How Good Is Canon's 50mm F3.5 Macro FL Lens?

braxus · Feb 20, 2023

This lens is close to over 45 years old, maybe older. I know there is a nFD version as well. How good is the FL lens today? Would you use it for copywork of scanning film negatives? How is its color rendition? Sharpness? I have a FL bellows I could also use it with.

Dan Fromm · Feb 20, 2023

braxus said:
This lens is close to over 45 years old, maybe older. I know there is a nFD version as well. How good is the FL lens today? Would you use it for copywork of scanning film negatives? How is its color rendition? Sharpness? I have a FL bellows I could also use it with.

If you have the lens in hand, ask it whether it is good enough for you. No one else has your lens.

BHuij · Feb 21, 2023

I have one that I picked up very cheap from KEH or eBay several years ago. It's at least as good as any of my more modern EF primes. The only prime in my lens collection that I can confidently state is definitely noticeably sharper than that 50mm f/3.5 is my EF 135mm f/2L (which is definitely the sharpest lens I own).

I haven't done a ton of scientific testing or anything, but I do have a tendency to pixel peep. I wouldn't hesitate to use this 50 for copy work or negative digitizing.

ags2mikon · Feb 21, 2023

I have the fl 50mm macro and it is a fine lens. It is comparable to all my other macro lenses from Nikon and Pentax. I used it with my sony nex 7 to digitize a bunch of blueprints for a state agency to get approval. It worked very well. You won't be disappointed.

eli griggs · Sep 17, 2023

The Canon macro is excellent but update to the FD if it's an option.

Otherwise you'll have to add the step of stopped down metering, instead of the auto function.

How Good Is Canon's 50mm F3.5 Macro FL Lens?

braxus

Dan Fromm

BHuij

ags2mikon

eli griggs

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