Canon FD Lens Manual

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CONTENTS
Step into a Wonderful World .................................................... 1
Lens Basics ............................................................................. 7
The Interchangeable Lens ....................................................... 8
Angle of View......................................................................... 10
Perspective............................................................................ 11
Depth of Field ........................................................................ 12
Aperture Ratio........................................................................ 14
Lens Buying Seminar............................................................. 15
The Basic Lens System ......................................................... 16
Selecting the Right Lenses for You ........................................ 18
Performance Check 1 ............................................................ 20
Performance Check 2 ............................................................ 21
Performance Check 3 ............................................................ 22
Performance Check 4 ............................................................ 23
The Professional Choice ........................................................ 24
Lens Workshop...................................................................... 25
Snapshot Zoom ..................................................................... 26
Travel Zoom........................................................................... 28
Portrait Zoom ......................................................................... 30
Sports Zoom .......................................................................... 32
Wide Shots ............................................................................ 34
Telephoto Shots..................................................................... 36
Macro Shots........................................................................... 38
Accessories Guide I & II......................................................... 40
Specifications......................................................................... 44
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Tight framing and the bright
colors provide a symmetry of
balance to this beach scene.
Choice of a wide aperture and
the telephoto's shallow depth of
field throw the white-capped
waves in the background out of
focus to emphasize the subject.
FD75— 200mm f/4.5, 1/250 sec. at f/5.6 IS064
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2

Suspended in space and time, this modern-day FD85-300mm f/4.5, 1/500 sec. at 1/5.6, IS0 64
Icarus obviously has no qualms about flying too
close to the sun. The bright sunshine glistening on
the wings and pilot's helmet highlights detail and
allows a fast shutter speed to be used. The scene
is perfectly framed with the zoom lens at its
300mm setting.
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3

Two little girls in a park. Completely absorbed in FD35mm f/2, 1/125 sec. at f/8, IS064
their play, they are unaware that their picture is
being taken. Children are full of energy, never stay-
ing for more than a moment in one place. Knowing
this, the photographer used a medium wide angle
lens, stopped down for greater depth of field.
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4

The audience goes wild as the drum solo reaches FD200mm f/2.8, 1/500 sec. at f/2.8,
its climax. Shooting from the foot of the stage, the ISO 200 pushed to El 400
photographer uses a 200mm lens to bring the spot-
lit drummer right in close. He keeps his elbows
pressed tightly to his body to minimize camera
movement.
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5

Photography can help us unravel life's mysteries.
This cicada emerging from its cocoon will live only
10 brief days before dying. A half life size shot,
taken at a distance of 45mm with a 100mm macro
lens and Macrolite ML-1 flash. Single-head
illumination from the left.
FD100mm f/4 Macro, 1/60 sec. at 1/16, ISO 64
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6

One of the greatest features of SLR cameras is their ability to accept a variety of interchangeable lenses.
The minute you mount a wide-angle lens onto your camera, you'll see the world from a broader perspective. And when you replace
your standard lens with a telephoto, the faraway comes in close, filling the frame beautifully. With different lenses to work with,
you'll be amazed at how much more you can express with your camera. But first, take some time to learn the basics behind lenses.
Lens Basics
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Nearing Human vision or surpassing it: the interchangeable lens.
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The human eye is the all-
purpose lens:
it focuses precisely on whatever it
chooses. Interchangeable lenses make
it possible for the photographer to
come close to duplicating — even sur-
passing — this cap
ability. That's why
Canon provides almost 60 different
inter-
changeable lenses for just as
many different applications. Standard
lenses give a natural-looking pers-
pective which closely approximates
human vision. These have large aper-
tures, which make pho
tography in
dimly lit rooms as well as low-
light
outdoor scenes possible. But for the
really exceptional shot —
asoaring
bird, or the minute details of an insect's
wing
—
standard lenses won't suffice.
Distant subjects require telephoto
lenses, whereas su
bjects almost too
small to see call for macro lenses.
When a broad field of view is the
target, wide-
angle lenses accomplish
the task. Near or far, great or small,
different lenses are needed for
attention-getting pictures.
Zoom Lenses
8

Wide-angle and super wide-angle lenses Standard lenses Telephoto lenses
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9
Super telephoto lenses Macro and special lenses Other lenses

