Top 5 Canon FD Prime Lenses

In this video I review the five best Canon FD prime lenses.
Canon FD lenses were first made starting in the 1970s and lasting until about the early 1990s. Once Canon switched to its autofocus-capable EF mount, FD lenses collected dust for many years.
Recently they have seen a revival in the mirrorless digital era. Using an adapter, many photographers happily attach Canon FD lenses to cameras like the Sony A6000, Fujifilm XT-2 and many other mirrorless cameras.
My top 5 choices for Canon FD lenses are:
1. CANON FD 28MM F/2.8
2. CANON FD 35MM F/2
3. CANON FD 50MM F/1.4
4. CANON FD 85MM F/1.8
5. CANON FD 100MM F/2
Find Canon FD lenses online:
KEH: shrsl.com/?fij7
Ebay: goo.gl/TfYpXH
Disclaimer: This video contains affiliate links, which means if you click on one of the product links I may receive a small commission. This is a great way to support this KZbin channel at no additional cost to you.

[@DanBullmanPhotography]

What's your favorite Canon FD lens?

[@ferencbodor]

Dan Bullman Photography nice! like it :) what about the 24mm 2.8 ?

[@DanBullmanPhotography]

The 24mm has a great reputation as well! I haven't had the chance to shoot with it yet

[@dimonlind]

I love the 24 f2.8 its a really great lens on apsc

[@ferencbodor]

johan lind yeah man! :) I love it too. I'm still tryin to get my hands on the 85mm 1.8

[@dimonlind]

This is the 24 mm on a Fuji xpro1 instagram.com/p/BdIY6FoDhwT/

[@kohala1815]

The 35-105 f3.5 two-touch zoom is crazy good, very inexpensive, and yet bewilderingly unknown to most film shooters. It is known by insiders as one of the sharpest lenses Canon ever made-zoom or prime!-and boasts a fairly quick, constant f3.5 aperture and a useful, in-a-pinch “macro” mode to close-focus at the 35mm focal length. When I want to carry only one lens, I often take this one. Adding the great 20-35L makes an awesome two-lens kit. Shortly after Canon totally abandoned their FD mount, digital photography took off, and many said film was dying. As a result, the price of FD lenses tanked, and I took that opportunity to scoop up every single FD lens I ever lusted after but couldn’t afford when I was younger, as well as some suddenly cheap and very minty Canon EF, FTbQL, and F-1 camera bodies to keep my old A-1 company. I went whole-hog and added a few Canon rangefinders and LTM lenses and some medium format cameras. A lifelong Canon shooter, I even added a Nikon FM3a and a small kit of legendary Nikkor AIS lenses. All this stuff was in great condition and dirt cheap. If film was going to die, I was going to help it go out with bang it deserved. Then, looking lovingly upon all this stuff, and taking it out and shooting with it, I sadly waited for film’s fated demise. I was resigned to the idea that someday not too far off, I was going to have a huge collection of gorgeously engineered paperweights. Fortunately, not only did film not die, but new films continue to come out and some old ones are coming back. Mirrorless digital cameras like the Sony A7 gave vintage lenses new life, and using old lenses got people interested in using old film cameras too. Camera repairers tell me business is booming with people getting into-or back into-film photography, and needing CLAs and such. Videographers have driven up the prices of many vintage lenses big-time. But I don’t even care that all this stuff is now worth a lot more than I paid for it because I’ll never sell it. I love using all of it, and someday some lucky person is going to inherit an absolutely killer camera collection. Finally, I agree with photographer John Shaw, who wrote in several of his great books on nature photography that the 105mm focal length is great for landscape “portraits.” In fact, that point (and his amazing photographs) helped me to see nature in a whole new, beautiful way. Wow. All I really intended to say was that the Canon New FD 35-105 f3.5 two-touch zoom lens is great. Buy one. Or two.

[@keithdayer3297]

Dan, I started using the Canon F-1 in the mid-70s, and kept using it until the 90s, when raising a family pushed me toward the point and shoot autofocus cameras. All my gear got stolen in 2011, and all I had left was my 50mm 1.4 lens. I have recently decided to get back to my roots, and picked up an F-1 and FTb bodies and several lenses, but still need to get my "favorite lens", the Breech lock version of their 35mm F2. with the thoriated rear glass. That amazing lens was my "normal" lens for many years, and it lived on my F-1. Today I shoot on crop body cameras so either a 24mm or 28mm F 1.4 or 2 might be the new favorite, but to me the old 35mm was special on full frame. All in all, these lenses are wonderful to use. I especially like the weight and balance of the older breech lock ones. But it's horses for courses. The NFD lenses seem to adapt better to EF mounts (Ed Mika), but now that Canon FINALLY has mirrorless full frame in the EOS R camera, I will probably just get a universal FD to EF adaptor when the time comes, and adapt one or two of the NFDs to EF to fit on my C100. No matter how you slice it, a decent set of FD lenses is well worth the time to collect. For me, even though I shoot doc style video, I want to return to my roots with shooting film. It's like going on an "artist's date", and the F-1 system is an old friend to take on that date.

