CANON T90 - - - Although old, who recommends buying one.???

cooltouch · Jun 11, 2011

benjiboy said:
. . . although they only made the T90 for around one year in 1986 . . .

I don't believe this is correct. Many people confuse the introduction of the EOS system with the discontinuation of all things FD, when actually there was an overlap. My data indicates that the T90 was manufactured from 1986 to 1990, possibly 1991. The Canon Camera Museum shows a brochure for the T90 with a 1990 date on it . . .

I can tell you this for certain because I remember it happening -- when Canon announced the discontinuation of the T90 in 1991, dealers' stocks were sold out in just a few days time.

cooltouch · Jun 11, 2011

MattKing said:
One small point:

On APUG, referring to a T90 as "old" may confuse some of the regular contributors.

Boy howdy. I still can't help but think of the T90 as being new and hi-tech. When it comes to Canon FD, I'm definitely old school. Old F-1s and FTbs here. But I'll admit to being attracted to it in a way that doesn't seem to be terribly rational.

2F/2F · Jun 11, 2011

I like T90's a lot. They feel solid and "luxurious." I have almost bought one on several occasions. But I always decided not to, as the only "extra" feature I would appreciate over my F-1's and FTbs would be the automatic film advance, and maybe the higher flash synch speed from time to time. The metering stuff is great for someone who relies on their in-camera meter, but I almost never do. For what I shoot with 35mm, the T90 really offers nothing over my other FD cameras. If I shot a lot with flash on 35mm, and used automatic modes, I would definitely use one.

benjiboy · Jun 11, 2011

cooltouch said:
I don't believe this is correct. Many people confuse the introduction of the EOS system with the discontinuation of all things FD, when actually there was an overlap. My data indicates that the T90 was manufactured from 1986 to 1990, possibly 1991. The Canon Camera Museum shows a brochure for the T90 with a 1990 date on it . . .

I can tell you this for certain because I remember it happening -- when Canon announced the discontinuation of the T90 in 1991, dealers' stocks were sold out in just a few days time.

I've never seen one with anything other than the code for 1986 in the film chamber of a T90 and this bears this out http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/canont90/index.htm and says "it had barely a year to survive"

pityacka · Jun 11, 2011

Well thank you all for those very useful tips, observations,and recommendations. It certainly looks like a camera to acquire, and I will be searching for a good one. I missed one on ebay (UK) on Thursday of this week, T90+50mm/1.4 lens. It went for £98-00. I had to go out for 30 mins and when I got back the auction was down to the last 9 mins. I'd lost my train of thought through being out, but if I'd had an extra 10 mins. back in front of the screen, I think I would have gone higher with my bid, especially due to the 50mm f1.4 lens.
I have also found details of a person here in the UK who was Canon trained, and does repairs on the T90. It looks like in order to keep myself happy, I will have to get the T90 as soon as possible.

cooltouch · Jun 11, 2011

benjiboy said:
I've never seen one with anything other than the code for 1986 in the film chamber of a T90 and this bears this out http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/canont90/index.htm and says "it had barely a year to survive"

Mir is a good source for many things FD. To their credit, they have amassed a great deal of data on the subject, but that does not make them the definitive source. In fact, when I did a google search on the subject, I got a bunch of hits that had the exact same wording as Mir's site. So obviously this little assumption is being circulating without anyone bothering to check factuality, since nobody is citing a source. As for your seeing only 1986 date codes, that is anecdotal information and cannot be construed to be a cumulative answer on the subject. It also does not explain why Canon would print a brochure on the T90 in 1990. What, do you think Canon had the reserve manufacturing capacity to manufacture a four-year supply for a top-selling camera?

I used to be a camera dealer back in the late 80s through the mid-90s. I bought and sold used photo equipment. One of the hottest cameras a dealer could get his hands on was a clean T90. They sold like wildfire. By that time the EOS 650 was already being regarded as obsolete and wasn't terribly popular at the shows. So yes, even in the late 80s and early 90s, the T90 was still a good selling camera.

benjiboy · Jun 12, 2011

cooltouch said:
Mir is a good source for many things FD. To their credit, they have amassed a great deal of data on the subject, but that does not make them the definitive source. In fact, when I did a google search on the subject, I got a bunch of hits that had the exact same wording as Mir's site. So obviously this little assumption is being circulating without anyone bothering to check factuality, since nobody is citing a source. As for your seeing only 1986 date codes, that is anecdotal information and cannot be construed to be a cumulative answer on the subject. It also does not explain why Canon would print a brochure on the T90 in 1990. What, do you think Canon had the reserve manufacturing capacity to manufacture a four-year supply for a top-selling camera?

I used to be a camera dealer back in the late 80s through the mid-90s. I bought and sold used photo equipment. One of the hottest cameras a dealer could get his hands on was a clean T90. They sold like wildfire. By that time the EOS 650 was already being regarded as obsolete and wasn't terribly popular at the shows. So yes, even in the late 80s and early 90s, the T90 was still a good selling camera.

