Canon FD 20mm F/2.8 S.S.C.

Ultra-wide angle prime lens • Film era • Discontinued

  • Announced:
  • · March 1973
  • Production status:
  • ● Discontinued
  • Country of design:
  • · Japan
  • Original name:
  • · CANON LENS FD 20mm 1:2.8 S.S.C.
  • Class:
  • · Fast full-frame ultra-wide angle prime lens
  • · Professional model
  • System:
  • · Canon FD (1971)

Abbreviations

FD The lens is designed for Canon 35mm film SLR cameras with the Canon FD mount.
S.S.C. Multi-layer Super Spectra coating is applied to the surfaces of lens elements. This anti-reflection coating increases light transmission, eliminates flare and ghosting, and maintains color consistence among all lens models.

Model history (2)

■Canon FD 20mm F/2.8 S.S.C.A10 - 90.25m⌀72 1973 ●
■Canon FDn 20mm F/2.8A10 - 90.25m⌀72 1979 ●

Specification

Optical design:
35mm full frame
20mm
F/2.8
10 elements in 9 groups
Floating element system
Canon FD [42mm]
94.5° (35mm full frame)
Diaphragm mechanism:
Diaphragm type:
Automatic
Aperture control:
Aperture ring (Manual settings + Auto Exposure setting)
6 (six)
Focusing:
0.25m
1:7.94
Focusing modes:
Manual focus only
Manual focus control:
Focusing ring
Physical characteristics:
345g
⌀75×58mm
Accessories:
Screw-type 72mm
Not required
Canon Extender FD 2X-B → 40mm F/5.6

Sources of data

  • Canon FD instructions (PUB. II01-012A) (October 1978).
  • Canon FD lenses booklet (PUB. CE1001J) (December 1974).
  • Canon FD interchangeable lenses instructions (PUB. A5368) (February 1974).
  • Canon interchangeable lenses sales guide.
  • Canon AE-1 booklet (PUB. CE1057) (June 1976).
  • Canon EF instructions (PUB. IE 1008P) (May 1976).
  • Canon F-1 booklet (PUB. CE1017F) (December 1975).
  • Canon AT-1 booklet (PUB. CE1065) (November 1976).
  • Canon F-1 booklet (PUB. NO5367Q) (September 1974).
  • The pinnacle of optical perfection. Canon FD lenses booklet (PUB. CE1006F) (March 1973).
  • Canon FD lenses inctructions (PUB. A5368z) (January 1978).
  • Canon FD lenses booklet (PUB. CE-1006J) (September 1974).
  • Canon FD Lenses in a Nutshell booklet (PUB. IE-1033Q) (April 1979).
  • Canon AE-1 - A new generation booklet (PUB. CE1056A) (July 1976).
  • Canon Products Guide (PUB. C5077d) (January 1973).
  • Canon Products Guide (PUB. E5077t) (April 1978).
  • Canon Products Guide (PUB. D5077k) (November 1975).
  • Canon AT-1 booklet (PUB. CE1074H) (December 1977).
  • Canon EF instructions (PUB. IE 1008L) (September 1975).
  • Canon Products Guide (PUB. D5077n) (February 1976).
  • Canon Products Guide (PUB. D5077s) (August 1976).

Manufacturer description #1

This is a lens that has taken operability and performance to the next level in response to strong demands from users, such as a mechanism for locking the position of the mount tightening ring, a mechanism for locking the EE mark position of the diaphragm ring, reduced weight, black processing of the front ring, and expanded range and active adoption of multilayer coating.

Despite its short focal length of only 20mm, it is a typical wide angle lens with a brightness of f/2.8 which is the highest available anywhere at the time. This lens is of the retrofocus type and has been developed in compliance with the basic conception of the FD lenses that they must be able to render a sharp image from minimum subject distance to infinity. The floating mechanism has been used for focus control and the design of the lens as a whole is very compact.

It has the normal delineation power of the wide angle lenses in general and its distortion is satisfactorily compensated, but, on the other hand, due to its large aperture, when its angle of view of 94 degrees is used effectively, it shows its forcefulness in wide angle photography whether it be indoors or shooting buildings. It can also be applied successfully to photography in which perspective is emphasized.