[@ChristopherMay]

Sorry, but going to be kind of critical on this one, Dan. Had you said that these were your "favorite" FD lenses, I could have agreed with it but calling these the "best" is definitely missing the mark. The lenses you list rank from quite pedestrian (28mm f2.8) to very good indeed (100mm f2) in the overall scheme of the FD line-up. All of them are great to shoot with but I think there are a lot more that would be better deserving of the title of "best." In no particular order and off the top of my head, I would submit the following: 35mm f2.8 Tilt Shift - Lenses that shifted were common before this but Canon was the first to bring out a tilt shift and that legacy continues through today with the best line-up of tilt shift lenses in the business. 85mm f1.2 SSC (Super Spectra Coated, BTW) and/or 85mm f1.2L - Prior to a few years ago, I think Zeiss was the only other maker to bring out an f1.2 lens at the 85mm focal length. That was a very limited run and they commanded a lot of money. The Canon lenses, on the other hand, were and are much easier to find and they are really, really good. Arguably some of the best portrait lenses made for a 35mm system. 200mm f1.8L - Another remarkable lens when it was released. It was one of the lenses that Canon specifically made their FD to EOS adapter for because they didn't want to alienate the pros that had invested big money in top quality glass like this. This lens really opened up the world of indoor sports and it also makes a very unique portrait look. A lot of fashion photographers use these kinds of lenses for their compression and shallow DOF. Basically any of the Flourite super tele-photos - Canon was the pioneer of fluorite elements in supertelephoto lenses and it changed the game (pardon the pun) when it came to sports photography. Supertelephotos suddenly were lighter and sharper all at the same time. I would also say that a 100mm makes a fine landscape lens but it requires a different kind of approach to landscape photography. Many of my favorite landscape shots are made with short telephoto lenses. I'd argue that a short telephoto is an essential part of any landscape photographer's kit. Sorry to be so harsh on this one. It just didn't click for me and thought it was worth commenting about.

[@DanBullmanPhotography]

Fair point

[@marioarias9942]

Have you tried these lenses on a tripod and compared their sharpness? I have, it seems fast lenses just don't have the sharpness for stills maybe good for video though. I have the FD 85 1.2L ,85 1.8, 55 1.2 aspherical , the 35-70 f4 Canon is sharper then all of them in my tests.The sharpness does improve by stopping down of course.

[@ChristopherMay]

There’s more to lens performance than sharpness. Even if your 35-70 is sharper than your 85 f1.2L, you’re going to have a hard time matching the look you get from a super speed portrait lens. Likewise, I think you’ll find it hard to tilt and shift the zoom lens. If the zoom is sharper than your other lenses and that’s all you look for, then it sounds like you’ve found a valuable optic for your own uses. I won’t be anointing the 35-70 as one of the best FD lenses anytime soon, though. Sorry.

[@markh.2899]

Mario Arias - Very nice group of lenses ! The 7.5 mm fd fisheye is an amazing lens too! Hold on to those- their going up!

[@NunyaBizzzzz]

Which lens would you recommend at a good budget price for landscape shoots? Primarily for a beginner.

[@charleskoonu]

You forget the fantastic 135mm f2.5 fd one of the sharppest lenses ever, a great portrait lens

[@martyzielinski2469]

My 135 f2.5 FD is better than many of its contemporaries, but not as good as the 135 Nikon f2.8 and f3.5 Ai lenses. By a narrow margin, I prefer the f3.5 to the f2.8. But that’s splitting hairs. Either is sharper, especially at the edges, than the Canon FD f2.5. At least mine are....

[@martyzielinski1442]

And the f3.5 nFD beats all of them. (By a narrow margin)

[@stulora3172]

I own the first 3 lenses you mention and I can confirm. They are a joy to work with!

[@anzaeria]

I own the Canon FD 50mm f1.4 and Ive only used it a few times with 35mm film - a number of years ago. I should try it out on my digital mirrorless. I regularly use Canon FD lenses with digital these days.

[@voltron979]

FD 135mm. 2.5 SC..!!! All day portrait beast! I love it.

[@martyzielinski2469]

Have one, but just never use it any more. The Nikon 135 f3.5 Ai is smaller, lighter, almost as fast, and FAR BETTER OVERALL CORNER TO CORNER RESOLUTION AND IMAGE QUALITY at virtually all stops. Though admittedly, the Nikon’s strengths will never be noticed in virtually any portrait setting. The SC is just fine for that. But the 135 Ai runs rings around the Canon in landscape shooting requiring flat field and sharp corners wide open...

[@sundaynightdrunk]

@@martyzielinski2469 Jesus, there's always a nikon guy needing to chime in multiple times regarding 40 year-old lenses.

[@martyzielinski1442]

@@sundaynightdrunk -Jeezus yourself........ I’m not a Nikon guy. I shoot Nikon, Canon, Zeiss, Leitz, Sigma, Tamron, Schneider, Rodenstock, Sony and Minolta mostly. And a smattering of weaker offerings by Pentax, Topcon, Konica and several others. Medium, 4x5, 5x7, and 8x10 too. The 135 f3.5 Nikkor just happens to be a better lens than the f2.5 Canon. At least mine is. Sorry if that offends your delicate sensibilities. (But the nFD 135 f3.5 beats both of them. Go figure). Canon SSC 50 is better than any Nikkor 50, but Canon 100 f2.8 SSC easily beats the highly regarded Nikon 105 f2.5. I’m not a fanboy of anybody. I just pick the best vintage manual focus lenses I can find for each focal length. At 35mm, the latest version manual focus f2.8 Minolta MD easily beats all other contenders, except MAYBE the ASPH Summicron and Summilux. (Also beats the “dished” thorium Canon f2 SSC and the older Leitz Summicron “bokeh king”). It’s not about the price or fancy name on the beauty ring......

