| Year | 1980 |
| Lens Groups | 3 |
| Lens Element | 6 |
| Aperature Blades | - |
| Minimum Aperture | - |
| Closest Focusing | 4. m |
| Max. Magnifcation | 1:7.1 (0.14x) |
| Filter Size | 34 mm |
| Diameter x Length | 90 x 146 mm |
| Weight | 705 gr (1.55 lb) |
| Hood | - |
I found a really pretty copy. The donut shaped rings appear much less than i expected in normal use. It's pretty sharp, contrasty and can compete with regular FD lenses. Crank the ISO a bit and you will end up with shutterspeeds that allow for handheld shooting but a tripod is needed for the best handling. Feels good in your hands during handheld.
Don't know the purpose of the drop in type 'regular 1x' filter at the rear. Can't find othe filters for it.
Nice lens for candid shots.
In its time, this lens was considered one of the best 500 mm mirror lenses. It still impresses today with its image quality (lack of chromatic aberrations, good sharpness in the image center and periphery, quite good contrast for a mirror lens) and construction (integrated lens hood, tripod mount and filter holder, smooth focusing ring). While the NEW FD 500 mm f/8 is longer and heavier than other contemporary mirror lenses (Tamron SP, Tokina, etc.), it is extremely solid and well made. The results are better then i expected, sharpness wise, better than the first generation Tamron SP, even though vignetting is a little bit more pronounced and the minimum close up focus distance is at a mere 4 meters - the Tamron lens thus is better suited to closeup photography.
The sharpness is ok...The handling is very good!Use not in full sunlight than you have good results...rni think a good lens for a digital sensor which master very high iso