Canon FL 28mm 1:3.5 - NEX-5N

I came across this minty 'pre-FD' Canon 28mm lens which is from the FL series. I've been a Canon fan from way back and I recall staying away from these FL lenses because they're uhmm, well... "old." After having a play recently with some Paxette vintage lenses, this FL lens feels quite modern to me now, lol. It's only an f3.5 and only goes down to f16 but I thought I'd try it out because it's 28mm focal length (equivalent to a 42mm in film SLR) would be a lot easier to use than most of my legacys which equate to mid-telephotos when mounted on my 5N.

These Canon FL lenses were introduced in 1964 (according to wiki). I liked the quirky aperture ring being in front of the focusing barrel which gives it that retro-vintage look. However the front of the lens doesn't rotate along with the aperture ring which I suppose was a big advancement at the time, especially when compared to 1950s lenses. She's a heavy beast though at 270 grams without the NEX adapter and lens caps, but is built like a true precision instrument. The focusing barrel feels solid and smooth, but not as buttery as the Takumars. It has 6 aperture blades and the early version of the Canon breech-mount - which works perfectly well with an FD-NEX adapter. Alas, these FL 28mm wide angles were only ever released at f3.5 so this is as fast as it gets at this focal length.

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Sample photos next...

 

Canon FL 28mm images

In the end of the day (yes, it's a pun   ) here's really nothing that this lens can do much better than my trusted Sony SEL18-55mm kit zoom. However, I've always been curious about these old FL lenses and I do enjoy fiddling around with MF legacy lenses.

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Canon FL 28mm (f8, 1/50sec, ISO1600)

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Canon FL 28mm (f8, 1/60sec, ISO1600)

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Canon FL 28mm (f11, 1/60sec, ISO3200) This one got a bit grainy, but I still like the composition. I should've used a tripod for this shot.

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Canon FL 28mm (f11, 4.0sec, ISO400)

 

The Bokeh

Went for a day trip to Ohope Beach over the Easter weekend. Canon FL 28mm f3.5 review continued...

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Canon FL 28mm (f8, 1/250sec, ISO100)




Minimum focusing distance is about 0.4 meters (1.3 feet) which is a bit long by modern standards but it's practical enough to get some moderate macro shots. At wide open aperture, it maintains reasonable sharpness even at the corners and has a pretty decent bokeh.

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Canon FL 28mm (f3.5, 1/1000sec, ISO100)

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Canon FL 28mm (f3.5, 1/1250sec, ISO100)

 

Flares

The Canon FL 28mm flares aren't too bad when shooting into the light and can be easily taken out in post-processing if need be.

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Canon FL 28mm (f8, 1/800sec, ISO100)

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Canon FL 28mm (f8, 1/1000sec, ISO100)

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Once again, I'm beginning to wonder if those flare marks are caused by the exposed gold pin terminals on the NEX body, rather than the lens?
https://www.talkemount.com/f39/tamron-01b-24mm-1-2-5-nex-5n-763/#post4279

 

I'm using an adapter for the Canon FD mount which works perfectly with this FL lens. All these Canon FD adapters have an aperture "open-lock" ring which slides a lever at the back of Canon MF lenses so that you can adjust the opening in the lens via its aperture ring. So the answer is yes you need an adapter and yes the lens aperture ring will work.

The Canon FL 28mm f3.5 is rather slow as far as MF primes are concerned so you just need to be mindful of ISO in low light shots with a lens like this otherwise grain can creep up on the image real quick.

 

Haha, my right hand was under my left arm triggering my 5N remotely with one of these...

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It's a simple (and dirt cheap) generic infra-red trigger for Sony Alpha DSLRs - which by chance also works on the NEX! I think I paid about $9+postage for it new.  
It's a wonderful solution for the 5N which doesn't have a terminal socket for a remote trigger. It only seems to work when pointed toward the front of the 5N though...

 

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Green arrow (above) shows the lens lever that needs to be pushed aside in order for the lens aperture ring to work. The green arrow shows the direction in which this lever needs to go. The orange arrow points at a pin inside the adapter that will push the lens lever when placed at the "lock" position.

You should be able to check if your lens is working correctly by pushing the lens lever (green arrow) with your finger, and then check to see if the aperture stops-down.

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This pic shows the adapter pin in the WRONG position after the lens is mounted. It should be on the other side of the lens lever by the green arrow. Make sure the adapter open-lock ring is in the "open" position first before mounting the lens, otherwise the pin will end up in the wrong side of the lever. Then slide the adapter ring to the lock position. You'll be able to see the adapter pin push the lens lever. Mount to your NEX and you're good to go.