There’s something undeniably alluring about vintage lenses. Maybe it’s the click of a mechanical aperture ring, the silky resistance of a well-machined focus throw, or the way the image it renders feels less clinical and more… alive.  Among these relics of optical art, few have as much mystique as the Canon FD 35mm f2 SSC Concave. It’s a lens steeped in optical history, a little radiation, and a whole lot of character.

 

A Brief History: Concave Curves and Radioactive Romance

To understand the FD 35mm f2 Concave is to take a brief stroll through Canon’s SLR legacy. Introduced in the early 1970s, this lens was part of Canon’s FD mount system—launched in 1971 and designed for full-aperture metering with Canon’s new SLR bodies like the F-1 and FTb. The FD line replaced the older FL and R-series lenses and would eventually give way to the New FD (FDn) and later the autofocus EF mount.  When I first started buying vintage lenses and adapting them to my mirrorless Canon cameras, I picked up a New FD 35mm f2.0 and was extremely impressed.  But I read articles and watched videos which really touted the FD 35mm SSC f2 Concave has being in a different league for image quality.  I always wondered how much better it was?

The early FD 35mm f2 lenses—manufactured between ~1971 and ~1973—featured a concave front element, SSC (Super Spectra Coating), and radioactive thorium glass. That concave design is not just an aesthetic quirk—it was used to correct spherical aberrations and reduce chromatic distortion. Combine that with thorium’s high refractive index and low dispersion, and you’ve got a lens that was decades ahead in terms of image quality.  Using the code printed on the back of my lens (L1105), I was able to determine it was manufactured in Canon’s Utsunomiya plant in October of 1971.

Eventually, Canon phased out the concave design in favor of simpler, cheaper formulations. Later versions—especially the FDn (New FD) 35mm f2—switched to convex elements and different coatings. These later lenses may be easier to find and safer to cuddle, but they lack the ethereal rendering and mysterious glow (literal and figurative) of the SSC Concave.  I now own both the concave and convex FD 35mm f2 lenses (look for a comparative review soon).

Build Quality: Brass, Glass, and a Bit of Brass Balls

If you’ve only used modern plastic zooms, this lens will feel like it was machined from a block of 1970s (heavy) metal. It’s a fully metal construction, weighing in at around 310 grams (11 oz), but still compact enough to balance beautifully on an AE-1, A-1, or adapted to mirrorless.  I purchased the K&F Concept FD to RF Adapter, and together they weigh 22.29 oz./1.39lbs.  That’s still lighter and more compact than, for example the RF 15-35 f2.8 or the RF 24-70 f2.8 – both of which are over 2 lbs.  So it’s a great walk around lens.

The focus ring is long-throw, incredibly smooth, and damped in a way that whispers, not shouts. The aperture ring clicks confidently in half stops from f2 to f/16. Canon’s SSC coatings were some of the best of their day, lending this lens impressive contrast and resistance to flare—assuming you’re not aiming it directly into a July sun without a hood.  This lens is often referred to as the “chrome nose” FD 35mm due refers to the distinctive shiny silver (chrome-like) ring around the front edge of the lens barrel.  It’s purely a cosmetic design element, but it has become a key way to identify early FD lenses.

And of course, there’s the concave front element, which looks like it’s peering into your soul. It also makes using filters a little tricky (a slim 55mm filter is ideal), but it’s worth the trouble for that iconic look.

Image Quality: Not Clinical, But Cinematic

Let’s cut to the chase: this lens is sharp, even wide open. The center resolution is excellent at f2, and by f2.8 or f/4, it’s downright surgical. Here’s a shot I took of one of my watches:

While not a “macro” lens specifically, clearly this lens performs well close up.  The dial  is incredibly sharp in the photo – extremely impressive.  Here are some other photos I took with the FD 35mm f2 SSC Concave adapted to my Canon R5 Mark II:

 

I kept the lens at f2 or f2.8 for nearly all these photos.  Otther than some minor corrections for exposure, these photos are essentially straight out of the camera. In some case I did correct for the lens’s natural “yellow filter” but I’ll talk about that more below.

