Canon FD 35-70mm Question.

<p>I recently saw, but didn't buy a T60, it came with a 35-70mm lens on the front which had coloured zoom markings. I was just wondering if this is unusual. Was it typical of the T60 kit or all late 35-70s?</p>

<p>Hi Barry,</p>

<p>Pink and blue markings? The 35-70mm f/3.5-4.5 and 28-55mm f/3.5-4.5 were the late FD short zooms. The variable apertures induced Canon to include a reminder on the lens. There are two index marks for the aperture ring, one for the short end (blue) and one for the long (pink), which match the color codes on the zoom scale. It facilitates choosing the right aperture when shooting manually or with flash.</p>

<p>These were low-cost zooms. The earlier constant aperture zooms had a cam that altered the diaphragm position as the lens was zoomed. Apparently that was abandoned to cut cost. By that time, most of the people buying those lenses were shooting in program mode, so the constant-vs.-variable aperture issue was transpartent to them anyway. In an AE mode, the camera doesn't care whether the sun went behind a cloud or the aperture shrunk one stop. It does its thing regardless.</p>

<p>I looked at the late 35-105mm f/3.5-4.5 zoom for comparison. It is not color coded, but it does have an additional small index mark for the 105mm end. Instead of the usual orange, it's engraved in white with a tiny "105" beside the mark. All the zoom scale numbers are in white. Don't know why this one didn't get the color codes.</p>

<p>I always think of a baby shower when I see the pink and blue. Those colors never seemed like the most likely choices to me.</p>

<p>That little 35-70 was one of my first lenses when I was buying on a shoestring budget. I used it a lot as a travel and walkabout lens. I recently bought a 28-55 to try.</p>

 

<p>It's doubtful that anybody will place this lens in their "top 10" of all-time great Canon lenses. However, what it may lack in prestige, it makes up for in weight. It's a good choice if you've got a long day with a camera around your neck.</p>

<p>Even the earliest FD 35-70mm f/2.8-3.5 SSC had the pink and baby blue aperture indexing.<br>

In their on-line Canon Museum they show five separate entries for 35-70mm zooms (four, if you count the f/2.8-3.5 breechlock and bayonet as a single design). For me it's easy to lose track!</p>

<p>I owned one of the 35-70mm f3.5/4.5 nFD's for a while and thought it a very nice lens for what it was. great for situations where you didn't want to be changing lenses but yet a 50mm just wouldn't give you the best framing.</p>

<p>Thanks for the responses guys... I have to admit to feeling a little foolish as <em>my own </em>35-70 f/3.5-4.5 also has the coloured zoom range I just hadn't noticed as it's way behind my 35-105 and 28-85 in the pecking order!</p>