Quick notes on the aforementioned FD 35-105 ...
- Solid build, but quite a bit heavy. Cannot really hold with one hand for framing. Battery grip strongly suggested.
- 35mm all the way up to 105mm looks surprisingly natural in the sense that there doesn't seem to be massive perspective distortion, though the wider end does seem to have some oddly dark corners -- almost like the image circle is a touch smaller than the frame.
- Minimum focus is horrifying at just under 5(!) feet. Macro mode operates at the 35mm focal length and can focus as far down as 30-64 cm on the focal length ring, with finer adjustment with the actual focusing ring. However, this lens' "blind spot" will still be in the 3-5 feet range.
- Seems easier to flare than my older FL 55mm f/1.2, possibly because it has more lens elements/groups.
- Lens maintains decent focus when changing focal lengths and the focusing ring is still smooth enough that I can correct errors easily.
- Ironically, I might've been spoiled already on the 75-300mm lens on my brother's crop sensor DSLR, which provides an equivalent 120-480mm focal length to full-frame. At minimum it already has a narrower angle of view than the maximum I'm getting on my FD lens. Loosely I can see full-frame and crop-sensor cameras into two camps: the former is a bit better for wider framing, the latter is a bit better for narrower framing.