Canon FD mount 50mm f/1.4 S.S.C. Problem

I recently purchased the above lens for my Canon F-1 (original) body. I checked it over and the glass is fine, and everything else seems normal. After shooting a few rolls through the F-1, I've had fairly good results. But my last roll was a bit disconcerting, as I don't as yet have a battery for the F-1, so I'm going meterless. When bracketing some exposures at differing apertures, I began to notice problems in the developed prints... they all looked the same.

So last night when I was preparing to go out to shoot today, I checked the aperture just to make sure it was working... and when I manually tried to move the aperture, nothing happens, it clicks, but the blades don't come into view. Did I screw up by not checking this first? My other 50mm (the exact same lens) and my 28mm work flawlessly. Is there any way to fix this? Or am I stuck with a bum lens?

Thanks!

I have had something similar happen with an FD lens and I took it to a local camera repair shop and they were able to fix it. The closest to you may be Vermont Camera Works.

Take the lens off the camera, turn the breech-lock mount (you may have to press on the little leaf spring beneath next to the mounting stud) counterclockwise as far as you can, grab the aperture lever at 6:00 on the lens and push counterclockwise until it stops (will take a moderate amount of presure). Now, when you turn the aperture ring, the aperture should open and close. If not, then something inside the lens is broken.

I have a old chome-nose FD 100/2.8 that occasionally does the same thing. At times it works, other times it refuses to stop down no matter what aperture I set.

Can your lens be fixed? Probably, but it may be cheaper to buy aother FD 50/1.4. Since digital took over the world, you can get FD optics for a song.

Jim Bielecki

I'm going to take it back to where I bought it, a reputable camera dealer the next town over, and they will probably be able to tell me what's wrong. Mackinaw, the procedure you described is how I found out it was not working, because the same procedure on my other 50mm and 28mm worked, but this one, the aperture seems stuck at f/1.4, and I can move the aperture ring all day long with no change.

I'd really rather not plop down the cash, but you're right, they are going for a song these days. Hell, I just paid $45 for a chrome-nose FD 100mm f/2.8 S.S.C. lens in perfect condition... so I can't really complain.

Finally heard back from the camera shop, the aperture was apparently dirty, so they cleaned it up and now it's working as it should be.

I should have the results from my shots taken with the new 100mm S.S.C. lens this afternoon, but judging from what I saw through the viewfinder, they should come out excellent.