Canon FL 58mm f/1.2 (mkII)

loccdor

I am using this on a Canon T90. The manual says that the mk1 version of this lens will not mount to the camera, and the mk2 will not work with the metering. My serial is 64322, which is higher than most of the others I saw, so it's a mk2.

My lens has no problem mounting to the T90. When using it wide open, I put the camera in stop down mode and -2 exposure compensation, and it seems to meter accurately enough for negative film. But I recommend carrying a light meter when using any non-FD lens if it's not bright enough for the sunny 16 method.

Here is an example, approximately 30% removed from the 35mm frame: https://www.flickr.com/photos/61055661@N08/52823643992/

Skin pores and eyelashes are visible, along with individual eyebrow hairs. It's quite easy to miss focus for 1.2 portraits, so plan on taking several shots while refocusing each time.

This lens flares a lot more when the sun hits it than a newer lens like the FD 50mm f/1.4. Getting a lens hood for it is a good idea. It is relatively compact and doesn't feel that heavy to me. The metal construction seems solid. Yes, this lens is mildly radioactive. My copy did not have any yellowing, but if yours does, buy a UV LED light, wrap it in tin foil, and expose both sides for a few days.

If I was traveling and only had room for 1 lens on a Canon FD mount camera, it would be a toss up between the FD 35mm f/2.0, FD 50mm f/1.4, and this. All of those lenses are sharp, but the 35mm has a little less character in the bokeh. I don't know if the 1.4 or 1.2 is sharper wide open, but I expect the difference to be slight. User focusing error is likely to have a bigger impact.

At the time of this writing, this is possibly the most affordable f/1.2 that you can get, and largely unknown. A definite sleeper pick.

Dragonfire

I have had much enjoyment from this lens. It is soft, but quite usable wide open and decently sharp when stopped down. It is worth noting that it has good low contrast detail even wide open, so it responds well to sharpening in post. Anyone looking to create dreamy portraits should look at this lens. It does have a fair bit of green/red LOCA on high contrast edges, but the overall contrast of the lens is low enough at f/1.2 that the LOCA is not very noticable at normal viewing distances and some care in lighting mostly eliminates the issue. AFAIK, there is no percevable difference between the mk I and mk II versions. My lens has a higher serial number than the image of the mk II in the Canon Museum, so I am assuming it is a mk II. For those who take lenses on airplanes, be aware that this lens (as well as the mk I) is radioactive. The design includes a Thorium glass element which does add some weight and it will wake up your geiger counter. A side effect is that the radiation will eventually yellow the glass in several elements, but if you place the lens over a UV lamp for a couple of weeks, the yellowing will clear up. I used an off-the-shelf UV LED lamp successfully, so short wave UV is not required, but may work faster. this lens has a protrusion on the mounting flange that interferes with the stop-down pin on virtually all adapters, so you have to dedicate an adapter and remove the pin. The lens has a DOF preview ring that allows the lens to be stopped down without the pin being moved, so other than dedicating an adapter, the protrusion does not cause any problems and this is a lens that most will want to use wide open anyway. Just remember that at f/1.2 neither the camera nor the subject can move between focus aquisition and the shot (particularly with close shots).

Guest

I have had much enjoyment from this lens. It is soft, but quite usable wide open and decently sharp when stopped down. It is worth noting that it has good low contrast detail even wide open, so it responds well to sharpening in post. Anyone looking to create dreamy portraits should look at this lens. It does have a fair bit of green/red LOCA on high contrast edges, but the overall contrast of the lens is low enough at f/1.2 that the LOCA is not very noticable at normal viewing distances and some care in lighting mostly eliminates the issue. AFAIK, there is no percevable difference between the mk I and mk II versions. My lens has a higher serial number than the image of the mk II in the Canon Museum, so I am assuming it is a mk II. For those who take lenses on airplanes, be aware that this lens (as well as the mk I) is radioactive. The design includes a Thorium glass element which does add some weight and it will wake up your geiger counter. A side effect is that the radiation will eventually yellow the glass in several elements, but if you place the lens over a UV lamp for a couple of weeks, the yellowing will clear up. I used an off-the-shelf UV LED lamp successfully, so short wave UV is not required, but may work faster. this lens has a protrusion on the mounting flange that interferes with the stop-down pin on virtually all adapters, so you have to dedicate an adapter and remove the pin. The lens has a DOF preview ring that allows the lens to be stopped down without the pin being moved, so other than dedicating an adapter, the protrusion does not cause any problems and this is a lens that most will want to use wide open anyway. Just remember that at f/1.2 neither the camera nor the subject can move between focus aquisition and the shot (particularly with close shots).