Canon FD lenses rehoused by TLS explained: the warm vintage look, the FD-X 45mm, coverage, which cameras suit them, and Canon FD TLS lens hire in London.
Canon FD lenses were never meant for cinema. Canon made them for its 35mm stills cameras from the early 1970s to the late 1980s. Decades later they have become one of the most popular vintage looks on digital cinema cameras, and the reason most of them now arrive on set in a proper cine housing is a workshop in Leicestershire: True Lens Services, or TLS.
We hire the TLS Canon FD Extended Prime Set from our counter in Stoke Newington, N16. This guide covers what the rehousing does, what the lenses look like, which cameras they suit, and how our set is made up.
The FD range was big and fast, and the lenses render in a way a lot of people like on digital sensors: warm colour, gentle contrast and highlights that bloom a little. Cinematographers often compare the look to Canon's K35 cine primes from the same era. K35 primes are scarce and only came in a handful of focal lengths, so rehoused FDs have become a popular alternative with a much wider range.
Canon made them in two main generations: the earlier breech-lock FD lenses, including the S.S.C. (Super Spectra Coating) versions, and the later "New FD" (nFD) lenses, with premium L lenses along the way. Rehousers pick and match lenses from across those generations to build sets.
A stills lens has a short focus throw, a clicked aperture and no gears. TLS strips the glass out and builds it into a new cinema body. According to TLS's published specs, its Canon FD rehousing gives you:
TLS also builds an "FD-X" (FD-Xtended) range to fill gaps in the original Canon line-up. The 45mm in our set is one of them: it's based on a Yashica 45mm f/1.4, which TLS picked because it matches the FD character, and it's rehoused to T1.5 with the same front and gear positions as the rest.
The product page lists the kit and T-stop for each lens, along with the live day and week rates. It's a five-lens set that spreads from a very wide 14mm to a 135mm, so it covers wides, mids and tight portraits in one case, without the core 24, 35, 55 and 85mm lenses some larger FD sets carry. If you want a 35mm or a 50mm alongside it, talk to us about what else on the shelf might suit.
We reckon they're at their best on music videos, fashion and beauty films, period drama and commercials that want warmth without a heavy grade. As always with vintage glass, a test day is worth it.
The FDs cover full frame, so they work on large sensors and on Super 35 sensors (where you'll only use the middle of the image).
TLS lists its rehoused FDs at roughly 0.9kg to 2.1kg each, so they're much heavier than the stills lenses they started as. On a small body, build the camera on rods and a solid baseplate, and use a lens support on the longer lenses.
Both of our Canon FD sets are on our Canon FD lens hire page with live day rates, and the rest of our glass is on the lens hire page. Collection and returns are from Unit H1, 2 Leswin Place, London N16 7NJ, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. We have one TLS FD set, so it's worth booking early if your dates are fixed.
If it's your first hire, please register a production account before ordering. Questions about coverage or a camera combination? Call 020 7898 3322 or email rentals@weareyellowcactus.com.
They are Canon FD stills lenses from the 1970s and 1980s, rehoused for cinema by True Lens Services (TLS) with a PL mount, focus and iris gears, a circular iris and cam-driven focus.
Our TLS Canon FD Extended Prime Set has five lenses: 14mm, 28mm, 45mm FD-X (T1.5), 100mm and 135mm, all in PL mount. The product page lists the full kit.
It's part of TLS's FD-Xtended range, made to fill gaps in Canon's original line-up. The 45mm FD-X is based on a Yashica 45mm f/1.4, rehoused to T1.5 to match the FD set.
Yes. They were designed for 35mm stills cameras, so they cover full-frame sensors such as the ARRI Alexa Mini LF, RED V-Raptor X and Sony FX6, FX3 and FX9.
Many cinematographers find the look similar: warm, soft contrast and easy flares. They are different lenses, though. K35s are Canon cine primes, while FDs are stills lenses rehoused for cinema.
At Yellow Cactus, Unit H1, 2 Leswin Place, Stoke Newington, London N16 7NJ, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. Live rates are on our Canon FD lens hire page.