57 1.2 :)
The titles slightly overblown lol. Lets not forget the ton of legendary vintage lenses like the Zeiss Ultron f1.8, Leica, Voigtländer Nokton and Apo-Lanthar, etc. Even many even lesser known companies made lenses worthy of that title. For example the Kodak Ektar 100mm, Enna Ennalyth f1.5 , Meyer Görlitz Primoplan, Taylor Hobson 2inch f2, Kern Makro-Switar plus various by Angenieux and Zunow. One could probably go on a whole day naming legendary glass ^^
Always have to go big, but for awhile this lens was the most technically advanced lens for its time. That’s where the title was pulled from. But I agree it’s totally overblown ;). So many great 50’s for very different reasons.
@@MarkHoltze Resolution-wise yes, but for me its always down to character and medium. Even relatively simple constructions like a Voigtländer Skopar (on b/w film) or the Zeiss Biotar (no matter the medium if you like swirly bokeh) can subjectively look better or at least more "authentic". On the other hand highly advanced, newer glass used on a 90s body like the F100 doesnt work very well with classic film stocks imo.
@@md-lc8gq Completely agree! I reviewed the Helios 58mm F2 as my last review and was REALLY surprised how much that lens rocks some beautiful images. It's super affordable, especially compared to this one. I've actually been shooting with the Biotar 58 F2 the past two weeks and am comparing it directly to it's long lost brother the Helios ;). Completely agree with your points though. I admit to loving the FD more for it's speed (fastest 50 I've used) and the fact it's an FD L series lens. To me that makes it "collectors", but like all things collectable, it's very subjective. Really enjoyed the discussion my friend, thanks so much for taking the time to express yourself.
Thanks mate! These lenses deserve production quality that matches their value. Big reason I spend so much time on them is because I do think they're some of the best value in photography right now. Maybe not THIS lens in particular because L comes at a premium heheh, but vintage lenses in general. Thanks again for stopping by and leaving such a nice comment.
I had one from an A-1 camera kit I purchased at an estate sale around 1999. It was awesome for focusing on my F-1N if I was going to take the shot stopped down. It's minimum aperture was f16, problematic as I normally shot 125 Ilford or 160 Portra at the time. The vignetting at 1.2 was atrocious, and at 1.4 was worse than my FD 50 1.4 wide open. Correction required a large central dodge. At f2.8 the bokeh was rough in the center but much more creamy at the edges. The 1.4 outperformed it in every way with my style of shooting. The 1.2 wound up being a niche lens for me and for most of the time I owned it was not part of my regular kit, spending most of the time in the closet. I got rid of it on a trade for a 300 f2.8 which I still own. Now, if you want to make a video about *that*, I have much different opinions. I'm glad I still have most of my FD glass primes, with an adapter they have found new life on my new mirrorless kits. Alas, the A-1, F-1N and T-90 are long gone.
I think you've got this cool Discovery Channel vibe about your videos with strong, though sometimes repetitive, b-roll. It just feels like you're either holding back or forcing the more comedic parts like "Neye-con? Nick-on? Which one is it? I don't know." - If you're holding back, don't, because that kinda personality is golden on the web, and if you're forcing it, don't! Play into your strength with great music, good b-roll, and very strong informative narration. Great video! Love my F 1.4 Canon FD 50...been eyeing the 35 f/2 :)
Hard to say, I just do it, when I’m cutting I decide to leave it in or take it out. In this case the Nikon bit I legitimately wanted to know. The net is filled with people who know more than me so I find it a great way to clarify things like that. I guess it’s a case by case basis. On camera is still fairly new to me, been shooting and editing for 17 years and yes for many discovery US shows at that. It’s getting easier for me, year from now should be butter. Thanks for the kind words and encouragement, super helpful mate.
I borrowed a friend's 50fd 1.2 L and I don't know if it was just his copy (there were a couple of bumps on it including a dent on the filter ring so who knows what happened) but it was quite hazy with lots of chromatic abberation at anything less than f2. I did shoot it wide open a couple of times but I generally preferred the image I got at f2...
Ya could be the copy. Mine was pretty clean at 1.2, it was optically perfect though. My friend who bought it made sure of it. It’s really important, but wonder if it needed a clean? What camera?
2 years later and the cheapest one on the bay is $1000. Top mint is $1500. I own this lens and the legendary 85mm 1.2 and I have to say the 50mm is the smoothest focus ring and most versatile of my vintage lenses.
Ya this one was $450 Canadian when I got it for my buddy. Had my hands on one three years ago for 500. Should have grabbed it then but wasn’t fully convinced yet. This video convinced me. That 85 is brilliant as well. Enjoy those mate
I have the 50mm 1.4, non L as well as the 28mm f2 and 135mm 2.5 and I love them. I have had them since the 80s and have just recently been adapting them to my dslr for videos. Thanks for the great review.
That 135 2.5 looks fantastic! The Non L version of the 50 is also so good, especially since you can get it at a fraction of the price. How do you find adapting these FD’s do your DSLR? What adapter do you use? Thanks for the comment and kind words. Love hearing personal experiences!
@@MarkHoltze I'm using an Fd to eos adapter, the Fotodiox pro. It is cheap and works great. A bit finicky to mount and take off though. I'm gonna pick up 2 more and just leave them on.
@@MustWorkWeekends Ya, that's the one I've got as well. Love having multiples so that you can leave them on. Waiting for Fotodiox to get their M42 to NEX back in stock so I can get 3 more of those ones.
I freakin love your reviews.. specifically that you always include known quantities to compare your review subjects against. Also ahoy from Ottawa! :) Also your production quality and storytelling is fantastic. Thanks for your videos.
Thanks! We JUST got home from Ottawa! I wanted to shoot some samples there with my 35 on parliament hill but the time had available yesterday was bogged down with nasty fog as thick as pea soup ;) Appreciate the kind words!
I found a canon fl 55mm f1.2 on Craigslist and it's a great little lens! It does have the oval Boca at 1.2 I couldn't figure that out at first. I just found a Carl Zeiss planar 1.7 at a garage sale a couple of weeks ago for $15. At 1.7 it takes some strange pics!
Firstly, a big thanks to RUclips for showcasing such great hidden talent! Secondly, a big thumbs up for a masterful production! Thirdly, it was a good genuine reveal of an old gem. If I may, how does this fair against the Zeiss 50mm Planar 1.4 (circa 2010)? Is planar quite enough vintage for you?! Both of these lenses are around the same price on the 2nd hand market.
What a nice thing to say Melody! Thanks so much! I have the CZ Zeiss 50mm Planar F1.4 AEG version which isn't quite the 2010 version. What mount is that 2010 version? Is the the MMJ C/Y mount?
@@MarkHoltze It is the ZEISS Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 ZE Lens for Canon EF that was released in 2010. Lot of praise for the rendering/drawing, character and awesome bokeh! Still will set anyone back around 500 US on the 2nd hand market. The FD 50 1.2 is much more vintage of course but was wondering about your thoughts on the Zeiss.
Hi Bianca, thanks so much for the kind words of support, I appreciate it. I am glad it's connecting with you, I know it's not M1 Apple trendy, but I'm kind of obsessed with these old lenses beyond comprehension. :)
Not sure how I missed this video. Thanks again, Mark. This was a lens I wanted (aside from price). The first vintage lens I picked up a few yrs back was the Canon 50/1.4, (bought it for around $50/US) which has become my favorite lens, even though it's a tad long on the MFT body. Put on a booster and it's a 35mm, and VERY usable. Not only that, but of course it opens up to become a f/1.0, which is plenty wide enough for me. I didn't see much in the video that makes me want the 1.2 as much as I may have expected. Not a fan of the bokeh, I think the 1.4's is much nicer. I think the 1.2 holds its image quality a bit better wide open than the 1.4 (at least my copy), so there's that plus. But I find that for a lot of shots, the super shallow DOF is so narrow with my 1.4 (and more so at 1.0), that I often need to stop down a bit to get usable DOF anyway.
