A Stroll With A Roll: The Canon FTQL

The Canon FTQL was introduced in March 1966 and remained in production until March 1972.  In 1971, Canon introduced the FTbQL and the F-1 to replace the FTQL.  In 1971, a Canon FTQL with the standard 50mm 1:1.8 kit lens had a MSRP of $269.50 (equivalent to $1,763.76 in 2021).  Other kit lenses offered were the 50mm 1:1.4 and the 58mm 1:1.2.  An option to only purchase the body was offered later. These days, you can pick up a pretty clean working example for less than $100. 

During the production run of the Canon FT QL, there were only minor changes made, most of them cosmetic.  One of the changes was the addition of a coin slot on the battery cover on later models.  The example I have does not have the coin slot, indicating it’s one of the earlier models.

The Canon FTQL features a Canon FL lens mount (introduced in April 1964 on the Canon FX camera and replaced by the FD mount in 1971) allowing you to choose from quite a large array of FL lenses.  The FTQL can also accommodate Canon FD lenses, introduced after the FL lenses.  FD lenses can be operated in stop-down mode on the Canon FL mount.  Canon FL lenses can be used on FD mount cameras. 

Release the film back lock, located on the bottom left of the camera, to open the camera’s film back.  Upon doing so, you’ll see where “QL” portion of the camera’s name comes from.  The “QL” refers to the “Quick Load” system, a stainless steel sprung hinged mechanism integrated into the film back that’s designed to make loading the film into the camera easier as well as (you guessed it) quicker! 

Just pull up on the film rewind lever to pull out the rewind spool, pop in a new cartridge of your favorite 35mm film, return the film rewind spool to its original position, pull enough film from the cartridge to reach the red indicator, then simply close and lock the film back.  You’re done!  The camera will do the rest for you.  The Quick Load mechanism holds the film against the film advance teeth while you advance the film to the first frame.  Fire the shutter and advance the film again, and you’re all set to create your next masterpiece.  As long as you remember to pull the film out to the red indicator when loading, you won’t have to worry about “shooting blanks” all day and not knowing something is amiss until the film advance lever keeps advancing even though the frame counter has climbed much higher than it should have given the film loaded into the camera.  We’ve all been there (some of us more than once) and it’s never a good time.  Frankly, I wish other manufacturers would have implemented similar features on all manual 35mm cameras.  While my beloved Minolta X-370 is one of my favorite cameras the shoot, I’ve missed many shots because I failed to ensure the film was securely attached to the take-up spool after loading the camera.  Still, even with the Quick Load system, it’s always a good idea to give the film rewind lever a tug to ensure the film caught the take-up spook and to take up any slack after loading.  It’s just a good habit to get into.  The Canon FT QL does not have a window in the film back allowing you to confirm there’s actually film in the camera.  The only thing worse than spending hours shooting a camera where the film isn’t advancing is spending hours shooting a camera NOT loaded with film.  Don’t ask me how I know.  Just trust me on this one. 

There’s not holder on the back of the film camera to hold the tab from the film box.  As a reminder of what I put in the camera (since I frequently load a camera with film, but don’t always finish the roll in out outing), I place a piece of painter’s tape on the bottom of the camera and record the film that’s inside.  This can be removed later and leaves no sticky residue on the bottom plate.  I’ve also found that, when placed around the tripod socket, this tape provides a protective barrier to prevent scratches on the bottom of the camera when putting it on a tripod.

Frame counter counts up and resets when the camera back is opened.  As I’m one of those people to forget the reset the film counter when it doesn’t reset automatically, I appreciate this feature.

The film speed can be set from ISO 25 to 2000.  To change the ISO, gently lift and turn the shutter speed dial housing.  It was a good thing I had my reading glasses handy, as they were necessary to set the ISO.  And don’t think you’re going to get any fancy DX code reading from this camera.  DX encoded 35mm film cartridges wouldn’t come into use until nearly 20 years after production of this camera ceased.  But that also means you don’t have to worry about having to trick the camera into shooting film at a speed different than the one indicated on the film canister. 

The battery compartment is located on the right edge of the camera and is access by turning a knurled cap counterclockwise.  The FTQL takes a single 1.35 volt 625-type mercury cell battery.  Normally I’d use a WeinCell MRB625 battery as a replacement.  As I was currently out, I used an Energizer 1.5-volt 357 battery along with a brass adapter I found on EBay.  The film I was shooting had enough latitude that the photos turned out just fine.  Still, this was a reminder to place an order for more WeinCell MRB625 batteries, which I did while the film was drying.  At the base of the film rewind crank, there’s a small spring-loaded lever next to an arrow pointing to the letter “C”.  Push this lever towards the “C” activates the battery check.  Look through the viewfinder to see the results of the check.  A strong battery will send the exposure meter needle to the top of the viewfinder.  While the camera can be operated without a battery, having a working meter is always a plus, and I was thrilled the meter in this camera still worked.

