Canon FD collection

[philip_wilson]

<p>I just thought that i would liven up the forum with a few shots of my FD collection. I have included all of my lenses but forgot one of my bodies (the AE1-P) as it was in a camera bag. I still think that the FD equipment is some of the nicest engineering in the 35mm world. I took the shots with a EOS 5DII and 24-70 F2.8L (at F2.8, 1/30 and ISO 1600 as it was dark in the hallway). Holding the New F1s and the FD lenses (especially the 85 F1.2 and 135 F2) reminded be just how nice the older Canon equipment feels when compared to the latest digital bodies. Of course the fact that I could shoot at ISO 1600 reminded me of one of the advantages of digital. The new stuff is very competent but I will never love it like I do my FD collection.</p><div></div>

[philip_wilson]

<p>First shot of the bodies</p><div></div>

[philip_wilson]

<p>New f1s at the back - one with a speedfinder fitted</p><div></div>

[JDMvW]

<p>Very sweet. I really want a T90. Well someday.</p>

[ashbrown]

<p>Great collection...and appears to include the six lenses I own. Couldn't agree more about your comments on the feel of FD gear. Part of the fun of photography for me is the tactile experience of well-engineered mechanical gear, using manual focus and even changing lenses. That, plus economics, has kept me from making the digital switch to this day...</p>

[alan_swartz]

<p>Nice, Philip. You're going to tempt Mark Wahlster and me to post our collections again, too. But my last picture is out of date now . . . .</p>

<p>I too have always liked the feel of the FD equipment, and disliked the cost of EOS and EOS digital. Just a couple of weeks ago I bought my first Canonflex gear. That's some heavy, durable, all-metal machinery. And that 50-year-old body is in prime operating condition to this day. All it lacks is film. The old Canomatic lenses are very much like FL lenses in construction. I had picked up a 200mm Canomatic R some time ago with a stuck diaphragm. I repaired it this week and was impressed with the materials and machining throughout. And just before browsing the forum this evening, I was admiring my new Bellows FL. It's a nice piece. I too get a lot of fun just from the experience of the gear. It satisfies the gadget-guy part of me.</p>

<p>Other contributions to the FD Forum Collection?</p>

[casualcollector]

<p>Nice looking group of goodies, Phillip! Some of those lenses are making me drool on the keyboard. Like JDM, I have yet to score a T-90. My Canon stuff runs the course from Canonflex to EOS 10s with plenty of R, FL and FD waypoints.</p>

[gman]

<p>Very nice collection of FD gear! I was always a big fan of the F1 and it was my favorite camera for many years. The 85 1.2L is an outstanding lens! </p>

[philip_wilson]

<p>Bill and JDM - you must get a T90, functinally it is the best of the FD bodies but the construction is not the same as the earlier bodies. I really like the T90 and find it the best handling SLR I have used. It has the electonics to give it the capability and convenience of a modern SLR (numerous metering modes, built in winder, TTL Flash etc...) but is simple enough that you can focus on the image rather than wondering if you are shooting Raw, what AF mode you are in, what white balance is set and if you have MLU set. The Body I want is the EF but I have not yet found a good one.</p>

[Lou_Meluso]

<p>Nice collection Phillip. Yeah, guys. The T90=FD on Steroids.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Or to put it another way, the T90 is an EOS camera with a FD mount. I do not mean this in a disparaging way.</p>

<p>I haven't admitted to myself yet that I am forming a collection of EOS cameras, but the prices for some of the early ones are so cheap that I have quietly been gathering a few in. The T90 is one of the classics all right, and historically extremely important. Apparently this is recognized by a lot of people, since I am never the high bidder. It has what the antiques market call "cross-over appeal."<br /> I quite enjoy shooting with my AE1P, so I have a few lenses that will work on a T90. Well, someday, the last-minute bidders and snipers will fall asleep on some early Sunday morn, and I'll get my T90. ;)</p>

[mark_pierlot]

<p>Beautiful collection, Philip. I should get around to photographing mine sometime.</p>

<p>Anyway, Louis, isn't it rather that "EOS = T90 on Steroids"?!</p>

[philip_wilson]

<p>JDM - on the EOS side the EOS 3 is a real beauty and a great buy. It is almost as good as the EOS1V for most uses and has the novel eye controlled focus (if you can shoot without glasses). The other really great EOS body is the 1NRS. For practical purposes it is inferior to the EOS 1V HS but there is something about the pellicle mirror that I like - don't have and RT but if I see a good one I might buy it.</p>

[rwbowman]

<p>Lovely family, Philip!</p>

[14mm 2.8l]

<p>I've owned a couple FD to Eos 1.26x adapters. The 1.26x on right is the last I had just last year.</p>

<p>

<p><img src="http://www.adkinstone.com/images/_MG_2512.jpg" alt="" /><br /><img src="http://www.adkinstone.com/images/_MG_2513.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>Here's my Canon Teleconveter comparision:</p>

