I can't stop buying FD lenses - anyone else been bitten

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<p>Ben, they do have FD lenses there, don't they? ;-)</p>

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<p>Err... that was going to be a quote from Ben but the site wouldn't let me paste it in so I then just typed in my reaction, forgetting to remove the quote formatting first.</p>

<p>This is what happens when you collect too many FD lenses. Your mind goes. Calling the men in white coats...</p>

<p>I admit I own ten Canon FD lenses, but I have bought these over the last thirty years and for about fifteen years of this period made my living exclusively with them and still now that I'm retired use them on a daily basis.<br /> I don't believe in collecting equipment for the sake of it, I was always taught by my mentors that the idea of professional photography is to build up you're bank balance, not you're muscles lugging excessive equipment about, and to make your subjects you shoot fit the lenses you have with you .</p>

<p>ok ok ...so here it is,<br>

i get to the 'old stuff' shop - they have a perfectly horrible beat AE-1 with a lens (for purposes of fun, to be disclosed at the end of my story)...sitting beside a 50mm 1.8<br>

the camera and lens is $35,<br>

the 50mm 1.8 sitting beside the camea and lens is $20<br>

i tell the guy, 'i only want the lens on the camera' - he states, 'they are a combo - must be sold together'<br>

so i explain, the lens sitting beside the camera will fit the camera, i show him that it does, then he agrees to my offer<br>

and...drumroll...i walk out of the store with a canon fd 1.2 50mm for $20 - yippie!!<br>

god i love fd hunting</p>

<p>Several years ago, I sold off all but one of my EF lenses and EOS film bodies (A5) and decided to just stick with FD equipment. FD is where I started and FD will be where I end. To be honest, I was underwhelmed with auto focus and am completely underwhelmed with digital with the exception of point-and-shoot functionality like at birthday parties or visits with my mother-in-law. For me, photography as an art form is with film and paper and chemicals in a darkroom. It's the stink of the stop bath and the grabbing around in a pitch black closet for a pair of scissors. It's about not using the clone stamp on some piece of software, manipulating ones and zeros. You should be happy to have found film and by all means, embrace it while you still can. You'll get so much out of it, and you'll make friends along the way. It's a rare occasion when I take my A-1 with the power winder attached out of the bag and start shooting and people don't say "way cool camera, man!" Sometimes, older IS better.</p>

<p>Oh, I have bought some fine FD lenses.<br />Most with some problems, like fungus, or defects - to get them cheap.<br>

At the moment 24/1.4, 24/2.0, 28/2.8, 50/1.8, 50/1.4, 85/1.2, 100/4, 200/2.8, 300/2.8, 400/2.8, 800/5.6.<br>

But I mount convert them to fit my Canon EOS cameras. I tried to make reversible conversions on the better ones.</p>

<p>Markus, you will have found out then, that mounting them on EOS cameras is not really a good idea when it come to image quality.<br>

by the way, there must be some mistakes as Canon never poduced a 2,8/50 an 1,4/85 or an 1,2/100mm lens.</p>

<p>Sorry Markus, I just saw that you really convert FD to Ef and do not use one of those silly adapters. That is of course quite a different story.</p>

<p>I have 3 FD lenses and I'm scouting for more. I learnt my craft on the AE-1P, 50mm f/1.8 a decade ago and I just can't stop looking at them ever sense. I'm about to buy the 100mm f/4 macro, 20mm f/2.8 and 24mm f/2. Wish me luck! </p>

<p>@Girish: My 100 mm FD Macro lens arrived today ... great find ... as it's the FDn mount and overall the lens is considerably lighter than it's FD breech mount brethren. Besides being a good macro it's also a good telephoto lens too. While the 50 mm Macro is fine the 100 mm Macro gives one a little more "breathing" room between your lens and your subject.</p>

My FD lenes are coming into their own on my Leica M. There will be more FF mirorless coming soon. Hang on to those

FD lenes and get the ones tou always wanted because they will be gone soon.

<p>well if you want any more :) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161471119113?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649</p>