Canon’s manual focus assist tools are incredible helpful when using a manual focus lens like this one.  And the EVF on the R5 Mark II is amazing – so much better of a user experience than, for example, my Fujifilm X100VI.

What sets the SSC Concave apart is the rendering. It has that elusive “3D pop”—a natural sense of depth created by high microcontrast and smooth background blur. It doesn’t blur the background into nothingness like a modern f/1.2 lens, but it isolates your subject gracefully. The bokeh, while not dreamy in a Helios-swirl kind of way, is smooth and free of distracting rings or harsh edges.  You’ll see some “bokeh balls” of light in a couple of the photos – nice and round, unlike the “cats eye” bokeh balls you see in other vintage lenses.

Color rendition leans slightly warm, especially if the lens has (like mine) developed a yellow cast from its thorium glass. That’s right—this lens can literally change color with age. Some embrace it, claiming it adds a nostalgic tone perfect for film. Others hit it with a few days of UV exposure (sunlight or UV flashlight) to “bleach” the yellow back to neutral.  In some cases, I didn’t notice the yellow cast in the photos I took, while others I just cooled the color temperate a tad to compensate.  No problem at all.

Flare is relatively well-controlled for a lens of its age, but it can happen. When it does, it’s often of the cinematic variety: a warm bloom or rainbow arc that feels more Ridley Scott than lens test chart. Some photographers actually seek out these imperfections as creative tools.

Handling: As Pure As It Gets

Using this lens is a tactile pleasure. Whether you’re pairing it with a Canon film camera, or adapting it to a mirrorless digital camera, it encourages you to slow down and feel your way to the shot.

Focus peaking and magnification tools on modern mirrorless cameras make it even easier to nail critical sharpness wide open. And when paired with digital bodies, it brings a vintage flair that no  preset can match.  I dig it.

Note: there’s no clicking aperture when adapting to mirrorless unless you spring for one of the fancier FD adapters. And since this is a breech-lock lens, mounting and unmounting requires rotating a ring rather than the lens itself. It’s quirky, but not difficult.  Canon would later abandon the breech-lock in favor if a more simple twist on, press button and twist off system like we still see in use today.

Radioactivity: The Yellow Elephant in the Room

Yes, this lens contains thorium oxide, which is radioactive. But let’s put that into context:

• The levels are low, comparable to some early clock dials and vintage camera gear.
• You are not going to get cancer from owning, shooting, or even sniffing this lens. Just… maybe don’t sleep with it under your pillow every night.
• If the lens has yellowed over time (which many have), it’s due to alpha radiation affecting the glass. That yellow tint can be reversed through UV exposure—sunlight, UV lamps, or even placing it face-down on a windowsill for a few days.

The yellowing shifts white balance and adds warmth, which can either be a nuisance or a creative gift depending on your perspective. I say, embrace the glow.  I have no plans to give my lens a UV bath – it’s very easy to correct (and not always needed to correct) in Lightroom/Photoshop.

Final Thoughts: Is It Worth It in 2025?

The Canon FD 35mm f2 SSC Concave isn’t just a lens—it’s a conversation starter, a time machine, and a legitimate tool for creating images that feel handcrafted.

It’s not cheap. You’ll pay anywhere from $300 to $600 depending on condition, yellowing, and whether the seller realizes they’re holding a piece of optical lore. But considering the build quality, image rendering, and historical appeal, it still punches above its weight compared to modern glass.

For film shooters, it’s one of the best lenses Canon ever made in the FD system.  For digital users, it’s a fantastic character lens with just the right amount of imperfection. For collectors? It’s essential.

Bottom Line:

The Canon FD 35mm f2 SSC Concave is sharp enough for today’s standards, rich in analog charm, and built like a tank from a time when tanks had style. Whether you shoot film or mirrorless, this is one piece of vintage glass that earns its legendary status every time you press the shutter.  It consistently ranks among not only the top 3 or 4 FD lenses Canon ever produced, but is also in the conversation of one of the best vintage lenses every made – particularly when you consider the price at which it can be obtained.