| Year | 1973 |
| Lens Groups | 4 |
| Lens Element | 6 |
| Aperature Blades | 6 |
| Minimum Aperture | f/16 |
| Closest Focusing | 0.6 m |
| Max. Magnifcation | 1:9.7 (0.103x) |
| Filter Size | 55 mm |
| Diameter x Length | 64 x 44.5 mm |
| Weight | 255 gr (0.56 lb) |
| Hood | BS-55 |
A great normal lens. You can find it dirty cheap. It is a great normal lens that nobody gets disappointed with. It adds quite a bit to your old heavy Canon camera, but the results are quite pleasing.
I'm new to DSLR shooting, but love the look of good bokeh. As I've found more about what good bokeh looks like, the less I liked this lens. Its still a solid lens with good IQ for cheap, but the bokeh is not increadibly smooth. For example if you are trying to isolate a flower on a tree or bush from all the branches in the background, the result can be somewhat busy and distracting. Will probably trade it in for the 1.4 version.
I recently got two of these in a batch of Canon equipment off eBay. I've got lots of normals, so I didn't need these, and I figured they'd be a lot like the 50mm f/1.8 new FD I have, but I tried them and they're not.
The one thing that is similar is build quality. The breech lock is more solid than the bayonet, but otherwise this feels as plastic as the new FD. I'm really starting to appreciate how well-built my 55mm f/1.2 FL is (it is a 10/10 on both build and image quality).
This lens doesn't seem quite as sharp as the new FD, but it doesn't seem to be as glowy either. Contrast is fairly low, but the IQ is pretty consistent across the APS-C frame. Most normal lenses are slightly undercorrected, but these seem to be overcorrected; the result is a PSF with a slightly bright edge for things past the focus point, and the bokeh show a lot of this type of artifact. Overall, IQ is not bad, but this is definitely near the bottom among all the normals I own.
However, as for the new FD version but slightly less so, this is a lens that feels right on a Sony NEX body....
Considering the price, this simple lightweight lens is unbeatable.
It's capable of making flawless images for almost zero money.
I used it a lot with my first AE-1 in the 80ies.
I bought this together with an Ftb-QL on ebay and decided to give it a spin before throwing it back into the bay. But now, I'm keeping it. I shot a series of interiors wide open with 1/15 shutter speed on a monopod, and this lens really surpised me. Plus, it almost needs no shade with the deeply recessed front element...