If you're familiar with photography, you probably already know
that focal length governs angle of view. If taken from the same
position, longer focal lengths produce larger images, whereas
shorter lenses provide broader angles of view. But there is
more to angle of view than this. Look at the two pictures below
made with telephoto lenses, a 100mm and a 200mm. The girl
clearly becomes the main point of attention. Notice how her
personality is easily conveyed in the telephoto pictures. With
the 28mm lens, on the other hand, the scene takes on quite a
different feeling. The girl harmonizes with the background, and
the shape of the windows and railing takes on more importance
in the picture. In other words, telephoto lenses are ideal when
you'd like to emphasize or bring a subject in closer. Wide
angles are the choice when you want to give the subject's back-
ground equal importance. A zoom lens is particularly handy
here because it lets you choose between wide and narrow
angles without changing position or lens.
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Take in a little, or a lot — Angle of view.
10

Field or angle of view is not the only thing a photographer has
to consider. Perspective, or the sense of depth, controls the
spatial relationship between one subject and another. In the
pictures below each focal length tells a different story. At
28mm, 50mm, 100mm, and 200mm, the camera was moved so
that the subject's size remains the same in the images. The dif-
ferences arise in the background. It seems to go on forever
when a 28mm wide angle is used, but looks very close to the
subject when shot with the telephotos. That's why the best way
to make a subject really stand out from its surroundings is to
use a wide-angle lens and shoot from a relatively short
distance. On the other hand, to create an image that appears
"flat," use a telephoto lens and stand back. Here again, a zoom
lens lets you get the perspective you want without having to
change lenses.
Wide angles for an exaggerated sense of depth; telephotos for flatness
—
Perspective.
11
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11

