Canon FL 200mm f3.5 - vintage lens review
The FL mount was introduced in 1964 and replaced
in 1971 by the FD mount, but for some reason FL lenses are way less popular
than FDs, so obviously I was curious to try it out.
I managed to get my hand on this small guy here and I was immediately struck by its build quality,
The lens has a metal body, it weights 700g, it is 155 to 175mm long and it has an external diameter of 70mm, with a 58mm front thread and a built in sun hood.
The iris had 8 blades, the aperture is clicked and it goes from f3.5 to f22, without half steps. The aperture ring is very narrow and smooth, with the exception of two flanges that help turning it.
The focusing ring has a pretty shallow texture, it turns 230 degrees and minimum focusing distance is 2,5 meters.
The FL mount has a flange distance of 42mm and uses the same adapters as the FD mount.
This lens is big and heavy, yet I didn’t have issues using it handheld.
The focusing ring is wide, but I would have preferred a more pronounced texture.
Sharpness wide open is pretty and consistent throughout the frame and it only improves by stopping down.
Chromatic aberration is present at wider apertures and can be distracting.
Colors are fairly true to life, with good contrast and saturation without being punchy.
Specular highlights are big and soft with some hard edges and they deform towards the edges of the frame. Stopping down the octagonal shape of the aperture is more apparent but still on the soft side.
While testing the lens I did not experience ghosting and I had to shoot straight at the sun to make it flare.
After reviewing the FD 50mm f1.4, my expectations for this older FL lens were pretty low, but it turned out to be a very good performer.
Sure, it is big and bulky, but still not as much as the Jupiter 21, which also has a slower f4 aperture.
I cannot judge the whole FL line by testing only one lens, but in my opinion this 200mm is pretty good if you don’t mind the chromatic aberration at wider apertures.
I managed to get my hand on this small guy here and I was immediately struck by its build quality,
The lens has a metal body, it weights 700g, it is 155 to 175mm long and it has an external diameter of 70mm, with a 58mm front thread and a built in sun hood.
The iris had 8 blades, the aperture is clicked and it goes from f3.5 to f22, without half steps. The aperture ring is very narrow and smooth, with the exception of two flanges that help turning it.
The focusing ring has a pretty shallow texture, it turns 230 degrees and minimum focusing distance is 2,5 meters.
The FL mount has a flange distance of 42mm and uses the same adapters as the FD mount.
This lens is big and heavy, yet I didn’t have issues using it handheld.
The focusing ring is wide, but I would have preferred a more pronounced texture.
Sharpness wide open is pretty and consistent throughout the frame and it only improves by stopping down.
Chromatic aberration is present at wider apertures and can be distracting.
Colors are fairly true to life, with good contrast and saturation without being punchy.
Specular highlights are big and soft with some hard edges and they deform towards the edges of the frame. Stopping down the octagonal shape of the aperture is more apparent but still on the soft side.
While testing the lens I did not experience ghosting and I had to shoot straight at the sun to make it flare.
After reviewing the FD 50mm f1.4, my expectations for this older FL lens were pretty low, but it turned out to be a very good performer.
Sure, it is big and bulky, but still not as much as the Jupiter 21, which also has a slower f4 aperture.
I cannot judge the whole FL line by testing only one lens, but in my opinion this 200mm is pretty good if you don’t mind the chromatic aberration at wider apertures.
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