The Canon FT QL

<p>I bought the FTQL (Quick Load) at a local auction, mainly because it had an f1.2 lens, and a nice ever ready case.<br /> The camera and lens were dirty but in good shape after a thorough clean and a bit of lubrication here and there. <br />It's a very solid feeling, heavy, fully mechanical piece of kit. The metering is stop down, activated by moving the lever on the front towards the lens. Moving the lever the other way starts the self timer, whilst the lower lever on the same shaft lock the lens in the stopped down position. <br /> The lever on the other side of the lens is for locking up the mirror</p><div></div>

<p>The top of the camera is pretty conventional, the lever around the rewind handle is the battery check. The lens mount is FL, the predecessor of FD, but the breech lock fitting is the same so it can be used on FD cameras. <br />It can operate as an automatic lens, or in preset mode by turning the second ring to stop down the aperture to the value preset on the first ring. I read somewhere that the f1.2 lenses were made for the Canon Pellix, which needed a high aperture lens to brighten up the viewfinder and make up for the light lost by the half silvered fixed mirror.</p><div></div>

<p>The Quick loading system is excellent but was probably expensive to make. <br />I've never really been sure the best way of engaging 35mm film with normal take up spools, they all seem to be different - the QL system gets rid of all that</p><div></div>

<p>Now a few B&W shots. I first a 1.5v battery and it seemed to give good exposures at home, but when I started to use it in the field the exposures were all over the place so I used a separate meter. Later I fitted the correct 1.35V battery and that seemed to be OK.</p><div></div>

<p>Another one.</p><div></div>

<p>Bullrushes. Most shots were done around F8/11, I did a few at f1.2 but nothing seemed sharp in them.</p><div></div>

<p>Another one - Town Hall Square fountain</p><div></div>

<p>In Leicester Market:</p><div></div>

<p>Last one for now - a shop front at Uttoxeter - thanks for looking.</p><div></div>

<p>One more thing - the lens has an eight bladed iris, which works perfectly, quite a feat of engineering for such a large aperture lens in my opinion. The out of focus areas are nice and smooth, as in the flowers shot, but I regret I didn't exploit this feature more.</p><div></div>

<p>Those images certainly confirm the quality of that era of Canon, <strong>John; </strong>fine pics of the camera, too. Nice find; that f1:1.2 lens is a highly sought-after commodity in my part of the world. I have a FT with the standard f1:1.8 lens, and it's certainly a chunky and well-made camera. The somewhat over-engineered QL system was adopted for a range of Canon cameras and seems to have been quite a selling point, but I've read elsewhere, as <em>you've</em> mentioned, that cost-cutting eventually saw it phased out. Praktica came up with a similar but much more practical solution ! The DOF with your lens wide open is tiny, which may have contributed to your lack of sharpness...Thanks for posting.</p>

<p>Very nice, John. The FT is such a nice, solid camera, an homage to the days of true top quality engineering and manufacturing. I hope you share more pics from it.</p>

<p>I have one chrome FT QL and one black one. The black one was my first Canon SLR camera. The 58/1.2 is not yet in my collection. I have the later 55/1.2 FL. My favorite of the FL standard lenses is the later 50/1.4 II. The f/1.2 lenses are often criticized for not being too sharp wide open. This is more true close up then at longer distances but there is so little depth of field you have to be very careful with focusing. The less exotic FL lenses are reasonably priced and perform well. My favorits FL lens must be the 135/2.5. I have a number of them. My other FL cameras are two TL QLs and an FX. </p>

<p>Nice work. The contrast and sharpness are outstanding. Great choice of subjects for showing off this camera/lens combo. Thanks for posting.</p>

<p>Beautiful shots. I lusted for a Canon during this era (C1970). A teacher allowed me to use his TL-QL in high school, and I was hooked. The TL was a stripped down, cheaper version of the FT.</p>

<p>Within a year I bought a brand new TL with the 50/F1.8. Don't knock the QL loading system, it allowed many a drunk to load their cameras.</p>

<p>Good Camera and nice pictures. Especially the urban scene and the windows. I used to have an FT in the early 70s. Solidly built. Thanks for the post. sp</p>

<p>Great photos, John. The town hall square photo is really nice. The f1.2 lens is really doing its job.</p>

<p>I picked up a FTb about a year ago. It looks almost the same as the FT and I really enjoy using it.</p>

<p>Congratulations John, it's nice to see the camera and lens being used. You obviously have a keen eye, my favourite shot is the fountain, outstanding. </p>

<p>Excellent find, John. The camera and lens look nice. I also like the QL system, and I always thought the FTb QL was a bargain of a camera.</p>

<p>The lens is quite a find, and to get a nice FT too is icing on the cake.</p>

<p>I'm envious, and I love the pictures.</p>

<p>The Praktica solution to the QL idea <em>is</em> truly amazing and very simple, BTW</p>

<p>Thanks for the comments, which are as always much appreciated. Yes the shots I did at F1.2 were close ups and nothing is sharp - I'm ashamed to post them actually. I hardly dare tell you the sequel to the story - at the auction the next week, there was <em>another FTQL with the same lens! </em>I simply daren't bid on it. for domestic reasons, as I've allegedly already got "too many cameras".</p>

<p>nice camera, john. i own a lot of canon gear from this era and they certainly are hefty beasts. i like the pix -- esp. bullrushes.</p>

<p>Having shipping address different from billing address comes in handy at times! Once it is safely in the house, it blends in nicely with the rest. She'll never know:)</p>

<p><em>Shhh,</em> Brian! What if <em>"they" </em>see this...</p>