<p> 1.4x FD & FD to Eos 1.26x & 1.4xII Eos<br /><img src="http://www.adkinstone.com/images/_MG_2507.jpg" alt="" /></p>

</p>

<p>My Oldest F-1, the 1,497th ever next to my 5D Classic, one of the last made.</p>

<p>37 years separate them.<br />

<p><img src="http://www.adkinstone.com/images/_IGP0292.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<br />I still Love the FD stuff and it was my first real SLR system. I impulse bought a couple more hard to find FD goodies this year. Though I've not shot film since late 2007, FD gear has all seemed to age rather nicely. I'm hard pressed to let any lens or assessory go since Panasonic G-1 and GH1 can shoot infinity with them without any added optics to degrade the FD optics. Still not certain I'll add either but I know my FD lenses quality from Film days so they'll remain as HD Video capture with old FD glass I have onhand intrigues me. Just not enought to drop $1,500 at this point in time</p>

[philip_wilson]

<p>Lindy I bought a G1 to shoot FD glass and I am quite impressed with it. You can shhot Av or manual and the metering works very well. Some lenses work better than others - generally the most expensive ones. You also have to use the zoom feature and generally focus with the EVF (I find that you can only really use the LCD to focus if the camera is tripod mounted). The lenses that work best are things like the 24 F2, 35 f2, 50 f1.4,100 f4 macro, 85 F1.2, 135 F2, 35-105 f3.5, 80-200 f4L (in other words the best ones). I have been able to use the 300 f2.8 but this is clearly a tripod only effort. I find that you have to be careful where the sun is located as it is easy to get a very low contrast image. I beleive what happens is that the sun must be within the angle of view of the lens (remember the lens sees a wider view than you can due to the small sensor) reflects off the sensor and then off the rear lens element and back into the sensor. I have not tried EF lenses as i do not have an Ef adaptor. You do not have this problem with the standard zoom it comes with so I assume it is due to the lack of an anti-reflective coating on the rear element of the FD lenses. The satndard lens Panasonic supplies is probably slightly better than the Canon EF-S 18-55 but is not a very good lens - the FD glass is much better. I suspect that if you use FD glass for video you need an external mic otherwise you will capture the noise of focusing. I tried using MF to focus once on my EOS 5D II using the 70-200 F2.8 and I captured a lot of horrible noise from turning the focus ring. You do not think about it but there is a small noise when you focus and the Mic is very sensitive and close to the focus ring.</p>

[14mm 2.8l]

<p>Philip, thats some great insights you have. Your FD lens array is better than mine. I've got 24mm f2 as you but everything else is different, 28/2 SSC, 55/1.2 FL, 85/1.8, 90-180/4.5 Vivitar series 1 macro, 200/2.8IF, and 400/4.5. Its hard to say if I will get a GH1 which I think I prefer over G-1 for my FD glass. I did pick up all the adapters I need, $440 worth including your missing eos to m4/3. I figured if I pull a U-Turn and change my mind I could find homes for them all with alittle loss of dough.</p>

<p>I really wanted HD when I first read about it. But it seems an expensive adventure with editing software, better computer, more file storage, ect. From what I've read GH1 seems to be the best 1st version video and still shooting camera, especially with its silent AF & HD kit lens. Or at least it holds up real well against the 5DII. 5 days ago I handled a 17mm TiltShift briefly while Canon Rep was at local shop. What an amazing optic. Easily affordable if I let go of my little FD hoard and pass on GH1. He had $17,000 bag of gear, which was quite fun to testdrive. Stuff the local dealer never stocks. Man the 17mm TS is incredible inperson, hands on.</p>

<p>Anyways I'm happy your FD glass is holding up real well on digital. Proof that Canon did a heck of a job crafting the glass all those years ago.</p>

[awahlster]

<p>Please take your off topic discussions about digital photography to the proper forum. The Olympus and 4/3 forum is the proper place for discussions of the Panasonic camera NOT HERE.</p>

[philip_wilson]

<p>Sorry Mark</p>

[cesar_gomez1]

<p>Nice collection, Phillip. It seems you have nothing but "MINT" gear.</p>

[User_4136860]

<p>It's good to see there are still people in the world who appreciate fine photographic equipment that lasts, I have recently had all my five FD cameras serviced, because it was about time, I have had all of them more than twenty years, I bought all of them second hand and all of them have performed faultlesly all the time, I hope to get at least another twenty years out of them .</p>

[fixcinater]

<p>Of course, Phil, you love your old stuff. You know it well, and you've got nostalgia built up around it versus the current gear. Would you collect the same FD set if you were starting today, or would you go digital for the high-ISO and other capabilities?<br>

If I had a bunch of old fast glass I'd make a much bigger deal out of shooting film than what I do, since I'm starting out fresh. I'll still likely get into a film system (looks like Pentax will be where it is, since the Takumars are so good and usable on most digital systems in stop-down mode). Just food for thought.<br>

That's another thread for another forum, methinks, so I'll end this nonsensical rant with "Great collection, I'm jealous of the opportunities that equipment must afford you when looking to make images." Cheers!</p>