Canon's New FD L-series supertele — the 500mm f/4.5L with low-dispersion optics.
The Canon New FD 500mm f/4.5L was introduced in 1981 as the New FD, L-series version of Canon's 500mm supertelephoto. As an L lens it used low-dispersion optics for improved colour correction and served as a professional wildlife and sports telephoto in the New FD era.
This is a manual-focus Canon FD lens with a fixed 500mm focal length and a maximum aperture of f/4.5. It belongs to Canon's L series, using specialised low-dispersion optics to control chromatic aberration, and is a large tripod-mounted supertelephoto in the New FD styling with focus and aperture set manually.
The 500mm f/4.5 provides very long reach for distant wildlife and field sport, with an aperture bright enough for daylight action and strong subject isolation at range. The L-grade correction keeps colour fringing low, and the long focal length compresses perspective and separates subjects from far backgrounds.
On the used market the New FD 500mm f/4.5L is a professional supertelephoto sought by users and collectors. Check the large elements for haze, fungus, scratches and separation, confirm smooth aperture and focus operation, and inspect the tripod foot, hood and drop-in filter holder. It can be adapted to mirrorless with an optics-free FD adapter, though its bulk favours tripod work.