Canon Canon 100-300mm f5.6 Heritage

Overview

The Canon New FD 100-300mm f/5.6 was introduced in 1980 as an affordable, entry-level telephoto zoom for Canon's FD-mount SLR system. It was designed to give amateur photographers a long focal range at a modest price rather than to compete with Canon's premium optics. The reviews note it was produced as an affordable, large-focal-length zoom, and its cheap used prices (copies found mint for around €50) reflect that its appeal today is budget-driven vintage experimentation. Some adapted-lens users on modern mirrorless bodies (such as the Sony NEX-7) have found it a surprisingly capable performer for the money, praising its sharpness and color, while others find its performance at the long end disappointing. No established nicknames or community jargon are evidenced in the reviews for this lens. Its modest following stems from cheap availability, light weight, easy handling, and pleasingly rendered results when kept away from its weakest 200-300mm range.

Verdict: The Canon New FD 100-300mm f/5.6 is a cheap, lightweight, easy-handling entry-level telephoto zoom best suited to budget-minded vintage shooters and adapters who value good color and respectable sharpness in the 100-200mm range. It rewards those who keep it away from its weak, PF- and glow-prone 300mm end and who accept modest contrast, but anyone needing consistently sharp long-tele performance may prefer a 70-210mm f/4 instead.

Optical Character

Bokeh

One reviewer describes a 'creamy bokeh' and interesting character, though out-of-focus rendering is otherwise not detailed.

Color

Very good and consistent color across focal lengths and apertures.

Sharpness wide open

Very good sharpness with pixel-level detail even wide open on 24MP APS-C, but drops visibly and disappoints approaching 300mm.

Contrast

Contrast is described as not great even where sharpness is strong.

Community Insights

What people love

Very good, consistent color rendering across focal lengths and apertures
Good sharpness with pixel-level detail even wide open on APS-C, according to one reviewer
Impressively low chromatic aberration for its class
Cheap, lightweight and easy to handle
Solid build that remains smooth and free of play even in older copies; length doesn't change during zoom
A 'creamy bokeh' and interesting character noted by one reviewer

What people dislike

Sharpness degrades quickly and disappoints between 200mm and 300mm
Unimpressive image quality at 300mm compared to modern lenses
Purple fringing (PF) and glow appear around 300mm, especially under bright NIR-heavy lighting, largely offsetting its low-CA advantage
Weak contrast even where the lens is sharp
Mushy focus and zoom rings with zoom and focus creep on some copies
The f/5.6 maximum aperture lets in relatively little light for the class
No tripod collar, and it is fairly long (about 8 inches / 172mm)

Pro Tips

Keep it in the 100-200mm range where sharpness is strongest and avoid pushing to 300mm where quality drops
Avoid bright, near-infrared-heavy lighting to minimize purple fringing and glow around 300mm
Expect to add contrast in post since the lens renders somewhat flat
Adapts well to modern mirrorless bodies like the Sony NEX where it can deliver pixel-level detail even wide open on APS-C
Support the barrel when shooting, as it has no tripod collar and changes length during focusing

Sources (1)

Web-grounded synthesissecondary

The Canon New FD 100-300mm f/5.6 was introduced in 1980 as an affordable, entry-level telephoto zoom for Canon's FD-mount SLR system. It was designed to give amateur photographers a long focal range at a modest price rather than to compete with Canon's premium optics. The reviews note it was produced as an affordable, large-focal-length zoom, and its cheap used prices (copies found mint for around €50) reflect that its appeal today is budget-driven vintage experimentation. Some adapted-lens users on modern mirrorless bodies (such as the Sony NEX-7) have found it a surprisingly capable performer for the money, praising its sharpness and color, while others find its performance at the long end disappointing. No established nicknames or community jargon are evidenced in the reviews for this lens. Its modest following stems from cheap availability, light weight, easy handling, and pleasingly rendered results when kept away from its weakest 200-300mm range.

https://www.canonclassics.com/canon-nfd-100-300mm-f5.6/10-127/https://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/lenses/100-300mm.htmhttps://www.ephotozine.com/article/canon-ef-100-300mm-f-5-6l-vintage-lens-review-33435/performancehttps://lenstechhub.com/lens-reviews/comprehensive-review-of-the-canon-ef-100-300mm-f-4-5-5-6-usm-telephoto-zoom-lens-for-stunning-photography/