Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 S.S.C Lens Review

Ever since I began shooting 35mm film during my undergrad days just over a decade ago, my preferred standard lens for portrait work has always been 50mm. Not as restrictive or tight as the more popular portrait-oriented 85mm, 50mm allowed me to incorporate more of the environment, plus the large apertures often found in this focal length allowed for more flexibility in dimly-lit scenes. As such, I was always on the lookout for really stellar 50mm lenses.

In those days, I was using my first mechanical SLR, a Nikon F, which sparked the acquisition of a full collection of cameras from all five of the big Japanese brands. For me, Canon was the oddball. I’m not sure why I had a bias against the brand. After all, they’re possibly the most successful camera manufacturer of all time. But perhaps it stemmed from that very popularity. But when my girlfriend wanted to learn film photography, I sought a beginner camera for her that she could grow with, and almost to my own surprise, ended up with the Canon AE-1 Program. From what I’d read, the Program would be reliable enough, help her learn, and offer room to grow. But before giving the Canon as a birthday gift, I had to give it a try myself.

I had a New FD 50mm f/1.8 lens from the Canon AL-1 that I previously reviewed, and while I admit to gazing down from my ivory tower of Nikon/Leica fanboyism, that humble, cheap, plastic lens helped make some phenomenal pictures. It exceeded my expectations on performance, image quality, feel, and price. Funny enough, soon after gifting that lens and the AE-1 Program to my girlfriend, I found myself wondering what else Canon had up their sleeve.

I acquired an AT-1, the manual exposure-only version of the immensely popular Canon AE-1, and its attached FD 50mm f/1.4 S.S.C. After a couple of months shooting a dozen rolls through, I can safely say I was wrong about you, Canon.

Let’s dive right into my experiences with this lens (this is a lens review, after all).

Specs and Pricing

• Optical formula: 7 elements in 6 groups
• Optical Coatings: Canon S.S.C. (Super Spectra Coating) Canon’s early multi-coating tech
• Aperture: f/1.4 to f/16, with 8 blades for a nicely rounded iris
• Closest focus: 0.45 meters (about a foot and a half)
• Maximum magnification: 0.145× – not a macro lens, but close enough for detail shots
• Filter thread: 55mm
• Size: 66mm wide by 49mm long
• Weight: 370g – hefty for a fifty, but solid in the hand

The Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 S.S.C. lens I am reviewing was the second model within Canon’s 50mm f/1.4s. The Canon FD-mount is a breech-lock style lens mount where the entire lens remains stationary during the mounting process, with a locking ring that is turned to lock the lens in place. Lenses produced after 1978, known as New FD or nFD, mounted similarly to bayonet mount cameras, where the entire external lens barrel is rotated during mounting but internal lens barrel and glass elements still remained stationary. Some critics say that the breech-lock mount is slower, but I have not found any difference to be quite honest. Line up the two red dots, give it a push into the camera body, and the lens actually has a spring-loaded locking ring that initiates the locking turn, before turning the ring to tighten. That’s it, and I’ve found it quite cool.

According to the Canon Museum website, the Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 S.S.C contains 7 elements in 6 groups; pretty standard for most 50mm f/1.4s from other manufacturers as well. Aperture range is from f/1.4 to f/16 with 8 aperture blades. Minimum focusing distance is 0.45 meters or roughly 1.5 feet; also pretty standard at the time. At 350 grams, it is the heaviest 50mm lens I have ever owned, but this lens, being the older breech-lock style, was built quite nicely.

This lens boasts Canon’s Super Spectra Coating, or S.S.C., which was Canon’s multi-coating formula for their lenses, designed to reduce flare and improve contrast. The S.S.C coatings proved to be exceptional in producing cleaner images and contrast, and this lens was no exception. The best part? This lens can be had for less than $100. I’m no stranger in seeking out great bargain deals on photography equipment, as referenced in my “ultra-wide on a budget” review of the Tokina 19-35mm, but I even shocked myself when I found my 50/1.4 for a mere $50.

My Experiences

TL;DR: I love this lens. In short, it’s an incredible performer for its price, and even beats many lenses which cost quite a bit more.

It puts the much more expensive 50mm f/1.2 or 55mm f/1.2 versions in their place. While those faster, more outwardly desirable lenses inevitably yield soft and frankly one-dimensional images when shot wide open, the f/1.4 is actually usable at full aperture. It’s a standard do-everything lens. Wide open, the lens exhibits creamy smooth bokeh that tickles my Leica/Zeiss glass-loving soul. Not to mention, a dreamy soft vintage glow without sacrificing much on sharpness.

Common with large aperture, vintage lenses, the lens does vignette quite a bit wide open, but the Canon lens handles it quite well compared to other 50mm f/1.4s I’ve used. I personally do not mind it, as it can be used quite artistically (or just adjust the scans in post). Stopping down the lens minimizes vignetting.

Stopped down starting at f/2.8, the lens sharpens up considerably and micro-contrast brings out the details well, almost as well as my Zeiss Planars.

Flare resistance is well controlled to a minimum, thanks to the S.S.C. multi-coating. However shooting into direct sunlight will likely cause flares and ghosts, which present as reflections of the aperture diaphragm. Sun stars can happen when stopped down, however it’s not the most dramatic lens for creating these pinpoints of light.

Despite being my heaviest standard lens for my Japanese cameras, at 350 grams, the lens still feels well-balanced on both the entry-level AT-1 and the professional F-1. The focus ring is well-dampened and smooth, unlike the newer FD lenses that can feel a bit rough or loose, depending on how they’ve been handled and stored over the last thirty years. This criticism applies to the aperture ring as well. Though maybe subjective, I have found that in the field these older FD lenses are quieter while shooting than the New FD lenses – could be just me. Though the lens barrels are plastic, this lens’ build quality is top notch and inspires much more confidence than the New FD lenses.

Final Thoughts

I have nothing negative to say about this lens – I simply love it and its character just makes me want to create more work with it. To my endless surprise, I like this lens more than my Nikkor counterparts (I only wish Canon film bodies felt as great in the hands as Nikon bodies do).

FD glass has been increasing in value in more recent times, largely in part of cinematographers adapting Canon FD lenses for video. The Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 S.S.C. remains a largely underrated, solid performer that represents a solid bargain in performance and price. The fact that perfect examples cost about $100, and patient shoppers can find them for as low as $50, makes it even more desirable. It has expanded my horizons and destroyed my previous misconceptions about the Canon FD system.

I highly recommend this lens to photographers of all different skill levels; it simply will not disappoint.

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