I didnt know they had L glass back during the AE-1 days. I have an FD to EF adapter I use with my grandfathers AE-1 lenses I inherited from him. He used to let me take photos with his AE-1 in the 1980s. I like the organic feel and soft focus I get from those lenses. I also have an adapter for my Dads Minolta MD mount to EF lenses. I love the look of these old lenses on my Canon 5D mark III and my Canon 90D. I like them more for video than I do stills.
I'm the original owner of a brace of Canon FD lenses, and owned others in the past. I'd say the reason why the filter size of this particular lens isn't larger than other 50mm Canon lenses is because the minimum diameter of a lens is usually established by the lens mount. The amount of light a lens takes in is set by the the diameter of the objective lens (establishing one of the two factors that yield its maximum aperture - the other being focal length), and the diameter of the f/1.2's objective lens is larger than the f/1.8's, but it fits inside a barrel of the same size, so it has the same size filter as the f/1.8. (Filters are not necessarily good indicators of an objective's diameter because they mount on the barrel flange, which is necessarily larger in diameter than the lenses inside the barrel.) The optical formula and glass types of its component lenses perform optical correction - they can't increase the amount of light collected by the objective lens, and therefore they can't affect the lens's maximum aperture. (A lens's rated f-stop is theoretical, not actual. But because optical glasses are so nearly the same in their light transmission, the use of the theoretical f-stops forms a standard that remains consistent from one lens to another, so it is useful in practice without regard to its actual inaccuracy.) As you can see from the following, there's no correlation between maximum aperture of the Canon 50mm New FD (non-macro) lenses and their filter sizes. The sizes of the objective lenses would have been uniform by maximum aperture, with the f/1.2s having the larger objective lenses and the f/2 having the smallest. Canon made no non-specialist FD mount lenses with a filter size of less than 52mm, indicating this limit was set by the minimum barrel size, which was in turn, set by the FD mount itself. The widest-angle FD lens with a 52mm filter was a New FD 24mm f/2.8 (faster 24s had 55mm filters). The longest was the New FD 200mm f/4. New FD 50mm f/1.2 52 New FD 50mm f/1.2L 52 New FD 50mm f/1.4 52 New FD 50mm f/1.8 52 New FD 50mm f/2 52
Very cool! I think I would prefer the takumar. One lens I had for a while was the Meyer Optik 58mm 1.9. Flared like crazy but had a deeee-licious clarity/pop. I want it back. I’m still trying to creepily locate you based on your shooting surroundings. I’m thinking NorthEast......?
Thanks! The two go hand in hand I think important to change music with an idea. Keeps things fresh and moving. Appreciate you taking the time to watch and leaving a nice comment! 🙏
Canon FL 55mm 1,2f is also very good lens. Also nikkor 55mm 1,2f very good lens too, although it has more aberrations wide open on a sunny day, in the ambient light aberrations go away and it looks perfect :)
Hard to compare a modern lens to a vintage one. One is developed for 35mm film and the other for digital photography. Given the optical elements of the voight were pioneered by the lenses that came before it, I expect the modern voigjt to do better optically, but I’d rather have the grandfather version. ;). I’d have to check it out, heard good things about voigt but apples to oranges really. :)
So have you waded into Konicas yet? Ican't recall. :D I love *all* these fast monsters.... but none quite compare to the Hexanon 57/1.2. (The Minolta comes close and it's all personal preference but a lot of my love for the big Hexanon is how incredibly it handles. And of course it's rendering is pure magic.) Edit: ja, I don't think you yet have. (Sorry this is "EyewandersFoto - I always forget to switch accounts). You of all people need to buy a few Hexanons, my man. They are not the pure butter of Takumars - they have a slightly more "business first" handling feel to them - same with the rendering; they strike a balance between creamy-dream and a poppy dynamic look. I just adore them.
Ya haven't seen many Konicas as of yet. ONE day! I love the Minolta 58 1.2, I think i prefer it even to this lens. 58mm is just a nicer focal length IMHO so I think that's the big kicker. I also love Rokkor lenses in general, they're heavy metal beasts and still very reasonably priced.
@@MarkHoltze Tellin ya. Hunt for Hexanon. They're cheaper to boot because the brand is so long gone. It isn't even fair. :) Would really be interested in your take on them, all things considered. AR UC 28/1.8 AR 50/1.4 AR 40/1.8 AR 35/2 AR 85/1.8 AR 57/1.2 and 1.4 Glory be.
I own and have carefully conpared these. They are comparable. I can’t discern which is better, but both beat my Zeiss Planar and Summmicron M. Arguably better than the sample of the Zeiss Otus I tried as well.
I never used it so can't tell if it's worth it, for what it looks like the Canon nfd 50mm f1.4 has similar rendition and it's a good lens , and the 85mm f1.8 is superb (one of my fave vintage lenses) I love what it does with color.
The 50 SSC is one of the best 50s ever made. Better than Zeiss Planar and Summicron M. Arguably the Zeiss OTUS as well. Just about comparable optically to the 55mm f1.2 SSC and FL.
The 85mm f1.8 os just OK, BUT nothing great. About the same as old manual Nikkors. Not as good as the slightly newer Nikon D. Won’t match modern 85s either, but still a decent lens.
@@martyzielinski2469 I'm thinking of getting the FD 85mm F1.8 SSC as part of a set even though I already have a Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN. But I want to get the 50mm F1.4 SSC first.
@@stanleystevens6278 The 85 f1.8 SSC is OK, but nothing great. The 100 f2.8 SSC is the same size, but noticeably better corrected optically. It’s ALMOST as good as my 105mm Sigma Macro Art. I’d recommend the 100 over the 85, at least from an optical quality perspective.
Hi Mark. Thank you for your videos. I would like to give you some information about how “Electronic Front Curtain Shatter” works on the Sony’s cameras. Maybe you know, but if the “EFCS” ON, after shatter speed 1/1000 to 1/8000 the “bokeh” is getting worse than if you shoot on the typical shatter speed 1/500 - 1/30 or longer. This effect doesn’t appear when you use completely mechanical or electronic (a7s, a7sII, a7III, a7rIII, a9) shatter with any shatter speed.
I didn't know this! Thanks so much Igor! Really very helpful! Going to look into it and do some tests! I'm mostly shooting video with these lenses so I'm rarely outside 1/50th shutter for 24fps. Immensely helpful my friend! Appreciate your knowledge.
Awesome lens. There are so many gems people look over and skip. Love your channel! Can you make a video about the different types of creative shots you can take with a dslr? I just got mine a few weeks ago so I’m learning as well.
Totally! This one is a bit of an exception, I think if anyone saw the red line they'd be like WHAAAAAT?! GIMME! lol. Thanks for hanging out Nathan, I'll definitely do up a video on composition and how you can shoot shots that work with the edit. Good idea, thanks! My next video is a time sensitive one, but after that I'll be more open to pick a topic. I tend to float topics around until I just out of the blue decide to focus on it, makes doing these videos in my spare, spare time worth it. Thanks for your time mate.
Thanks! Glad you liked it, if you have any questions let me know. This one is on the higher end of the cost spectrum for sure. Lots of really great options for way less to experiement with Super Multi Coated Takumars M42 mounts, some of the best value in photography right now.
@@MarkHoltze You know 10-15 years ago we had the digital camera revolution. And a few years later we have the mirrorless/vintage revolution. It's all very exciting. Anyway, I just picked up a 50 1.4 FD lens and a 28 2.8. Just getting used to them, but I have to say I love the feel of manual focus, and a stick shift car. ;-) (PS: I always have questions!)
@@theportraitist4888 Stick shift, I still make sure to get one lol. Ya I've always been more of a video shooter, mostly shot film back in film school to learn how to expose 35mm for feature film work. Manual focus is really all i've known so having it as part of my photography just feels more natural. Nothing wrong with auto, but something about having that full control.
Fantastic review. I love how you stitched this together. :) Looks like a serious performer. The Takumar side-by-side was a good comparison. The Tak holds its own with easy I’d say. When I had a Canon DSLR I tended to avoid FD mounts because they don’t play nice with EOS but your Sony is definitely the chassis for that beauty.
Thanks Tim! Ya the canon mirrorless line though...could resurrect the FD back to Canon bodies I think. Mirrorless, I can’t fault that platform. Yes Tak holds up nicely. Fraction of the cost as well. Just doesn’t have that bold red line of distinction. Branding goes a long way ;) Enjoy the weekend mate!
