Canon 35mm f/2
Canon · LTM · 1962 · Gauss-derived, 7e/4g
Known as “Japanese Summicron”
Also known as: Canon 35mm f/2 · Canon 35mm f2 · Canon 35/2 · Canon 3.5cm f/2 · Japanese Summicron
Variants & identification
| Variant | Mount | Years | Serial ranges | Production |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon 35mm f/2 (I) | LTM | 1962 | — | No figure published |
| Canon 35mm f/2 (II) | LTM | 1963 | — | No figure published |
- Canon's own thread before 1951 was 39 mm at 24 threads per inch (1.058 mm pitch), against Leica's 26 tpi — close enough that the lenses interchange in practice, and the difference is why an early Serenar can feel tight on a Leica. The Serenar 50mm f/1.8 of late 1951 was the first Canon lens cut to the Leica pitch (Leica Copies Japan).
How to tell them apart
Canon 35mm f/2 (I):
- Marketed April 1962, ¥19,000 · 107 g · 40 mm filter · stops to f/22 · 9 blades
- Black; 40 mm filter; 107 g; nine curved blades (ohm image)
Canon 35mm f/2 (II):
- Marketed July 1963, ¥19,000 · 107 g · 40 mm filter · stops to f/22 · 9 blades
- Same barrel and construction count; camera-wiki records a different optical design
- Canon 35mm f/2 (II): camera-wiki lists the July 1963 lens as a different optical design; the Canon Camera Museum gives the same seven elements in four groups, weight and price for both. Which surfaces changed is not recorded in either.
Specifications
- Formula
- Gauss-derived, 7e/4g
- Designed by
- Mukai Jirō — optical design (camera-wiki)
- Construction
- 7 elements / 4 groups
- Aperture range
- f/2–f/22
- Diaphragm blades
- 9
- Min. focus
- 1 m
- Weight
- 107 g
- Filter
- 40 mm
- Years manufactured
- 1962
- Country
- Japan
- Original price
- ¥19,000 (April 1962, Canon Camera Museum) (today ¥101,000)
What reviewers say
- Dante Stella (blog) — A world-class compact optimised for contrast and centre sharpness: "hellishly sharp in the center and pretty weak at the corners" wide open.
- Stephen McLeod (allmyfriendsarejpegs), on a Canon 7 (blog) — "The real strength of this lens comes as a great all-rounder. It is sharp, compact, has a nice throw" — the one lens to walk about with all day, despite the 40 mm filter and 1 m close focus.
- ohm (ohm image), on a Canon P, Leica M9 and X-Pro1 (blog) — "Warm, sanguine colours, sharp and contrasty image centres, and unique and addictive bokeh" — painterly, swirly backgrounds and 18-point sunstars, against a wiggly helicoid and loose tolerances.
History
The last and best-regarded of Canon’s 35mm lenses: seven elements in four groups derived from the f/1.8, designed by Mukai Jirō, marketed in April 1962 at ¥19,000 and revised in July 1963. It weighs 107 grams and takes a 40 mm filter, and collectors call it the Japanese Summicron. Frank Mechelhoff: “excellent working” despite an “unimpressive outline.”
Dante Stella finds it “hellishly sharp in the center and pretty weak at the corners” wide open, a lens optimised for contrast and centre sharpness; Stephen McLeod calls it “a great all-rounder” and the one lens to carry all day on a Canon 7; ohm image loves its “unique and addictive bokeh” and dislikes its loose helicoid. It is the Canon LTM lens the market prices highest after the fast fifties.
This history is AI-written, from the sources listed at the foot of the page. Where the record is silent it says so rather than filling the gap — but no human wrote these sentences.
Example photos
Sample photo wanted — shot with a Canon 35mm f/2? We'd love to feature it (with credit).
Live listings
Asking price, USD: a median of $320 across 6 fixed-price listings on 2026-09-11 (middle half $230–$370). Tracked since 2026-09-09, 2 days: unchanged from $320.
By day
| Date | Median | Middle half | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-11 | $320 | $230–$370 | 6 |
| 2026-09-09 | $320 | $230–$370 | 6 |
Asking prices from the listings scanned, not sales; junk-flagged rows and auction lots excluded; other currencies are not converted.
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Listings updated 2026-09-11. Links go to the shop or marketplace that carries the item.