The shutter is a cloth focal plane shutter and has speeds from 1 sec to 1/1000 and B.  A flash can be mounted to the cameras’ cold shoe and connected to the PC Sync port located on the front of the camera.  The sync. speed is 1/60 and any speed below. Flash sync can also be selected by turning the shutter speed dial to “X”.  The shutter speed at “X” is 1/60th of a second.

The FTQL comes with a self-timer, actuated by the lever on the front of the camera.  Turn the lever to the 6 O’clock position to set the timer.  Push the shutter button to start the time.  You’ll then have about 8-10 seconds to get into position or make final preparations on your subject before the shutter will fire. The shutter button can be locked by turning the collar around the shutter button to the “L” position.  To fire the shutter, the lock collar must be in the “A” position.  A shutter release cable can be threaded into the shutter button.  Even with the lock collar in the “L” position, the shutter will fire by using the shutter release cable. 

The self-timer lever also serves another purpose.  Pushing it towards the lens activates the exposure meter for stopped down metering.  A small toggle beneath the self-timer lever can be moved from “L” (Locked) to “A” (Automatic).  The FTQL communicates the center-weighted meter reading via a needle in the viewfinder.  Aligning the needle with the circle indicates proper exposure.  The meter reads only from an area of about 12% of what is visible in the viewfinder.  The area being read is in the center and is indicated by an area with a slightly grayed rectangle, allowing the user to determine what is being read by the meter, ensure the reading it being taken from the desired portion of the scene.  I found this really helpful when dialing in the exposure. The manual states that when “B” or “X” are selected, the needle will point to the top of the viewfinder and will indicate proper exposure cannot be obtained.   I didn’t find this to be the case.

A small lever to the right of the lens mount raises and locks the mirror.  Locking up the mirror reduces vibration.  It’s also necessary to lock up the mirror when using special FL lenses.  The original 19mm 1:3.5 wide angle is one example.  This lens protrudes into the body deep enough to interfere with the mirror.

The film I chose to test the camera with was Kodak Tri-X Pan 400.  I bought 6 rolls of this film on EBay.  I plan to use this film for the first six months of the Frugal Film Project, and you can’t get much more frugal than expired film.  The seller did not know when the film expired or how it had been stored, so shooting it really was a crap shoot.  I decided to shoot the film at box speed and told myself I’d just have to do another test using fresh film if this roll did not turn out, as I’d really have no idea if the film or the camera was at fault. 

Luckily, the entire roll turned out great.  I shot this roll over the course of an hour, sharing the frames between indoor and outdoor subjects (mostly indoor, because…well…it was cold and raining – almost snowing – and I’m an indoor dog).  Shooting ISO 400 film indoors without a flash on an overcast day meant shooting most of the shots nearly wide open, which gave me a chance to see what kind of bokeh this lens would produce. 

So, how did I like shooting the Canon FTQL?  Well, it definitely did not disappoint!  While it’s not the lightest camera, it feels good in the hands.  It’s easy to hold and is reasonably balanced.  And I’m one of those photographers who prefer a camera with a little bit of heft to it.  I find a little weight helps me to hold the camera a little steadier while photographing.  The viewfinder was bright and clear, and not cluttered with a lot of flashing lights or an overload of information.  The metering indication patch, that gray rectangle indicating what part of the scene is being evaluation when calculating the exposure, wasn’t distracting in the least.  I would prefer a split prism focusing spot as opposed to the microprism spot, but as the focusing screens are not removable/interchangeable, it’s something I’ll just have to live with.  I feel as though I only missed focus on a couple of frames from the first roll, so it’s just going to be something I’ll have to get used to. 

Will I be shooting this camera again?  You bet!  I originally purchased this camera with the intention of trying it out, then passing it on to another photographer.  But to be honest, I’m so impressed with the images that it just might have earned a spot in my permanent collection.  Only the future knows for sure.  All I can confidently tell you for sure is that I recommend you give it a try should you come across one at a decent price. 

Happy shooting!!

A Stroll With A Roll (And A Half): My Take On Shooting the Nikon F

The camera of for this stroll was an easy choice.  Not only is it a beautiful camera, but it has a reputation of being quite the workhorse.  The Nikon F.  A good friend of mine, Chris Etzel, and I were discussing this camera recently and he suggested we should each put a roll of film through ours and share our thoughts on what it’s like to shoot this classic beauty.  You can see what Chris has to say about it here.  