![ARGENTINA vs. CHILE [3-0] | RESUMEN | ELIMINATORIAS SUDAMERICANAS | FECHA 7](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/De3AWmXzhuA/mqdefault.jpg)
Canon’s Vintage FD L series lenses: 24mm F-1.4, 50mm F-1.2 & 85mm F-1.2. I feel like if combined in a set they could ACTUALLY become sentient and take over the world.
TIME STAMPS:
0:14: Dragon’s Fire
0:55: Lens History
3:21: Photo Examples
5:08: SMC Takumar 50mm F-1.4 vs Canon FD 50mm F-1.2 (non scientific, just a spot check)
6:06: Low Light Performance
I have a sony a9 and r2, i want try (and buy) this lens and the others lens canon new fd L series. Any tips?
Just watch you don’t get price gouged :). FD’s work perfect adapted to Sony so just look for “no fungus” and minimal optical degradation. Fotodiox adapters I would recommend, FD to NEX, $20
@@just_peppe_proto_86 In Japan you might find a lot of these around. I bought one that is still in its box.
@@yellowlynx OHHHHH So jealous :)
don't forget the 14/2.8 L.
I started taking photographs in 1962. In the late 70’s I was shooting Pentax. I was there, back then, and so I can assure you that the Pentax/Canon color difference existed back then. It was because of coatings. These days various brands are more similar to each other, with Zeiss and Leica being the most different. Back then every company was distinctive. Canon’s colors always favored greens and browns. It was a very natural look for landscapes and people. Pentax tended to be a little warmer and it favored more golden hues. It was fantastic for low sun and glowing portraits.
I still have my Pentax 50’s - the 1.4, 1.7, and f2. I also have the FD 50 1.2L. I would rank them Sharpness: (1) Pentax-M 50/1.7, (2) Canon 50/1.2L, (3) Pentax-M 50/1.4, and (4) Pentax-M 50/2 Dreaminess: (1) (tied) canon 50/1.2 and Pentax-M 50/1.4, (2) Pentax-M 50/1.7, (3) Pentax-M 50/2. The Canon would win the sharpness if only considering above f2.8 but the Pentax is better wide open and close to the Canon stopped down. The Pentax-M 50/1.7 is remarkable for excellence from wide open. The 1.4 and the Canon surpass it around f8 but are beaten by the 1.7 for anything under f5.6 and above f11. It gets less respect than it deserves because everyone gets mesmerised by f1.4 and 1.2. As to dreaminess. The Canon would win this for sheer quantity of blur, but is let down by the artefacts introduced by the aspherics. The non-aspheric design of the Pentax gives it better quality of blur.
Canon’s FD 50 1.2L was not the first f1.2 lens Canon made. The Canon R-series was introduced in 1959 and included a 58mm f1.2. The FL mount followed the R, and FD replaced FL. There are both 58mm and 55mm f1.2 lenses in the FL mount. In FD that became 85mm, 55mm, and 50mm 1.2’s. So there are a lot of choices for f1.2 in vintage Canon. Then, as now, the 85 is the best of the 1.2’s and the FD 85/1.2 is quite expensive to buy despite its age. BTW the new RF mount has nothing to do with the old R-series.
Mate, what a post! This is brilliant! Thank you so much for taking the time. This is some insider baseball right here!
Thank YOU!!!!!
Mark Holtze I am always amused when I see younger people using lenses that I knew so well back when they were brand new. Of course back then Canon had just killed Leica and were turning their attention to Pentax and Nikon, but Pentax was bigger than Canon back then, and pros went mostly for Nikon. Nikon was just about quality, pentax was about simplicity and small cameras. Canon was about fast glass, and innovation. Pentax was the innovation leader in the 60’s but Canon stole a march with the AE1 in 1976 and from that point Pentax started losing ground. I loved the Pentax-M and shot M glass and bodies into the 1990’s, and then, like a lot of people I switched to Canon. My favorite glass, however, remains manual focus Leica, Pentax, Canon, and Nikon. They all made great lenses.
@artisrjoh Sir.... My salutes to you and thank you very much for sharing your realtime experience and would help us a alot please make one video with all your lenses would love to see the results
I own a Helios 44 and at wide open this is the sharpest at any lighting conditions please correct me if I was wrong
I love adapting vintage lenses. Any you would reccomend personally?
A1Bokeh FD and old manual Nikon are generally excellent. Back then it was just like today - quality followed price as a general rule. Some lenses are over priced. An FD 85 f1.2 sells up to a grand. I wouldn’t want to pay that much money even though it is a wonderful lens. Here is a good resource for you - a list of all FD lenses cameraville.co/blog/list-every-canon-fd-lens-ever-made
You're doing more to show value in these old lenses than anybody else on youtube. That's saying something. Well done Marky.
I'm probably just a little loco lol. Thanks for the kind words and vote of confidence.
"blah blah who cares" best intro ever !!
It's true! Intro's, ain't nobody got time for that. I just did this one at the very end not really liking my intro at all lol. In the edit I just liked it the best.
Heheh and must agree, I can't be any more agreeable with you.
your definitely one of the most underrated creators
Thanks mate, the nice thing with my position (doing this just for fun) is that I don't need to let the number dictate my love affair with production or these lenses ;). The algo won't serve me up as much because this is super niche vs say M1 Apple videos right now lol. My philosophy ultimately (especially with this platform) is to not fuss over the numbers, do work that you enjoy and that brings value to people and enjoy the process, learn from it and grow. It's much more tangible than depending on a computer to serve your work up to an audience ;)
Long story long sorry mate, but thanks for your kind words again. Stay safe out there.
@@MarkHoltze Yeah mate I love the content! I'm getting bored of the m1 MacBook stuff lol.
yeah that's a good philosophy, I try to do that too but I haven't really found my niche yet.
thanks for the reply mate, keep doing what you're doing! and stay safe
I really don't think the price is worth it. I feel the jump from 1.4 to 1.2 is just relevant for sharpness improvement at something like f4. Even though I can't justify the price for me, I understand someone looking always for the best buying this lens. Great review.
Definitely paying a vintage premium for the L for sure. Chances are people who have these lenses and selling them know the "value". I really do think it's relative small size is handy as well, pro grade lens that's very small compared other 1.2's. Definitely in a different league for what makes vintage so valuable, but the pro market I still think the price is good.
Thanks for watching and your thoughts Jeremie! Appreciate it!
You have any 50's that you can recommend?
The price is amazing. Maybe not in terms of a jump from a f1.4 to f1.2 perhaps, but for around $500-700USD that's bloody good value, albeit old.
@@rodrrico Ya that price is dealers as well, Sim's found these for $400-$500 Canadian locally. The value is there for anyone who likes to collect and is getting paid to shoot video or take photos and doesn't mind manual. Totally agree
This person knows his stuff, as I love his reviews he is old school know how, I wish to see more of his videos as I love this guy's presentation on photography in technical point of view, than what his face and his floor dripper wife.
I figured not many people are talking about these old lenses, might as well put a different perspective on a much over talked about (photography) subject in this space. :)
Thanks for the nice words Alex!
These are some of the best lens reviews I've seen in this space. Even better than the guys who get paid by Canon and Sony to shill their products endlessly. I also appreciate the real world examples vs taking photo's of a board to measure sharpness like it's the only thing that matters in a photo.
@@MarkHoltze While I totally agree that your videos and your presentation are just fantastic, I now have a burning need to see your floor dripper wife and to receive some level of education as to how she came to be referred to as such.
@@al201103 He's not talking about my wife in that comment, he's comparing me to someone else -"what's his face". I'm not sure who exactly.
@@MarkHoltze Ah! That makes slightly more sense - thank you! Love your work - style and content.
That intro won me, the rest of the video simply confirmed the initial feeling!
You got one more subscriber.
Keep up the high quality work man!
Haha, thanks mate! I go a little over the top with these lenses. Thanks for joining along for the insanity mate.
I have owned this lens for 35 years. It was my favorite street lens for 15 of those. Just bought a Metabones speedbooster .71 and look forward to using it with my BM4K pocket camera for shallow focus work. Super smooth and sharp. Glad I never sold all my old FD L glass.
