In 1987, Canon made a widely criticized move and introduced the EF mount. This was mostly to create a mount that was easier to build auto focus and stabilization mechanisms into. The EF lenses are among some of the best in the world, so there's no complaint now. Back in the 80s, however, there was a massive outcry against Canon's decision to abandon an entire system and force their shooters into new cameras and lenses with no backwards compatibility. As time passed, no one really cared. Canon's legacy is often forgotten, but Canon left behind a solid system of lenses. Those lenses are the Canon FD series.
The reason that I bring these lenses up is video. Specifically, micro four thirds and Sony mirrorless videographers will be interested in these lenses. There are also adapters to put FD lenses on Nikon F bodies and current Canon cameras, though I haven't used one. For video, they're great lenses for a few reasons.
Price
This is really important. To put their low cost into perspective, I have seen a 600mm f/4.5L lens for around $850. The new EF mount version is $11,500. There are all sorts of great deals available on these lenses, from wide to telephoto. Video is expensive, it makes the cost of photography look like chump change. I always recommend investing in quality lenses, as they will drastically improve your images. That being said, we can't all afford Zeiss Compact Primes or even a set of Xeens. FD lenses, even high-end L series versions rarely break $1,000. If you really want to get a set together on the cheap, check out Vintage Lenses For Videos Canon FD Buying Guide. Be careful though, it's easy to pick up a nasty case of gear acquisition syndrome with these prices.
Optics
The only issue I can find with even high-end FD lenses is that the coatings are quite as good as modern lenses. Expect some JJ Abrams level lens flares if you don't own a mattebox. Aside from that, the line up is very similar to that of Canon's EF lenses. The L series lenses are the sharpest, but there are a few cheaper lenses that give the expensive options a run for their money.
Size and Weight
Not only is video expensive, it's heavy. If you're shooting Sony mirrorless, you're likely trying to stay light and mobile. Because there are no autofocus motors and stablization systems in these lenses, even long telephoto L lenses are a fraction of the size of their EF counterparts. If you travel and need to pack light and compact, this may be the answer to your problems.
These lenses are not perfect by any means. The coatings aren't great, there is no autofocus, and they're old. What they do have is character. There is a quality to these lenses that I just don't see in modern optics. The backgrounds are a gorgeous blur, the in-focus areas are sharp, the focus fall off is smooth, and the colors are beautiful. Sigma Art series lenses are among the sharpest lenses in the world, but they're big and heavy. There are certain tools for certain jobs. Should you be looking for some new lenses to spice up your video, I encourage you to look at FD mount lenses.
Might I also humbly suggest Olympus OM for the same reasons? More compact and slightly slower they too have 'a look'. Another advantage of these older manual lenses is that they are not too difficult to take apart and clean. I got a bit carried away and bought 12. (for about $1500)
Indeed, and OMs have a very different ‘look’ from FD, maybe a bit higher contrast definitely tending a bit to blue/cyan compared with the warmer FD lenses. Thanks to mirrorless it’s all about what the individual photographer likes best!
I feel the same way about the Minolta Rokkors. The 35-70/3.5 was glued to my a7II for few months. The MC50/1.4 PG and MC58/1.2PG were others I loved to carry.
Anybody know of any good stores in Manhattan where I can find good old vintage lenses in good condition? I will be there in July and would like to buy some, but I would like to check out the focus smoothness other than buy things from eBay. I would appreciate it. Specially looking for Leica R lens.
kmcamera.com, they're the best, there's a few other used camera stores I visited, but I can't remember the names.. K & M can refer you to a few though if you drop by.
I checked out their website but it does not seem that they sell used lens? Just higher priced Leica lenses.. Do they have a used department?
Thanks
Maybe a Canon FD 600mm f4.5L can be found on Ebay for $850, at reputable resellers, like KEH and in the used gear section of B&H, I haven't seen it less than $1500.
Even though I now own a 5D III and need EF mount lenses, I check out the used market for FD mount cameras since I have the A-1 and F-1N. My recent FD lens purchase probably won't be used on Sony or 4/3rds, a Macrophoto 20mm f3.5; it requires a bellows for focusing.
Actually, FD optics aren't the only cool deals you can get, pretty much anything from the 70s and early 80s are game. I saw a Minolta 58 f/1.2 for $160 once, shoulda jumped on it! Pentax, Olympus, Kiron, Vivitar Series 1, and of course Nikon and Canon are among an ocean of optics available to play with, most of it quite good, especially stopped down, typically 2 stops.
If you're gonna buy on ebay, I suggest buying from the Japanese sellers. The vast majority of their stuff is in immaculate condition, and reasonably priced.
"The only issue I can find with even high-end FD lenses is that the coatings are quite as good as modern lenses."
Uh, yeah.
I don't even recall what happened to all my old FD mount glass, but I do know that it was sharp and cheap, even in the early 90s.
How is rack focusing with FD lenses? Is there decent travel with them?
Thanks!
Yeah I think you get some really nice depth. Just hard to catch really good details doing video at 1.4 with old glass sometimes. I linked a video I did below in the comments but I'm also a noob
Great article I got a 50mm 1.4 (got it for $55)and took it to beach to make this video on my Panasonic G7. Still trying to get a handle on focusing quickly with it though.
https://youtu.be/0WKVz8EH2aY
Check out my short film which I shot on the Sony A7Rii + Canon FD.
https://vimeo.com/245405363
I used old Canon FD lenses for all the interior shots and for the water scenes I used the 35mm Sony / Carl Zeiss lens since it was the only auto focus lens that would fit in the underwater housing we had. I constantly switched back and forth from fullframe / super 35 mode - which is what I love about the A7Rii.
The whole film was shot using only natural light. For the interior scenes I mostly exposed from the window since that was my source of light. Because I created the look mostly in camera, it made color grading pretty hard...I used a custom color profile - one which I'm not sure if I would use again because the a lot of footage came out very purple-y... maybe it's from the old canon glass?
I took some advantage of the killing of the FD line back in my college days in the 90s by getting a T90 and FD lenses while the more well heeled photographers were dumping the old manual focus gear for shiny new AF toys. I still have a few nice bits of FD glass and sometimes use them on mirrorless.