Canon FD 100mm f2.8 - Lens review

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 Canon FD lenses have grown in popularity in the last few years because they're cheap, easy to find, reliable and with cheap adapters you can mount them to modern digital cameras. Mirrorless like Sony's or Canon's EOS R and RF will work best and will be easier to adapt, but you can use Canon FD lenses on your DSLRs too, although you might need a different adapter with a focal reducer, due to the incompatible flange distance. Personally, I'm not a fan of focal reducers, as they cad degrade or alter the quality of the image produced by the lens.

 Anyway, these Canon FD lenses are completely manual and have no electronic, and this one specifically is part of the so-called nFD, or new FD, series, introduced in 1979.


canon fd 100mm f2.8

 Everyone seems to love them so, back in 2017 when I was getting into vintage lenses, I was eager to try them. Luckily, a friend of mine owned two of them and he was kind enough to let me borrow them for a few weeks.

 Right off the bat this lens sounds promising; I mean 100 millimeters 2.8 would make for a good portrait lens, right? Well, it's not just that.

 I've had the chance to shoot quite a bit with it and I think it's much more versatile than just portraits or stuff like that and the quality, in my opinion is pretty good.

 I mean, even if the bodies are made of hard plastic, the build quality is great; plus these specific ones, this and the other one that I will show you in the next review, they've been passed on from father to son so they have no fungus, mold or scratches and they are mechanically perfect.

 Canon FD lenses used to be pretty common to find on the used market for cheap, but in the last years they've been hyped quite a bit and prices are on the rise, so be aware and avoid being scammed!

 I have to be honest: I do understand why people like Canon FD lenses. They are reliable, well-made, well-crafted, lightweight and compact and the image quality is comparable to modern lenses, with a bit more character.

 As always, let me know your experience with this lens, if you have any question feel free to ask in the comments below and don’t forget to check the full video for all the samples.

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