Canon FL 55mm f/1.2

Smooth and creamy bokeh, with a slight field curvature and cat-eye effect. Bokeh is best at wider apertures.

Colors have an old-school, vintage character, with a slightly lower contrast look.

Sharpness is not great wide open at F1.2, but improves significantly when stopped down to F2-F2.8. By F4, the lens is very sharp and capable of excellent 4K video and stills.

Prone to flare and loss of contrast with direct light sources, due to the relatively simple lens coatings of the era.

Contrast is lower at wider apertures, improving as the lens is stopped down.

Moderate vignetting, correctable in post-processing.

• Vintage rendering that can't be replicated
• The f/1.2 glow is magical
• Unique character different from FD lenses
• Warm, nostalgic color signature
• All-metal construction
• Relatively affordable for f/1.2 ($150-300)
• Beautiful flare when you want it

• FL mount = stop-down metering (inconvenient)
• Soft wide open (too soft for some)
• Heavy flare can be hard to control
• 55mm instead of 50mm (different adapters sometimes)
• Focus ring can be stiff
• Not sharp enough for pixel-peepers

• Embrace the glow — don't fight it
• Use for portraits, creative work, video
• Yellowing from thorium can be UV-treated or adds warmth
• FL mount adapts to mirrorless easily