Glad you didn't either! It's going to be magic on your pocket 4 mate!
With vintage lenses, I always set my wb according to each lens, but median will be 5000K, plus minus around 1000K the most but mostly around plus minus 500K, it help to preserve other colour and make the result easier to tweak later. As we know some vintage lenses can bring so much colour when you "lifted" it more than some modern one.
Brilliant post mate. Thank you!
I wish it was mine too ... :(
Il est vraiment partout ce Mathieu !
If King Midas, A.K.A. Mathieu Stern form Paris says that, it has to mean a lot....
I bought this lens because of your review and it completely blew me away
Ohhhhhh I miss it!! Fantastic lens mate! Hold onto that!
I own the Canon FDn 50mm 1.4 lens and honestly I see hardly any difference between the two here. I don't own the 1.2 but from your images and detailed look here the bokeh looks the same, CA similar and overall sharpness. I don't think the lens is worth the price for optic quality but for history, geekiness and all around charm I would love to own one :) Great review!
Collectors for sure. The FD 1.4 standard is an amazing lens. I had the 1.8 for awhile and it was brilliant. If I could get the full set I would consider the overall price for all three and just mod them for cine use. But I would have to sell off some stuff ;)
Omg that image at 5.59_6.01 is stunning. Loving that stand up into the forest light transition. You deserve weekend chocolate for being very humble and clever :)
Hey Urbano! Ya that shot I got super lucky on. The day I shot these was rain, sun, rain, sun rain sun. It poured as I arrived at the drive in (puddles) but after the long drive I figured I'd wait it out a bit, then the sun came out. Rained again on the way home and I saw the horizon was pretty clear so positioned myself in a spot I might be able to take advantage of it.
Glad that I did, the bugs were bad lol.
Just so you know… and everybody else… we totally dig your videos and style!
Thanks so much! It’s funny putting all this effort into old glass, but I can’t explain it. Just wish I had more time to push them out more often but I guess the time between allows for new ideas to flourish :)
Oh my goodness. I don't even know where to begin. This is such a bloody good video! Hard to believe it's over 9 minutes as that whizzed right by with so many beautiful shots and valuable information.
I say Nick-On rather than Ny-Con. But Then again I say Way-com instead of Wack-om.
I think the one thing Canon has always done well is building amazing high end stills glass. This 50mm L easily holds up today with those butter shots you took as solid supporting material of that fact. Got to say that the crisp shots on the A7Sii are amazing. I always seem to favour more megapixels witht he A7Rii as my mains tills camera, but clearly it's your skills with the A7Sii that make the difference.
Can hardly wait for your next video mate. Your production values and excellent audio effects / music choice alone is worth watching, but your personality and golden information put you above the rest. Boom!
Hey Rod, thanks for the strong comment! NICK-on from now on GO! I'm longing for more MP in the Sony, I have it with the Canon 6DII but i don't like adapting FD's to it because of the lens element required.
Looking forward to the follow up Paris trip videos!
Awesome review Mark! I absolutely love the Canon FD 50mm f/1.2L, even at the hefty price tag. Be well and stay encouraged!!!
Thanks Jacob!
@@MarkHoltze You are more than welcome Mark. Keep up the excellent work on your channel, it's building to be one of the Great Ones!!!
I own the Canon FD 55mm 1.2 Aspherical and the Canon FD 85mm 1.2 Aspherical and they both take absolutely stunning picures!
There’s an 85 1.2 for sale nearby, been for sale for awhile, it keeps teasing me ;)
@@MarkHoltze Could be my own on Ebay :D Its currently for sale.
@@Sniggiscameras DROOLS! Link?
@@MarkHoltze www.ebay.de/itm/133137257584
its actually sold but I have problems with the buyer. If youre interested send me a message! :)
You should definitely review the f/0.95 Dream Lens by canon. Great video.
Ya I would love to see how that performs! Dream lens indeed! Thanks mate!
Amazing work; amazing channel buds! Thanks
Thanks Mike!
There is something about your videos that I really like. I cannot entirely describe it in words, but one thing is, that I never feel "rushed" like in other youtube videos. I alway feel calm and well informed, without being overwhelmed with too scientific information. And you give very good examples on how to use these lenses. I guess I will keep an eye out for the FD 50 1.2.
One of the best camera videos I've ever seen. With so many videos out there in this category feeling exactly the same, it was exciting to feel like I didn't know what was going to happen next. Subscribed!
Wow thanks for the glowing feedback Ross. I felt compelled to go the extra mile with this one, an FD 50 1.2 L is a rare bird, if I was going to do it, it had to be "done right" or at least to the best of my ability.
Thank you kindly my friend.
Mark Holtze yeah it’s awesome. I live in Tokyo so I’m hoping I can go find something nice like this in a second hand store.
@@rosslmccallum the land of the best lenses. Contax Zeiss, Canon FD...man enjoy that. Everything I get comes from Japan and I'm sure they're getting them for way less than I'm paying ;)
@@MarkHoltze Awesome thanks for the info :-)
I have it and also 55 1.2 asph version. I would say that 55 1.2 asph is little better, but it also has thorium and is bigger/heavier. I love my fd collection, I have many others fd L lenses and I use them occasionally.
Thorium! Such a prom feature in these old lenses. Radioactive GO!
Ut definately lives upto it. Its really really sharp and really really great performing lens with little to no chromatic aberration or anything. I follow you on IG and have seen some pictures you took from this lens and they are awesome. Loved it, keep it coming.
I agree, very sharp and accurate color renditions. This lens in a set of primes for DP work modded would be KILLER! Focus is SO smooth as well, shooting video with it is an ACTUAL pleasure.
@@MarkHoltze I believe in that. That bokeh must be so good in video for making the subject pop from the image. Love it. Couldn't find anything like it in my country.
Ya for those close up conversational shots, this lens is MAGIC! Just make sure the blocking is fairly simple because focus SO NARROW! lol.
@@MarkHoltze hahahahahahaha. Yeahh thats tough
Been getting more and more into video this year and I just got super lucky! I was talking to A photographer friend of my dads and he actually had one of these in his studio that he hasn't touched in probably 30 years. Sitting in the case and everything. And hes just giving it to me.... I had no idea how much they cost until he said he had it lol
SUPER cool!!! Enjoy it! What a treasure!
Dude, I am so happy I found your videos. I was in the process of taking up Olympus on their Trade in Trade up to trade in my film Cannon AE-1 program for credit to, well probably the OM-D E-M5 Mark II. I have from my hight school days in the 80's my Canon 50mm f1.4, 50mm macro f3.5 28mm f2.8 and 70-210 f4. It is so great to learn that with a $20 adapter I can continue to use these lenses that I used to love so much with a new digital camera. Not trading them in.
YES!!! So excited for you! That's a gold mine! Those lenses will continue to serve you will Scott! You've already got a nice little FD setup there!
Great video :) but please when shooting over 1/500s speeds turn off the electronic front curtain shutter :)
It cuts the bokeh in half :)
Copy that.
I have one of these that I use very regularly on a canon F1N, and it’s an absolutely fantastic lens.
The cost has gone up like crazy for this since publishing. It was 375 usd now it’s asking 750
Every estate sale I go to I'm just looking for lenses. I love auto focus but sometimes manual is fun as well.
It'll happen man, I found my Canon A1, FD 200mm f2.8 and an 85mm f1.2 L in a small town vintage shop in MS, all for 85 bucks. Talk about winning the lottery... You'll find yours, no doubt. Just keep looking.
@@VWLivin I'm out every weekend hitting estate sales antique shops and flea markets.
@@risbill1 that makes two of us. I've had my best luck taking day trips out to small towns, two or three hours out. Places far away from cities where the folks don't have G.A.S.! lol.
I like your style - the best kind of intro to a video! Trying to decide between this lens and the FD 35mm f2, but only the concave looks satisfactory to me. This seems better value.
The L value has gone way up since even this so yea not sure it’s a great buy now unless you want a keep sake. Optically there are some better options for the $$’s for sure.
