Canon FD lens video

[Gabe Strong]

OK, I've been pretty busy lately, but I wanted to post something for everyone who has had
questions about using old Canon FD lenses on the FS 100. I have bought a few of them off
ebay, great prices on them in general.They seem to work very well with the FS 100 in my
opinion. I personally really like the look, but others may not. This particular video was
shot with a Vivitar 28-90mm F2.8 that I bought off ebay for $70. I put a step up ring on it
and used my Heliopan. Because the lens is bigger and heavier than the stock lens, I got
a cheap rails/lens support/sunshade option off ebay for $80. This is what the rig looks like


Anyways, this combo works really nice. I am a little spoiled by the kit lens range, and wish
the FD lens was both a little wider and a little longer (a 20-100 F2.8 lens would be TERRIFIC,
but I doubt they exist for any reasonable price). That being said, this was the best ranging
'fast' lens I could find.....and to be honest, it's quite good. I am now officially an ebay addict
as I search around for hidden 'gems' in the FD mount. Again this video was shot entirely with
the 28-90 F2.8. It's a typical test video, nothing too exciting, but you can get an idea of what
an FD lens might look like as it is all entirely ungraded.....I didn't even fix exposure. If I messed
it up when shooting, it stayed that way (mostly because I'm pretty busy shooting
and editing for clients right now) so nothing was touched up at all. Here's the video link:

Winter 2011 on Vimeo

[Gabe Strong]

Update.....I JUST received an F1.4 50mm FD lens about 2 minutes ago. OMG it is just amazing. If you have a chance to shoot with one,
I am telling you, give it a try. I think it will be my 'default' interview lens. And I'm NOT a person that traditionally likes primes,
but, the image from the 50mm 1.4 is just stunning.....

[Jeff Troiano]

Thanks for the video. I've picked up a 50 1.4, and a macro 28 2.8. I haven't had the time to film anything as extensive as what you did. But found a lot of your video to have a very dreamy film look that I'd like my work to take on.

[Gabe Strong]

I have a Vivitar 28mm F2.5 (Canon FD mount), a Canon 50mm F1.4 and the Vivitar 28-90 F2.8. They
were all ebay 'specials' at somewhere between $$20 - $70. And they all seem to give the same
type of 'look'. I like it.

[Chris Medico]

If you like that 50 then you should pick up one of the 85mm f1.2 lenses.

I dare ya. :)

[Gabe Strong]

Do they have that in FD mount? If so I'd jump on it....well at least if they are as reasonable as the other FD
mount lenses. I haven't spent more than $70 on a FD mount lens yet.

[Chris Medico]

You'll spend 10x that for a 85 f1.2 and worth every penny. Its that good.

I'm working to get my hands on the matching 50mm now.

[Rob Katz]

gabe-

thanks for sharing.

the fs100 with the canon fd lens sure doesn't look like "video".

ymmv

be well

rob
smalltalk productions

[Jeff Troiano]

Originally Posted by Chris Medico

You'll spend 10x that for a 85 f1.2 and worth every penny. Its that good.

I'm working to get my hands on the matching 50mm now.

I've looked at that lens in the past. Since I don't have lens from a past camera, I've decided any new lens purchases will be Nikon mounts. My next prime is the zeiss 85 f1.4. If a smart adapter for canon lens comes out in the next 45 days, that might change. But even then i might be sticking to my plan, I'm not sure I'll switch to canon. I like that the zeiss zf lens are basically the cp.2 primes, in a still photo body.

[Mark Weisen]

I picked up Canon FD 85mm/1.2 "mint condition" for $150 off the bay - they can be had for less if you keep an eye out - I use 85mm for interviews as recommended in this forum. Kind of difficult to go back to the kit lens after using this lens, such a distinct difference especially in low light although I miss variable focus flexibility -

[Scott Caplan]

I concur on the Canon 50mm f1.4 - I picked up that and a f2.8 135mm canon FD from Adorama in like-new condition. Fun shooting with both on the NEX-FS100.

Scott

Originally Posted by Gabe Strong

Update.....I JUST received an F1.4 50mm FD lens about 2 minutes ago. OMG it is just amazing. If you have a chance to shoot with one,
I am telling you, give it a try. I think it will be my 'default' interview lens. And I'm NOT a person that traditionally likes primes,
but, the image from the 50mm 1.4 is just stunning.....

[Piotr Wozniacki]

My FD glass collection (also from eBay; I bought them a couple of years ago fow my Letus Elite adapter / EX1 combo) consists of:

- the 24 mm F2.8 (made by Presenta - not very sharp; frnakly rarely used)
- the 50 mm F1.4 (the sharpest and fastest of the lot - I agree Gabe)
- the 85 mm F1.8 (nice, too)
- the 30-105 F3.5 zoom (nice, but not faster enough than the stock zoom to make for lack of OIS)

Now, if the new E-mount primes from Sony all offered OIS, I would probably move in this direction - but the 24 and 30mm ones lacking OIS, the only one that could make me interested is the 50mm F1.8. However, I don't think it can give a better picture than my old good Canon FD 50/1.4!

[Matt Davis]

With all this talk about FD lenses, I thought I'd try one before I spend hugely on an L series 24-205 f4 IS.

I had a VERY brief chance to compare the FD to a modern L Series EOS via the MTF adaptor today. Very rough comparison (as in, we were just mucking around) but whilst the L Series glass has the edge on contrast (of course) the FD has a pretty unique party trick.

It's parfocal.

Or at least, parfocal enough to do a little creep zoom in an interview, or quickly reframe a head shot when the interviewee has to break up their PTC into chunks. Better still, it doesn't 'lengthen' as you zoom, making it ideal for use with prompters.

Canon FD 35-105mm f3.5 - parfocal! on Vimeo

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Matt,

You got me intrigued, and I spent several hours checking this... But unfortunately, I cannot confirm your "sensational" info - the Canon FD 35-105 is neither fully par-focal, nor is it perfectly constant aperture...

It's a bit better in both these aspects than the kit lens (well, it should be - after all the zoom range is smaller), but please do not mis-inform people No offense, I hope?

PS. One of its main advantages over the kit lens is that it is constant length...

[Matt Davis]

I can't find any information from Canon claiming this lens is Parfocal.

From our 'mucking around' tests, my lens (I'd hoped all were like this) holds enough focus to 'get away with' pulling a creep zoom during an interview for those 'special moments' and for quickly changing focal length for those 'particular' interviews where the interviewee needs to break things down to chunks, sometimes sentences, and we use a 'shot change' to help the editor.

Now, as for the constant aperture, I'm measuring my skin tones on a WFM, rather than using the background - I was casting a shadow on the chromakey, because we were getting paid to shoot the camera. So, as Rick zooms in, the background dims a bit and makes it look like we're losing aperture. The WFM says that the skin tone is - more or less - staying the same.

Let it be know that I don't want to 'mis-inform' anyone - but this lens is doing stuff that the L Series and Kit lens - and all lenses I've tried on the FS100 - doesn't do:

- It keeps enough focus to do a little creep zoom when the subject is within close range

- It holds exposure well enough as I zoom the lens for me to do this during an interview

It's not perfect, but it's £100 and it's doing enough to make for lovely interviews. For me, the lens is a keeper, with enough 'parfocal' effect and with 'enough' constancy in aperture.