[@illusions97]

I've been a fan of BigDanGaming for several years. Imagine my surprise when I see you pop up while searching for FD Prime Lens videos!

[@VivaEZLN1]

I have 3 versions of the 50mm 1.4 The chrome nose, the fd/n and the SSC version. Great video!

[@mugshot749]

Dan, you are missing out on the on the best FD lenses the 135 f2 , and the 85mm f1.2L the 50mm f1.2L and 20-35 f3.5 L zoom

[@Vincent13997]

For that kind of cash I’d buy new glass. I do use FD lenses on my Fuji and Olympus cameras.

[@mugshot749]

@@Vincent13997 I was referring to FD lenses on FD bodies, not adapted to digital equipment that I know nothing about.

[@behindeachfilmgrain]

The only Prime Canon FD 85mm F1.2L in mint condition from Japan and cost me about $605.00! Looking to buy the FD 50mm F1.2L and FD 100 F2... The FD 85mm never leaves my Sony A7R body! It's that amazing!

[@DanBullmanPhotography]

That is an amazing combination indeed!

[@georgemoua7349]

All nFD lenses we're SSC unless otherwise noted on the lens ring.

[@MrDiburnett]

My favorite FD lens is the 200mm f2.8. I have more fun with it than my other FD lenses. I love all of them though.

[@stillben]

I had all these lenses in the 90s in both bayonet and New fitting. The bayonet ones were harder to turn focus, heavier, bigger too but had the best look with Fuji transparency. I shot stuff for magazines with these and the pictures fitted right in with what was expected at the time. The New ones were good but only so-so in comparison to what came before.

[@bluefalconz9003]

Canon nfd 85mm f1.8 is awesome. Best lens I've used

[@DanBullmanPhotography]

It's sooooooo good

[@jakhilp5579]

def. the nfd 50mm 1.4 ! beautiful on small sensors - perfect for faces.

[@deltadave44]

the fd 135 f2 is my favorite portrait lens (bokelicious) and the 300 f4...very underrated lens

[@davidsilva8695]

My favorite: my 35mm f/2 thorium. If I were fortunate enough to own the 55mm F/1.2 Aspherical, I kinda suspect that would be my favorite!

[@ManuelGuzmanPhotography]

The Canon 50mm FD f1.4 has been glued to my AE-1P since Day 1. Nothing "special," but I'm so used to the focal length. I also have a 135mm FD I've been itching to try recently, so that might change. Great video, Dan

[@DanBullmanPhotography]

Thanks Manuel! Yeah I love a good 50mm lens. The 1.4 FD never disappoints

[@joostverpoort]

Hi Dan, my favorite canon lenses are the FL's especially the FL 55 f1.2 and the FL 85 f1.8......stunning

[@QuicknStraight]

I still have a FD 28mm SC and I love it. Cracking lens!

[@themanfromoregon6047]

I recently bagged the fd 55mm 1.2 but I haven't tested yet, but from what I've found online, it's a killer lens.

[@JaimeHammett]

Sorry? your choices does not include the beast Canon fd 85 f1.2 L? Or Canon 55 f1.2? hmmmm.....

[@austinlong2012]

Not everyone has 3-5k to spend

[@photog1529]

I realize this is not an FD lens, but the Canon FL 55/1.2 is a real gem...gives the Minolta 58/1.2 a run for the money in the bokeh department. I find the best aperture for bokeh with this lens is at f/2...at 1.2 the DOF is razor thin so you really need to be aware of your focus. On a digital body, live view with 5x or 10x really helps. If you can find a good copy of this lens, I'd highly recommend jumping on it.

[@DanBullmanPhotography]

Thanks Mike! I will definitely look into that lens. I haven't had the chance to shoot with any FL lenses but I've been curious. And the 55mm 1.2 sounds like a gem.

[@martyzielinski2469]

How right you are, mike! this 55mm FL is simply stunning stopped down past f 2.8 or so. It clearly beats my Summicron M at ALL stops, and easily outperforms the f 1.4 Zeiss Planar as well. Forget all Nikon 50s. The earlier ones are poorly coated and have a dull greenish cast. Later ones have high overall image quality, but also suffer from curvature of field as does the Zeiss Planar. I have found no current Canon or Nikon lens to be as brutally sharp at middle stops either. Forget Pentax, Konica, Minolta. Just not as good. The one weakness of the FL is an overall foggy look at widest apertures, though it is actually VERY sharp wide open all the way to the corners. By f2, this lens matches nearly any ather lens, new or old. By f4, it is excellent, and by f5.6, near PERFECT. The only lens I have found that looks to match it at middle stops and does better wide open is the super expensive 55mm Sony/Zeiss Sonnar. Their Sony f1.4 Zeiss lens is even better wide open, but falls behind the FL at middla apertures.

[@slr7075]

I found that the 28mm f2.8 to be overlooked as Canon FD lens goes. Super lightweight with great sharpness from this particular lens. Bokeh is far to be desired but I love the fov this lens provides. I wish for a faster F2 version with 8 aperture blades!