I used to be the manager of a big down town photography store for in the 80s and 90s and sold the T90 new, I spent twenty three years selling them when they were manufactured and second hand, I can only remember them being available from Canon new for a short period although I can't remember how long that was,but my experience bears out around a year.
I personally own three T90 bodys and have never seen one with anything other than the code letter "A" in the film chamber to denote 1986 manufacture.

pityacka · Jun 12, 2011

Well I have gone and done the deed, and bought a Canon T90 which also has the 50mm f1.8 lens with it. A working and well looked after specimen. It should be with me about mid-week. So the next step..... ? Yes, looking for some FD lenses to keep it happy. I gather that the FD prime lenses are the ones to acquire, but any recommendations re Canon FD zoom lenses would also be appreciated.
One factor which pushed me into buying was finding that there is a person here in the UK,(London) who specialises in Canon and T90 repairs, and has a large stock of parts and spare cameras. So if the sticky magnet problem/EEE fault crops up I can have it repaired. If anyone here in the UK is interested the person's email address is :lowej7@sky.com

David A. Goldfarb · Jun 12, 2011

The FD primes indeed are the ones to acquire, but if you need a zoom, the 35-105/3.5 constant aperture lens and 80-200/4L are the good ones. I've owned the Tamron SP 35-105/2.8 ASP and recommend that one as well.

cooltouch · Jun 12, 2011

Also, somewhat uncommon, and still pretty expensive when available is Canon's 50-300 f/4.5 L. I have a copy of the 35-105/3.5 and I agree it's an excellent zoom. For wider zooms you have to look to aftermarket. The older Vivitar Series 1 and Tamron SP lenses are excellent, as are many of Tokina's AT-X models. My favorite 28-short tele lens for many years has been the Vivitar S1 28-90mm f/2.8-3.5. FD mount ones can often be found for cheap on fleabay. Tamron's 28-80 is also excellent, as is their 35-80.

Don't wait too long on picking up good Canon FD primes, though. Mostly because of the advent of the micro4/3 mount and the Sony NEX, I'm thinking, the prices of the nice FD primes has been ramping up. There are some good FLs out there too, but you need to use them in stop-down mode on your T90.

Pumalite · Jun 12, 2011

Have 4. The magnets get greasy now and then and the computer goes bonkers. A little gasoline will do the trick

pityacka · Jun 13, 2011

Pumalite, What do you mean by "a little gasoline does the trick." ? I kow that the magnets stick, but are you suggesting that a little 'petrol'(UK term for gasoline) placed on the magnets will solve the problem ? If that is the case, please explain further with a diagram or instructions. Maybe we could all benefit, especially if it is a do it yourself job which we could all do, without damaging the camera.
Looking forward to your remedy.
Regards,
Fred.

cooltouch · Jun 14, 2011

Hrm . . if Pumalite is recommending gasoline (petrol) as a solvent, I'd say you should resist the temptation. Use lighter fluid (aka naphtha) instead. It's much less flammable. Naphtha is the solvent many repair techs use to unstick sticky mechanisms.

Pumalite · Jun 15, 2011

I will not get technical. Harry Muller is my technician. He told me so. All 4 are in excellent health.

KrankyKraut · Jun 18, 2011

I loved almost everything about mine. The viewfinder was especially good, making focusing very fast and easy. Ergonomically excellent, all around. There was one thing that made me sell it, though. It was loud. In fact, so loud that discreet street photography wasn't really possible without attracting attention. If that is not an issue for you, it's one of the greatest manual focus cameras.

benjiboy · Jun 19, 2011

KrankyKraut said:
I loved almost everything about mine. The viewfinder was especially good, making focusing very fast and easy. Ergonomically excellent, all around. There was one thing that made me sell it, though. It was loud. In fact, so loud that discreet street photography wasn't really possible without attracting attention. If that is not an issue for you, it's one of the greatest manual focus cameras.

I agree the T90 wouldn't be my first choice for shooting street and I tend to use other FD cameras that aren't motor driven, I find that that the T90 for a motor driven camera isn't exceptionally loud and in down town areas the ambient street noise is so loud that it's rarely a problem, and the mirror damping is so good it doesn't produce an excessive amount of vibration.

Jose LS Gil · Jun 20, 2011

T90 nice paperweight

I purchased a new T90 back in September of '87. I found the sales receipt recently $587 back in '87. Adjusted for inflation, that like a million dollars in today's dollars

The camera was a work horse. I used it mainly for shooting motorcycle races. I put 80 rolls of film thru it on one photo work week. It was an great design but if you don't use it, the shutter will go bad. I had the shutter replaced then the take up reel stopped working. Now it just goes EEEr.
On the other hand, my fully manual old F1 is still going strong. Well the meter died years ago. I am the original owner of both cameras, so I know their history well.
Between an older F1 and a T90, I would take the F1 hands down.

pityacka · Jun 20, 2011

My second lens for the T90 arrived this morning, - the 35-105mm. Looks as though it has never been used. Will give a try-out this afternoon, whilst the sun is shining. Looking forward to the results. Here in the UK, last night on ebay, a T90 with 6 Canon FD lenses went for about £90.00. Some bargain for the buyer.

