Canon FD 24mm f2 as standard lens for GH1, GH13, GH2, AF100

Lucas Adamson

Lucas Adamson

Well-known member
After lusting for a Voigtlander 25mm 0.95 for a bit, I realised that I couldn't justify paying that much for a single prime standard lens, and that I'd rather have a set of FD primes if one of them was a fast 25mm or 24mm.

So I just bought a set of 4x Canon FDs in all the fast speeds, and all with 8 blades: 24mm/f2, 35mm/f2, 50mm/f1.4, 85mm/f1.8, all for the price of my soon to be missed 14-140mm Lumix f4-f5.6

I just bought this Canon 24mm f2 nFD lens, and I'm still waiting on it. Will it disappoint? It is a very fast and sharp wide for full frame, and a relatively fast and reportedly sharp standard lens for micro 4/3.

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Canon NEW FD 24mm F2 by TOPCON SUPER DM, on Flickr[/IMG]

I've seen this favourable review, which involved a lot of tests, showing it to be clearly the best 24mm Canon lens, including the f1.4 L http://home.comcast.net/~starka/24mm/24mmIntro.htm

Does anybody own and use this lens? How do you feel about it?
 
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It is a very good lens. Sharper than the 24mm f1.4. A very good choice for micro 4/3.
From my experience, another very good alternative is the Vivitar 24mm f2.0 (there are Kiron and Komine versions of this lens, with similar image quality).
 
Thanks Kostas. Do you use it a lot?

I'm guessing I can use the lens hood from the 50mm on this when using on a m4/3, to eliminate flare and haze. I hate those petal things - they make you look like a tourist!
 
2.0 is a default setting on my primes. At 2.8 I still want some soft corner. At 4.0 I want good sharpness all over. 2.0 looks good on people. 1.4 is usually too shallow in close shot, but it's handy in low lighting and gives good bokeh. Some can do MF at 0.95. Prolly I can't. "V" gives super sharpness at 2.0. GH13 hack really boosted image quality from Canon FDs.
 
these posts are getting me excited. I have several FD lenses (currently shoot on camcorder with Letus 35mm adapater) My adapter is on order and I dont even have the camera yet!
 
Lucas Adamson said:
Thanks Kostas. Do you use it a lot?
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I used to have an extensive FD lens collection that is now sold (I only kept a concave front element Canon FD 35mm f2.0) because I now have a t2i/550d body.
However, I enjoy using a lot the Vivitar 24mm f2.0 on the EOS body and it is a very fine lens. I actually have two of them and one is currently listed for sale.
The 24mm focal length is very handy to have especially at f2.0 speed, for those interior low light shots...
 
It is a very nice lens I enjoy it a lot. 24mm is nice general use focal length and it is almost always on one of my cameras. The Vivitar lenses are pretty nice as well. I recently found a Vivitar Series 1 28-90 2.8-3.5 almost mint for $30 in the fd mount. It is an excellent semi-fast zoom that works well for run and gun documentary work.
 
The adapter from eBay seller Ciecio7. Superb quality. CNC-ed from a solid block of Duraluminium in Poland, hard black anodised and very precise and tight.
 
Lucas Adamson said:
The adapter from eBay seller Ciecio7. Superb quality. CNC-ed from a solid block of Duraluminium in Poland, hard black anodised and very precise and tight.
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Hi, do you have a link by any chance? Thank you!

Edit: never mind I got it. Thanks!
 
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I got this lens a few weeks ago. I am happy with it. I will post up some footage as soon as I finish the project that I am working on.
 
I shot some test footage about a month ago on the AF100 with the Canon FD's.
  • 35mm scc FD is my favorite,
  • 85mm F1.2 FD shots are great
  • 24mm are just flat, and not much contrast.
    I like the focal length a lot, but can't get the punch I get from the other two Canon FD's.
BTW I just purchased a Canon FD 35-105mm, for run and gun - awaiting delivery.
Also, the Novaflex is expensive but is a perfect fitting adapter. I had 2 economy flavors that were sloppy, or wouldn't release the lens (scary).


 
Nice footage! Is yours the 24mm f2 or f2.8? Do you have any shots of the 24mm f2 in particular? I'd love to see it, punch-less or not. I'm still awaiting mine.

I can deal with low contrast, as I always colour correct anyway, and increasing contrast is the fastest, easiest, least degrading thing to correct, I've found.

I now have the 35mm f2 chrome nose (earliest one, with the thorium glass), the nFD 50mm f1.4 and the nFD 85mm f1.8. They're all lovely. I only need this nFD 24mm f2 to arrive now, and then to think about a good fast wide, and I'l be set. Considering Tokina 11-16mm f2.8.


Also, why no 50mm f1.4? They're like $100 and amazingly good!
 
