Canon Lenses

Canon	The Casual Collector Canon Manual Focus Lenses Ending the confusion about compatibility
Home Canon Canon P Canon 7 Canonet *Canonflex* *Canon FL* *F-1* *New F-1* *FTb* *TLb* EF *A-1* *AE-1P* *Links* *Photos*	Many collector/photographers new to manual focus Canon cameras are confused about lens interchangeability among the three major series. Here is a guide based on my experience with all three systems, from the 1959 Canonflex through the T-60 of 1990.
	R series. All Canonflex models, three diaphragm systems. "Super Canomatic" lenses have two operating pins at the rear and are fully automatic. The long protruding pin cocks the mechanism as the film is advanced. The short, fat pin, releases the mechanism to stop down when the shutter is tripped and reopen as the mirror returns. If you remove a lens before advancing the film, the mechanism is not cocked and the lens will not operate if you remount it to the camera after the film has been advanced. You can cock the lens manually before remounting it. "Canomatic" lenses are semi automatic and have an external lever for cocking the mechanism. "R" lenses are completely manual. These lenses do not operate automatically on FL and FD series cameras. Super-Canomatic lenses generally have two aperture rings. One for auto operation, one for manual operation. This allows marginally convenient operation on later cameras. Canon realized the limitations of this system and introduced the... FL series lenses for FX, FP, Pellix, FT and TL cameras. These lenses have a single operating pin at the rear. Canon reversed the operating direction of this pin so new lenses could be used on R series cameras without interference or damage to lens or camera. R series lenses can also be used on FL series bodies without damage. Most FL lenses have a depth of field preview system to allow using the lenses in "preset mode" on R series bodies. On early FL series lenses this is an unmarked black ring adjacent to the aperture ring. On later FL lenses, there is a ring adjacent to the breech lock ring marked A-M. FL lenses work just fine on FD series cameras, but must be used in stop-down metering mode. Again, Canon found themselves behind the curve and in 1971 introduced the... FD series for F-1, FTb, EF and later cameras. These lenses have one diaphragm operating pin at the rear. It looks different but functions exactly as the pin on the FL lenses. These lenses operate on FL series cameras in the same manner as FL lenses. They will mount on R series bodies but may cause interference with the diaphragm arming lever in the camera. The other pins relate to coupling to the camera body for full aperture metering and auto-exposure operation. Most breech lock lenses have a "stop down lock" (see below) with a detent at the extreme of the stop down pin's travel or a small lever to lock it at that limit. This makes the diaphragm operation completely manual for use with uncoupled extension tubes, bellows and reversing rings. Still, some fumble fingered users found changing lenses difficult, so Canon introduced the... New FD series, phased in about 1980. The traditional chrome breech lock ring is gone. A clever redesign of the lenses allows "line up the dots and twist" bayonet style mounting. Operating features same as FD series though stop down lock was eliminated. These work fine on FL series cameras. They will mount on R series bodies but may cause interference with the diaphragm arming lever in the camera. Cautions!!! Don't mount the deep seating 19mm FL lens on any body that does not allow mirror lockup. You will damage the camera! The later, larger 19mm FL-R (Retrofocus, pictured at right) should be usable on most, if not all, Canon manual focus SLRs. Don't mount the deep seating 38mm FL-P (Pellix/Pancake)lens on anything other than a Pellix or mirror lockup body. You will damage the camera! I recommend you not use FD series lenses on Canonflex bodies. Interference with the Canonflex arming lever or mirror could result, damaging your camera. See the pictures below Canon A series camera instruction books caution against using certain FL and R series lenses on A series cameras. I believe the caution applies to the non-retrofocus 19mm FL and the 38mm FLP lenses, as no A series cameras have mirror lock up. The same probably applies to T series cameras and the “New” F-1. Some FL and R lenses have a stepped rear surface that may interfere with the f-stop setting lever or max aperture coupling pin in the camera's body. Perhaps someone else can fill me in on that.	50mm f 1.8 Super Canomatic. Trip pin is on the left, arming pin is centered. FL 19mm f 3.5 R. Yeah, there's an R in the designation, but it's an FL series lens. The single operating pin is the giveaway. FD 50mm f 1.8 S.C. Stop down lever looks different but works same as on FL lens. At 8 o'clock is the maximum aperture signal pin. The aperture follower is at 10 o'clock. At 2:30 is the mysterious "pin, reserved"! "New" FD 50mm f 1.8. The chrome breech lock ring is gone! Works just fine on all FL and FD series cameras.

	A tale of two teles. On the left is the 135/2.5 "Super Canomatic". On the right, the 135/3.5 "R". Rear view shows the Super's diaphragm arming and release pins. No such luxuries on the R lens. It's a strictly manual operation. Note the aperture ring differences, too. The Canomatic's front ring is for automatic operation, the second aperture ring operates the iris manually. The Department of Redundancy Dept. has been at work here!

	FD lens stop-down lock. Here are two 50mm f 1.8 FD S.C. lenses. The lens on the left is typical of the type supplied with F-1, Ftb and EF cameras. The toggle at 4 o'clock holds the operating lever in the stopped down position. I strongly recommend you not try to use this type of lens on the Canonflex bodies. In the locked position, the stop down lever will interfere with the arming lever in the camera and will, likely, damage the camera! The lens on the right debuted with the AE-1 in 1976. It is smaller, lighter and partially constructed of polycarbonate. A detent holds the stop down lever at the extreme right of the slot. It works on my Canonflex, but I do not recommend it as I question the clearance between the lever and the mirror. Stop down lock is necessary when using the lenses reversed for macro-photography or with uncoupled extension tubes and bellows. The breech lock ring must be moved to the closed position for the iris to stop down. Canon supplied a "Macro-Photo Hood", basically a cut out rear cap, for this purpose.
	Check out these links!! Canon Museum A fabulous site packed with info about nearly every Canon camera and lens from day one in 1933! *Photography In Malaysia* A HUGE site with many excellent and detailed Canon pages, especially FD series lenses.