Glenn Yee · Oct 12, 2014

Canon T90

If you are still wondering about the Canon T90... I shoot film and digital and realize there IS a difference; different tools for different jobs. I own and shoot transparencies with 6 functioning T90s. I don't change lenses to save wear and tear on the mount and lens; also, less likely to have debris entering from the front. The camera is unsurpassed in quality, ergonomics, and features. That being said, I do not use any of the metering functions and only shoot in full manual; found this more accurate after spending hundreds of hours in the studio. I religiously meter with a Minolta Flash Meter IV and a Color Meter II. You will not regret owning the best.

benjiboy · Oct 13, 2014

I've owned a T90 for about 20 years and it's always worked faultlessly but I have never trusted it, if I needed to come back with pictures not excuses and if my livelihood and that of my family depended on it I would rather use my New F1's.

tokam · Oct 14, 2014

I've owned my T90 from new since 1987. It was service by Canon Australia in 1999 and has had light use since as I'm enjoying
a Canon EF and an F1-N more these days.

My T90 often doesn't get used for several months at a time but I have not experienced any of the misbehaving shutter problems
or the dreaded EEEE display. Although it has no foam in the camera back, excepting the 'Judas' window that shows film type, my
biggest area of concern would be any internal foam that gets stuck on the shutter curtains. I have heard of this problem but I don't
know where the foam would come from. (Unless it is the foam surrounding the window on the camera back. Might have to preemptively
replace this foam).

I trust my T90 but I would be wary of buying one second-hand at this stage in it's life. It's the camera body I choose if I'm in the mood
for spot metering with 35mm, (F1-N with P screens give 12% partial metering pattern - nearly as useful), or I want TTL flash. I don't shoot
motor sports any more so the winder is irrelevant.

benjiboy · Oct 14, 2014

tokam said:
I've owned my T90 from new since 1987. It was service by Canon Australia in 1999 and has had light use since as I'm enjoying
a Canon EF and an F1-N more these days.

My T90 often doesn't get used for several months at a time but I have not experienced any of the misbehaving shutter problems
or the dreaded EEEE display. Although it has no foam in the camera back, excepting the 'Judas' window that shows film type, my
biggest area of concern would be any internal foam that gets stuck on the shutter curtains. I have heard of this problem but I don't
know where the foam would come from. (Unless it is the foam surrounding the window on the camera back. Might have to preemptively
replace this foam).

I trust my T90 but I would be wary of buying one second-hand at this stage in it's life. It's the camera body I choose if I'm in the mood
for spot metering with 35mm, (F1-N with P screens give 12% partial metering pattern - nearly as useful), or I want TTL flash. I don't shoot
motor sports any more so the winder is irrelevant.

In additionthe Canon focusing screen FN "S" spot screens for the New F1 have a 3° angle of view.

Kirks518 · Oct 14, 2014

And as a sidenote, the T90 was still a current camera in 1990. Popular Photography has it as one of the Top 40 cameras for 1990 in their December 1989 issue. However, it is not mentioned in the 1990 Best of for 1991 issue.

blockend · Oct 15, 2014

benjiboy said:
I've owned a T90 for about 20 years and it's always worked faultlessly but I have never trusted it, if I needed to come back with pictures not excuses and if my livelihood and that of my family depended on it I would rather use my New F1's.

In Japan the T90 was widely used by photojournalists, earning the name "the tank" and gaining a reputation for reliability. Most of its failures are caused by being not used, sometimes for decades.

benjiboy · Oct 15, 2014

blockend said:
In Japan the T90 was widely used by photojournalists, earning the name "the tank" and gaining a reputation for reliability. Most of its failures are caused by being not used, sometimes for decades.

The second and more serious problem concerns the shutter. The T90's shutter appears to develop a 'sticky' nature as the camera ages. It is prone to locking up, in which case the camera's LCD displays "EEE" and the message "HELP" appears in the viewfinder display. This is commonly called the "EEE syndrome" among users. The problem is most likely to crop up after the camera has been left unused for some time; thus, the best way to prevent it is regular use of the camera. It does not seem to cause inaccurate shutter speeds before failure. The problem can be corrected by a knowledgeable technician without replacing the shutter mechanism. It is reportedly caused by dirt on the shutter's magnets affecting their performance.
lower.
The second and more serious problem concerns the shutter. The T90's shutter appears to develop a 'sticky' nature as the camera ages. It is prone to locking up, in which case the camera's LCD displays "EEE" and the message "HELP" appears in the viewfinder display. This is commonly called the "EEE syndrome" among users. The problem is most likely to crop up after the camera has been left unused for some time; thus, the best way to prevent it is regular use of the camera. It does not seem to cause inaccurate shutter speeds before failure. The problem can be corrected by a knowledgeable technician without replacing the shutter mechanism. It is reportedly caused by dirt on the shutter's magnets affecting their performance.
When and if my T90 starts misbehaving it's going in the bin.

CANON T90 - - - Although old, who recommends buying one.???

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