The Nikon F is an iconic camera and one I’ve been wanting to add to my collection for quite a while. A little over a year ago, I was lucky enough to get a great deal on a clean 1966 model with a working Photomic meter. Just two days ago, I picked up another. This one is an even cleaner 1969 model with a working ftn meter.  But before we look at the results from my shoot, let’s take a closer look at the camera.

The Nikon F was produced from 1959-1973 and was Nikon’s first SLR camera and was the weapon of choice for many of the professional photographers of that time.  It has interchangeable focusing screens, allowing the shooter to tailor the shooting experience to their preference.  It also has interchangeable prisms.  The camera itself is purely mechanical, meaning it does not require a battery to shoot.  The only batteries needed are for the metered prisms, which can be used either on or off.  This means shooting is still possible even if the meter battery were to die. 

Film is loaded into the camera by removing the entire back covering of the camera.  This is done by turning a small lever on the bottom of the camera.  Once the film is loaded, the film speed is set by lifting and turning the small ring on the shutter speed dial.  Again, this is only necessary if the meter in the prism is going to be used. 

A step that might be missed by those new to the Nikon F is the film direction knob.  Turn it to “A” to shoot the camera and advance the film.  Turn it to “R”, and the film can now be rewound by turning the rewind knob on the top left of the camera.  Those unfamiliar with this might mistake a camera in working condition for a broken camera, and the film advance lever will not work correctly when this “R” is selected.  Embarrassingly enough, I learned this the hard way when I couldn’t figure out how to rewind the film once I completed my roll.  A quick search of the interwebs was all it took to make me realize I should have reviewed the camera manual before shooting my first roll. 

Changing lenses on the Nikon F is nothing new if you’re already familiar with the “Nikon Twist”.  If you’re like me and this is your first time shooting an older Nikon SLR, do yourself a favor and watch a few YouTube videos before attempting to change the lens.  It will save you a world of frustration.  I shot the images for this article using the Nikkor-S Auto 1:1.4 50mm lens, my favorite manual focus Nikon lens to date.

Once you hold a Nikon F, you understand why people say you can always use it as a weapon if it were to ever stop working.  It’s a hefty beast of a SLR.  I personally like this.  I’m not the steadiest of shooters and find the weight of the camera actually helps me out here.  I find it’s heavy enough to provide some stability without being so heavy that it’s a burden to hold. 

For my stroll, I chose the small town where I live, Franklin Ohio.  It’s a quiet little town with parts that appear as if time has forgotten them. It’s located on the Great Miami River in SW Ohio and was one of the canal towns.    

Franklin is full of beautiful old houses and interesting architecture.

The iron train bridge is a favorite subject of mine to shoot.

When modes of transportation evolve.

“Church”.

Canals and river travel heritage.

Main St.

Small town life.

I’ve recently started rolling my own 35mm film cardtridges from a 100’ bulk roll.  The first film I’ve tried is Kentmere 400.  The photos below were taken from this roll.

So how did I like shooting the Nikon F?  I loved it!  I love the solid all mechanical feel of the body. I’ve always used the metered prism when shooting the F, but would feel just as comfortable shooting it Sunny 16, and just having the ability to do so will make it a more frequent shooter for me. Nothing annoys me more than having a photography outing cut short because of a dead battery. You can bet this camera will be finding its way into my camera bag more often.

A Stroll With A Roll: Discovering The Yashica FR2

I own a lot of cameras.  It’s no secret.  I started collecting them about 15 years ago.  Most of them I’ve bought, but I have many that were given to me.  Ask anyone who shoots film these days; when people hear that you shoot film, you’ll often times get approached by someone who found or inherited a camera that they don’t know what to do with…and it becomes yours.  When this happens to me, I will gladly accept whatever photography related item someone needs to find a home for.  If it works, great.  If not, maybe it can be repaired or used for parts.  Either way, I’m happy to take it off of their hands and offer it a new place to call home, most times placing my new treasure on the shelf to evaluate more another day.

A couple of weeks ago, I was browsing the camera shelf.  I seem to do this every month or so.  I’ll look through the cameras to see if something catches my attention.  Not every camera on the shelves has been evaluated to see if it’s operational.  This time, while looking through the cameras, I picked up one I knew I’d never shot.  I couldn’t even recall testing it out.   I wound and fired the shutter.  It responded with a pleasing clack of the mirror.  I figured what the hell.  If the meter didn’t work, I could shoot it using “Sunny 16”.  This would be the next camera I’d shoot.

The lucky victim was a Yashica FR2 (the name on the front of the camera technically states “FR II”, but this looks as if it should be pronounced “free” or “fry”. which is weird, so for this article, I’ll refer to it as “FR2”).  I recalled seeing a recent Instagram post from a fellow film photographer that featured a Yashica FR1. This could have been the reason this camera caught my eye.  Either way, I grabbed the camera, a fresh battery and a new roll of film.