Manufacturer description #2

Despite its short focal length of only 20mm, it is a real super wide-angle lens of F2.8, the fastest of its kind in the world. In order to obtain a sharp picture image from maximum subject distance to infinity, the Canon Floating System, with its special capacity for aberration compensation, is adopted.

Other ultra-wide angle prime lenses in the Canon FD system

■Canon FD mount (5)
Canon FDn 14mm F/2.8LA14 - 100.25m-- 1982 ●
Canon FD 17mm F/4A11 - 90.25m⌀72 1971 ●
Canon FD 17mm F/4 S.S.C.A11 - 90.25m⌀72 1973 ●
Canon FDn 17mm F/4A11 - 90.25m⌀72 1979 ●
Canon FDn 20mm F/2.8A10 - 90.25m⌀72 1979 ●

Lenses with similar focal length

■Canon FD mount (19)
Cosina Wide Angle 20mm F/3.8 MCA9 - 80.20m⌀62 ●
Norita Kogaku Noritar 17mm F/4A11 - 100.30m⌀72 1972 ●
Panagor Auto Wide Angle 21mm F/4A9 - 70.16m⌀82 ●
Sigma MF 18mm F/3.5 ZENA10 - 90.25m⌀72 1992 ●
Sigma MF Ultra-Wide 18mm F/2.8 Multi-Coated IIA10 - 90.25m⌀72 1984 ●
Sigma MF Ultra-Wide 18mm F/2.8 Multi-CoatedA11 - 90.25m⌀67 1980 ●
Sigma MF 18mm F/2.8 FiltermaticA12 - 90.23m⌀77 1978 ●
Soligor Wide-Auto 17mm F/3.5 [MC] (s/n 1xxxxxxx)A11 - 80.22m⌀72 ●
Soligor C/D Wide-Auto 20mm F/2.8 MCA9 - 70.20m⌀58 ●
Soligor Wide-Auto 21mm F/3.8 (s/n 1xxxxxxx)A9 - 80.35m⌀72 ●
Spiratone Ultra Wideangle 18mm F/3.5 Pluracoat [I]A11 - 80.22m⌀72 1979 ●
Spiratone Ultra Wideangle 18mm F/3.5 Pluracoat [II]A11 - 90.25m⌀67 ●
Spiratone 20mm F/2.8 Plura-CoatA9 - 70.20m⌀58 1983 ●
Tokina 17mm F/3.5 RMC Type 2
akaSpiratone Ultra Wideangle 17mm F/3.5 Pluracoat
akaTokina SL 17mm F/3.5		A11 - 90.25m⌀67 1980 ●
Tokina Wide-Auto 17mm F/3.5 RMC Type 1A11 - 80.22m⌀72 ●
Vivitar Auto Wide-Angle 20mm F/3.8 (s/n 22xxxxxx)A9 - 70.15m⌀82 1969 ●
Vivitar Auto Wide-Angle 17mm F/3.5 (s/n 37xxxxxx)A11 - 80.22m⌀72 1976 ●
Vivitar Wide-Angle 17mm F/3.5 MC (s/n 37xxxxxx)A11 - 90.25m⌀67 ●
Vivitar Wide Angle 19mm F/3.8 MC (s/n 9xxxxxxx)A9 - 80.20m⌀62 ●
■Interchangeable mount (6)
Sigma[-XQ] MF [Widerama] 18mm F/3.2 [Multi-Coated] [YS]
akaAccura/Sigma 18mm F/3.2
akaSpiratone 18mm F/3.2
akaSpiratone 18mm F/3.5		A12 - 100.17m⌀72 1972 ●
Soligor Wide-Auto 21mm F/3.8 (s/n 1xxxxxx) [T-4]A9 - 80.35m⌀72 1970 ●
Tamron SP 17mm F/3.5 51B [Adaptall-2]A12 - 100.25m-- 1979 ●
Tamron SP 17mm F/3.5 151B [Adaptall-2]A12 - 100.25m-- 1984 ●
Tamron Auto 21mm F/4.5 [Adapt-A-Matic]A8 - 60.25m⌀82 1970 ●
Vivitar Auto Wide-Angle 21mm F/3.8 (s/n 37xxxxxxx) [T-4]A9 - 80.35m⌀72 ●

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