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Posted 08/12/2014 07:21 am
I haven't posted any more infor on this lens but seeing that someone else has picked up a canon FD macro lens this may be a timely post. I like the 200mm but it has one nasty fault: chromatic aberration(CA). For those like me he aren't that familiar with photography terms: CA usually occurs in photos on areas that have the greatest contrast. at those points...the different light colours separate ( like in a prism) as they pass through the lens) leading to either red blue or a combination of both fringing. Heres a test photo of an NZ 3d ( about 17mm in diameter) it looks ok until you do some pixel peeping ( second photo) then as you become aware of what you are looking for you see it in parts of the coins design( first photo) My standard technique of using back lighting really begs for CA.
My standard camera these days is a Sony A7r and the canon FD lens is mounted using a novoflex adapter. I recently installed into the camera an application that allows me to programme in a lens compensation profile....I don't have all the technical knowledge I would like but luckily the camera allowed me to adjust the lens profile while using a subject. My best effort so far led to the following photographs( the second is a crop)
The CA is still evident but is greatly reduced...and the overall picture is better. I know lightroom will allow you to make similar adjustments after taking a picture... but its nice to be able to do it as you take a shot. All that said at the price one pays for some canon FD macro lenses some of you may well think it better to stick to more modern lenses where modern coatings deal with CA far more effectively. I must admit from time to time I consider selling the FD 200 simply because of the CA. I haven't so far as it has proved brilliant for close ups of parts of coins.....Should Zeiss produce a macro for the Sony A7r then I think the canon fd 200mm will have to be sold!!
My standard camera these days is a Sony A7r and the canon FD lens is mounted using a novoflex adapter. I recently installed into the camera an application that allows me to programme in a lens compensation profile....I don't have all the technical knowledge I would like but luckily the camera allowed me to adjust the lens profile while using a subject. My best effort so far led to the following photographs( the second is a crop)
The CA is still evident but is greatly reduced...and the overall picture is better. I know lightroom will allow you to make similar adjustments after taking a picture... but its nice to be able to do it as you take a shot. All that said at the price one pays for some canon FD macro lenses some of you may well think it better to stick to more modern lenses where modern coatings deal with CA far more effectively. I must admit from time to time I consider selling the FD 200 simply because of the CA. I haven't so far as it has proved brilliant for close ups of parts of coins.....Should Zeiss produce a macro for the Sony A7r then I think the canon fd 200mm will have to be sold!!
