Author Topic: Overhauling Canon FD 50mm f1.8  (Read 3160 times)

Zang

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Overhauling Canon FD 50mm f1.8
« on: May 10, 2020, 21:05:35 »
Happy Sunday everyone!

This is me turning a non-working junk into a nice lens :)

the problem I had was the aperture was not working at all. Everything inside got scrambled and the blades were full of oil.

Having experience with Nikon, I can tell that Canon FD aperture coupling is design disaster. I am not surprise they scraped FD mount completely in late 80s.

Cheers,
Zang

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Re: Overhauling Canon FD 50mm f1.8
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2020, 21:42:42 »
Picture of lens still looks like "junk"?    …...not a nice working lens?
How did to adjust for infinity?     …..by marking the helicoid and try to assemble exactly like it was?

Zang

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Re: Overhauling Canon FD 50mm f1.8
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2020, 22:20:21 »
I put together everything as it was, but it missed the infinity (tested on film SLR). My guess is the infinity was wrong previously. I nailed the infinity by slightly adjusting the focus ring position as shown in the picture.

Cheers,
Zang

Zang

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Re: Overhauling Canon FD 50mm f1.8
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2020, 22:24:34 »
Picture of lens still looks like "junk"?    …...not a nice working lens?
...

It was dirty oily and stiff to the degree that no one would think trying it would be fun ;) ... beside I had no way to use FD :)

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Re: Overhauling Canon FD 50mm f1.8
« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2020, 22:28:04 »
But now you can use it.....on a Z-body?

Zang

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Re: Overhauling Canon FD 50mm f1.8
« Reply #5 on: May 10, 2020, 22:32:23 »
I do not have Z. I have just bought NEX6 for $35 and when waiting for the Yashica mount Matt sent me from Vermont, I found an FD adapter for $3 :)

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Re: Overhauling Canon FD 50mm f1.8
« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2020, 22:38:35 »
That was cheap…….for both…..think there are many good FD-lenses…….

Zang

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Re: Overhauling Canon FD 50mm f1.8
« Reply #7 on: May 10, 2020, 22:41:16 »
btw... someone gave me the lens with a body for free. The lens was not functioning. The camera is fully mechanical and has non-working 8s shutter speed. I used them for decoration hanging over my desk. Now, only the body is left as the decoration :)

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Re: Overhauling Canon FD 50mm f1.8
« Reply #8 on: May 10, 2020, 22:46:21 »
I read that Stanley Kubrick got a Canon 50/1.4 modified for use on movie camera......so must have been good.
The same with a Nikkor 180/2.8.

Zang

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Re: Overhauling Canon FD 50mm f1.8
« Reply #9 on: May 10, 2020, 22:50:47 »
That was cheap…….for both…..think there are many good FD-lenses…….

Yeah, the adapter is Fotga brand that probably costs $10 new on Amazon. I burned more on gas to pick it up than for the actual adapter. The result is pretty impressive. This one was wide open at 1.8.

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Re: Overhauling Canon FD 50mm f1.8
« Reply #10 on: May 10, 2020, 23:02:14 »
Yes, nice wide open sharpness…..good lens for the price…..

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Re: Overhauling Canon FD 50mm f1.8
« Reply #11 on: May 11, 2020, 08:46:00 »
According to the information in the video:
https://petapixel.com/2015/04/01/a-look-at-the-camera-lenses-used-by-stanley-kubrick-over-his-career/

...the Canon lens Kubrick used was a FD 35/1.4     …..maybe if you can get it for a few $ you could test this lens also. It probably performs well wide open.....

Zang

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Re: Overhauling Canon FD 50mm f1.8
« Reply #12 on: May 11, 2020, 13:16:32 »
According to the information in the video:
https://petapixel.com/2015/04/01/a-look-at-the-camera-lenses-used-by-stanley-kubrick-over-his-career/

...the Canon lens Kubrick used was a FD 35/1.4     …..maybe if you can get it for a few $ you could test this lens also. It probably performs well wide open.....

Thanks for sharing the interesting video! FD lenses are pretty rare here now, though.

Cheers,
Zang

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Re: Overhauling Canon FD 50mm f1.8
« Reply #13 on: May 11, 2020, 13:58:18 »
I can't find a picture of a FD 35/1.4   ….so I wonder if it was a 35/1.4 or maybe a 50/1.4.

Zang

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Re: Overhauling Canon FD 50mm f1.8
« Reply #14 on: May 11, 2020, 14:03:52 »
I can't find a picture of a FD 35/1.4   ….so I wonder if it was a 35/1.4 or maybe a 50/1.4.

Yeah, 50/1.4 could be the one :)