Canon 100mm, f3.5---first impressions

[sirius]

Hi,

I just received a Canon 100mm f3.5. It's a really pretty lens and fun to use. The case has red velvet inside---ooOoh----and the lens cap is rimmed with black velvet so that it glides on really smoothly. I like how much you have to turn it to move the focusing. It allows for a lot of accuracy. I was wondering how well a tele lens would work on a rangefinder. These old Canon's are so nicely constructed!

The apperature ring is rather loose. I am used to the click stops on the 50/1.8. Is there a way to tighten this or is it normal for the lens? I'm not really sure that it bothers me. It's just different.

cheers

 

[John Shriver]

Yeah, they don't come much prettier than the 100/3.5. (Although the black/chrome Elmar 90/4 is pretty in it's own way.)

The aperture ring is normally loose and clickless. I think this is so that you have a chance of changing it without changing the focus of the lens, since it is a "rotating front" lens.

If you're using a II, III, or IV family camera, just set the VF at 1X, and you have a reasonably accurate frame. Of course, the later models all have explicit 100 framing options.

The 90 and 100mm lenses are indeed nice on a rangefinder, although they are even harder to use in "action" situations than the 50mm lenses.