Canon FD Photos of the Month: March 2018

March is here and soon--no matter how cold it is--Spring will be upon us! Well, FD, etc. shooters, let's do it! Give us the best you've got. Or even the worst if it is interesting.

 

This is a lead into the photo I am sharing with you. It is a shot of Shodoshima (Shodo Island) from my balcony. It was made with a Canon FDn non-aspherical 100-300/5.6 zoom attached to a Nikon D700 via an FD to Nikon F adapter. The adapter, which has glass elements, is in fact a x1.4 teleconverter. You've no doubt heard that a converter like this degrades (softens) the image. I have not found this to be outstanding. There was mist around Shodoshima when I was shooting. The image was bound to be soft whatever lens I used.

 

This converter is best used with telephone lenses and worst used with wide angles. I'll try it with a normal (50-55mm) lens someday. Meanwhile, I am happy with it of the 100-300/5.6 zoom. And, yes, I have the aspherical version. I got the non-aspherical one for about ten dollars. In perfect condition, it was relegated to "Junk" at Naniwa Camera.

 

The photo will follow shortly.

Edited March 1, 2018 by Alex_Es

Well, that's Shodoshima shot with a Canon FDn old-style non-aspherical 100-300/5.6 zoom + Canon to Nikon adapter on a Nikon D700. I knew destiny had something in store for me when I bought that redundant lens.

To celebrate Kodak bringing back Tmax 3200 film, I pulled the last box I had out of my freezer and shot a roll at a local art gathering. Tmax 3200 at E.I. of 800, developed in Xtol. Canon FTb with FD 15mm fisheye. I've already ordered several boxes of the new stuff.

 

http://gallery.leica-users.org/d/451285-1/tmax3200k_de-noise.jpg

Neat!

The Straits of Mackinac, Michigan. A phenomena called "blue ice" where the ice has a blue tinge to it with dark blue shadows. Blue ice happens every several years. This is a good year for it. Canon FD 35/2.0 (version 2, not thorium) on a Leica M240. Sidenote: Using FD normal and wide-angle lenses on a M240 is clumsy. They're too big. But using FD telephotos on a M240 works beautifully ('cause the camera's on a tripod).

 

http://gallery.leica-users.org/d/451362-1/ice25.jpg

For the old folks on this forum (me), who remember the 1968 movie "Bullitt," starring Steve McQueen, here is the "Bullitt Mustang" he drove. Long thought lost, this Mustang popped up recently. It was on display at the recent Detroit Auto Show and made an appearance in northern Michigan, where I live. Taken on Ferrania P30 film in a Canon F-1 and FD 35/2.0 lens (thorium). This pic is hardly a masterpiece, but the car is cool.

 

http://gallery.leica-users.org/d/451618-1/p30_xtol3_tweak+copy.jpg

Hey,great shots. Michigan ice and long lost Mstang. Things are happening up in Michigan. I've used the thorium FD 25/2 on my Leica M240. No worse than any heavy lens. The weight makes it interesting.

As for the FD 35mm Thorium on my M240, it's a great lens, but my old 35mm Summicron is so much smaller and lighter (and optically, no slouch either). Credit my burst of photo taking to cabin fever. It's been a long winter, most of it being cooped up inside. Now that the snow is finally melting, I'm finding time to get out and take pics.