Canon 35-70mm f/4 new FD super sharp Zoom lens for Sony
A7, NEX and other Mirrorless. Exc++
See Hi Res images on Youtube taken with this lens
Key features
This lens, number 247262, is the New FD version of the 35-70mm f/4 Canon
FD lens, and was introduced in June 1979. It cost about £530 new (in today's
money). It has fantastic optical and mechanical performance (see the pictures
attached and at the Dropbox link further down). It weighs just 315g. This lens
is extremely well made, having far better optical and mechanical properties
than some of the more modern AF lenses Canon (or anybody else for that matter)
makes today.
We can tell by the V405 alphanumeric code on the lens mount that this
lens was made at Canon's Utsunomiya factory in April 1981.
Lens compatibility
Use on Digital Cameras
This lens (with the adapter) will work with all of Sony's A7 cameras and
all other Sony E Mount cameras.
Overall Lens Condition: Exc++
Mechanical: Exc++
The lens is in excellent mechanical condition although it's
not as tight as when it left the factory. There is some slight play in the
focus mechanism and the zoom ring. It’s audible when the ring starts moving,
but the action once moving feels just about perfect, so it’s just a tiny bit of
play in the mechanism. There are some scratches and scrapes on the lens body and
some slight marking on the top of the filter ring, but the thread is perfect. The
painted lettering is completely intact. The aperture ring itself is smooth and
'clicky'. The bayonet mount is excellent.
Optical: Exc+++
There are some fine dust particles in the lens. The optics
are otherwise superb as the test images show. This lens produces punchy, dead
sharp images from wide open down. There is no balsam separation, haze, mould or
fungus. The black anti-reflection coating in the lens is in perfect condition.
The iris blades are snappy and free of oil. The front and rear elements are
pristine.
Image quality
Image quality is outstanding. The images attached were taken
with this lens on a Sony A7RII. This full-frame 42.4MP camera uses the whole
image area of 36mm X 24mm that this lens delivers.
The Ebay Upload Images
The pictures on the Ebay site are in and around the St. Pauls area of Birmingham. Some of the images have been
cropped at 100%. If you are looking at the cropped images at 10" wide on
your PC screen, you are seeing what a full size image measuring 8 X 5 feet would
look like. The first image of the Ludgate Loft Apartments was shot at f/4, 35mm
and the next two images are 100% centre and edge crops of the first. It’s
excellently sharp in the centre and pretty good at the edges. The next two
images are of the same scene, but this time they are 100% centre and edge crops
at f/8. They are excellent. The next image is a full frame shot at 70mm f/4 and
I’ve again cropped it 100% centre and edge. The final two images were shot at f/4
35mm and 70mm
The Youtube Images
I've taken a sequence of images of the Loft Apartments from f/4 all the way to f/22 at 35mm,
50mm and 70mm. It’s very sharp wide open and edge to edge from f/8 onwards. There's
just a tiny bit more contrast when you get down to f/5.6 from f/4. There is a
bit of Vignetting at f/4 shooting at 35mm, but it's gone at longer focal
lengths. Aberration is very well controlled; none in the centre but a tiny bit
at the edges. Take a look at the high res images on Youtube. Please note that I
managed to delete the f/4 and f/5.6 images at 70mm.
What's in the box?
Lens, front and rear lens caps.