Canon FD 50mm, f1:1.4 S.S.C lens, is it good?

[bojan]

Recently I obtained Canon FD 50mm, f1:1.4 S.S.C lens from ebay, relatively cheap...
Now, because it's mechanical interface is not compatible with EOS cameras, the required modification may prove to be irreversible (it will include some parts removal and additions - it is not that complicated though).
Anyone has any opinion of this lens as to its suitability for astro photography? How does it compare to Canon 50mm (plastic-fantastic) 1:1.8 lens, which is considered as very good? I would like to avoid any possible disappointments :-)

[acropolite (Phil)]

You can buy an inexpensive adapter for FD to EOS mount (around $40-50 on ebay) , manual focus and aperture setting but otherwise the lens fuctions perfectly. There is no modification required to the lens. I have one but haven't used it for Astro use yet so I can't comment on how well they work.

[bojan]

Hi Phil,
I know about those adaptors but they have the lens to prolong the focal distance (FD lenses are 2mm shorter, measured from camera flange to the focal plane) , and I do not want to introduce any additional distortions....

[Lester]

I have the 50mm f1.4 Canon lens that fits my 20Da and performs. I don't know about the other lense though.

here is an image of 21 x 2minute exposures stacked.

[bojan]

Hi Lester,
This is very sharp image :-)
I guess your lens is the one reviewed by Christian Buil here:
http://www.astrosurf.org/buil/testopt/50mm.htm
here:
http://www.astrosurf.org/buil/us/10d/testopt.htm
and here:
http://astrosurf.com/buil/50mm/test_us.htm

I think most later standard EF lenses are based on older design (like 50mmf1:1.8) so mine must be OK as well (or so I hope :-) )

[Lester]

Yes its the Canon EF lens, I purchased new 2 years ago.

[Suzy_A]

The FD 50 1.4 is a very good lens - but as you say, won't fit on an EOS unless it's modified or a adapter is used that changes the focal length (my by 1.4 x) and severly degrades the image below about f4. Stars come out like smeared blobs.

I've also got a FD 100 f2 lens and have been thinking of modifying it to fit an EOS.

I also bought a couple of $25 adapters that allows me to use my Olympus and also Pentax M42 lenses on the EOS. They work very well and you can pick up some very cheap and good Pentax lenses.

[Ingo]

The new Canon 50 F1.4 USM is an OK lens. There's a LOT of purple CA up to around F5.6. Good diffraction spikes though