Production
1973 – 1990
Country
Japan
Optical
7 elements in 5 groups
Updated
Feb 15, 2026
Canon FD 35mm f/2
Canon FL
Overview
The Canon FD 35mm f/2 is the street photographer's companion — wide enough to tell stories, fast enough for low light, small enough to disappear. While the 50mm was canon (pun intended), the 35mm f/2 was for photographers who wanted context, environment, and the subject all in one frame. It was the reportage lens, the travel lens, the 'one lens to rule them all' for many Canon shooters.
Verdict: Not the most exciting lens, but one of the most useful. If you shoot street, travel, or documentary, the 35mm f/2 will serve you well without drama. It's the lens you forget about because it just works.
Optical Character
Bokeh
Smooth and swirly at the edges. The 6-blade aperture creates hexagonal highlights stopped down. Wide open it's creamy.
Color
Warm, saturated, vintage. More yellow/amber than later Canon lenses. Very '60s film' look.
Sharpness wide open
Soft wide open with a glow. Sharp in center by f/2, corners improve by f/4. Peak at f/5.6-8.
Flare resistance
Flares significantly — single coating can't compete with S.S.C. But the flare is often beautiful and characterful.
Contrast
Low contrast wide open — the dreamy vintage look. Increases stopped down but never harsh.
Vignetting
Heavy at f/1.2. Creates spotlight effect.
Community Insights
Summary: The Canon FL 55mm F1.2 is a well-built, vintage lens that delivers a unique, creative look with its soft, low-contrast rendering and beautiful flares, especially when shot wide open. However, it lacks the sharpness and fine detail resolution of modern lenses, particularly at large apertures. Sentiment: Mixed Top Praised: - Excellent build quality, durable and long-lasting - Smooth, creamy bokeh, especially at F1.2 - Interesting flare and low-contrast characteristics for a vintage look Top Complaints: - Lacks sharpness and resolving power, especially at F1.2 - Significant chromatic aberration and loss of contrast at wider apertures - Not as versatile as modern lenses for all-around use Use Cases: - Low-light photography and videography where the fast aperture is beneficial - Achieving a vintage, filmic aesthetic with the lens's character - Portraiture and close-up work where the smooth bokeh is desirable Disagreements: None noted. Confidence: 0.8 - The review provides a comprehensive assessment of the lens's strengths and weaknesses, with clear test results and user impressions, indicating a high level of agreement on the key points.
What people love
- Perfect street photography focal length
- Compact and lightweight
- Sharp and reliable
- f/2 is fast enough for most low light
- Canon build quality
- Affordable ($100-150)
- Great for travel — wide but not distorted
What people dislike
- Not as 'special' as some alternatives (Zeiss, Leica)
- f/2 isn't that fast by modern standards
- 35mm on APS-C becomes ~50mm (not as wide)
- Some find it boring — no distinctive character
- Minor barrel distortion
Pro Tips
- Zone focus for street photography — set to f/8 and ~3m
- This + a 50mm covers most situations
- Great lens to learn 35mm framing before investing more
Sample Photos
Sources (4)
phillip_reeve-
https://phillipreeve.net/blog/review-canon-fd-35mm-2-8-ts/
vintagelensesforvideo-
https://www.vintagelensesforvideo.com/canon-fl-55mm/
phillip_reeve-
https://phillipreeve.net/blog/review-canon-fd-35mm-2-8-ts/
Lens Heritage 2nd JSONsecondary
The Canon FD 35mm f/2 is the street photographer's companion — wide enough to tell stories, fast enough for low light, small enough to disappear. While the 50mm was canon (pun intended), the 35mm f/2 was for photographers who wanted context, environment, and the subject all in one frame. It was the reportage lens, the travel lens, the 'one lens to rule them all' for many Canon shooters.