Canon Quick Load (QL)

[PhotoBob]

Does anyone know why Canon did not use its quick load film system on the A series cameras? I find it a great service on my FTb.

 

[AgX]

Good question.
Interesting in this context might be that Pentacon introduced their QL system with the Praktica Nova PL in 1967, took this over into and throughout the L-series, but not with their B-series which got a standard take-up spool, and the BX-series then got a take-up spool that cannot be twisted by hand but is multi-slotted.
The design thus going all ways...


But why...

 

[MattKing]

Cost?
I'm not sure it would have been compatible with motor winders.

 

[AgX]

Well, both the Canon A- and Praktica B/BX series got winders. But I do not see the connection, even if the winder, and not the transport lever, would be used for loading.

 

[Ariston]

I'm still trying to figure out what happened to the eye tracking focus. It was miraculous on my old Eos 3... better than any focus selection system from any camera at any price produced today.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

I'm still trying to figure out what happened to the eye tracking focus. It was miraculous on my old Eos 3... better than any focus selection system from any camera at any price produced today.

For some people, eye-focus works well. However, it apparently wasn't reliable enough for many people and that's why Canon discontinued it.

On my Elan 7NE, it will work well in daylight or bright light when I'm wearing glasses. In dim (interior) light, it is not reliable with glasses. If I remove my glasses, it surprisingly works well.

Many glass wearers had problems with the feature. I think some people didn't want to go through the calibration steps also.

 

[MattKing]

Well, both the Canon A- and Praktica B/BX series got winders. But I do not see the connection, even if the winder, and not the transport lever, would be used for loading.

I'm suggesting that the winders may have been incompatible with a QL system, so if they wanted to offer a winder as an accessory, they had to remove the QL system.

I'm still trying to figure out what happened to the eye tracking focus. It was miraculous on my old Eos 3... better than any focus selection system from any camera at any price produced today.

It was a retailer's nightmare. It worked for some people, and didn't work for others, and it was usually impossible to tell until after the customer had purchased and used the camera.
So too many sales resulted in either a return or an unhappy customer.

 

[AgX]

I'm suggesting that the winders may have been incompatible with a QL system, so if they wanted to offer a winder as an accessory, they had to remove the QL system.

Yes, I understood that, but I do not see the technical link or rather incompatibility between a/the QL system and the use of a winder

It was a retailer's nightmare. It worked for some people, and didn't work for others, and it was usually impossible to tell until after the customer had purchased and used the camera.
So too many sales resulted in either a return or an unhappy customer.

Interesting. First time I hear such.

 

[cooltouch]

Far as I know, Canon installed the QL feature on the FT, FTb, and the QL 17. None of which had winders or motor drives. I've used FTbs for a lot of years and have never had a problem using the QL system, but I don't see why it would be a problem with a motor driven camera. True, the F-1, which was contemporary to the FTb and which accepts both a winder and a motor, doesn't have the QL feature, so perhaps there's something to that. All A-series will take at least the Winder, won't they? So that might be why they didn't get it. I suspect it was also a matter of cost as well. Come to think of it, the Canon EF, which was also contemporary to the FTb, and which didn't take any motordriven accessory, didn't have the QL feature either. Wonder why not.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

Canon, among others, likes to experiment with how features are accepted in the market. Usually new features are introduced in a subset of a manufacturer's product line and even then it's usually done on entry level or amateur models rather than professional ones.

Only after the feature proves successful would it likely be introduced across the whole product line.

But as for QL, I can't imagine why it couldn't've been in all models. Likewise for the "advance to frame 1 without tripping the shutter" feature of the Canon EF and QL17 GIII.

 

[AgX]

As indicated Pentacon kept to their system for 12 years, then with adding a new model the quick loading feature was not taken over, but remained at the old model.

 

[John Koehrer]

Did the QL thingy have a section that opened with the back door?
That would be reason to not use it on a camera with a removable back.

 

[AgX]

But not all A-series cameras had a removable back...

 

[vlasta]

Maybe the great portion of standard back is same on all A cameras ?
Much as possible standardization of parts?

 

[cooltouch]

John, you might be onto something. But, the EF, a contemporary to the FTb, doesn't have a removable back, and it didn't get the QL feature. Too upscale, in answer to Theo's comment?