Canon FL 19mm F/3.5

Ultra-wide angle prime lens • Film era • Discontinued

  • Announced:
  • · August 1964
  • Production status:
  • ● Discontinued
  • Country of design:
  • · Japan
  • Original name:
  • · Canon Camera Co., Inc. CANON LENS FL 19mm 1:3.5
  • Class:
  • · Slow full-frame ultra-wide angle prime lens
  • · Professional model
  • · Pancake lens
  • System:
  • · Canon FL (1964)

Abbreviations

FL The lens is designed for Canon 35mm film SLR cameras with the Canon FL mount.

Model history (2)

■Canon FL 19mm F/3.5 • Pancake lensM9 - 70.50m⌀58 1964 ●
■Canon FL 19mm F/3.5 RA11 - 90.50mS.IX 1965 ●

Specification

Optical design:
35mm full frame
19mm
F/3.5
9 elements in 7 groups
Non-retrofocus
Canon FL [42mm]
97.4° (35mm full frame)
Diaphragm mechanism:
Diaphragm type:
Manual
Aperture control:
Aperture ring
6 (six)
Focusing:
0.50m
1:22.73
Focusing modes:
Manual focus only
Manual focus control:
Focusing ring
Physical characteristics:
150g
⌀65×18mm
Accessories:
Screw-type 58mm
Not available
Not available

Sources of data

  • Canon interchangeable lenses FL instructions.
  • Bell & Howell / Canon FX booklet.
  • The Canon system of photography booklet (PUB. 5334) (March 1969).
  • The Canon system of photography booklet (PUB. 5313B) (August 1968).
  • Select Canon interchangeable lenses for your camera booklet (PUB. 5262) (November 1965).

Manufacturer description

This super wide-angle 19mm lens boasted the largest angle of view of any lens for SLR cameras at the time. The symmetrical arrangement in the optical system with concave lens elements in the front and back and convex lens elements in the center made it possible to eliminate distortion, chromatic difference of magnification, and comatic aberration, known as astigmatism. The concave lenses help achieve sufficient peripheral illumination while delivering a super wide angle. It was often said to be difficult to achieve a small lens size, correct spherical aberration, and deliver sufficient brightness from corner to corner with this type of optical system, but the FL 19mm f/3.5 succeeded thanks to the incorporation of the convex lens group. It was sold with a special finder, as attaching the lens required the mirror to be raised, and it was also used for portraits of women with a slightly surreal effect.

From the editor

The lens cannot be mounted on the Canon Pellix and Pellix QL 35mm film SLR cameras.

Notes

  • The lens was designed for use with 35mm film SLR cameras with the mirror locked in the up position.

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

■Canon FL mount (1)
Canon FL 19mm F/3.5 RA11 - 90.50mS.IX 1965 ●

Comments (1)

I have this lens as part of a Canon FL complete set (19mm, 50mm, 135mm and a QL camera). It is sharp in the centre, but not at borders, where it suffers from some vignetting. I use it on a Nikon Z5 camera through a lens adapter and it works well. Very impressive for street photography in hyperfocal mode. I definitively like it

Reply

Your comment

Copy this code

and paste it here *