[@Anarki2U]

The Canon 28mm 2.0 have better image quality over the 28mm 2.8

[@TheHatMusic]

The later lenses, while the don't necessarily seem like it, are still breech lock. Rather than having the breech collar on the outside that twists, the entire outer barrel twists forming the breech.

[@martyzielinski2469]

Of the three series of FD lenses made, the SSC breech ones seem to be the best. There is a noticeable dullness to the early chrome nose single coated versions, and the later N lenses just don't seem to be as well built OR corrected. The best of the SSC lenses between 24mm and 200mm are the 50 f1.4, the 100 f2.8, and the 135 f2.5. These are mostly as good, and often better than modern lenses, including L series zooms. (I judge the lowly 100 to be the best of the lot, clearly outperforming the current 100mm f2.8 (L?) Canon macro, the 70-300 L, and venerable 105mm f2.5 Nikkor at infinity!) I have not used the super fast FD L series lenses, so can't evaluate those. The 35 f2 is very good, not great. The 24 f2.8, 28 f2.8 and 85 f1.8 are just OK, comparable or slightly better than concurrent Nikon lenses. The 200 f4 is simply AWFUL wide open, but reasonably good from f8 upwards.

[@ArturoMarinho]

really useful advice Marty, trying to build a "humble" SSC set, I´ll remember your list.

[@martyzielinski2469]

@@ArturoMarinho -Correction from two years back......I have now found that the common, inexpensive 135 mm Nikon f3.5 Ai outperforms the Canon 135 f2.5 FD by a noticeable margin. Same for Nikons slightly faster f2.8 Ai. But between the two, my favorite (sharpest) is still the f3.5. My Canon 135 sits on a shelf while the Nikon Ai remains in the bag at all times. Also, the Canon nFD 200mm f4 is a BIG improvement over the older SSC version. Mostly, I still prefer the SSC lenses, but not at the 200mm focal length. The 100 f2.8 SSC is till tops, and the “thorium” 35 f2 is still one of the best vintage 35’s. The 24, 28, 85mm SSC are all decent enough but not really any better than their contemporaries. Nice build quality in the 24 and 85 though....

[@encellon]

I have several FDs (28mm f2.8, 50mm f1.4, 100mm f/2.8, and 85-300mm f4.5) ...and like them very much on the one electronic camera where lens adapters are possible. I sold my 200mm f/2.8 years ago (and wish I hadn't), and I keep dithering about a replacement. As it turns out, my entire system is centered on EFs, and I have come to the conclusion that FDs are fine ...especially starting out with lenses already in hand... but if I ever buy that 200mm -- I will probably go with an EF.

[@mugshot749]

Generally speaking Dan the "best" Canon FD lenses are the "L" series that were professional quality optics that featured low dispersion glass and aspheric elements that were at the leading edge of technology in optical design and glass in the early 1980s that no other camera manufacturer could approach in those days, they were very expensive then and even after more than thirty years are still expensive on the second hand market, but are superb optics and in good condition are worth the cost even today.

[@mugshot749]

The lenses you mentioned Dan you might consider the "best value for money" , but they weren't the best FD lenses the Canon Corporation manufactured in that era, you failed to mention the FD 50mm f1.2 L or the FD 85mm f1.2 L, or the 24mm f1.2 L these are the some of the best that no other lens manufacturers could match the optical excellence of in those days.

[@michaelashton]

@@mugshot749 Or since. Those 3 are the holy grail of vintage glass.

[@ldstirling]

Dan, where have you been? I've missed you on KZbin in the last several months. I really like this video you made about the Canon FD lenses. I recently was gifted a Canon A-1 and, with the help of your video and some others, managed to find some amazing deals on a nice 3-lens kit for my new Canon. I got the 28mm f/2.8 for $55 off Ebay, the 50mm f/1.4 for $75 off KEH, and the 135mm f/2.5 for $65 off Ebay. All my lenses are breech-lock versions. I'm really enjoying them and the A-1. The bokeh with the 135mm f/2.5 is glorious. Thanks for your video and for sharing your knowledge.

[@ethanperkins9795]

Well done Dan, informative and enjoyable to watch.

[@itmaybethinkingtime6114]

Great video as always! Recently been on a heavy spree of going through your videos, keep up the good work ✨ I only just got my first ever 35mm recently (AE-1) with the 50mm f1.8 and it's been so much fun, definitely found a new favourite hobby of mine! But the lens keeps letting me down, so just purchased the 28mm 2.8, hopefully it's a bit sharper than the 50mm!

[@DanBullmanPhotography]

+It May Be Thinking Time Thanks! Glad you are enjoying the videos :) Hope the 28mm is better for you

[@ModifiedHell]

Shuttervj how did everything turn out for you I just got the same camera and it’s my first 35mm also..

[@Anarki2U]

The Canon FDn 50mm 1.4 are better than the 1.8 and the 28mm 2.0 are better than the 2.8, but the FDn 24mm 2.8 are better than the 2.0, it is not easy :)

[@danielracine4234]

Thank you for this awesome video! I thought I was the only one shooting with Canon FD lens on my EOS Camera with the Zykkor FD-EOS mount made in Japan. Lens I have are; from Canon prime FD are 50mm F1.8 S.C. , 100mm F2.8 S.S.C , 200mm F2.8 S.S.C and one Canon FD Zoom Lens 100 - 300mm F5.6 Macro. Last FD lens I have is from Sigma 18mm F3.5 for Canon.

