Canon (new) FD 50mm 1.4

This lens took 6 visits to the same antique store before it was in my possession. The shop owner couldn't decide on a price. My copy is in good condition. There are some spots on the rear element and a few odd dust flecks near the front, but as far as I can tell they don't really affect image quality.

One of the strongest sides of the nFD 50mm 1.4, in my opinion, is its size and weight. I hear you screaming at your monitor: "BUT WHAT ABOUT THE FAST APERTURE?!" I am ignoring your outrage. With a weight of 235 grams, this lens is a bit heavier than the Sony FE 50mm 1.8, with the added benefit of being faster. It's small enough that you can pop it in your bag and forget about it. (Don't forget your adapter. Been there, done that. Multiple times.) I like the build quality. It doesn't feel cheap. The aperture and focus rings are smooth and pleasant to use. (Keep in mind I'm comparing this to lenses of its time, not 1kg all-metal lenses made to be passed down through generations.) On a Canon FD mount camera it would be really small, but when you add a Sony E-mount adapter, it gets as big as the Sony FE 50mm 1.8.

I wrote this review when I had different categories in each review, so the structure is a bit different.

Wide open (at f1.4)

A dreamy, slightly lowered-contrast look. It reminds me of shooting on film. The heavy vignetting adds to that old-timey look. A lot of spherical aberration. Sharpness is okay, but with the thin depth of field you might end up missing a few shots (or most shots). I wouldn't shoot it focused at infinity at f1.4, unless you want slightly hazy-looking images.

Stopping down (f2 to f8)

At f2, you get a wider depth of field and increased sharpness and contrast. This lens begins to shine. This is where I used the lens most for the month I shot with it. (Why didn't I grab my 50mm 1.8, if so?) Vignetting is still visible. Fast-forward to f8. This is where my copy performs best. Sharpness is good from center to corners, and I feel comfortable with it. Vignetting is gone and contrast is good.

Flare and distortion

I find that flaring is well controlled. You can force flaring, which will lower your contrast, but hey, you can do that with most lenses. A lens hood improves things to the point where I've had no issues with flare. There is some barrel distortion, which you might notice when shooting architecture, but you usually don't get an f1.4 lens for that, so I wouldn't say it's that much of a problem.

Color and contrast

I like the way this lens renders colors. It produces vibrant and well-saturated images. Wide open, images have lowered contrast, giving them a hazy look. Stopping down does wonders for this lens and brings contrast to an acceptable level.

I like the Canon nFD 50mm 1.4. It's a light lens, with reasonable sharpness and contrast, and a lot of character. (For some reason I associate it with the color blue.) Compared with modern and other vintage lenses, it's not that expensive. It usually goes for less than the M42-mount Super-Takumar 50mm 1.4. If you really must have a fast 50mm prime, this is as good a lens as the next. But hey, do you really need that f1.4 aperture? That's up to you to decide. I'm just some text on a screen.