Depth of field, the range of sharpness in front of and behind the
subject on which focus has been set, is best understood by ex-
amining the photographs below. When the majority of subjects
appear sharp in a picture, the depth of field is great; when they
appear sharp within a narrow range, the depth of field is small.
Depth of field varies according to the focal length and bright-
ness of the lens used and the distance from which the picture
is taken.
How focal length and aperture affect focus range — Depth of field.
12
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•Depth of field is narrow at wide apertures,
greater when the lens is stopped down.
The four pictures at left were taken with the
same lens from the same distance, but at dif-
ferent apertures. As you can see, the more the
lens is opened, the narrower the depth of field
becomes; the more the lens is closed, the great-
er the depth of field. By using a large aperture
such as f/1.4, you can make the background and
foreground appear blurred, and by stopping the
lens down as much as possible (to f/16 or so), the
entire picture will be sharp. Blurred backgrounds
call attention to the main subject and de-
emphasize unneccessary details; sharp back-
grounds tend to portray the subject in its over-
all surroundings. In other words, the aperture
should be varied to suit the mood and nature of
your subject.
•Depth of field is greater with wide angles,
smaller with telephotos.
The pictures to the right were taken from the
same distance, but with 28mm, 50mm, and
135mm lenses. An aperture of f/4 was used in all
cases. By comparing the enlargement of the
50mm shot with the 135mm shot, you can see
that depth of field is greater with the 50mm than
it is with the 135mm telephoto lens. Depth of
field is greatest with the 28mm lens. Thus, given
the same aperture, depth of field is deeper with
wide-angle lenses than it is with telephotos.
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The brightness of a lens is expressed in terms
of its aperture ratio (the ratio of the lens's focal
length to the diameter of the lens opening).
Thus, the "1.4" in the FD 50mm f/1.4 standard
lens indicates the aperture ratio, an abbreviation of
1:1.4. The lenses with the smallest aperture ratios
are the brightest. Since the lens opening of such
lenses is large compared to their focal lengths, they are
capable of transmitting relatively large quantities of light.
For example, Canon produces two different 135mm
telephoto lenses, one with an aperture of f/2.8, the other,
with an aperture of f/3.5. The f/2.8 lens is the brighter of the
two. This can be confusing when purchasing a lens, but in
You need maximum
brightness for
theater photography.
Use of wide aper-
tures permits fast
shutter speeds.
Afast lens lets you
shoot without flash
even in a dimly-lit
museum.
general it is best to select the brightest lens which
your budget allows. Brighter lenses make night-
time hand-held photography easier, and permit
shooting under most low-light conditions. They're
also useful when flash is not permitted, such as
in art galleries or theaters.
The larger the lens opening, the brighter the lens — Aperture ratio.
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As shown in the previous section, interchangeable lenses share the same basic
flexibility and characteristics. However, although they have many similar
features, these lenses are actually quite different. Each Canon lens is suited for
different photographic applications, not to mention various budgets and tastes.
Here are some points to think about when making your lens selection. Since
there is such variety among FD lenses, you can select the combination of
lenses which best meets your needs.
Lens Buying Seminar
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The first step in selecting interchangeable lenses is to develop
aclear idea of the kinds of subjects you want to photograph.
For example, if you do a lot of traveling, a single, versatile zoom
lens is the practical choice. Telephotos or super telephotos are
appropriate for sports, wildlife, or birds; both a wide-angle and
atelephoto are necessary for landscape photography. A macro
lens is almost indispensable when it comes to shooting plants,
flowers, or insects. Most people don't limit themselves to
photographing only one type of subject, however. They want
enough flexibility in their lens system to take shots of the fami-
ly, travel scenery, sports events, and other subjects. To achieve
this flexibility, it's a good idea to start by assembling a basic
lens system.
•Select a combination including focal lengths of 28mm,
50mm, and 135mm
Selecting one lens each from the wide-angle (28mm to 35mm),
standard (50mm), and telephoto families (85mm to 300mm) lets
you photograph almost any subject you are likely to encounter.
The 24mm and 28mm wide-angle range provides substantial
depth of field, deep perspective, and a wide angle of view ideal
for scenery, groups, and indoor photography. The 85mm,
100mm, and 135mm telephotos are best for candid "people"
shots or for flattering portraits, while the 200mm and 300mm
telephotos come in handy at sports events or for compressing
scenery. Canon's 28mm, 50mm, and 135mm lenses are
especially easy to use and lightweight, so you can't go wrong if
you center your lens system on these basic three.
•Zoom lenses provide great versatility
Zoom lenses are a great alternative, because one single zoom
lens can cover the range of several fixed focal length lenses.
The continually variable focal length of zooms allows you to
photograph subjects in a variety of different ways without
changing your standing position. Canon zoom lenses have an
established reputation for high resolution, superb color
Abasic system comprising 28mm, 50mm, and 135mm fixed
focal length lenses
Wide-angle, standard, telephoto.
The three focal lengths to include in your basic lens system.
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balance, and easy handling. This, together with the ability to
"close in" on subjects without changing lenses, makes Canon
zooms the increasingly popular choice among people putting
together a basic lens system. Some possible combinations in-
clude: 1) a 35–70mm zoom lens as the standard lens, a 28mm
wide-angle, and a 75–200mm telephoto zoom; 2) a 35–
105mm zoom together with a 100–300mm zoom; 3) a
28–55mm zoom and a 75–200mm zoom; and 4) a 50mm–
135mm zoom together with a 28mm wide-angle. Light AE SLR
cameras plus versatile zoom lenses make perfect partners,
so a basic lens system comprising zooms is an intelligent
choice to make.
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Abasic system including 28
–55mm, 35–105mm, and
100
–
300mm zoom lenses
17

When building your basic lens system, that
is, lenses for use within the normal range
from 24mm to 300mm, set up a buying plan
in advance and identify your photographic
objectives. Here are several popular combi-
nations for various types of photography, all
of which are reasonably priced.
•Commemorative photos and snapshots
When your primary goal is to take candid
shots, you can't go wrong selecting a
35–70mm zoom as your standard lens.
With this single lens, you can take both
group and individual portraits. By adding a
135mm telephoto to the system, you'll be
prepared for situations that demand more
reach.
1FD35–70mm f/3.5-4.5 + FD135mm
f/2.8
2 FD35–70mm f/3.5-4.5 + FD75–
200mm f/4.5
•Travel and scenery
The 35–105mm f/3.5–4.5 zoom is great for
travel because you can photograph a
mountain range one minute and zoom in on
awildflower the next. Best of all, you're not
burdened with extra weight, because one
lens is all you need bring on your travels. A
28mm or 200mm lens extends your basic
lens system, and gives you extra flexibility.
1 FD35–105mm f/3.5-4.5 + FD28mm
f/2.8
2 FD35–105mm f/3.5-4.5 + FD200mm
f/4
Select lenses that suit the type of photography you do.
18
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