[@y.l.k7201]

I bought many FD lenses starting in 1979 with an nFD 50mm 1.4 on an A1 body. My favourite were the 24mm 2.8 (you should try it : very interesting for composition and, at least subjectively, very low distorsion), the 50mm 1.4, and the 85mm 1.8. Never really liked the other ones (28, 35, 135, zooms...). Recently tried them on Sony A6400 : not convenient. Should try them again on a full frame with IBIS when I decide for one (rather Nikon or Lumix). Your portraits are nice, thank you.

[@musicdreamerish]

Mine is a 100 2.8, the older version with 8 aperture blades, very sharp. Not sure why you left it out.

[@charleswendt4868]

Still have MyChart Ttbn I bought in 1970, favorite lens 1.4 50mm. Back then I did all my own darkroom stuff.

[@cjsansoo7]

My favorite canon fd lens is...... 28mm 2.0 ssc breech lock. Followed by 85mm 1.8 ssc breech lock lens.

[@roiloubia4483]

Excuse me, Have ever used the FD 100mm F2.8 in landscape photography? It seems to me that you have not. Because, if you have used it for landscape you wouldn't have dismissed it for that use. A telephoto lens in landscape is a must have among the other prime focal length. I own the FD 100mm F2.8 S.S.C. I have since 15 years now, gave me outstanding shot when I used it in my Landscape photography. It is not, however, my main telephoto lens, and not saying it is the best, but I was always been satisfied with it.

[@JoeOberster]

Not a prime, but I've had a lot of fun with the 70-210mm f/4 Macro lens.

[@danienelphoto]

The 35mm F2.8 - I just made a video about it too. Love that lens.

[@medeis83]

The best Canon FD lens is 135mm f/2.0 in my opinion.

[@caldera878]

The heavy price of the 85 f1.2 L made me turn around for the relatively unknown but also stunning 135 f2. This monster of a lens is impressive, sharp and the best part is that its half the price of the 85!

[@Anarki2U]

@@caldera878 The 85mm 1.8 are great, so are the 100mm 2.0

[@samsen201]

What do you think of 135mm F2.5?

[@martyzielinski1442]

I have two of these. An FL and an FD. The FD is a bit better than the FL. But the Nikkor f3.5 Ai is a bit better than either of them. Also better than the f2.8 and the f2 Nikkors. BUT..........the nFD 135 f3.5 noticeably beats all of them. (have not used any of the f2 or f2.8 Canon 135’s)

[@ferasusif]

Fantastic video man. Thank u. Keep up the great work

[@nopeoplecorp]

Good, useful video - thanks for the excellent content!

[@chuckysaid]

Thanks. You are super generous with your knowledge!

[@DanBullmanPhotography]

No problem! Thanks for watching Charles!

[@MrGibsonguy335]

Apparently 100mm is considered long these days. I am curious if you have ever tried the Canon FD 135mm f2.5 lens? Back in the day we considered a 135 to really be THE portrait lens. Especially with a fast aperture you had very shallow depth of field that really let your subject stand out from the background.

[@CaravanMovies]

Can we use these lenses in fuji film cameras directly without an adapter ?

[@RonaldoKurswell]

How video content and audio is getting better and better :) keep it up

[@DanBullmanPhotography]

Thanks! I'm working hard to improve it every day. So I'm glad you noticed. More awesome content to come in 2018. Stay tuned :D

[@_theyojimbo]

You know there's a problem when "Non-radioactive" becomes a buying criteria for your next camera lens ahah

[@shanan1124]

Dan was spittin’ that hot fire. Someone called 911... LOL!!!

[@DanBullmanPhotography]

Hahahaha

[@steinar.offroad]

You want the SSC Concave version of the 35mm f2. It is identical to the non concave 35mm f2 SSC, except the aperture only stops down to f16 (the convex variant stops down to f22). I own the convex variant, but I've heard the concave variant is superior. Earlier versions (chrome nose / SC) also have a concave element, but worse coatings. The nFD 50 1.4 is (optically) superior to the FD 50 1.4 SSC. Almost all nFD lenses are optically superior to their breech-lock siblings, with some exceptions (notibly the 35mm f2). The 28mm f2 is far superior to the 28 f2.8, but more expensive. However it is cheaper than the 24mm f2, and a lot cheaper compared to the 24mm aspherical. Honestly the 28mm f2 (nFD) is the best price/performance fd wide angle in my opinion. The one lens to have (for portret photographers) however is the 85mm f1.2 L (nFD). It is identical (optically) to the older 85mm aspherical (breech-lock), but less collectable and thus cheaper. It really is a beautifull (but expensive) lens. One of the more fun lenses to have is the 200mm f4. It is an excellent, lightweight and very cheap lens. It also has a build in lens hood. I particularly like its niche in landscape and city photography (get those detail shots!). A honerable mention goes to the 100mm f4 macro. It is relatively cheap, looks weird af, and it is fun to use. Honestly I don't really shoot macro on film, but I still love the lens for its quirky design. Note that it won't go to 1:1 without the 50mm extention tube.

