Traveling With Canons

dynachrome · Jul 5, 2021

I'm at the Jersey Shore this week and using two Canons. The first is a New F-1 with the plain Finder FN. The second is an FTb. When I loaded the F-1 I forgot that if the lever is not folded back, the rewind crank does not rotate when the film is advanced. I must have known this but figured it out. I shot one 36 exp. roll of Colorplus 200 today. The FTb is an odd one. Why? The date code in the film chamber shows that it was made in October of 1971, almost 50 years ago. According to my repairman, a previous owner or repair person repaired a cracked mirror box assembly with epoxy of some kind. The result is that the depth of field preview and mirror lock-up do not work but the camera is fine otherwise. I will try it for the first time tomorrow. Which lenses did I bring? A Canon New FD 28-85/4, a Canon 200mm f/4 FS SSC, a Canon New FD 100/4 macro and a Panagor 55/2.8 macro. I used all four today. I can't remember the last time I brought only four lenses. I thought about bringing the 80-2004L instead of the 200 but I couldn't be bothered to find an F-1 body with a D screen. The one I brought has the plain AE screen. I often find it easier and faster to make exposure adjustments with the Finder FN than with the AE Finder and the exposure compensation dial. Have I seen anyone else having these cameras here so far? No.

Huss · Jul 5, 2021

Looking forward to seeing your photos.

AgX · Jul 6, 2021

dynachrome said:
When I loaded the F-1 I forgot that if the lever is not folded back, the rewind crank does not rotate when the film is advanced.

How can the position of the lever affect turning of a rewind button?

benjiboy · Jul 6, 2021

dynachrome said:
I'm at the Jersey Shore this week and using two Canons. The first is a New F-1 with the plain Finder FN. The second is an FTb. When I loaded the F-1 I forgot that if the lever is not folded back, the rewind crank does not rotate when the film is advanced. I must have known this but figured it out. I shot one 36 exp. roll of Colorplus 200 today. The FTb is an odd one. Why? The date code in the film chamber shows that it was made in October of 1971, almost 50 years ago. According to my repairman, a previous owner or repair person repaired a cracked mirror box assembly with epoxy of some kind. The result is that the depth of field preview and mirror lock-up do not work but the camera is fine otherwise. I will try it for the first time tomorrow. Which lenses did I bring? A Canon New FD 28-85/4, a Canon 200mm f/4 FS SSC, a Canon New FD 100/4 macro and a Panagor 55/2.8 macro. I used all four today. I can't remember the last time I brought only four lenses. I thought about bringing the 80-2004L instead of the 200 but I couldn't be bothered to find an F-1 body with a D screen. The one I brought has the plain AE screen. I often find it easier and faster to make exposure adjustments with the Finder FN than with the AE Finder and the exposure compensation dial. Have I seen anyone else having these cameras here so far? No.

I have three Canon New F1s, and I have both Eye level Finder FN and AE Finder FN and I don't understand why you find it easier to adjust exposure with the eye level prism, because you can use the AE prism in manual mode and get the same result as with the eye level one.

dynachrome · Jul 6, 2021

It's true that the AE finder can be used in manual mode but when that finder is attached, I am tempted to use the camera in aperture priority mode or with a winder or motor in shutter priority mode. In either case, there is no easy to use exposure lock button. The two situations in which this would be most useful are with backlighting or when shooting a light colored subject. My Konica Autoreflex T2 of 1971 allowed me to lock the exposure by partially depressing the shutter button. My Minolta X-700 of 1981 has a button I can pull down with my middle finger to lock the exposure before I press the shutter button with my index finger.

benjiboy · Jul 6, 2021

I am aware that the New F1 doesn't have an exposure lock but it was designed as a professional camera that assumed that user would either change the focusing screen to a spot screen in backlight ,use exposure compensation, or in manual exposure compensate with the indicator needle.
P.S. Canon New F1s also don't have mirror lock because Canon said their ballbearing Titanium shutter is so smooth it's unnecessary.

dynachrome · Jul 6, 2021

A few more things - I see that I didn't quite finish the roll of Colorplus 200 in the New F-1. I'm at frame 32. With the rewind lever down, the knob spins freely clockwise. As soon as I fold out the lever I feel resistance if I try to turn it clockwise. If I were at home I would just compare it to another New F-1. I have more of these than ant one person needs but I am still learning their quirks.

Mackinaw · Jul 6, 2021

dynachrome said:
.....According to my repairman, a previous owner or repair person repaired a cracked mirror box assembly with epoxy of some kind. .......

I know you can't answer this question, but how in the hell do you crack a mirror box?

