| Year | 1982 |
| Lens Groups | 13 |
| Lens Element | 16 |
| Aperature Blades | 8 |
| Minimum Aperture | f/32 |
| Closest Focusing | 2.5 m |
| Max. Magnifcation | 1:6.9 (0.144x) |
| Filter Size | 34 mm |
| Diameter x Length | 104 x 250 mm |
| Weight | 1820 gr (4.01 lb) |
| Hood | S-100 |
Just bought this for a commercial shoot and holy shite is this thing sharp. I've been a prime guy my entire life, but this is the first lens I pulled the trigger on because I thought it would be worth it and frick is the ROI high. I worked with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L, and optically this was like that--except two focal lengths greater, a stop slower, and without auto-focus.
Build: large filter diameter that fits 6x4 Tiffen glass just fine. Zoom ring is silky smooth. Focus ring twists freely while telescoping with the front elements. The aperture ring is still clicky-clacky. Despite being a 'lighter' nFD, it still feels as heavy as an old mostly metal FD. However, I do not see this as a drawback but more of a testament to its rugged well-built quality. The focus ring is slightly stiff with attached gears for wireless follow-focus systems.
Optics: the IQ is stupidly sharp across the entire range from 50mm-300mm at f/5.6. Extremely light vignette all the way open on a full-frame Sony a7III but non-existent on a super-35 Arri Alexa Classic. Lens breath can be jarring (or awesome) if rack-focusing from a subject 4ft away to 100ft away. Zooming with it was so much fun as the light and silky zoom ring made it buttery smooth which made for dope vertigo shots.
Cost: $3800. Worth every penny. Its modern equivalent is the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6, which is half the price, lighter, auto-focusing, and faster... but it's not a Canon FD lens. Which has a specific look, and is probably why you're here.
This is a monster of a zoom lens. I really liked the colors it gave, the contrast and sharpness. But it was only sharp from 85mm to 250mm. Somewhat soft at 50 and 300mm but still gave usable images. Really needs to be used on a tripod unless you hoot at speeds above 1/2000. Did not like the screw on front cap and used an extra 400mm F4.5 front bag cap instead.