Canon body for FD 50mm f1.4

[Deleted member 88956]

You have to pay tha VAT anyway. If would by a camera from a polish dealer or from a japanese one. And VAT+zero = VAT

I'm referring to used camera gear. Prices and selection in japan is huge, but VAT and customs is pretty much unavoidable in EU. In US they do not face this problem, they get it at price paid to Japanese seller. Used photo gear that is.

 

[BobD]

The last FD mount body was the T60 which was actually made by Cosina. If it were me, I would choose it over any A-series or other T-series models despite its "plasticy" appearance.
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/canon/fdresources/SLRs/t60/index.htm

 

[Deleted member 88956]

The last FD mount body was the T60 which was actually made by Cosina. If it were me, I would choose it over any A-series or other T-series models despite its "plasticy" appearance.
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/canon/fdresources/SLRs/t60/index.htm

But in that link it specifically mentions reliability issues with T60.

 

[BobD]

But in that link it specifically mentions reliability issues with T60.

Is there an FD Canon that doesn't have reliability issues? The A-series and T-series models are ALL terrible in that regard in my experience. The only reason I mentined the T60 is that it is the youngest FD Canon one can buy. Obviously one needs to make sure it is in good working condition before buying. Canon SLRs are not exactly the epitome of reliability.

I buy, refurbish and resell film cameras. AE-1s and A-1s are popular so I have bought many dozens of them and passed up many dozens more because they were dead as door nails. They run about 50/50 as live vs dead. A few of the dead ones can be revived without major surgery but most have dead magnets or other issues that can't be easily fixed. They also often have broken battery doors because Canon got cheap and substituted a delicate plastic door in place of the original metal one and they are a bit of a pain to replace. The other A models have similar issues. So, I wouldn't call them “reliable.” As for the T-series, if you find a fully working T90 you should notify the Smithsonian because you have a real rarity on your hands. The other T models are probably better but there isn't much demand for them and their 1980s electronics scare me away. The T60, at least, does not appear to be from the same mold as the other T models and is much less complex internally. It's no Nikkormat but if you use it with some care it should last a good while.

I currently only have one FD Canon that I use myself -- an old F1 which has so far proven itself to be a reliable mechanical camera.

 

[AgX]

The last FD mount body was the T60 which was actually made by Cosina. If it were me, I would choose it over any A-series or other T-series models despite its "plasticy" appearance.
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/canon/fdresources/SLRs/t60/index.htm

I find it not only a very light FD camera, but also a nice camera. Only the Canon lettering is obtrusive. Otherwise it is a camera to take to the opera.

Hardly ever spoken about here at Apug.

 

[flavio81]

I replaced the foam on my F1 and FT, FTb. THe F1 had/has the most mirror slap

Nothing is off at all, theyre all in great shape mechanically..

Your F1 needs service! I own three of them, they are very gentle with mirror slap and indeed as good as any FT or FTb.

 

[flavio81]

I picked up a Canon AE-1 with 50mm f1.4 last week at a thrift store. Unfortunately, the camera doesn't work so I have a 50mm with nothing to use it on. I was wondering what body to buy.

Almost all Canon FD (and FL) cameras from the 1964 Canon FX to the T90 are very nice. I'd say perhaps avoid the T50 and the T80, all the others are fine. And even then, the T80 is nice in some ways.

I think i'd say some brief words regarding each model

GOOD things / BAD things for each model, in rough chronological order:

FX nice build quality / uncoupled meter
FT all you would need / except for full aperture metering
Pellix quite unique camera / pellicle mirror robs a little of image defintion
FTb everything you need in a camera / but it's not a F-1, and LOL it's big compared to a spotmatic F.
F-1 The First Canon masterpiece / but heavy and inferior in some ways to the F-1N
EF Unique with square shutter and full information viewfinder / also, IMO, horrible ergonomics (shutter lock is awful) and power hungry
AE-1 everything you would need in a camera, smooth / manual mode sucks
AT-1 the FTb but lighter and smaller / but depends on a battery to fire, meter is technically inferior to the AE-1
A-1 beautiful LED display and awesome meter / manual mode sucks
AE-1 Program better than the original AE-1 / and uglier too
AV-1 nice lighter camera to carry everywhere / no manual mode
AL-1 like an AV-1 but better / and a really bad battery cover
New F-1 The Ultimate Canon Masterpiece / still heavy as **** and not as ergonomic as the original F-1
T70 like an A-1 with better metering and motor drive / but no aperture-priority mode
T90 The ultimate Canon in terms of features / heavy and not as sexy and fine as a F-1
T60 really light and nice little camera / crap build quality, not a real Canon

 

[flavio81]

Now, a few words regarding the A-series camera.

