Canon 50mm F3.5 Collapsible

[David Murphy]

I had a chance to test the beautiful Canon 50mm F3.5 collapsible I acquired from a member here in the recent past. There are not too many photo samples from this lens out there (in fact, none that I could find - I posted four today on Flickr). The lens is, as expected, beautifully made - not quite as retro in (some sense) as the Elmar 5cm/3.5. It has a filter thread and also takes Elmar exterior mounted accessories, a great convenience (is this called A36?).

The photos samples were taken at mid-apertures using Kodak Gold 100, with a bit of post processing to compensate for scanner imperfections and lack of a cooling filter (late afternoon shots). I used my Leitz UV filter and hood designed for the Elmar. This fits the lens nicely, but looks very strange and interesting to the non-initiated! The camera was my beautiful Tanack IV-S.

Lens extended without attachments
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4105/5003179376_1f60b9826d.jpg

Lens collapsed. This makes quite a compact setup.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/5002572453_96950feebe.jpg

Lens extended with filter and hood. Ready for action!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4128/5002573467_d3b4e2ab3f.jpg

Pasadena City Hall
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4086/5003239244_21a959234a.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4128/5002631929_d089a016de.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4150/5002631719_19599848ce.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4083/5002631507_2af8a9f926.jpg

[David Murphy]

PAN F,

Thanks for the comments. When push-on accessories are mounted on the Canon 50mm F3.5, one can turn the aperture setting ring but not see the marked scaled (it is on the very end of lens). This is not quite as "fiddly" as an Elmar since one actually has an aperture ring instead of a tiny metal little tab to move. However, the inclusion of an internal filter thread makes push-on accessories optional - a nice option to have - very flexible. I am a huge fan of Leica, but over time I've come to realize that comparable Canon lenses from the 50's and 60's are optically on a par of Leica's offerings of that time, or so close to them that only scientific testing will would reveal a difference. The Canon product line really seems to have deliberately targeting Leica in a competitive sense, both in quality and functionality (which is great for the end users even today).

[Brian Sweeney]

Nice images. I've cleaned internal haze from two of these lenses for an RFF member, years ago. They come apart like the Elmars, and like the I-50. Nicely made.

I did not shoot with them. They were so "hazed over", they could not be used initially. They cleaned up nicely.

[kermaier]

Just noticed this thread. David, you've already gotten better pictures out of this lens than I every did -- nice!

The lens has 34mm filter threads. Canon made filter adapters for both unmounted and Series VI filters with 34mm screw-in threads, and several styles of hood that would fit on the filter adapters.
The unmounted filter/push-on hood set made for the 50/3.5 lens is probably the rarest, for some reason, and insanely expensive.
Next rarest is the set made for the 50/2 collapsible (only unreasonably expense -- I bought one, mistaking it for the f/3.5 set), which still looks pretty normal on the f/3.5 lens.
Next most appropriate to the lens is the 34mm screw-in Series VI adapter with hood made for the 50/2.8 lens -- about the same size as a Leitz FISON, but with the screw-in adapter it works better on the lens.

Cheers,
Ari