[@Anarki2U]

The Canon FDn 24mm 2.8 are better than the 2.0 version. I have the FDn 85mm 1.8 which I prefer over the 1.2 because the 1.8 are much lighter and more compact, an other option could be the FDn 100mm 2.0 global.canon/en/c-museum/series_search.html?t=lens&s=nfd

[@depotmsa2362]

great video, but dude, you missed so many great lenses, such as the 85 mm 1.2 fd , the 24 mm1.4 fd and the 300 mm 2.8 fd just to name a few if you're talking about best prime lenses ...cheers

[@What-pk6rt]

Any ideas about the the canon FD 35mm lens 1:2.8 ?

[@ingowalkerling5141]

Own the whole line of FD (chromering and nFD) without the "white" ones. The nFD 2.0 100mm is absolute stunning, but there are no real bad ones in the line.

[@paulthomas8986]

Love the vintage canon fd lenses. Have some from a film camera I use on my digital. I have the 20mm 2.8, 50mm 1.4, and 100mm 2.8. They are all great. The 50 1.4 makes beautiful bokeh compared to other 50mm vintage lenses I have tried. Looking to add the 28 or 35 next. Some of them are pricy though. I think people are asking more than they are worth most of the time for a vintage manual focus lens.

[@hoovboy14]

I strongly disagree with your assertion that 100mm is bad for landscapes. A good telephoto is a very, very important tool for a landscape photog to have in their bag.

[@Anarki2U]

Yes, you can use any focal lenght lens for landscape ;)

[@Anarki2U]

Hey stop press, you can use ANY focal lenght lens for landscape ! ;)

[@seanbond8075]

Greetings, Well Actually I prefer the FL Lenses, but the down side with them would be more than likely, they will need to have a CLA done given their age. I just received a 58mm FL 1.2 and there is a caveat I just found out compared to the 50 or 55 FL 1.2. The rear part of the lens housing has a raised section like the old Canonet lenses and you have to get creative to mount it to an adapter. The one I played with tonight was my fotodiox FD > EF-M. There is a pin inside the adapter which is used to get an FD lens to stop down when you change the aperture. Perfect for the FD and most FL's with the flat rear, but with the 58mm 1.2 it is in the way to get the lens to mount. Solution, use a small screwdriver and remove the pin, and no problem with the FL lenses as they have the stop down ring on the lens barrel to control the aperture. Just be aware that if you leave that pin out, FD lenses will not stop down. So I've ordered another adapter that will be for this one lens only. By the way, there are some very nice Vivitar Series 1 FD mount lenses that I have, which are also worth a look. Primes... FL 50, 55, 58 1.2 FL 50 1.4 FL 85 1.4 FL, FD, FDN 50 Macro (I have all three) I believe the FD is an SSC FDN 15 2.8 Fish with the built in color filters FDN 20 2.8 FD SSC 50 1.4 FD SSC 100 2.8 I agree with you on the 135 f2... I have the 135 2.5 in beautiful condition The creme de la creme... 85 f1.2 L - Sadly these are approaching nearly $1k and if I'm going to spend that much, I just as well hold out for an EF 85 1.2L Cheers, Sean

[@mikemcgrath5188]

28 mm f/2.8 fd is quite sharp. excellent for closeups. 300 mm f/5.6 fd for that long reach and...the 15 mm f/2.8 fish eye fd. "tou/five star" 35-75 zoom macro f/3.5-4.8 i have found to be very sharp. some lenses i have had in a drawer for 30 years. i get to use them again!

[@Distorted-Vision]

How much different are FD 35mm F2.8 and 100mm F2.8 than the F2 versions?

[@robbyboyo]

I only have the 28mm - nice selection.

[@DanBullmanPhotography]

Thanks!

[@AMiguelOliveiraPhotography]

My fav is the 20-35 L and the 85 f:1.8. BTW, nowadays with digital stuff, which camera would you (and other readers/users) suggest? Sony alpha 7RII (or... III) with novoflex adapter (Booster?) or the Fujifilm X-T2 (or... X-H1 yet to come)? Thanks

[@FlyingCreepi]

Where did you find the information that there were 6 versions of the 2/35mm?

[@ColinMoriarty311]

Good video dan, here’s a video idea, can you do some Emount Manual focus lens reviews? There’s a ton available for the A6xxx series cameras for cheap!

[@DanBullmanPhotography]

Hi Amine! That's actually something I'm planning on doing. I'm really interested in reviewing some of the lens offerings from Neewer/Meike and Rokinon in particular. Just researching the best way to get my hands on some lenses for the reviews since I don't want to buy all of them lol. I do have a review of the Rokinon 12mm f/2 lens on my channel. I was very pleased with the quality of that lens. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJKZoqaIfKyHa9U

[@samsen3965]

I enjoyed this clip. You have good content and talk right to the point, that really matters to me. TU & Subed

[@ecookman]

I love my 200 2.8

[@tadi7051]

24mm 2.8 is awesome

[@margotminou_]

Hi Dan! What about the Canon 50mm 1.8 and Minolta 50mm 1.4 ? Those are the lenses that came with the camera. Should I keep them or update? I mostly shoot street photography while I’m traveling! PS: I travel a lot!