These cameras have a very very smooth shutter and mirror operation, in this aspect VASTLY superior to the contemporary and comparable Nikons (EM, FG, FG20, FE, and FM).

The "shutter squeak" syndrome is the mirror governor going out of lubrication. There are easy DIY ways to solve it. I can solve that issue in about 10 minutes.

The electronics on the A-series camera are very reliable, in particular the later cameras (AE-1P, AV-1, AL-1), i dare to say they're very resilient, tough electronics. When these cameras fail, it's not really the electronics themselves but other issues like corroded contacts and;:

- The AT-1 and AE-1 use a tungsten wire that couples the shutter speed dial to the rest of the camera. When this breaks, the meter is rendered useless. It isn't easy to repair (been there done that) unless you have a spare. Be gentle when turning that dial!

The battery doors on all those cameras save perhaps the AV-1, might break easily, if not broken already.

The focusing screen was updated to a bright Laser Matte screen midway through the life of the A-1 cameras. The AE-1 Program cameras have this screen by default (as do the T70/90 and F-1 New). It is really bright, here it's also better than the contemporary Nikons (which I've owned as well).

The display of the Canon A-1 is perhaps the most comfortable display ever designed. Beautiful and easy on the eyes.

 

[AgX]

The "shutter squeak" syndrome is the mirror governor going out of lubrication. There are easy DIY ways to solve it. I can solve that issue in about 10 minutes.

One of our fellows at Apug is a Canon camera technician from back then and he tells a different story concerning squeak repair without deep disassembly.

 

[miha]

AgX, I found theses videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=canon+a-1+squeak helpful enough to to be able to successfully fix my A-1 with a syringe needle and a drop of this oil: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maintenance-Corrosion-Inhibitor-Protection-Shooting/dp/B076CS532W By successfully I mean it was fixed early spring and up to this day and several dozens of rolls the camera is still fine with no "side effects".

 

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

I just want to add a caveat with respect to Canon EF Black Beauty. While it's a great camera to use, its inbuilt meter might not be reliable. It isn't in the two bodies I own and use but I almost always prefer external meter with all film cameras. The faulty meter of the camera didn't bother me at all.

 

[Laurent]

I think the T-90 has an electronic shutter. If you want a purely mechanical camera, a Canon FT-B is a good choice. It has Quickload to boot!

The T90 is a wonder, may be the best SLR I ever had. The EOS3 was on par with it, but for 2 or 3 times the weight (OK, it had an autofocus capability) BUT the shutter is prone to failure. Mine is stuck again, and only serves as a paper-weight

 

[RLangham]

Too many battery door problems on this list. I will say that every T-series I've ever seen had a broken battery door, and honestly that was the thing that bothered me the least about the T-70 and T-50. I just can't stand an SLR without DOF preview.

The A-series are all quite usable. I learned the basics of photography on an AE-1 Program and later an AE-1. I outgrew them to some extent (I prefer aperture priority to shutter speed priority and I prefer center-the-needle manual to either.)
Honestly I would go with FTbn or EF, both of which I have nearly bought at different points. If automatic exposure is a necessity my mind goes next to A-1... I don't like a lot of things about it (the fact that you set the aperture on the top dial, the Canon latching DOF slider, the battery it takes and the fact that it has no mechanical backup) but it is a remarkably full-featured camera for something that wasn't even really a professional model.

 

[AgX]

Even the T90 has battery compartment lock issues. At my sample recently the locking lever came off at normal operation. The counter-ring at the inside has broken off. A flimsy design once you have the chance to look at it. And a difficult repair.

The only A or T series model, where I did not come across at least one sample with broken battery chamber lock, is the T70. And I got many in hand much more than any other model.

But this should not deter one. With several models it is an easy repair.Or even could be prevented from the start by modification.
And with the A-1/AE-1 a patch of matte black textile tape is hardly visible and works perfect. And that battery goes a long way. No need to open that compartment for a long time.

