Last week we spoke about adapting vintage glass…
So how could we not write a post about on of the most legendary pieces of optical histotry!? The Canon FD 0.95 “Dreamer” Lens
Image: Sony Alpha Rumours
This ultra fast prime is renowned for its dreamy bokeh, which is a type of blur that is often used in portrait photography to create a soft, ethereal look. The lens’s fast maximum aperture allows it to create very shallow depth of field, which means that only the subject in the foreground will be in focus, while the background will be completly blurred out. This is where the “Dreamer” nickname originates from, the dreamlike bokeh is incredibly unique to this lens given it a huge unreplicable charcteristic.
The bokeh is busy, with lots of “bubble” and “flarring” outlining visible when shooting . This gives the Canon 50mm f0.95 a dramatic background swirl for portraiture. Non-highlight bokeh is much more subtle, with smooth transitions in and out of focus. This plasticity is especially pleasing when focusing on small details in a close-up scene, creating a fluid pull to the focal point.
Image: Fujilove
The Dream Lens is designed to be shot wide open, and it can feel like a waste of the lens’ potential to stop the aperture down. 50mm lenses that cost 20 times less than the 50mm f0.95 can achieve the same performance at f8. Still, the Canon 50mm f0.95 is a capable performer stopped down. Sharpness and contrast increase significantly by f2.8, giving the lens a more “normal” rendering. It is remarkable how much easier it is to achieve accurate focus at f2.8 than f0.95.
Not only do we have one in stock in mint optical condition, it also comes with a Fuji X and Sony E adapter!