[@photog1529]

I have quite a collection of old FD lenses from my early film days that have languished for a while since the age of digital. Thankfully, my Sony A7R and A7R2 bring new life to these lenses with a simple Novoflex adapter. Between FD and nFD, I prefer the older FD breech lock variant...more robust build thanks to very little plastic...they're slightly heavier, but have a great 'feel' to them. Then there's the advantage of the Sony in-camera image stabilization...makes every lens an IS lens. Two great zooms to consider...the 20-35L and 80-200L. Unfortunately, I haven't found much between those two lenses...the 35-70 and 28-85 leave a little bit to be desired. There is a 35-105, and if you can find a 'good' one, its a real keeper. The older A7R has been converted to infrared, and I haven't noticed any hot spots when using any of my manual Canon lenses.

[@DanBullmanPhotography]

Yeah they're great to use on full frame cameras for sure. I haven't tried any of the Canon FD zooms but I'd be interested in looking into the two that you mentioned. Thanks for watching Mike!

[@martyzielinski2469]

I’d agree with you concerning the breech FD series, Mike. Having compared these to the earlier FL versions, and the later NFD series, these are the ones to have. Not only better construction than newer lenses, those I have tested also boast better correction and overall image quality than FL and NFD. The exception to this is the 55mm f1.2 FL, which is arguably better than the newer FD SSC, though both are top notch.

[@MikeyiGuesss]

thanks for doin what you do bro

[@A1Bokeh]

what do you think of the canon fd 24mm? I have the 28 and the 50 GREAT lenses the quality is crazy

[@michaelkerkering7047]

Is there anything wider than the 28 that you recommend?

[@gmailmann]

I really like these lenses too. I have the: 24mm,28mm,35mm,50mm and 125mm FD lense. Some of these i got from ebay some are from my father. He still have an old canon camera. Very cheap and nice look. I use them on my A7 because these lenses works best on a full frame camera. I like the 24mm the most, but i also like the 35mm and 50mm for city.

[@DanBullmanPhotography]

That's a nice collection of lenses :)

[@gmailmann]

Thanks, iam still thinking about to buy the Canon FD 20mm. I heard it is a good lense too. Do you know Phillip Reeve and his Blog: phillipreeve.net/blog/ ? It is a very good source for tests about old vintag lenses on the sony system.

[@DanBullmanPhotography]

+KZbin Surfer I will check it out. Thanks :)

[@GodfreyMann]

4:40 “100mm not for landscape photography”…WRONG, landscape photography REQUIRES everything from at least 15-400mm. More experienced photographers will be using longer focal lengths in order to crop the scene in order to isolate parts of the landscape to simplify compositions. In my portfolio, 90mm seems to be the focal length I use the most for my keepers, so 100mm is right on the money. The issue with this lens for landscape photography is it’s large and heavy but the cross-frame sharpness at f/2 doesn’t compensate for those significant disadvantages…backpack size/weight is the bane of landscape photographers as we need to hike for miles and even up hills/mountains in poor light. If I wanted to minimise motion blur in low-light boosting ISO by one stop on modern sensors isn’t a problem, therefore vintage rangefinder f/2.8 90mm lenses provide the best combination of size/weight/sharpness for landscape photography. Check out the tiny Contax G 90/2.8 and Leica 90/2.8 Tele-Elmarit…these are what I use on a Sony A7R IV.

[@MisterCee41510]

Hi Dan, me again lol. Quick question - after buying a few FD lenses you recommended (really enoying the 50mm 1.4) I am wondering, is it worth me tracking down old lens hoods for my FDs? Currently I have a 50mm f1.4, a 28mm f2.8 and might pick up a 24mm f2.8 I see they can be found on eBay, but I am uncertain if it is worth the time/money? Thanks as always!

[@DanBullmanPhotography]

+slim Large I don't use them but I'm not a big fan of lens hoods in general. Just personal preference. If you like lens hoods and can find them for a good price then it could be worth it. But they're definitely not mandatory

[@videonotes7580]

Nice review

[@joshuasnider3794]

FD 50mm f1.2 (non L) FD 85mm f1.2 FD 24mm f2

[@ardalandb5202]

Hi man ... i have canon 70D and i wanna buy canon 50mm ssc 1.4 version for my camera what do u think ? Do u recomand it for me?

[@carlgarner9477]

My 20-25L is as good as anything else out there, my 55 f1.2 chromenose is sexy as hell! My 50-135 would surprise you, I have an fd mount vivitar series 1 135 f2.3 awesome and when I use my 600 f4.5 it reminds me how wonderful life really is. Yes I know it's not L series and suffers from CA but it's still one hell of a lens!

[@brucetaylor8511]

With all due respect, You didn't mention even mention just one of the best "Canon FD lenses you can get"

[@brantmorrison3704]

I really like Canon FD and FL lenses for still photography and I am pleased with the quality of results they give, except for the 35mm, f2. I have a couple of them. Maybe I am using them improperly. I can't get over the results compared to other lenses. Perhaps the 35mm view is just disappointing in any lens. I've used the FD 20mm, 24mm and 28mm and like the results. It isn't just that the 35mm gives a wider view. I just don't care for the results. The only thing I can think of is that I am using it more like a 50mm and the photos have more of a of a near/far mix in the composition.

[@IsmaelRodriguez45]

hey Dan, what about the Canon FD 1.8??

