SERVICE CANON FD 300MM F/2.8 FLUORITE S.S.C. with chrome ring

[NLsafari]

<p>I have a Canon 300mm f/2.8 FLUORITE S.S.C. with the chrome ring and the green line on the sun shade. The optics are perfect. But it that needs the shutter cleaned and checked ( intermittently sticks slightly ) and the dust cleaned from one of the elements in the interior. I am having a great deal of difficulty finding someone qualified and with experience on this lens that is willing to take on the job. I am very protective of this lens. The front element of this lens is FLUORITE and very soft. You can't put an off the shelf UV filter on it because Canon put odd ball threads in the lens. So I had S.K. Grimes in R.I make me a special adapter that allowed me to put a nice UV filter on it. I'm not going to hand over this lens to just anybody. They have to be qualified and also care as much as I do about this lens. Any suggestions?</p>

[rick_janes]

Raphael, I also own one (and her slightly older but just as lovely FL-F 300 2.8 sister), AND can tell you from experience who can do a

superb job of servicing: Steve Swerington at Camera Clinic in Sparks, Nevada. You will find his contact info in recent

postings on this forum.

 

On the matter of its front element being calcium fluorite I do not believe that is correct. Canon knew from the outset that

CaF2 was too soft to survive as an exposed element and always installed these optics internally, behind actual glass.

Every diagram I have ever seen of these lenses showed the fluorite inside. Granted, if a technician opens it up he must

treat it with utmost care!

[gary_d1]

Rick. Glad you mentioned Steve. I have a lens I'm shipping tomorrow to Steve for repair.

 

Ps

 

His address:

 

Steven F. Sweringen

c/o Camera Clinic, USA

1220 E Greg St. Suite 15

Sparks, NV. 89431-6530

[rick_janes]

For those interested, Marco Cavina of Italy published a page detailing the FL and FD Fluorite lenses, including optical

diagrams. Excellent resource! It shows the FL 300 2.8 Fluorite as having an exposed CaF2 front element.

 

http://www.marcocavina.com/articoli_fotografici/Canon_300_Fluorite/00_pag.htm

[NLsafari]

<p>Thanks for the referral. I will reach out to Steve Swerington about the lens.</p>

[jim_bielecki1]

<blockquote>

<p>It shows the FL 300 2.8 Fluorite as having an exposed CaF2 front element.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p >This surprised me so I did some research. I have several old Canon FD booklets from the 1970’s and found one (Doors to Perfection in Photography - dated December, 1973), that included an optical diagram of the FL-F 300/2.8. This lens does have a glass element that is in front of the Fluorite element. Other than that, the optical diagram in my Canon book is identical to that of Marco’s.</p>

[rick_janes]

<p>Jim, thanks for chasing that. In another bit of FD literature, "Lenses Conceived for Photographic Perfection", dated December 1974, the FL 300 2.8 S.S.C. Fluorite is shown in a diagram with the first element looking similar to those in other Canon Fluorites.<br>

It's also interesting to note that the FL 300 2.8 was available by special order only! No doubt it was deep into the territory of "if you have to ask..."</p>