So first off... I love the transitions Mark! Second... I wanting to buy this exact lens but decided to buy the 85mm F1.2L lens and the 35mm F1.4L lens as the 50mm F1.2L lens was too close to the 35mm focal length for style of photography. I love that I can still us them on my analog bodies as well as on my Sony a7RII. Vintage lenses are over looked at the quality they posses and anyone with manual skills can appreciate it more than the guys that rely on Auto Focus to get shots that overlook the skills you need to develop when things go wrong! Great as per usual Mark! Thanks for LIKES on my IG feed every now and then! Hahahaha!
Those likes are earned mate, no need to thank ;). Agreed about being overlooked, big reason why I've dedicated time to do reviews, try to showcase their potential. This one is a bit on the high end price wise, but it's history, quality and availabilty all kind of speak to that. Lenses are always a great long term investment, they cost a lot but retain their value over the years/decades in this case.
Such a good production behind this. Got lost in all those nice shots. Got the 55mm f/1.2 and it's probably not as sharp as this one, but it's a treat to shoot with. Both on full frame and on m4/3 with a focal reducer. Keep up the great work!
Getting lost was my intention ;) That 55 F/1.2 was the lens this one was inspired from. It's "direct successor" if you will. Hold onto that, it's a collectors item for sure!
I'm on the lookout for one of those now, I want to see how it compares in size vs the L 1.2
Thanks for the kind words mate, appreciate it!
@@MarkHoltze It sures does the trick! There are a few on eBay for a reasonable $180 dollars from Japan. That's where I got mine from. The FD system has grown on me for sure! And I will keep my hands grasping tight on that lens 😅
I for real think this lens will be worth a ton like 10-20 years from now. some of these older lenses are for real a great investment if stored properly and taken care of. but shit, I would wanna use that thing for sure. it looks so fun and great.
5 years ago they were $100, 3 years ago $250, now they're like $500 so you're not wrong at all thinking that mate!
Right around $1000 right now.
this is hyped up to the most!! great video :-)
LoL I try to deliver on hype, hype on it's own is quite disappointing lol. Thanks so much for the comment mate, hope you're having a great week!
I have one of these, brand new, in the box. I have the regular FD 50mm f1.2 for my Canon f-1 New camera so I never got around to using it. I'd be willing to sell it for the right price. I have sold some of lenses to cinema studios for adaptation to their digital cameras. If been looking for this lens, but without 40 years of wear, I have one.
🤩
Ever had hands on the old nikon 1.2 noct? Thing's still worth a few grand!
So i'd say this lens is definitely worth the price tag considering the cost of a new 1.2 these days..
I wanna learn more about vintage lenses 🥺🥺
I've done lots of videos on them, how to adapt, where to find them etc. You can always ask me, happy to help!
Excellent video. I'm surprised that you don't have a million subscribers with this quality.
😂 thanks mate. Nobody cares about the old dusty lenses. It’s all about hype tech on this platform. That’s okay, less is more here I think. Stay authentic and less compromised this way
Well, you can either capture the trends and short term search traffic spikes or play a long tale game.
I care, Mathieu cares, and it seems like few more ppl do as well.
They do, I’m mostly joking anyway ;), just making excuses for myself lol. Thanks for stopping by mate
Hey Mark, another wonderful video--thank you! I should mention, while I have learned about vintage lenses before and through others (including other YTers), it has been your efforts that really lit my passion for them. Thanks.
So, I got the Canon FD 50/1.4 and 28/2.8. I should say, mostly for video work, but have been seduced into using the 50 for some still images. JUST A REALLY WONDERFUL IMAGE! (the 28 strikes me as rather average, much the way my eos 28/2.8 EF lens from the 1980s renders an image).
Truth be told, I'm not sure I see enough benefit from the 1.2L over my 1.4. And was not a fan of the bokeh. So not regretting the choice of 1.4.
But I do want to share that I also picked up a PIXCO FD > MFT (G85) speed booster. Basically, the cheapest one I could find, with fingers crossed. It was only $89 on Amazon, and a couple of weeks wait from China. Just a physical adapter and optics, no electronics (non needed for these old lenses). I have to say I am loving the images I am getting thus far. Have not totally pixel peeped, just a bit. but as others have noted in reviews, the image quality is nary effected at all.
So for UNDER $200, I got a 50/1.4, a 28/2.8, and a booster that gave me a converted 35/1.0, and 20/2.0, respectively. Oh, and the converted 28 is now impressively crisp. WHAT A DEAL ALL AROUND!
Your videos are always absolutely stunning, anyone with working eyeballs should be able to see the pure passion in your videos! looking forward to what you put up next!
Wow thank you, sincerely. Glad that resonates, they make me happy so i’ll continue as long as they do. Game changers for me, so much inspiration from these it’s hard to contain it.
Have a good weekend mate.
@@MarkHoltze Not a problem! You have a very unique way of making videos. Plus I love the humor here and there you inject into your videos. Keep that inspiration flowing! Thank you, you too!
I'll admit to being in LOVE with the L series. I had no idea the L had FD mounts. I want them, just for the collectability factor.
I've never cared to collect anything in my life, but these old lenses have somehow won me over. A set of these would be a DREAM!
I've got a Canon lens that says 1.4 50mm FD made in Japan, my Dad gave to me years ago. I never really liked the look because when I was new to the photo world everything had to be tack sharp, super vibrant colors with added clarity in processing. Needless to say taste change over time. I saw this lens while cleaning the other day and thought, that might take some neat shots. Now I just watched your video, I'm taking it out tomorrow to see what it can do.
You should definitely do it mate. What camera are you using with it?
Mark Holtze This time it'll be my Canon Sl3, I have a 6D but it's in the shop.
@@MarkHoltze Hey. I thought I'd give you an update... for landscape I thought the images were still too soft. What really has me baffled is when editing, I shot as I normally do, exposing for the highlights, everything was in range on my meter, but when I tried to bring back the shadows they got real muddy. Curios if that's something you've experienced? Almost like it had negative impact on the dynamic range of the camera. I'm not giving up on this lens though, I see some potential for woodland photos.
@@BrentTouchstone FD's and EOS DLSR's have an issue with infinity focus unless you're using an adapter with a glass element. What adapter are you using? I've found M42 lenses work fine with DSLR's, but FD's specifically have an issue with Canon cameras which is a shame really. The Canon mirrorless don't have any issues. I would try to do less landscape where it's hard to dial in your focus (if you don't have EVF it makes it tricky to focus as well) the flange distance between the mirror reflecting the image and the actual recorded image don't line up because again, of that mirror.
Try LIVE VIEW in video mode and see if you can nail focus that way, also I would suggest using some subjects closer in with a lot of texture to do some tests that way. You have to work a bit given the camera that you have, but the lens will outlast the cameras seeing as DSLR's are making way for mirrorless cameras.
I don't have any issues at all with my Sony A7sii, Lumix S1H or Canon C100, but none of those cameras have a mirror. I did a test on my 6D and Canon 24mm F2.8 with a glass adapter and while it worked well enough, wide open the contrast and image was a bit more hazy that I normally get on that lens. The glass element in the filter will compromise the image somewhat unfortunately.
@@MarkHoltze Thanks for the tips, I don't remember the exact adapter, as I bought it years ago, but it does not have a glass element, so that's good to know. I used live view and zoomed in, but it was kind of hard to dial in as usual. Unfortunately, I don't have a mirrorless; I've got a T3i, SL2, SL3 and the 6D... One day I want to get into Sony though. Thanks again :)
DUDE WHAT IS THAT SICK SYNTH
I need to find the name of it, it's from the Epidemic Sound library. This sequence is on an old computer, I'll see if I can figure out a way to bring it back up and find the name, it's dope, I agree. Makes my head melt every time I hear it.
Superb video Mark! Iast year i got this lens for $100 bucks here in Mexico, its a beast! Love it!
My gosh!! $100?!?!! You got the deal the decade mate! So jealous!
Make magic with it that’s all I ask ;).
Thanks for watching, enjoy your weekend and the L!!!
