So rare as to be almost mythical, this massively fast lens is perhaps the ultimate vintage Canon prime, offered here in simply excellent condition. Serial Number is the very brief 56143, dating this lens to around 1968.
With the exception of a few very exotic rangefinder lenses, 1.2 is the fastest speed ever offered in the 'Normal' focal length range, this level of speed calls for huge expanses of precision engineered and hideously expensive high quality glass, shaped and polished by hand and housed in an equally precise, massive barrel to give the professional press photographer a tool designed to be used with high ISO film and specialist developing techniques to capture the most fleeting of moments in the lowest of light. You know the classic high key black and white shots of grand prix cars and drivers from the 1960s? All were captured on lenses like this glorious FL.
This is truly a Professional lens, and came with a staggering price tag, so very few were sold worldwide and those that were have mostly long since been worked to death earning their living. I have been told that the new price for this lens was the equivalent of £4500 and even then Canon sold it at a loss as a prestige product. Which makes the current Canon 50mm 1.2 look exceptional value with a UK RRP still over 2000GBP. For that sort of investment, kit is expected to earn it's keep, all the more amazing then that this lens survives in such amazing condition.
Of course high ISO is no longer the reserve of the pros, it is something offered by any decent digital body, while the digital darkroom can breathe life back into the ropiest of photos, but the fundamental rule remains as ever it was, the more light you get though the lens, the better your resulting image will be. Fortunately, this stunning lens can be happily mounted on various modern digital bodies for the ultimate marriage of capability and convenience.
In addition to raw speed, the FL 55/1.2 is famous for its hair's breadth depth of field and the magical bokeh created by it's eight bladed diaphragm. It is wonderful to mount this lens on my Olympus EM-5 II, on which it has an effective focal length of 110mm, and to have in your hands an f1.2 short telephoto, indeed, the FL 1.2 is the lens of choice among digital portrait enthusiasts.
The FL mount succeeded the R mount in 1964 and ran until the introduction of the FD mount in 1971, FL and FD lenses and bodies are interchangeable, so this particular lens should mount on any camera which will take an FD lens or for which there is and FD adapter available, I have mounted it on my beloved Olympus EP-5 with great results. The FL can also be mounted on Sony NEX, Samsung NX and other mirrorless bodies with freely available adapters.
This example of this legendary FL design is one of the best I have ever seen, a Pro lens, 50 years old and still in excellent condition, the tiny amount of finger wear to the scalloped focus ring the only sign that it has ever been used. The barrel is otherwise near perfect, with all markings clear and present. Optically, the lens is better than most one year old lenses, the vast front and rear elements are completely unmarked and retain their trademark golden glow, while inside, there is absolutely no oil, fungus or separation. Held up to the light, there is not a single mote of dust.
Aperture control is from F1.2 to F16 and is as snappy and responsive as you could wish and clicks sweetly into each stop, with the movement being set up to allow the aperture to be set between stops easily. Focusing is smooth and well damped.
The trademark black Canon finish is in excellent condition, with no dings or scratches at all. The scalloped ring on FL lenses is commonly rubbed through to the metal, but this lens retains its finish almost completely intact. All the lettering and numerals are very clean and clear. I would have expected an elite professional grade lens such as this to have had a very hard life, but this one seems practically untouched by time.
I have been playing with this lens on my EM-5 MkII and it has performed staggeringly well, as with some other vintage lenses, these FL offerings have a unique quality which defies description, a wonderful mix of old and new.
The lens is supplied as pictured, with its original Canon Caps, ready to get to work immediately!