[@kornchalsuwanprateep9125]

Hi man, First of all, love your works👍🏼. I currently use a6000. I plan to get either nfd 24 f2, nfd 24 f2.8, or 28 f2.8 for potrait, street and travel shooting purpose. Could you give me an idea how they perform on the sony aps-c? Thanks,

[@DanBullmanPhotography]

I've only used the 28mm f/2.8. It's decent for portraits. I did a quick review here with sample photos kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5namp-Mbblppq8

[@kornchalsuwanprateep9125]

Dan Bullman Photography Thank you🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼

[@Anarki2U]

FDn 24mm 2.8 are better than 2.0 and FDn 28mm 2.0 are better than 2.8

[@danielandrade1849]

Hi, i'm looking to change my canon dslr to a mirrorless bit with old canon fd lenses but not sure what body get. I'm thinking maybe a sony 7, or a sony a 6300 or looking for a vintage camera look like fuji to match the canon fd style. Hope you could help. I only do photography no vídeo at all. Thanks

[@DanBullmanPhotography]

I prefer Sony over Fuji so that's what I would recommend. If you can afford the full frame Sony, it's worth it to get the A7 or A7ii. If not, I always like to recommend the A6000, which is the camera I've been using for two years.

[@richardrichardson5312]

So thankful for this video and the information you provide. It's hilarious how many people there are - WITHOUT THEIR OWN KZbin CHANNELS - who nitpick and whine at every little, barely significant issue that concerns them.

[@linjicakonikon7666]

Richard, I find it strange that you object to comments that attempt to correct the constant flow of misinformation on this channel. Are you a compulsive gatekeeper/enforcer/yes man??

[@ekphotography]

Do the FD’s have a long focus throw?

[@A1Bokeh]

an i just ordered the 35-105 3.5 !

[@funlols_com]

That 100 FD F2 is bit pricier now :)

[@nyambe]

What about the 24 Fd?

[@erminioottone2861]

I have one (24 f2.8) and it's awesome! Very little distortion (for being a 24mm) and really sharp.

[@warpspeed9877]

Best? Where is the 14/2.8L? The 24/1.4L? The 50/1.2L? The legendary 85/1.2L? The 135/2.0? The 200/2.8? The 300/4.0L? I am not talking about pro Tele ones but superb lenses that can be found around the 500$ mark. The ones you describe are cheap entry level optics. Worthy of consideration of course but not what you should seek if you are looking for the "best" FD lenses...

[@Anarki2U]

Not all L lenses are "best", if you stop the aperture down then many lenses can be exellent, some even wide open.

[@imnotsurewhy]

How about the Canon 50mm f0.95

[@krajca666]

just wondering why are all your images that noisy?

[@gotchaman1006]

The 100 for is 599 and up

[@coach_yo]

35-70 f2.8-3.5

[@mikaromppanen357]

How about chromatic aberration? I have 50mm 1.7 Pentax smc lens and there's some serious chromatic aberration going on if I shoot wide open.

[@DanBullmanPhotography]

That's a good question. I didn't notice any chromatic aberration in the pictures I was taking. But it's not something I'm super diligent about looking for (I'm not much of a pixel peeper lol) so I dunno for sure.

[@martyzielinski2469]

The f1.4 FD 50mm easily outperform any Pentax lens I have tested Mika, and there have been many. The K series lenses are better than the screw mount ones though. The FD SSC is the one to have. The older Chrome nose is poorly coated and rather dull looking. The newer FD N might have a bit more sparkle than the SSC, but suffers from curvature of field. ALL of these beat any Takumar I have used. The Canons do not suffer from CA either.

[@martyzielinski2469]

PS. the FD SSC outperforms current Canon 50mm lenses as well, especially that cheapo f1.8 POS.

[@alexmorgan3435]

Sorry but these are not the best Canon FD prime lenses. How about the 50mm f1.2 L which I have? I had to laugh when you suggested the 28mm f2.8 was sharper than the 50mm f1.8. The 28mm is a wide angle lens. I too have the 85mm f1.8 lens but it is nowhere near as sharp or the colours as rich as the FD or EOS 85mm f1.2 L lenses. FD lenses are good, some are better than others, but the image quality of Canon L series lenses is superior. It would be as they are Pro lenses. Anyway good effort.

[@Anarki2U]

No not all L lenses are superior, depends very much of which aperture you compare at !!!

[@sondp]

is there different in sharpness between this 100mm and the 2.8 ssc?

[@Anarki2U]

The Canon FDn 100mm 2.0 are the best

[@sondp]

@@Anarki2U best in what way?

[@Anarki2U]

@@sondp Sharpnes, contrast, color, bokeh, the Canon FDn 100mm 2.0 are also better than the Canon FDn 85mm 1.8

[@sondp]

@@Anarki2U the new fd or the ssc?

[@deltadave44]

any thoughts on the fd 55/1.2?

[@DanBullmanPhotography]

Haven't shot with it but I would really like to

[@morgs9494]

I have a mint copy and LOVE it. You don’t shoot a lens like this wide open and expect sharpness. It’s so smooth, the bokeh is dreamy. You feel like you’re re-playing a dream. Check out some of my photos of it on Instagram @mrydersmith

[@ar43r]

35mm f2 is currently 600 to 1100€ in Germany. :((