 

[RLangham]

Even the T90 has battery compartment lock issues. At my sample recently the locking lever came off at normal operation. The counter-ring at the inside has broken off. A flimsy design once you have the chance to look at it. And a difficult repair.

The only A or T series model, where I did not come across at least one sample with broken battery chamber lock, is the T70. And I got many in hand much more than any other model.

But this should not deter one. With several models it is an easy repair.Or even could be prevented from the start by modification.
And with the A-1/AE-1 a patch of matte black textile tape is hardly visible and works perfect. And that battery goes a long way. No need to open that compartment for a long time.

I actually bought a T70 to sell and then had the battery door be so ready to break that it did so when I first loaded batteries in it to test it. Barely broke even on the lenses, the body is somewhere around.

 

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

I actually bought a T70 to sell and then had the battery door be so ready to break that it did so when I first loaded batteries in it to test it. Barely broke even on the lenses, the body is somewhere around.

I too have a T70 whose battery door broke right when I picked up the camera from the shelf after three years to shoot. I thought of looking for another T70 body but instead bought my second Canon EF Black Beauty. No regrets.

 

[BobD]

One of the worst battery doors of all time is on the Canon AL-1. If you find one without a broken latch, it's a miracle.

 

[RLangham]

One of the worst battery doors of all time is on the Canon AL-1. If you find one without a broken latch, it's a miracle.

That was the one with focus assist? How does it load? I always assumed it was through the bottom like on of the T-series. Didn't it take two AA's?

 

[BobD]

That was the one with focus assist? How does it load? I always assumed it was through the bottom like on of the T-series. Didn't it take two AA's?

Yes, 2 AA's loaded through a door on the bottom. The door's latch was thin plastic that easily broke and many owners would tape the door shut or mount a motor drive just to keep it closed. It's not too much work to replace the door if you can find the part. They were once easily found. I haven't checked lately. The trouble is that the new latch will soon break too.

 

[AgX]

Either use tape or build a new, stronger latch. Going the spares way does not make much sense.

 

[flavio81]

One of our fellows at Apug is a Canon camera technician from back then and he tells a different story concerning squeak repair without deep disassembly.

And I'm a Canon owner who has practiced the easy quick and dirty way on his A-1 mirror governor, about 12 or 14 years ago (i think it was year 2005), and the camera just started having the squeak again this year. Everything else still working perfectly.

 

[flavio81]

I just want to add a caveat with respect to Canon EF Black Beauty. While it's a great camera to use.

And i'd disagree there, honestly. I hated the combination of shutter lock and power button in the same place. It made for an awful experience and I sold it. And if you keep it ON all the time, battery will last little.

 

[AgX]

I don't get your point. I prefer cameras that do not necessitate to switch them on/off. But there are several models that got such switch.
And once there is such switch, I do not see a disadvantage on combing it with a mechanical shutter lock, to avoid also plain mechanical shutrer action.
I guess you want mechanical operation without the meter draining the battery. and then thus want both locks to be operated indivual.

 

[Auer]

I don't get your point. I prefer cameras that do not necessitate to switch them on/off. But there are several models that got such switch.
And once there is such switch, I do not see a disadvantage on combing it with a mechanical shutter lock, to avoid also plain mechanical shutrer action.
I guess you want mechanical operation without the meter draining the battery. and then thus want both locks to be operated indivual.

I find the Nikon FE switch on the film advance lever to be brilliant, and the FT that is "always on" is great as well.

 

[flavio81]

I don't get your point. I prefer cameras that do not necessitate to switch them on/off. But there are several models that got such switch.
And once there is such switch, I do not see a disadvantage on combing it with a mechanical shutter lock, to avoid also plain mechanical shutrer action.
I guess you want mechanical operation without the meter draining the battery. and then thus want both locks to be operated indivual.

Then you haven't used a Pentax MX for example, or (haven't you?!) a Canon AE-1.

The shutter is not locked yet the camera is powered off. Only with a soft touch of the shutter release, the circuit is powered on.

The Nikkormat EL had the same flaw as the Canon EF, if I recall correcty: the lock is coupled with the power switch. So, if you want to leave the camera in "unlocked" state, the battery will drain. If i remember correctly, the Nikon FE2 solves this problem by using the "soft touch" way. The Canon New F-1 also works in this way.