body for an FD Canon 50mm f1.2

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Manwithacam

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I picked up a Canon FT QL with 50mm f1.8 FL and original hood in case for £3.99 a Canon FTb QL with 50mm f1.8 FD with Montreal Olympics lens cap for £2.99 and a Yashica Minister III for £3.99 all in working order, just needing seals.

I haven't had a chance to use them yet, but I have an FT QL already, never used an F1 though so I can't comment. Most of my Canons are EOS apart from my AE-1.
 
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Mark Fisher

Mark Fisher

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Well, for $140 I have an F1n on the way. My experience with KEH is that they are insanely conservative. The nice thing about professional equipment is that they are meant to be used and used and used. If you can get something in decent condition, it should last pretty much forever. For cameras I use alot, I'm more than happy to have a CLA on a pro-level camera even if the CLA costs a good chunk of what the camera cost. Then, I have a pro-level camera that I can trust for a decade or so.
 

Dennis S

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Didja notice that none of them mentioned the differences? Or how to tell 'em apart?

I don't know about anyone else but I could with a blindfold on. ;o)

I tried to get them to mention the 3 types of F1s @ the FD group in Yahoo but they would not do it as the F1 & F1n are very small differences and would have no part in mentioning all 3. You have to have major changes for the public to notice the difference.
 
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frank

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I've had an Ftb QL for more than thirty years but the F1 in my opinion in all it's incarnations is a much better camera, and it's common knowledge Ken Rockwell "doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground".

We can agree on this! :smile:
 

benjiboy

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We can agree on this! :smile:
I still have my Ftbn but have retired it because it needs a C.L.A and I'm not prepared to spend the money, I don't really need it because I have five other FD bodies that are all in good condition.
 
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benjiboy

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But I do have a black FTB that I don't use much. The silver oxide batteries for the meter are hard to get. But otherwise, it's a great camera. Still prefer my Canon F-1n.
The F1n used the same 1.35 v Mercury battery as the FTb it's the F1.N (New F1) that used the modern PX28 silver oxide battery or the PX 28L Lithium battery.
 

frank

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It's the EF of that era which can tolerate non-mercury cells. Not so the FTb or F1/F1n.

The more modern F1N accepts modern batteries too.
 

benjiboy

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It's the EF of that era which can tolerate non-mercury cells. Not so the FTb or F1/F1n.
I have an EF and it runs happily on alkaline PX 625 A Alkaline cells and gives correct exposure because the camera has a built in voltage regulator
 

frank

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Great camera, that EF. I have one in my collection, as well as a black FTb and F1n.
 

benjiboy

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Great camera, that EF. I have one in my collection, as well as a black FTb and F1n.
I agree again frank, there must be something wrong !. At the time Canon made the E.F. they marketed it as "being particularly suitable for old people", I couldn't afford one in those days when I had young children and had ironically to wait until I was an old person to get one about seven years ago when I went into a camera store for a couple of films and they had one for sale in a showcase complete with the FD 35mm f2 Thorium lens attached for a ridiculously cheap price that I bought without hesitation and later had CLA'd, light seals replaced and the meter adjusted because it was two stops out and it now goes like a train and I find the combination of this camera and lens particularly good for street shooting.
 
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Mark Fisher

Mark Fisher

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Got the F1N popped a PX28 battery in it and it looks to work great. I needed to actually look at the manual as the only other cameras I have with a built in meter are an OM1. It has some brassing on the corners which looks nice so I am pretty happy with the camera. The only oddity is that it came with a bright matte gridded screen. I found I could focus it pretty easily in low light so seems good to me. I do have to say, though, that it is a heavy beast with the 50mm f1.2 on it.
 

benjiboy

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Got the F1N popped a PX28 battery in it and it looks to work great. I needed to actually look at the manual as the only other cameras I have with a built in meter are an OM1. It has some brassing on the corners which looks nice so I am pretty happy with the camera. The only oddity is that it came with a bright matte gridded screen. I found I could focus it pretty easily in low light so seems good to me. I do have to say, though, that it is a heavy beast with the 50mm f1.2 on it.
The screen you have Mark is the D screen the screens have two letters the first letter is the metering pattern " A" is average, "P" is partial and "S" is spot and the second letter is the type of screen so if your screen has the letters AD on it it's average metering which is very good for architectural photography to line up the verticals.
 
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Mark Fisher

Mark Fisher

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Mine is a P which work out fine. I have a gridded screen on my 6x6 with an Acute Matte screen which seems a lot like this screen. If I decide I want to use the camera more often, I will probably try to find one of the spot screens. I use a spot meter for most of my other work so it would be nice to work in 35mm the same way.
 

benjiboy

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For my general everyday photography Mark I use the AE screen that is average but slightly centre weighted that has the split image micro-prism centre and I change it for the Partial or spot screen if necessary.
 

benjiboy

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Mine is a P which work out fine. I have a gridded screen on my 6x6 with an Acute Matte screen which seems a lot like this screen. If I decide I want to use the camera more often, I will probably try to find one of the spot screens. I use a spot meter for most of my other work so it would be nice to work in 35mm the same way.
Here's an instruction book for you're New F1 http://satnam.ca/cameras/f1Ninstructional.pdf
 
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