Vintage Lens: Canon FD 35mm f/2.0 (Concave)

I’ve been intrigued by this lens ever since I read about it. First, it has a special, concave front element which is very rare in camera lenses. Second, it’s radioactive because of Thorium Dioxide used to make the glass in, at least, one of its lenses. These two factors are supposed to contribute to it being a very sharp and well corrected photographic lens.

So, with that in mind, I wanted to test it. My setup is a Canon EOS R with RF to FD/FL adaptor, and of course the Canon FD 35mm f/2 lens itself.

Now, I enjoy using vintage lenses on my digital bodies – especially on my mirrorless bodies – however, it’s not easy to focus sharply with these lenses. I use focus peaking to make it a little easier, but it’s still not as easy as with the original SLR cameras these lenses were intended for. And, if I’m 100% honest, there’s really no way these lenses compare with our current lenses, with autofocus, stabilization, etc. I love using these old, beautiful pieces of engineering wizardry – but the new lenses are tough to beat. However, these vintage lenses can produce images with different qualities that are hard to duplicate digitally – mainly because each lens is different. Quality lenses, like the Canon or Nikon’s of the day were more consistent than some lower quality lenses, but they are still different. Something that’s hard to duplicate digitally.

So, here’s some of my results from testing this lens – from a trip to a local art museum in Austin.

You can see that I had trouble focusing on most of the photos – and some of that is due to my eyesight… my eyes are just not as good as they used to be. But overall I like the photos and using the lens in general. It is pretty sharp compared to other vintage lenses I’ve used. Compared to modern lenses on modern camera bodies, I’m not sure it this lens can really compare in normal daily use. I’d like to use it with film and see how the results vary – using the older SLR focusing mechanisms to see if I can get better results. It’s fun using these lenses on mirrorless cameras because I see results instantly – yes, even I like seeing results instantly…

I would say it’s a nice lens to try and experiment with, but I’m not sure it compares with modern lenses we use today as far as sharpness and overall image quality. But, highest quality isn’t always the number one priority – there is an artistic element that these older lenses have that our newer lenses, in all their perfection, don’t have. In any case, it’s a fun lens to play with – and a great conversation piece when you bring it along with your Geiger counter to your next party!