So I got over my small camera phobia when a friend of mine showed me how much fun he's having with FD and Canon rangefinder lenses on his GF1. I went with Oly for the in-body IS and and an E-P1 because I found one on the boards I thought was a good deal. Then I found an FD 50L. I really like this combo. The adapted 50 is just under three inches long and not particularly thick (filter size is 52mm and it doesn't flare out much more over the rest of the body). While solid, it's not so heavy that it feels wrong on the camera. It actually balances quite nicely. So much so, in fact, that I scrapped my plan to pick up a Canon LTM 25 and went with the FD 24/2, which is roughly the same size and weight of the 50.
Anyway, first two are from the 50, ORF conversions straight from the camera, wide open. The last was converted to B&W with Silver EFEX.
Please share your experiences with the FD and rangefinder lines.
The Canon 50mm f1.5 is a great little lens from f2 on. It's a straight clone of the legendary Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f1.5 RF lens. It's only weakness is the 1m MFD, which is why I switched to the Nikkor-S.C 5cm f1.4, which is also a Sonnar clone, but focuses without RF coupling from 0.45m to 1m and with RF coupling from 1m to infinity.
freaklikeme wrote:
All of those shots are good, Adam. I especially like the "Born Yesterday" banner on the side of the trolley. But that last one is phenomenal.
I had fun shooting with the FD 200 f/4 the other day. Nice lens. Really nice on the GH1...
These were all taken within about an hour or something... Just walking through the park taking some 'snapshots'. The Herron (?) and the dragonflies were taken with the "Canon Extender FD 2x-A" attached - the others are just the 200/4 by itself.
Bifurcator wrote:
I had fun shooting with the FD 200 f/4 the other day. Nice lens. Really nice on the GH1...
These were all taken within about an hour or something... Just walking through the park taking some 'snapshots'. The Herron (?) and the dragonflies were taken with the "Canon Extender FD 2x-A" attached - the others are just the 200/4 by itself.
!-Enjoy
Nice shots, Bif. Great detail on the bugs, but the turtle's my fav. Really well framed and captured. Do you like the way the 200 balances on the GH-1? I've considered trying one of the 200s, but then I try to imagine one mounted to the EP-1 and it makes me laugh at how completely lopsided it would be.
Bifurcator wrote:
I had fun shooting with the FD 200 f/4 the other day. Nice lens. Really nice on the GH1...
These were all taken within about an hour or something... Just walking through the park taking some 'snapshots'. The Herron (?) and the dragonflies were taken with the "Canon Extender FD 2x-A" attached - the others are just the 200/4 by itself.
!-Enjoy
freaklikeme wrote:
Nice shots, Bif. Great detail on the bugs, but the turtle's my fav. Really well framed and captured. Do you like the way the 200 balances on the GH-1? I've considered trying one of the 200s, but then I try to imagine one mounted to the EP-1 and it makes me laugh at how completely lopsided it would be.
Thanks man,
Yeah, I think it feels about right actually. But I'm old school in that respect and think the new ultra-light plasticky lenses all feel too light. Weight/length-wise the HD 14-140 feels just about right to me - like a camera should. It's 460 grams and 84mm long retracted. The FD200/4 according to my triple-beam is 461 grams with both caps on and it measures 148mm - it doesn't retract or extend at all - not even 1mm. I guess the 14-140 is somewhere around that length extended(?). Anyway to me they feel about the same and about perfect for the GH1. I wouldn't imagine it would feel too bad on the Oly or other block shaped bodies - tho without an extruded grip it might feel just a tad long.
I dig the pano you posted BTW, it went in my screen-saver rotation. Very nice!
don't have any canon ltm or FD but i do have a canon FL 55mm f/1.2 - just an earlier version of the FD mount. here's a few from it (some of these might be double posts):
staticInc wrote:
Astonishing, Sebboh!
# 1, 5 & 8 are my faves.
REALLY impressive.
Is your FL 55 1.2 free of yellowing? Or did you achieve the colors via PP?
Good light!
sI
thanks, i wasn't aware that this was one of the lenses with a radioactive front element. i never really looked before but it doesn't look like there is any yellowing (i'll have to look again when there is better light). in any event i have to adjust colors in about 50% of my photos (i'm lazy and shoot auto white balance most of the time) and this lens is no different in that respect.
sebboh wrote:
don't have any canon ltm or FD but i do have a canon FL 55mm f/1.2 - just an earlier version of the FD mount. here's a few from it (some of these might be double posts):
Yeah, I think it feels about right actually. But I'm old school in that respect and think the new ultra-light plasticky lenses all feel too light. Weight/length-wise the HD 14-140 feels just about right to me - like a camera should. It's 460 grams and 84mm long retracted. The FD200/4 according to my triple-beam is 461 grams with both caps on and it measures 148mm - it doesn't retract or extend at all - not even 1mm. I guess the 14-140 is somewhere around that length extended(?). Anyway to me they feel about the same and about perfect for the GH1. I wouldn't imagine it would feel too bad on the Oly or other block shaped bodies - tho without an extruded grip it might feel just a tad long.
I dig the pano you posted BTW, it went in my screen-saver rotation. Very nice!
It looks great on the GH1. I might have to give it a try if I come across one. There is something to be said for having that effective focal length in a relatively small package. But I've been avoiding everything over 100 because I really only use telephotos for planned stuff, and I'll have the DsIII for those. Right now I've got the FD 100/2 and the CV 90/3.5 LTM sitting on a shelf waiting for me to spend time with them so I can decide which stays and which finds a new home, but I've been so obsessed with the 50 and 24, neither has even made it into the travel kit.
And thank you. I'm very flattered to have made the screen saver rotation.
sebboh wrote:
don't have any canon ltm or FD but i do have a canon FL 55mm f/1.2 - just an earlier version of the FD mount. here's a few from it (some of these might be double posts):
No worries. I updated the thread title to make you feel more at home, because I believe we'd all like you to feel free to post any other samples you have.
freaklikeme wrote:
No worries. I updated the thread title to make you feel more at home, because I believe we'd all like you to feel free to post any other samples you have.
Really wonderful stuff.
thanks a bunch.
#1 and #5 from the last post actually go together as part of a ~180° panorama. i'm still working on getting the color right on the pano but here's the first thing photoshop spit out when i gave it the shots (apologies for the scrolling): http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/4458528479_97b3540a86_o.jpg
this lens is currently tied for 1st place as my favorite panorama lens.
The Herron (?) and the dragonflies were taken with the "Canon Extender FD 2x-A" attached - the others are just the 200/4 by itself.
