Canon FD lenses- looking for advice in the old school...

[JULIAN]

I'm trying to expand my lense options for my AE1. right now i do some portrait work with my FD 100mm f2.8 with satisfying results. i'm very ... but that's the only lense i own that's worth a shot...

so, i'm looking to expand to the following... (sticking to Canon-made lenses only)

24mm (for wide perspective shots), 50mm (for standards), and a zoom (for versatility).

MY CONCERNS/QUESTIONS-

-re: the 24mm, i've heard that the f2.8 is actually better than the f2....????? can it be ??
-re: zooms, i'm looking at a 70-210mm, but was warned to go with the 80-200mm instead because of a vignetting problem with the 70-210 at full length...

i'm looking for possible issues relating to all of these lenses, and whatever answers people are willing to help me with.... Am i out to lunch with my lense selection ideas?

[Asylum Steve]

Welcome to the site, Julian. While I can't really answer any of your specific lens questions, I can tell you that the fastest lens (largest aperture) in any given focal length is not always the best or the sharpest.

Allowing a lens to open to a wider f/stop often compromises a bit of the optical performance. This may exaplain what you heard about the 24mm...

I used FD lenses with my F1 system for many years, and never had a problem with any of them, either mechanically or optically.

The 24mm is a good choice for super wide (I used the 24mm quite a bit, but ended up also going with a 17mm). For your "normal" lens, instead of a 50mm, you might consider the 35mm f/2.8. It is arguably the sharpest FD lens and gives you a bit wider frame without distorting.