Canon 19mm f/3.5

Canon 19mm f/3.5

When Canon announced this lens in August 1964, it was the widest lens available for any 35mm camera, edging past the contemporary offerings from Leica, Contax and Nikon and covering a diagonal field of about 96 degrees [1]. Designed by Koyanagi, it uses a nine-element, seven-group formula in a flat, almost pancake-shaped barrel, and it is frequently described as the last screw-mount rangefinder lens Canon released [1]. Despite the extreme angle of view, it is rectilinear rather than a fisheye, and it remains coupled to the rangefinder for focusing [2]. These traits, together with low production numbers, have made it one of the most sought-after lenses in the Canon rangefinder line [3].

Optically the lens is built around nine elements in seven groups with a six-bladed diaphragm stopping down to f/16, and it focuses to half a metre [4]. The barrel is rigid and finished in black and silver with a scalloped black focusing ring, taking 55mm filters [4]. Because it is a true wide-angle for a mirrorless rangefinder, the rear group sits deep in the body and protrudes some way into the camera, so compatibility with certain bodies should be checked before mounting [4]. The lens has no built-in viewfinder, so an accessory 19mm finder is fitted to the accessory shoe to frame the image [1]. As a Leica Thread Mount lens it adapts to M-mount bodies with a standard adapter [2].

A closely related f/3.5 was also produced in Canon FL mount for SLRs, sharing the same optical design and a similar barrel; the original SLR version was not retrofocus and required the mirror to be locked up, with a viewfinder used for framing, and was followed in late 1965 by a redesigned retrofocus FL 19mm f/3.5R that allowed normal reflex viewing [2][5]. The rangefinder-coupled LTM lens is optically identical to the non-retrofocus FL version, which is why FL examples are sometimes rehoused or adapted for thread-mount use [3]. Collectors have noted that some early rangefinder lenses were marked "FL" on the name ring, and that parts sharing between the lines can make originality harder to confirm [6].

Optical qualities

Rendering Documented impressions describe crisp imaging with a measure of vintage character, and the lens is noted for remarkably low distortion and only modest vignetting for a super-wide of its era [1]. It performs strongly stopped down, with users finding it at its best around the middle apertures where depth of field is extensive enough that precise focusing is rarely critical [2].

Flare resistance Pointed toward strong light, the lens is prone to pronounced flare, a behaviour several users report and sometimes use deliberately [2].

Digital use On digital rangefinders the deeply recessed rear element can cause problems. One user trying the rangefinder 19mm on a Leica M9 reported severe colour shift with roughly half the frame rendered blank, attributed to the proximity of the rear element to the sensor [3]. This kind of colour cast and corner falloff is common among older wide rangefinder lenses adapted to digital sensors [3].

History

Development and Launch Canon introduced the 19mm f/3.5 in August 1964 as the widest lens then made for a 35mm camera, a notable engineering statement late in the rangefinder era [1]. The screw-mount version was rangefinder-coupled and supplied for use with a matching accessory finder [1]. According to one bibliographic record the screw-mount lens remained catalogued into the mid-1970s, well after Canon had effectively moved on to its SLR systems [5].

Production Evolution The same 19mm optical design migrated between Canon's lines. Alongside the rangefinder lens, an FL-mount version for SLRs appeared in 1964 with a non-retrofocus design that demanded mirror lock-up, and in November 1965 Canon released the FL 19mm f/3.5R, an inverted-telephoto (retrofocus) redesign that restored normal reflex viewing [2][5]. The rangefinder LTM lens and the early FL lens are reported to be optically identical [3].

Special editions No major factory special editions of the rangefinder 19mm are widely documented. The principal variations are between the rangefinder-coupled LTM lens and the two FL SLR lenses, rather than within the rangefinder line itself [2][5].

Collector Notes This is a high-value lens; complete rangefinder examples with the dedicated finder command strong prices, and the finder alone is hard to find, with Voigtländer and Zeiss wide finders used as substitutes [3]. Because Canon rangefinder serial numbering is not as clearly tracked as Nikon's, and because parts from dead bodies and lenses circulate, post-repair hybrids and FL-to-LTM conversions exist and should be examined carefully [6]. Some genuine early rangefinder lenses are marked "FL" on the name ring, which can cause confusion when assessing originality [6]. Buyers should confirm rangefinder coupling, matching caps and the original case where present, and verify body compatibility given how far the rear element extends into the camera [3][4].

Sources

• [1] Rangefinder Forum. 14 Great Lenses That Capture The Vintage Look, Part 2. https://rangefinderforum.com/threads/14-great-lenses-that-capture-the-vintage-look-part-2.178246/
• [2] Camera Obscura Elburg. Canon 19mm f3.5 LTM. https://www.cameraobscuraelburg.nl/product/canon-19mm-f3-5-ltm/
• [3] Rangefinder Forum. Canon 19mm f3.5 value?. https://rangefinderforum.com/threads/canon-19mm-f3-5-value.98558/
• [4] Camerapedia (Fandom). Canon 39mm screw lenses. https://camerapedia.fandom.com/wiki/Canon_39mm_screw_lenses
• [5] Flynn Graphics. FL 19mm f/3.5. https://flynngraphics.ca/fl17mm/
• [6] Rangefinder Forum. Canon 19mm 3.5 LTM. https://rangefinderforum.com/threads/canon-19mm-3-5-ltm.144284/