Canon FD 50mm f/1.8 Review
The Canon New FD 50mm f/1.8 shown on the Canon AV-1
A Review of the Canon New FD 50mm f/1.8
The Canon FD 50mm f/1.8 is indeed special to me as it was the first lens I ever owned. Rewind to 1983 and I was over the moon thrilled to start my photography journey with the Canon AV-1 and a 50mm lens. For a long time, I only had this one lens.
Fast forward almost 4 decades, yikes!
When I decided to rekindle my passion for film photography I was excited when I found a near-mint Canon AV-1 on eBay for $90.00.
Canon FD 50mm f/1.8 - Introduction
When I repurchased the Canon AV-1, I had a hard time locating a matching FD 50mm f/1.8 which was in decent shape and instead picked the FD 50mm f/1.4, a lens I thought would be superior. But somehow it didn't feel quite right as this was not my original setup.
In a lens shuffle, I ended up selling my FD 50mm f/1.4 and went without a Canon 50mm for a short while until I finally stumbled over a Canon FD 50mm f/1.8 at Beau Photo here in Vancouver. I paid $58.00, including taxes, which adds up to a total cost of $148.00 for the camera lens combination used in this review.
Lost Lagoon, Vancouver, Canon AV-1, FD 50mm f/1.8, Kodak TMAX 400
Canon FD 50mm f/1.8 - Handling and Build Quality
The Canon New FD 50mm f/1.8 dates back to 1979 and is a nimble and lightweight option for sure. At a mere 6 oz, 170 g, you barely feel its presence on the camera. We have 6 elements in 4 groups with 5 aperture blades and the closest focus distance is 23.6", 60 cm. The filter size is 52mm and the dimensions are 2.5" x 1.4", 63 x 35 mm.
The manual focusing feels butter smooth and I believe this may be the best aperture ring of any Canon FD lenses I have tested recently. It is adjustable in half stops and there is less friction in this lens. The aperture rings in these older lenses tend to become a tad sticky.
Vancouver, Canon AV-1, FD 50mm f/1.8, Fujifilm Superia 200
The Canon FD 50mm f/1.8 in Action
The size of this lens is ideal and completely unobtrusive. The lightweight is a huge plus and the f/1.8 f-stop makes for a nice bright viewfinder making manual focus easier.
Although the lens is a plastic construction it still has a refined feel to it and putting the camera up to the eye, and sensing the smooth focusing is a satisfying experience, especially when you remind yourself how little you paid for it.
The Canon New FD 50mm f/1.8 mounted on a Canon AV-1
Image Quality
Sample images in this review are from two rolls of film, a black and white negative Kodak TMAX 400, and a color negative Fujifilm Superia 200. Some of the images date back to before the holiday season when Vancouver was covered in a nice blanket of snow.
I am quite pleased with what I am seeing from this lens. It is consistently sharp and in some of the Superia 200 photos, the colors are vibrant and wonderful. It is hard to pass judgment on the comparison to the FD 50mm f/1.4 which I once thought was so superior.
I think the two lenses look quite equal and without doing a scientific test with the same film or scrutinizing them on a modern digital camera I remain undecided on which lens I prefer. With that said I find them both quite good.
Depending on your monitor size you can view my sample images up to 2500 pixels wide. Please see more sample images below and click to view larger images.
The Canon New FD 50mm f/1.8 shown on a Canon AV-1
Canon FD 50mm f/1.8 - Conclusion
The list of Canon New FD lenses seems almost endless and so far I have yet to encounter a bad apple. Next on my list is the FD 35mm f/2.8, a lens I used to own in the nineties, and who knows maybe there will be something else out there spiking my interest, such as the FD 85mm f/1.8.
Vancouver, Canon AV-1, FD 50mm f/1.8, Fujifilm Superia 200
The clincher when it comes to these manual focus vintage Canon lenses is price versus performance and for at least some of the FD lenses they offer a really good value proposition.
As for the FD 50mm f/1.8, my search is over. This is a keeper but I am also aware, that part of the equation is nostalgia-related. I am still surprised to see how well this $148.00 combo works.
It is my intention to try the Canon FD 50mm f/1.8 on my Fujifilm X Series camera as well. Stay tuned for that in an upcoming segment.
Please see the sample images below. The negatives in this post were copied using a Fujifilm X-Pro2, an AF Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D lens, and Skier Sunray Copybox 3. RAW files were imported to Lightroom and I used the Negative Lab Pro plugin to convert the files
Canon New FD 50mm f/1.8 - Sample Images
Please click to view larger images.
Second Beach, Vancouver, Canon AV-1, FD 50mm f/1.8, Kodak TMAX 400
Stanley Park, Vancouver, Canon AV-1, FD 50mm f/1.8, Kodak TMAX 400
Stanley Park, Vancouver, Canon AV-1, FD 50mm f/1.8, Kodak TMAX 400
Vancouver Skyline, Canon AV-1, FD 50mm f/1.8, Kodak TMAX 400
Jericho Beach, Vancouver, Canon AV-1, FD 50mm f/1.8, Kodak TMAX 400
Jericho Beach, Vancouver, Canon AV-1, FD 50mm f/1.8, Kodak TMAX 400
English Bay, Vancouver, Canon AV-1, FD 50mm f/1.8, Kodak TMAX 400
Marpole, Vancouver, Canon AV-1, FD 50mm f/1.8, Kodak TMAX 400
Marpole, Vancouver, Canon AV-1, FD 50mm f/1.8, Kodak TMAX 400
Cambie Bridge, Vancouver, Canon AV-1, FD 50mm f/1.8, Kodak TMAX 400
English Bay, Vancouver, Canon AV-1, FD 50mm f/1.8, Fujifilm Superia 200
Canon Film SLR and FD Lens Reviews
Canon AV-1 Review
Canon New FD 28mm f/2.8 - Review
Canon New FD 35mm f/2 - Review
Canon New FD 50mm f/1.4 - Review
Canon New FD 50mm f/1.8
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