Wow, sharpness is really usable wide open! I own the FD 55mm 1.2 which is really soft wide open. Still a nice lens though. :)
I also own the 50mm 1.4, which is probably the best value for money out of all the FD 50s. It lives on my Canon A1. :)
That 55 1.2 was the lens that inspired this one. That's a collector item Daniel, keep that! How big is it? It was aspherical as well wasn't it?
Do you have the 50 SSC 1.4 or just the FD?
haha! I love this! The standig up and sitting down scene transition and "bla bla bla who cares". Subscribed!
😆 I should make blah blah blah who cares a thing 😆 thanks mate. Glad you appreciated that.
Fortuna, you did such a job with behind-the-scenes / previews of this video on your other social media outlets, you had me whipped into a frenzy of anticipation for this video. So worth it. I loved the match-light intro (so theatrical). But I think I'm really going to hear your brief comments on learning from a challenging piece of gear (" ... creative freedom of experimentation ... ") next time I'm kicking myself for not producing perfect images. Thanks. Now to hybernate in desperation for your next video.
So the strategy WORKS! lol. I figured they're good places to showcase additional stuff, I really have no idea if it resonates or not so happy that it does for you.
I've been doing this for a LONG time (shooting/editing) so what keeps me inspired and creatively motivated is constantly trying to test the limits so to speak. My space isn't the most inspired to work in, but with the right lighting I think it really works. There's also this mad push regarding gear. Expensive gear at that, which is all great, but it sometimes makes people forget that they may have some very viable options you don't have to spend a few thousand on to pay with. You might not even LIKE it.
Thanks for your comment mate! :) Enjoy the weekend
Glad to come across your channel, excellent videography and story telling! Your videos have pushed me to reconsider my video lighting.
Thanks mate! Lighting is everything! My space sucks in the daylight lol
it certainly is a beautiful lens, but if anything this video has shown me how close the Takumar 50mm comes to it at 1.4. May have to pick one up now
Ya the Tak 50 is a gem, total gem. Amazing value for the money. It doesn’t have the marketing machine of the red line L series behind it; but that’s our little secret ;)
My tests indicate that the Takumars are NOT nearly as good if you pixel peep. In their defense, the Takumars gradually improved from 1970 ish up to the K versions, but never matched the Cannons. Yes, pukey YELLOW too...
The 50 Canon SSC can sometimes be found for $30-50. About as good as the 55 SSC. Have not conpared to the newer L.
I love Canon FD lenses and in future I want to get a set of FD L primes as well as Zeiss Primes. I just hope they won't go crazy in price by the time I'm actually buying them. FDs are fantastic lenses... The thin red line is worth it.
Not sure the price will continue to skyrocket, but they will go up over time based on certain aspects I think.
Now this lens cost 1800$! 😁.
Such a legendary lens. I have 85mm 1.2 L FD, trying to get the 50L.
Thank you for the beautiful review !
I know!!! At the time of reviewing 500, 250 two years before that. Thanks for watching!
If you're lucky enough to snag the Hexanon AR 57mm f1.2 you should give it a spin. Probably the best vintage lens in my collection.
Never heard if it! Thanks so much for the info! I feel privileged to be let in on this little secret :)
@@MarkHoltze all the Konica Hexanon AR lenses are pretty great! The 57 1.4 is really quite affordable and fantastic, and follows the same design as the 57 1.2 :)
I legitimately got goosebumps watching that “thin red stripe” roll from 1.2 to 2.8 mmmmmhmmmm yes PLEASE!
✊
The bayonet mount Fujinon 50 mm (1.2)(EBC) lens is also outstanding.
The titles slightly overblown lol. Lets not forget the ton of legendary vintage lenses like the Zeiss Ultron f1.8, Leica, Voigtländer Nokton and Apo-Lanthar, etc. Even many even lesser known companies made lenses worthy of that title. For example the Kodak Ektar 100mm, Enna Ennalyth f1.5 , Meyer Görlitz Primoplan, Taylor Hobson 2inch f2, Kern Makro-Switar plus various by Angenieux and Zunow. One could probably go on a whole day naming legendary glass ^^
Always have to go big, but for awhile this lens was the most technically advanced lens for its time. That’s where the title was pulled from. But I agree it’s totally overblown ;). So many great 50’s for very different reasons.
@@MarkHoltze Resolution-wise yes, but for me its always down to character and medium. Even relatively simple constructions like a Voigtländer Skopar (on b/w film) or the Zeiss Biotar (no matter the medium if you like swirly bokeh) can subjectively look better or at least more "authentic".
On the other hand highly advanced, newer glass used on a 90s body like the F100 doesnt work very well with classic film stocks imo.
@@md-lc8gq Completely agree! I reviewed the Helios 58mm F2 as my last review and was REALLY surprised how much that lens rocks some beautiful images. It's super affordable, especially compared to this one. I've actually been shooting with the Biotar 58 F2 the past two weeks and am comparing it directly to it's long lost brother the Helios ;).
Completely agree with your points though. I admit to loving the FD more for it's speed (fastest 50 I've used) and the fact it's an FD L series lens. To me that makes it "collectors", but like all things collectable, it's very subjective.
Really enjoyed the discussion my friend, thanks so much for taking the time to express yourself.
fantastic video! really enjoyed the production value, and your knowledge on the lens. keep it up brother!
Thanks mate! These lenses deserve production quality that matches their value. Big reason I spend so much time on them is because I do think they're some of the best value in photography right now. Maybe not THIS lens in particular because L comes at a premium heheh, but vintage lenses in general.
Thanks again for stopping by and leaving such a nice comment.
I had one from an A-1 camera kit I purchased at an estate sale around 1999. It was awesome for focusing on my F-1N if I was going to take the shot stopped down. It's minimum aperture was f16, problematic as I normally shot 125 Ilford or 160 Portra at the time. The vignetting at 1.2 was atrocious, and at 1.4 was worse than my FD 50 1.4 wide open. Correction required a large central dodge. At f2.8 the bokeh was rough in the center but much more creamy at the edges. The 1.4 outperformed it in every way with my style of shooting. The 1.2 wound up being a niche lens for me and for most of the time I owned it was not part of my regular kit, spending most of the time in the closet. I got rid of it on a trade for a 300 f2.8 which I still own. Now, if you want to make a video about *that*, I have much different opinions. I'm glad I still have most of my FD glass primes, with an adapter they have found new life on my new mirrorless kits. Alas, the A-1, F-1N and T-90 are long gone.
I think you've got this cool Discovery Channel vibe about your videos with strong, though sometimes repetitive, b-roll. It just feels like you're either holding back or forcing the more comedic parts like "Neye-con? Nick-on? Which one is it? I don't know." - If you're holding back, don't, because that kinda personality is golden on the web, and if you're forcing it, don't! Play into your strength with great music, good b-roll, and very strong informative narration. Great video! Love my F 1.4 Canon FD 50...been eyeing the 35 f/2 :)
Hard to say, I just do it, when I’m cutting I decide to leave it in or take it out. In this case the Nikon bit I legitimately wanted to know. The net is filled with people who know more than me so I find it a great way to clarify things like that. I guess it’s a case by case basis.
On camera is still fairly new to me, been shooting and editing for 17 years and yes for many discovery US shows at that.
It’s getting easier for me, year from now should be butter.
Thanks for the kind words and encouragement, super helpful mate.
@@MarkHoltze Hey, man, anytime! You're on a great trajectory and your content is dope. I'm a bit biased as a Canon Analog shooter, but still ;D
I have the FL 55mm 1.2 converted to Eos, love it
They don’t get ant betterr than this. I prefer it to my Summicron M, Contax Zeiss Planar and a borrowed Zeiss OTUS.
Have compared it to DOZENS of other lenses. Except for maybe the newest mirrorless designs, this is the BEST.
EXCELLENT content brother! The FD lenses are absolute honey of a set. Much love from east Tennessee🙏
Thanks! Ya been looking at the 0.95 dream lens to follow up this one with lol
I borrowed a friend's 50fd 1.2 L and I don't know if it was just his copy (there were a couple of bumps on it including a dent on the filter ring so who knows what happened) but it was quite hazy with lots of chromatic abberation at anything less than f2. I did shoot it wide open a couple of times but I generally preferred the image I got at f2...