It didn’t take much to clean the camera up and get it ready for use.  I remember this camera being fairly clean when I got it almost 15 years ago.  A quick wipe and it was ready to load.  I was also pleasantly surprised when the meter responded to a new battery.  I was 2 for 2.  The Kodak Tri-X 400 loaded without incident.  In less than 15 minutes, this camera had gone from being a “shelf queen” to being loaded up and ready to shoot.  I wondered why I hadn’t shot this camera before and couldn’t come up with a good reason, but no matter.  It was ready to go now.

The Yashica FR2 was introduced in 1977 and remained in production until 1981.  It was based on the FR1, the main difference being the lack of the FR1’s manual control.  The FR2 is billed as a fully automatic camera, but is basically an aperture priority camera.  When not in the available Bulb or Flash modes, the FR2’s electronic shutter is controlled by the camera’s TTL metering system.  This made shooting easier for beginning photographers who did not want or need full manual control of the shutter.  As the aperture is adjusted, the shutter speed (available shutter speeds are between 4 seconds and 1/1000th of a second) chosen by the camera is displayed in the viewfinder, but only when activated.  The needle can be activated in two ways; a battery check push button on the top of the camera near the rewind lever or a slide button on the rear of the camera near the film advance lever.  Both are lockable with the film advance lever slightly cocked. These two options allowed the shooter to choose between using their left hand or the right hand respectively to activate the meter.  I personally preferred the slide button as it is larger than the push button and was easier to locate without taking my eye away from the viewfinder.  Requiring the meter to be manually activated also helps extend the camera’s 4LR44 battery.

Lenses are attached to the FR2 via the C/Y bayonet mount and could accept a variety of the Yashica/Contax lenses.  The lens on my camera is the Yashica Lens DSB 50mm f/1.9 lens.  The aperture has 6 blades with a minimum aperture of f/1.9 and a maximum aperture of f/16.  The lens has a minimum focusing distance of 0.5 meters (just under 20”) and has threads that will accept a 52mm filter.  The user manual also lists the following lenses as standard: Yashica Lens ML 50mm f/1.7, Yashica Lens ML 50mm f/1A, and the Yashica Lens ML 55mm f/1.2.  All of the Yashica lenses stated here have an automatic diaphragm.

The FR2’s self-timer is activated via a lever on the front of the camera.  When activated, the shutter will fire 7 seconds after the shutter button is pressed.  Speaking of the shutter button, it is described as a “feather-touch electromagnetic release” shutter button, and I did in fact agree with the “feather-touch” description.  If you tend to grip the camera tightly when shooting, prepare yourself now for some accidental fires.  There is also an auxiliary shutter release connection on the rear of the camera body next to the exposure check slide button  .

The ISO range for the FR2 goes from 12 to 3200 and is selected via the rotating dial beneath the film rewind lever.  The FR2 also has the following exposure compensations: ¼, ½, 1x, 2, and 4.

Other standard camera features also found on the FR2 are the camera strap lugs, tripod socket, and lens release button.

Now that all of the technical specifications are out of the way, how did the camera perform?  In one word: BEAUTIFULLY!  When I’m not shooting in full manual mode, I tend to gravitate towards aperture priority mode over any other available option, so I felt right at home shooting the FR2.  I found the f/1.9 lens to produce a pleasing bokeh wide open while still providing a crisp image on the subject in focus.  Closed down, I found the images to be fairly sharp and on par with comparable lenses from the same era.

The camera has a size and weight I found to be ergonomically pleasing.  Aesthetically, the FR2 has the classic sliver/black look that makes it easily recognizable as a 1970’s SLR.  In fact, it looks right at home sitting on the shelf next to my Minolta X-370, also from the late 1970’s

As stated earlier, I tested the camera using 400 speed Kodak Tri-X film.  This roll was then developed in Rodinal (1:100 dilution, 1 hour Stand Developing) then scanned on an Epson flatbed scanner. I did all of my shooting outdoors on a mostly sunny to full sun day, and did not find a shooting situation where the camera chose a shutter speed requiring a tripod, meaning the FR2 is a great walking around camera.  For my next roll, I may take advantage of the available hot shoe and try my hand at indoor flash photography to see how the FR2 fares in that environment.

My only problem with my particular camera was that the frame counter didn’t work.  This seems to be a common problem with this camera and is caused by a broken gear.  To be honest, the frame counter is one of those camera features I seldom pay attention to.   With my eyesight now requiring me to wear glasses while reading (which I never wear when I shoot), I typically can’t read the frame counter anyway.  And honestly, for a 40+ year old camera that was found on a thrift store shelf, I really can’t complain.

So, will I be shooting the Yashica FR2 again anytime in the near future?  You bet I will!  And if you come across one for sale for less than $40-$50, I suggest you do the same!