The Great 20MM Shootout!

not noticeable here but the Carl Zeiss is much wider than the Canon

A shootout between 2 legendary prime legacy lenses: the Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 20mm f4 vs the Canon FD 20mm f2.8

Shot on a Panasonic GH2
LCW Fader ND

Mailbox: top lens, bottom price

A TOP CLASS ADDITION TO THE CANON FD COLLECTION

For those who keep their eyes open, great deals are still to be had! I got lucky with a lens I've been wanting to buy for months. I was consistently outbid on eBay and I started to feel as if there was some sort of conspiracy to keep me from acquiring this particular lens: the Canon FD 85mm 1.8
But when I was in Austria, lying on my hotelbed after a day's skiing with my son, I browsed the Dutch eBay-site and noticed someone had just posted this lens ( probably an elderly man, judging by the slightly old-fashioned and very concise written description!). I wrote to him asking what he wanted for the lens and when he said €50,- I knew I was about to make a great deal. (I had bid more than twice as much for lesser copies of this lens!) According to the seller it was in mint condition. And when it arrived in the mail a few days later I saw he was right. It was a beautiful, shiny copy. In addition, it came with the original sun hood, a UV filter and the original lens pouch. A steal!
This is a classic; a great portrait lens renowned for its faithful reproduction of colors and lack of distortion. Bargain hunting can be very gratifying...
(Warning: collecting lenses can be addictive and hazardous to your wallet.)

MINT LENS, ORIGINAL POUCH AND LENS HOOD

Mailbox: Canon FD 20mm 2.8

CANON FD 20MM F2.8

I really needed a wide angle lens to cover the wide end of my Canon FD lens collection.An obvious choice was the Canon FD 20mm 2.8 because it is generally considered a very good lens and it's fairly fast. But I had my mind set on the Tokina RMC 17mm f3.5.  (more on that one soon!)
Little did I know that I was going to run into my former brother in law who -as it turned out after many years- is really big on prime lenses and has been building an impressive collection over the last 3 to 4 years. I visited him in his home and was delighted to see that the whole house seemed to 'breathe lenses'. The computerscreen showed the familar eBay-page with a big lens on it, there were lenses standing in every corner and cupboard and the livingroom table was turned into a little showcase of special interest lenses. It goes beyond the scope of this entry to delve into the various exquisite pieces of glass he showed me, but you can imagine there were some real rare beauties to be admired.

LIKE MOST LENSES FROM THE CANON FD SERIES: A VERY SOLID LENS

 The talk turned to Canon FD lenses and my brother in law disappeared into a closet and returned with 2 copies of the Canon FD 20mm 2.8. One of them looked like new and the other used, but very good. He had bought the 'like new' one for a very good price and said I could have the other for a good price. How could I resist? So... welcome to the family, Canon FD 20mm f2.8.
First thing I noticed with a big, wideangle piece of glass like this: you need a lens hood to resist flare and low contrast images. I can't wait to go into town to do some testing with this lens and compare it to my other prime 20mm: the Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 20mm f4!

FD 20MM INCLUDING THE FD TO MICRO 43 ADAPTER FOR USE ON GH2

Candid Camera (or how I learned to love my Canon FD200mm)

Mailbox: Canon FD 200mm F4

CANON FD 200MM F4: GREAT DOCUMENTARY VIDEO LENS

I found this addition to my -still expanding- Canon FD collection for €45,- and I was very curious to see how this lens would function on my Panasonic GH2 because of the crop sensor- this is a 400mm - serious tele-lensing! I was afraid that it would have a very limited use as a video lens because of the long focal distance. Every little jitter would be visible and I'd have to use a tripod 100% of the time!
But this lens really surpised me in a positive way and it has proven to be an absolute joy! First of all, it is very light, much lighter than it's more light-sensitive brothers and sisters... So that's a definite plus because you don't have to carry a rock around. It is a relatively inobtrusive lens and for street-shoots this is wonderful because no one notices you filming them! You are 50-100 feet away! And focusing is so creamy smooth that there is no jitter whatsoever. (although you have to use a tripod, of course)

Everyone's drooling over fast lenses but who needs a fast lens outside? This lens is sharp, has good color rendition, nice bokeh and a really nice feel about it. I shot a lot of iceskating with it the last few days and this lens shines! Never thought a telelens could be so much fun. For the money it's a no-brainer. A great video-lens for documentary shots where you like to observe people -or animals- in their natural habitat, unaware of camera's pointing at them. Highly recommended!

LOOKS HEAVY BUT IS VERY LIGHT AND PORTABLE

NICE WIDE GRIP FOR EASY FOCUSING

Mailbox: Canon FD 24mm 2.8

CHROME SNOUT VERSION

The wider a lens you search, the more rare and the more expensive it gets. This was the only 24mm Canon FD lens I found on a Dutch second hand site and at around €60,- not a real bargain compared to eBay prices but it looked very reliable and buying in Holland saves a lot of stamps. (plus the fact that I've been having some issues with TNT post here in Holland as far as overseas packages is concerned... poor delivery, bad service)
But to get back to this lens: it looks great, is the 'chrome snout' (love that word 'snout') version and everything works and feels great. This is one heavy lens, quite a bit heavier than my FD 50mm 1.4 and just as big. Nothing wrong with the build quality!
Only thing I've noticed is that seems to be a little slack between my adapter and the lens. No effect on the picture quality but I like a tight fit... for my gear, that is.

HEAVY METAL: CANON FD 24MM 2.8

Mailbox: Canon FD 28mm 2.8

30 some years old and like new...

 I really like my Canon FD 50mm 1.4 prime lens and decided I'm going to build a collection of FD primes. I mean, they're not getting cheaper and lenses are a good investment. Both as gear and in case you want to sell it, it retains its value- or better, make you a little money. The first addition to my 50mm is a 28mm 2.8 s.c. (special coating). I got it for 33 euro's on a Dutch website for Used Stuff.
I bought it from an old guy and he took great care with the packaging: a shoebox filled with paper and bubble plastic. The lens was in it's original leather case with a little handwritten label on it and included the original front and rear cap. Focus is really smooth, aperture ring clicks like new, lens is impeccable! Isn't it great when people take good care of their stuff?

original case and lenscap included