Film wind lever cap for FTb

[bob_miller4]

<p>I bought a used FTb (original model) which is missing the round cap on the film wind lever. Is there any source of a spare cap short of having to cannibalize a non-working camera? This same cap is found on the FT, FTbN, TL-QL, TLb, and TX models. Also, I think, on the FX and FP.<br /> The camera itself is in good shape, including a pristine 50mm/1.8 FD "chrome nose" lens that I'm looking forward to using. Has anyone actually experienced troublesome light reflection from the inside threads of the chrome nose, or was that only a fear? With a filter and/or screw-in rubber hood on, I'd expect such a problem to vanish, anyway.</p>

[awahlster]

<p>email keh.com's repair dept and see if they will sell you one. but no there is no new source of FD parts except those few being cast up in India like the New AE-1 battery doors.</p>

[Lou_Meluso]

<p>"there is no new source of FD parts"</p>

<p>Right, so it pays to have a parts camera waiting in the wings should your fave come up lame. You can pick up non-working cameras for a song on ebay. I used the old chrome nosed lenses for years, Bob, and never saw any flare caused by it. Of course, a hood always helps.</p>

[User_502260]

<p>The 50/1.8 chrome front lens with the aperture lock lever on the back is one of my favorites. The issue with the chrome fron lenses is not reflections from the filter rim but the fact that most of them do not have the later SSC coating. One exception I know of is my 24/2.8 chrome front FD SSC. The mounting ring is not spring loaded as it is in the 24/2.8 black front FD SSC but it has the newer coating. My favorite chrome front FD is the 135/3.5. It's heavy as lead, has 8 aperture blades and is sharp. I am still looking for a 200/4 chrome front if anyone has seen one. It would round out my chrome front collection. I have a 200/4 black front breech lock FD which is not marked SSC. It does not handle backlight very well but is otherwise OK.</p>

[gordon_yee]

<p>I bought my first FTb in 1972 with two chrome nose lenses, the FD50mm f/1.4 and FD35mm f/3.5. I never saw any flare that I could attribute to the chromed bayonet rings. In contemporary photo magazines, some testers and reviewers suggested that Canon change the chromed rings due to the possibility of reflections, despite the fact that they never experienced any such problems in their tests and actual use of the lenses. Some even suggested that the bright metal finishes on the aperture pins and levers could cause reflections in the mirror box, though such comments never went beyond idle speculation. Still, at some point, Canon began painting some of the aperture levers and pins black on some of their lenses to satisfy these critics.</p>

<p>Before black finishes became the norm, bright metal finishes on lenses, filter rings and even filters, were very common and did not result in abnormal reflections or flare. I would think that the chrome noses could produce a small reduction in contrast at the edges, but that reflections and flare would be more dependent on the quality of the lens coating and internal baffling.</p>

<p>I originally thought that Canon's decision to not put SSC coating on the FD50mm f/1.8 was a cost-saving measure. However, I've come to the conclusion that Canon refined the design of this lens over the years to such a high level that multicoating just wasn't needed. In Popular Photography's May 1976 issue, they tested 32 normal lenses from eight manufacturers. The FD50mm f/1.8 had a flare measurement of about 0.55%, the lowest in its group (normal lenses with maximum apertures of f/1.7 to f/2) and among the lowest for all 32 lenses.</p>

[dan_k2]

<p>Hello Bob, I think that I have a spare if you're still looking for one (you're talking about the flat cap with the pin holes, yes?) It's a chrome one that's seen better days, but it'll get you up and running. Let me know if you need it...</p>

<p> Dan</p>

[bob_miller4]

<p>It turns out that the lever does have a cap, but a nonstandard one that is somewhat recessed. I suspect some repairman lost or damaged the original cap assembly and had the custom one machined to fit. With this in place, I can't mount the official cap, anyway. For now, I'll stick with the status quo. Thanks to all for the info.<br>

By the way, I read one source recently contending that the chrome nose 50mm/1.4 (as opposed to the 1.8) was actually multicoated. Does any evidence regarding the lens elements' appearance support this?</p>

 

[gordon_yee]

<p>The first generation FD lenses introduced in 1971 with the original F-1 and FTb are generally referred to as the "chrome nose" lenses, though not all of them had bright metal front barrels. Of these, the standard and aspherical versions of the FD55mm f/1.2 lens had Canon's multilayer SSC coating. There is also evidence that the original 7.5mm fisheye lens had the SSC coating as well. The other lenses in the family, including the FD50mm f/1.4, had the standard SC coating.</p>

<p>Due to differences in their refractive indices, the various chemicals used for lens coatings reflect different wave lengths when a lens is viewed at an oblique angle. While you may see different colors reflected when examining a lens (e.g., purple, magenta, amber), it doesn't necessarily indicate that the lens is multicoated. Lens makers, including Canon, apply different coatings to different elements of the lens.</p>

[dan_k2]

<p>Bob... I have the original pamphlets for the lenses and camera systems, circa 1971. I'll dig them out to double check, but I believe that the few lenses that were single coated were the 135 f/2.5 and the 50 f/1.8 (I'm probably wrong, so I'll repost after I check...)</p>

<p> Dan</p>

[cadillacmike]

<p>All: SC does not stand for Single Coating. It stands for Spectra Coating, while SSC stands for Super Spectra Coating. According to Canon, both are multi coatings. Of the Original "chrome nose" lenses, again, according to Canon publications, only the 7.5mm Fisheye, and the two 55mm F1.2 (reg and AL) had SSC, all the others had SC coatings. The poster with the 24mm F2.8 that says SSC had has a chrome nose, might have a lens that had its front retaining ring (which has the lens id info) replaced. Everythins else points to it being an original "chrome nose" lens. If you post the date code from the back, we can tell. I have most of the original chrome noses, some of which didn't have a chrome nose, i.e., the 135mm F2.5, which has a built in hood. I'll take a look at the 200mm F4. I never got it because I bought the new FD 200mm F2.8. Maybe I'll add that lens to my collection, but only if the chrome nose shows up well. </p>

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