+1 low contrast & color correct. 24mm... Stop down to get higher contrast.

+1 50mm 1.4 FD. The cheapest and the best FD lens for m43.

Carry only one lens? 35mm
Carry two lenses? 24mm and 50mm
Nice bokeh? 85mm
Chance for me to carry all primes? None
 
Lucas Adamson said:
Also, why no 50mm f1.4? They're like $100 and amazingly good!
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I have a Canon FD 50mm f1.4 that I've lived with since the 80's and it's been a reliable partner, no questions asked. The thing that bugged me, though, is the wide gap between 50 and 85mm, a leap of 70%. Aside from some very obscure exceptions, there are no prime lenses available between 60 and 85mm!

Another dilemma for me was how to best fill in the gap between my favorite pair of pancakes: the indispensable Lumix 20mm f1.7 and the irresistible Hexanon 40mm f1.8. After a brief episode of 24mm f2 lust, I had to conclude that these uncommon gems are just a little too pricey for a lens with only a 20% narrower profile than the 20mm. I then dallied with an even more exotic taste, the Sigma 30mm f1.4 auto-focus Four Thirds lens. Alluring but eccentric, this voluptuous beauty requires 62mm filters and takes her own sweet time deciding when and where to focus. Once I had enough of that flighty experience, I finally settled on the plainest jane there is, a Canon FD 28mm f2. It doesn't take much cruising on Ebay to hook up with one of these at a going rate that just about any working slob can afford.

The 28mm FD gave me a nice comfy ratio of around 40-45% between it and both the 20mm and 40mm pancakes. It also suggested my next logical acquistion, a 56-58mm prime to fill the gap between my 40mm and 85mm f1.8 Hexanons. This time KEH came through for me with a well-preserved Hexanon 57mm f1.4. This charming lens is just a bit more discriminating than the 50mm Canon FD, and gracefully bridges the gap to her sister 85mm. She's also far more modest an investment than the scandalously high-maintenance Hexanon 57mm f1.2 and the exquisitely rare Hexanon 28mm f1.8.

One thing about the Konicas I'll readily acknowledge is an acquired taste for the edgy bokeh of their 6-bladed irises. I'll admit they look much more attractive with a think layer of ISCO anamorphic mascara or the hazy cossack veil of a Lomo. It's an elusive appeal that may be a bit of a stretch to picture until you've experienced it with your own eyes. :happy:
 
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lpowell said:
One thing about the Konicas I'll readily acknowledge is an acquired taste for the edgy bokeh of their 6-bladed irises. I'll admit they look much more attractive with a think layer of ISCO anamorphic mascara or the hazy cossack veil of a Lomo. It's an elusive appeal that may be a bit of a stretch to picture until you've experienced it with your own eyes. :happy:
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I want what he's having. :tongue:

Seriously, nice write up.
 
I have a 24mm f1.4, 28mm f2.8, 50mm f1.4, 85mm f1.8, 100mm f2.0, 135mm f2.5, 70-210mm, 35-70mm. So far I like the 24mm, 50mm and both zoom lens alot. You really need to use a tripod on 85mm up.. I am happy with all the lens and at most I paid was 120.00 or less for one. I plan on getting more..Looking for some small stuff like fisheye or anything under 20mm. It is kind of annoying that micro 4/3 makes these lens X2. I shoot alot in low light making it hard to use my slower lens.

Best deal now is the 28mm f2.8 for 30 bucks! The 50mm is very dreamy same with the 85mm! Big fan of both of those. The 100mm might be my favorite with a tripod. It is really sharp even with the aperture open! I have a feeling these FD lens are going up in value..better buy now. I'm sure they will always hold there value if not grow.

I am also returning my olympus 54mm II today!
 
Ever growing lens lust... Arrrrrrrr

I've been selling lenses. Down from 10 lenses to 5 lenses. 20.7, 14-42, 50.4 FD, 50.4 Nikkor Ai-s, 28mm 2.0 Vivitar. Cheap cheap cheap. Hehe.

Having only one FD is not good. A set of FD lenses would be nice, but I'm happy with what I have. My FD is going to craigslist or ebay.

Instead of getting more affordable lenses, I decided to get the prime zoom. Oly 14-35 2.0. But no money. Haha.
 
Yes I've been trying to avoid collecting a mix of brands with lenses, for fear of colour mis-matches, though it's probably not such a big issue as is made out.

I've been selling lenses too. All of my Yashica MLs and Lumix 14-140 are gone. Only the Zeiss 50mm f1.7 (can't part) and the FD 24, 35, 50, 85 set now. Only lusting for that Tokina wide zoom (for now).

Is that 40mm you have a Tessar optical design pancake Lpowell?
 
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