Ya could be the copy. Mine was pretty clean at 1.2, it was optically perfect though. My friend who bought it made sure of it. It’s really important, but wonder if it needed a clean?
What camera?
The shape of the bokeh is amazing. It has character for sure and I would love to shoot on one.
It’s a great lens!
I love your lighting. I subscribed.
Thanks mate!
2 years later and the cheapest one on the bay is $1000. Top mint is $1500. I own this lens and the legendary 85mm 1.2 and I have to say the 50mm is the smoothest focus ring and most versatile of my vintage lenses.
Ya this one was $450 Canadian when I got it for my buddy. Had my hands on one three years ago for 500. Should have grabbed it then but wasn’t fully convinced yet. This video convinced me. That 85 is brilliant as well. Enjoy those mate
from the comparisons, the takumar has more contrast than the FD. nice video, cheers
Great update Mark. The 50mm F/1.2L is a legendary lens and is much sought after. Thanks for sharing your insights.
Thanks Aristo! My pleasure, figured this would be a good one to review given its history. Not much on RUclips regarding it either.
@@MarkHoltze Hi Mark. I am very close to close a deal on this mighty thin red line of a lens. I will keep you posted.
Ok thanks mate! Don’t want to jinx it! Good luck to you!
Mark Holtze Hey Mark. “I am in the presence of greatness”. I picked it up. Thanks for your support.
I'm in love with my Minolta 50mm 1.4 and 1.2
I just saw one on eBay for $270 usd! Big vintage camera fair coming up in Oct so seeing if I can find any of those or a few more Russian lenses there.
I do not have the new Voigtlander 50 f/1.2 but I hear it very highly praised
I have the 50mm 1.4, non L as well as the 28mm f2 and 135mm 2.5 and I love them. I have had them since the 80s and have just recently been adapting them to my dslr for videos. Thanks for the great review.
That 135 2.5 looks fantastic! The Non L version of the 50 is also so good, especially since you can get it at a fraction of the price.
How do you find adapting these FD’s do your DSLR? What adapter do you use?
Thanks for the comment and kind words. Love hearing personal experiences!
@@MarkHoltze I'm using an Fd to eos adapter, the Fotodiox pro. It is cheap and works great. A bit finicky to mount and take off though. I'm gonna pick up 2 more and just leave them on.
@@MustWorkWeekends Ya, that's the one I've got as well. Love having multiples so that you can leave them on. Waiting for Fotodiox to get their M42 to NEX back in stock so I can get 3 more of those ones.
I freakin love your reviews.. specifically that you always include known quantities to compare your review subjects against. Also ahoy from Ottawa! :) Also your production quality and storytelling is fantastic. Thanks for your videos.
Thanks! We JUST got home from Ottawa! I wanted to shoot some samples there with my 35 on parliament hill but the time had available yesterday was bogged down with nasty fog as thick as pea soup ;)
Appreciate the kind words!
Mark Holtze ha! That’s funny I was biking to work bemoaning not being able to be out in the soup using my primes! Mmmm soup.
I found a canon fl 55mm f1.2 on Craigslist and it's a great little lens! It does have the oval Boca at 1.2 I couldn't figure that out at first. I just found a Carl Zeiss planar 1.7 at a garage sale a couple of weeks ago for $15. At 1.7 it takes some strange pics!
$15 you can’t go wrong! Enjoy that find mate!
Great Video. I'd love to know your toughts on the FD 55 1.2 SSC ASPHERICAL or NON ASPHERICAL
I'm keeping an eye out for those ever since doing this one, if I get my hands on..I will for sure!
Thanks mate!
Firstly, a big thanks to RUclips for showcasing such great hidden talent! Secondly, a big thumbs up for a masterful production! Thirdly, it was a good genuine reveal of an old gem. If I may, how does this fair against the Zeiss 50mm Planar 1.4 (circa 2010)? Is planar quite enough vintage for you?! Both of these lenses are around the same price on the 2nd hand market.
What a nice thing to say Melody! Thanks so much! I have the CZ Zeiss 50mm Planar F1.4 AEG version which isn't quite the 2010 version. What mount is that 2010 version? Is the the MMJ C/Y mount?
@@MarkHoltze It is the ZEISS Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 ZE Lens for Canon EF that was released in 2010. Lot of praise for the rendering/drawing, character and awesome bokeh! Still will set anyone back around 500 US on the 2nd hand market. The FD 50 1.2 is much more vintage of course but was wondering about your thoughts on the Zeiss.
Oh ya those ZE ones! They’re beautiful. I will look into those thanks!
Hey Mark. I just love your whole channel - fantastic stuff: super informative and all done with brilliant humour ! Danke :)
Hi Bianca, thanks so much for the kind words of support, I appreciate it. I am glad it's connecting with you, I know it's not M1 Apple trendy, but I'm kind of obsessed with these old lenses beyond comprehension. :)
I have got it for my 30th birthday :D and I loooooove it
That’s a very happy birthday mate!
Not sure how I missed this video. Thanks again, Mark. This was a lens I wanted (aside from price). The first vintage lens I picked up a few yrs back was the Canon 50/1.4, (bought it for around $50/US) which has become my favorite lens, even though it's a tad long on the MFT body. Put on a booster and it's a 35mm, and VERY usable. Not only that, but of course it opens up to become a f/1.0, which is plenty wide enough for me.
I didn't see much in the video that makes me want the 1.2 as much as I may have expected. Not a fan of the bokeh, I think the 1.4's is much nicer. I think the 1.2 holds its image quality a bit better wide open than the 1.4 (at least my copy), so there's that plus. But I find that for a lot of shots, the super shallow DOF is so narrow with my 1.4 (and more so at 1.0), that I often need to stop down a bit to get usable DOF anyway.
One of the finest channel ❤ Kudos to you 🙏
Wow, thank you!
I don’t have this lens but I have the FD 1.8 and I love it, definitely want to invest into modifying it once I get another
1.8 is good, 1.2 for video on a full frame makes focus pretty hard. I’ve shot the 1.8 and it’s a good one!
Price of the Canon on ebay today runs from $689 to about $1,000. The Takumar 50mmf1.4 can be had for not much over $100.
Every year it goes up more as less become available. $250 in 2016
I didnt know they had L glass back during the AE-1 days. I have an FD to EF adapter I use with my grandfathers AE-1 lenses I inherited from him. He used to let me take photos with his AE-1 in the 1980s. I like the organic feel and soft focus I get from those lenses. I also have an adapter for my Dads Minolta MD mount to EF lenses. I love the look of these old lenses on my Canon 5D mark III and my Canon 90D. I like them more for video than I do stills.
I'm the original owner of a brace of Canon FD lenses, and owned others in the past.
I'd say the reason why the filter size of this particular lens isn't larger than other 50mm Canon lenses is because the minimum diameter of a lens is usually established by the lens mount. The amount of light a lens takes in is set by the the diameter of the objective lens (establishing one of the two factors that yield its maximum aperture - the other being focal length), and the diameter of the f/1.2's objective lens is larger than the f/1.8's, but it fits inside a barrel of the same size, so it has the same size filter as the f/1.8. (Filters are not necessarily good indicators of an objective's diameter because they mount on the barrel flange, which is necessarily larger in diameter than the lenses inside the barrel.) The optical formula and glass types of its component lenses perform optical correction - they can't increase the amount of light collected by the objective lens, and therefore they can't affect the lens's maximum aperture. (A lens's rated f-stop is theoretical, not actual. But because optical glasses are so nearly the same in their light transmission, the use of the theoretical f-stops forms a standard that remains consistent from one lens to another, so it is useful in practice without regard to its actual inaccuracy.)
As you can see from the following, there's no correlation between maximum aperture of the Canon 50mm New FD (non-macro) lenses and their filter sizes. The sizes of the objective lenses would have been uniform by maximum aperture, with the f/1.2s having the larger objective lenses and the f/2 having the smallest. Canon made no non-specialist FD mount lenses with a filter size of less than 52mm, indicating this limit was set by the minimum barrel size, which was in turn, set by the FD mount itself. The widest-angle FD lens with a 52mm filter was a New FD 24mm f/2.8 (faster 24s had 55mm filters). The longest was the New FD 200mm f/4.
