Test Driving my Canon AE-1.

[Bill Smith]

I learned photography on an AE-1 but somewhere along the way I switched to Nikon and got into a whole bunch of other stuff (Olympus, Pentax, Leica etc.). Well a few years ago a friend gave me a FTb with three lenses, then my brother sold me his Canon F-1n and a whole smattering of FD glass so all of a sudden  I had a FD kit again. Well a month ago in a fit of nostalgia I bought another AE-1 body off Rokas Photos on Ebay and it's like going home again.

The lens is a FD 50 f1.8 late version and shot with Fuji Superia 400.


Canon AE-1 by Bill Smith1, on Flickr


Rusty Pickets by Bill Smith1, on Flickr


Scan-120620-0001 by Bill Smith1, on Flickr

[LarryD]

Dang Bill those are wonderful and sharp.

[Bill Smith]

Dang Bill those are wonderful and sharp.

sharp is understating it Larry, I was blown away by the scans when I imported them into Aperture. I forgot how nice this camera is to shoot with. Pity it sucks in the winter months.

[br1078lum]

Having just gotten into some Canon stuff while trying to find a Pellix for one of my brothers, I was quite pleased with the results.  The FL lenses were basically repurposed rangefinder lenses, but the FD series are a newer design.  I've got one of the Sure Shot P&S cameras (Zoom XL) that has a lens supposedly based on an FD design, and it is wonderfully sharp.

PF

[Bill Smith]

From what I read somewhere and correct me if I'm wrong is the Canon 50 f1.4 is the same basic optical formula from the Canon rangefinder days. I have one in LTM I used on my Leica M3 and M4-2 and it's one badass lens. Now comparing that to an early FD chrome nose (pre SSC), I don't see much difference in the negs. It will be interesting to compare the early FD 50 f1.4 with a late version I have on the way from an Ebay seller in Knoxville Tenn.

[br1078lum]

Bill, I've got the 50/1.8 LTM, and it is a wonderful thing to use.   The FL 50/1.8 on my FT is of the same design.  But I've read that Canon started making improvements with the FD line of lenses, so they no longer match the rangefinder models, but surpass them.  I think the only difference between and early and late model FD is in the way the auto diaphram actuates, so the levers in the back are different.

If you want to reverse mount the 50 to use as a macro, you can take a rear cap, and cut out the center to use it as a hood.  This also comes in handy to manually check the aperture when the lens is off the body, as it will not work otherwise.

PF