2016
Canon nFD 35 f2 - The sharpest vintage tool in the shed
The nFD 35 f2 is the most modern of several 35mm lenses made for Canon's FD mount. The rarest and most sought-after version is the older radioactive concave FD 35mm - a much larger lens, that can cost twice as much. It is unclear whether it performs any better than the nFD, though some say that it might be just a bit sharper wide open.
The Canon nFD 35/2 specs:
Build Quality/Handling (very good/very good)
The build quality is typical nFD, which means you get more plastic than metal making the lens pretty light. There is a nice, wide, rubberized focus ring that gives good grip and makes manual focusing a breeze. As is the case with all nFD lenses I've tried, the aperture ring experience isn't great, but having half stops is nice.
The nFD 35 f2 is well balanced on the A7s and the whole package remains fairly compact. As was the case with my copy of the nFD 24 f2.8, this lens has developed about 1mm of play in the focus ring (a common issue with nFD lenses). This doesn't affect performance. All in all, the lens build and handling are ok, but certainly not in the same league as many other vintage lenses.
Image Quality (mostly excellent)
This lens has very good central sharpness already at f2 on both the Sony A7s and a6000. Lets start with a couple of wide open shots on the A7s.
The Canon nFD 35/2 specs:
- 10 elements in 8 groups
- Weight - 245 grams
- Length - 46mm (71 mm with adapter)
- Filter size - 52 mm
- Min. focus distance - 0.3 m
- Aperture - 6 blades, f2 to f22 in half stops
Build Quality/Handling (very good/very good)
The build quality is typical nFD, which means you get more plastic than metal making the lens pretty light. There is a nice, wide, rubberized focus ring that gives good grip and makes manual focusing a breeze. As is the case with all nFD lenses I've tried, the aperture ring experience isn't great, but having half stops is nice.
The nFD 35 f2 is well balanced on the A7s and the whole package remains fairly compact. As was the case with my copy of the nFD 24 f2.8, this lens has developed about 1mm of play in the focus ring (a common issue with nFD lenses). This doesn't affect performance. All in all, the lens build and handling are ok, but certainly not in the same league as many other vintage lenses.
Image Quality (mostly excellent)
This lens has very good central sharpness already at f2 on both the Sony A7s and a6000. Lets start with a couple of wide open shots on the A7s.
click for 100% crop
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click for 100% crop
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And a couple on the a6000.
@f2 - click for 100% crop
100% center crops @f2 - f2.8 - f4
I wouldn't hesitate to use this lens wide open on either camera, but for edge to edge sharpness it's probably best to stop it down to at least f4.
The bokeh is decent overall but can be a bit harsh at times. It's not the smoothest stuff I've seen but is good enough in most situations.
The bokeh is decent overall but can be a bit harsh at times. It's not the smoothest stuff I've seen but is good enough in most situations.
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There's a small amount of barrel distortion visible but nothing too crazy. I don't usually feel the need to correct it, but if you do, a +3 setting in Lightroom should mostly take care of it.
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There's just a little bit of CA wide open, but it's easily correctable in Lightroom and disappears when stopped down. Also, as seen below, vignetting is well controlled and basically negligible at all apertures.
f2
f4
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f2.8
f5.6
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Perhaps the only real weakness of the Canon nFD 35 f2 is flare resistance. I've been pretty happy with Canon's SSC coating on some of the other lenses I've reviewed, but it doesn't appear to be working as well on this lens. There can be a visible loss of contrast when shooting into light sources. Ghosting and vailing flare also appear regularly.
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Conclusion
The Canon nFD 35mm f2 may not be as collectable as its radioactive concave predecessor, but it's an excellent performer. Sure, it could have better build quality and better coatings, but otherwise there's little not to like. It has excellent sharpness already at f2 (especially in the center), good contrast, and is basically free of CA, distortion, and vignetting. For those who like the versatility of the 35mm focal length it offers great value, though it's gotta be said that, according to other reviews, the much cheaper nFD 35 f2.8 appears to perform just as well at equivalent apertures.
Have you shot with this lens, its concave cousin, or the f2.8 version? What are your thoughts? Please share your comments below.
Related reviews
Sample Images
The Canon nFD 35mm f2 may not be as collectable as its radioactive concave predecessor, but it's an excellent performer. Sure, it could have better build quality and better coatings, but otherwise there's little not to like. It has excellent sharpness already at f2 (especially in the center), good contrast, and is basically free of CA, distortion, and vignetting. For those who like the versatility of the 35mm focal length it offers great value, though it's gotta be said that, according to other reviews, the much cheaper nFD 35 f2.8 appears to perform just as well at equivalent apertures.
Have you shot with this lens, its concave cousin, or the f2.8 version? What are your thoughts? Please share your comments below.
Related reviews
Sample Images