Jim B.

benjiboy · Jul 6, 2021

dynachrome said:
A few more things - I see that I didn't quite finish the roll of Colorplus 200 in the New F-1. I'm at frame 32. With the rewind lever down, the knob spins freely clockwise. As soon as I fold out the lever I feel resistance if I try to turn it clockwise. If I were at home I would just compare it to another New F-1. I have more of these than ant one person needs but I am still learning their quirks.
Are you sure you have pressed down and turned the film clutch release button that's near the shutter release ?.

Huss · Jul 6, 2021

benjiboy said:
I am aware that the New F1 doesn't have an exposure lock but it was designed as a professional camera that assumed that user would either change the focusing screen to a spot screen in backlight ,use exposure compensation, or in manual exposure compensate with the indicator needle.
P.S. Canon New F1s also don't have mirror lock because Canon said their ballbearing Titanium shutter is so smooth it's unnecessary.

A professional in the field when encountered with a back lit shot was expected to swap out focusing screens?

benjiboy · Jul 6, 2021

Huss said:
A professional in the field when encountered with a backlit shot was expected to swap out focusing screens?

Yes in the New F1 the metering patterns were determined by if the user used either an A ( average center weighed ) screen, a P (partial), or an S (spot) screen there were 32 different ones available to optimize the viewing for different types of lenses. The screens are very quick and easy to change you just press the two buttons on the side of the prism and slide it off.
https://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/canonf1n/metering/screens/allscreens.htm

benjiboy · Jul 6, 2021

dynachrome said:
A few more things - I see that I didn't quite finish the roll of Colorplus 200 in the New F-1. I'm at frame 32. With the rewind lever down, the knob spins freely clockwise. As soon as I fold out the lever I feel resistance if I try to turn it clockwise. If I were at home I would just compare it to another New F-1. I have more of these than ant one person needs but I am still learning their quirks.

Are you sure you pressed and turned the rewind clutch release until it stayed down, that's near the shutter release that has an " R" on it ?.

dynachrome · Jul 6, 2021

I just looked at the box and I see it's ColorPlus. I had the FTb with me at the pancake house this morning. I turned on the meter and pointed it at a window. The needle did not move. I knew the battery was fresh so I took it out and rubbed both sides with a paper napkin. That did the trick. I did not press the release button in the New F-1 yet because the roll in the camera is not finished yet.

I have many screens for the F-1/n cameras but not as many for the New F-1. Apart from the standard AE screen which came with the cameras I have two AD screens and a PE. With experience, good exposures can be made with any meter type or pattern. In 1981 when the New F-1 came out, matrix type metering was not yet available and more slide film was used so experience was useful.

flavio81 · Jul 6, 2021

AgX said:
How can the position of the lever affect turning of a rewind button?

The F-1 New has a clutch so the motorized rewind won't make the rewind lever spin and (potentially) hurt you or tangle with something.

However i'm not sure it depends on the position of the rewind lever, to be honest.

CMoore · Jul 6, 2021

flavio81 said:
The F-1 New has a clutch so the motorized rewind won't make the rewind lever spin and (potentially) hurt you or tangle with something.

However i'm not sure it depends on the position of the rewind lever, to be honest.

I know the lever must be in the Up Position to rewind, my other SLR will take up slack just by turning the knob with the lever down...... i did not realize the film would not advance with the lever up.
I have never tried it.

flavio81 · Jul 6, 2021

CMoore said:
I know the lever must be in the Up Position to rewind, my other SLR will take up slack just by turning the knob with the lever down...... i did not realize the film would not advance with the lever up.
I have never tried it.

The rewind knob will be only loosely coupled to the cartridge when advancing film. When manually rewinding film, it will couple completely, as it should be. I don't know if this behavior depends on the position of the wind lever.

I have a F-1New by my side but it's loaded with film, so ... UPDATE: yes, it depends on the position of the wind lever!!!

flavio81 · Jul 6, 2021

It has been long since i traveled anywhere...

Last trips I remember were to:

Cajamarca (Peru) with two Canon New F-1 cameras and Provia 100F. I got really stunning slides. Lenses 28/2.8 FDn, 35/3.5 FDSC, 50/1.8 FDn.

Bogotá (Colombia) with a Nikon F3 and Nikon F2, Acros 100

Santiago (Chile) with Nikon F3 and can't remember which backup camera. I always backup the F3 because I know from experience the meter can die suddenly!!. All Acros 100, no color. I took pictures of all the graffitis left by the well-known metro protests.

Lunahuana (Peru) with Canon F-1 classic and Acros 100

Next time i'll probably use the Pentax MX and ME, for a weight saving.

benjiboy · Jul 9, 2021

True Flavio, Canon F1s are heavy cameras, due to advancing age I can no longer carry two bodies.

Traveling With Canons

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