What to get ! 50 or 55?

I bought a F1N/AE. Now what lens? I do want a 50 or 55?

 

FD 50/F1.2

FD 50/F1.2 'L'

FD 50/F2.0

FD 55/F1.2 SSC

FD 55/F1.2 SSC Aspherical

 

I really do not know what the results/differences with each of them, but based

on your experiences in shooting low light/close up, what lens is TAC Sharp?

TAC Sharp, that is what I am looking for.

 

This site did it too me: www.kevincameras.com

 

 

Current gear:

F3HP/MD4, 24/2.8, 28/2.8, 85/1.4

 

Cheers

Mark

The best you can get would be the 50mm f1.2L since you have to have an nFD lens to see the aperture ring in the AE finder

 

second choice would be the 50mm f1.4 nFD

 

The black bayonet with the chrome ring style mount.

Not to knock Kevin Cameras in anyway but they have to be the most expensive place you can find to buy Canon FD equipment. You would be many bucks ahead and just as happy buying EX+ condition from KEH.com

 

And if you are British (a wild guess based on the "Cheers" in your salutation you might try MXV Photographic Ltd.

 

IMHO

Ceck out the thread a couple of thread below (about 50mm lenses), I put some links there to pages that have test data on the various FD50-55mm lenses.

The 55/1.2 SSC Aspherical is comparable to, some say even better than, the Nikon Noct, with a savings of about $2000 USD! The 50/1.2 L would be the next best optical choice.

 

 

The regular 1.2 versions are likely similar to the Nikon regular 1.2 versions, so nothing to write home about, but I enjoyed my 55/1.2 SSC.

 

 

So now a stupid question...why another film body and why not one suitable with your current lenses?

I know I could have added a second F3HP body, or add another lens. I knew at the monent I did not want to add a Nikon lens, no telephoto, no 20. I thought about selling my Nikon 28/F2.8 for a F2.0. I know later I can opt for a Zeiss 'F' lens to the F3HP. Instead I wanted a second body. I have wanted the F1N for a long time, as it was a toss up 2 years ago between the F3HP and F1N. I am extremely happy with the reliability of my F3HP, and now I took the opportunity to purchase a F1N. So for a lens I thought of a 50 or 55. I think a 55 F1.2 SSC. I have not made up my mind. But I am happy about the purchase of a F1N. Another reason for it is I will use it more, as I live in a dangerous part of the world(South America) if it does get ripped off I am not going to cry too hard. I will take a hard look at the other vendors that sell Canon FD.

 

Cheers

MArk

I have the Nikon 28/2 and love it but the 28/2.8 is supposed to be better. You certainly can't go wrong with the 55/1.2 SSC but it is heavy but then again so is the F1N. Good luck!

"I bought a F1N/AE. Now what lens? I do want a 50 or 55?..."

 

The answer really is "Several of them"!!!

 

For proper dedication with your F-1N & AE Finder, you really need nFD (New FD) Lenses - the ones with the bayonet mount. The reason for this is that your AE Finder FN has a small window which looks down to the aperture ring on nFD Lenses. The same window only shows the knurled locking ring on "Breechlock Lenses".

 

From there, a nFD50/1.2L or 50/1.4 would be the logical choice.

 

BUT... Speaking as a recent FD55/1.2Asph owner, this lens is unusual with a strange, almost holographic 3-D effect! Almost like you could step into the print and look around! I don't know why this is so, it just is. For this alone, the 55/1.2Asph would be my recommendation, along with perhaps a nFD50/1.4. Then again, the standard 50/1.8 actually has a lot going for it in terms of contrast.

 

Mike.

This site has a report on some Canon 50-55's:

 

http://www.imx.nl/photosite/japan/CanonFD/FD50.html

 

"Some commentators called the Canon FD 1.2 aspherical the best standard lens in the world. It is hard to disagree."

FYI ...dont ignore the FD 55mm f3.5 Macro ...it doesnt suffer from the inherent flaws of the big aperture lenses which are OK for low light or in -vogue narrow depth of field but heavy both in weight and $ !

I read way back in the 80s a lens test that had the f3.5 up in the 220/lpm range. On Ebay @$150 NMIB...a no-brainer ...macro too!Cheers.

Further to that, there's a review of the Canon FD 50/3.5 macro by Erwin Puts<A HREF="http://www.imx.nl/photosite/technical/lensdesigns/t003.html"> on this page.</A> This lens has superb resolution and contrast. It is available second hand for very little outlay.