New FD 50mm f/1.2 52
New FD 50mm f/1.2L 52
New FD 50mm f/1.4 52
New FD 50mm f/1.8 52
New FD 50mm f/2 52
Brilliant info my friend thanks so much!!
2:29 when a new lens comes out and my rational self says don't buy it
My rational self says echos yours :)
Very cool! I think I would prefer the takumar. One lens I had for a while was the Meyer Optik 58mm 1.9. Flared like crazy but had a deeee-licious clarity/pop. I want it back. I’m still trying to creepily locate you based on your shooting surroundings. I’m thinking NorthEast......?
i have to say that......your Storytelling abilities are great with music choices :)
Thanks! The two go hand in hand I think important to change music with an idea. Keeps things fresh and moving.
Appreciate you taking the time to watch and leaving a nice comment! 🙏
@@MarkHoltzeit's all my pleasure sir...thank you very much for your suggestion .. I will definitely use it in the near future :)
Canon FL 55mm 1,2f is also very good lens. Also nikkor 55mm 1,2f very good lens too, although it has more aberrations wide open on a sunny day, in the ambient light aberrations go away and it looks perfect :)
I think you’ll find the current Voigtländer 50mm F1.2 is better. While not vintage it too has floating elements, and is better.
Hard to compare a modern lens to a vintage one. One is developed for 35mm film and the other for digital photography.
Given the optical elements of the voight were pioneered by the lenses that came before it, I expect the modern voigjt to do better optically, but I’d rather have the grandfather version. ;).
I’d have to check it out, heard good things about voigt but apples to oranges really. :)
So have you waded into Konicas yet? Ican't recall. :D
I love *all* these fast monsters.... but none quite compare to the Hexanon 57/1.2. (The Minolta comes close and it's all personal preference but a lot of my love for the big Hexanon is how incredibly it handles. And of course it's rendering is pure magic.)
Edit: ja, I don't think you yet have. (Sorry this is "EyewandersFoto - I always forget to switch accounts). You of all people need to buy a few Hexanons, my man. They are not the pure butter of Takumars - they have a slightly more "business first" handling feel to them - same with the rendering; they strike a balance between creamy-dream and a poppy dynamic look. I just adore them.
Ya haven't seen many Konicas as of yet. ONE day! I love the Minolta 58 1.2, I think i prefer it even to this lens. 58mm is just a nicer focal length IMHO so I think that's the big kicker. I also love Rokkor lenses in general, they're heavy metal beasts and still very reasonably priced.
@@MarkHoltze Tellin ya. Hunt for Hexanon. They're cheaper to boot because the brand is so long gone. It isn't even fair. :) Would really be interested in your take on them, all things considered.
AR UC 28/1.8
AR 50/1.4
AR 40/1.8
AR 35/2
AR 85/1.8
AR 57/1.2 and 1.4
Glory be.
I see terminator's eye!!! Scary!!!
NIce video!!! :)
Thanks Steve!
0:17 That really scared me lol. Great video!
I couldn't resist, I loved that scene in GOT, the lighting from the match just totally made me think of it.
I’d love to see how it stacks up against the FD 50 F/1.4 and the EF 50 F/1.2L
Same actually! Would be a cool comparison!
I own and have carefully conpared these. They are comparable. I can’t discern which is better, but both beat my Zeiss Planar and Summmicron M. Arguably better than the sample of the Zeiss Otus I tried as well.
P.S. mine were the older 55mm f1.2s, not the newer L version.
Is great, I have a Canon FD F1.2 55mm from the late 70s
That's a good lens! I'd love to get my hands on that one.
I never used it so can't tell if it's worth it, for what it looks like the Canon nfd 50mm f1.4 has similar rendition and it's a good lens , and the 85mm f1.8 is superb (one of my fave vintage lenses) I love what it does with color.
The 50 SSC is one of the best 50s ever made. Better than Zeiss Planar and Summicron M. Arguably the Zeiss OTUS as well. Just about comparable optically to the 55mm f1.2 SSC and FL.
The 85mm f1.8 os just OK, BUT nothing great. About the same as old manual Nikkors. Not as good as the slightly newer Nikon D. Won’t match modern 85s either, but still a decent lens.
@@martyzielinski2469 I'm thinking of getting the FD 85mm F1.8 SSC as part of a set even though I already have a Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN. But I want to get the 50mm F1.4 SSC first.
@@stanleystevens6278 The 85 f1.8 SSC is OK, but nothing great. The 100 f2.8 SSC is the same size, but noticeably better corrected optically. It’s ALMOST as good as my 105mm Sigma Macro Art. I’d recommend the 100 over the 85, at least from an optical quality perspective.
@@martyzielinski1442 Thanks Marty, I'll look into the 100mm. Cheers!
Hi Mark.
Thank you for your videos. I would like to give you some information about how “Electronic Front Curtain Shatter” works on the Sony’s cameras. Maybe you know, but if the “EFCS” ON, after shatter speed 1/1000 to 1/8000 the “bokeh” is getting worse than if you shoot on the typical shatter speed 1/500 - 1/30 or longer. This effect doesn’t appear when you use completely mechanical or electronic (a7s, a7sII, a7III, a7rIII, a9) shatter with any shatter speed.
I didn't know this! Thanks so much Igor! Really very helpful! Going to look into it and do some tests! I'm mostly shooting video with these lenses so I'm rarely outside 1/50th shutter for 24fps.
Immensely helpful my friend! Appreciate your knowledge.
lowkey the best 50mm ever made was the leica 50mm Summicron .
that's f2 though
Daniel Featherstone Because Leica always favors perfect image quality over specs
I got EF 50 f1.2 for fun, tho also really wanna its predecessor f1.0 in my collection. I'll dive into FD line as soon as I win a jackpot)
Awesome lens. There are so many gems people look over and skip. Love your channel! Can you make a video about the different types of creative shots you can take with a dslr? I just got mine a few weeks ago so I’m learning as well.
Totally! This one is a bit of an exception, I think if anyone saw the red line they'd be like WHAAAAAT?! GIMME! lol. Thanks for hanging out Nathan, I'll definitely do up a video on composition and how you can shoot shots that work with the edit. Good idea, thanks! My next video is a time sensitive one, but after that I'll be more open to pick a topic. I tend to float topics around until I just out of the blue decide to focus on it, makes doing these videos in my spare, spare time worth it.
Thanks for your time mate.
@@MarkHoltze No problem, your channel is awesome !
Quite unbelievably beautiful look & bokeh ;O Lives in the nocti range to me in that character.
Hey Mark, just getting into the hole vintage lens thing. Wonderful video, thank you so much.
Thanks! Glad you liked it, if you have any questions let me know. This one is on the higher end of the cost spectrum for sure. Lots of really great options for way less to experiement with Super Multi Coated Takumars M42 mounts, some of the best value in photography right now.
@@MarkHoltze You know 10-15 years ago we had the digital camera revolution. And a few years later we have the mirrorless/vintage revolution. It's all very exciting.
Anyway, I just picked up a 50 1.4 FD lens and a 28 2.8. Just getting used to them, but I have to say I love the feel of manual focus, and a stick shift car. ;-)
(PS: I always have questions!)
@@theportraitist4888 Stick shift, I still make sure to get one lol. Ya I've always been more of a video shooter, mostly shot film back in film school to learn how to expose 35mm for feature film work. Manual focus is really all i've known so having it as part of my photography just feels more natural. Nothing wrong with auto, but something about having that full control.
Fantastic review. I love how you stitched this together. :) Looks like a serious performer. The Takumar side-by-side was a good comparison. The Tak holds its own with easy I’d say. When I had a Canon DSLR I tended to avoid FD mounts because they don’t play nice with EOS but your Sony is definitely the chassis for that beauty.
Thanks Tim! Ya the canon mirrorless line though...could resurrect the FD back to Canon bodies I think. Mirrorless, I can’t fault that platform.
Yes Tak holds up nicely. Fraction of the cost as well. Just doesn’t have that bold red line of distinction. Branding goes a long way ;)
Enjoy the weekend mate!
Hey this was a really great review! Are you planning to review the FD 85mm F1.2 L too?
If I can get my hands on one. Would love to!