Suggestions for Manual FD Mount Camera

[scott_white1]

<p>Hello Everyone,<br>

I'm relatively new to film photography and was given a Canon A-1 a few days ago. I have been doing a lot of reading on it and it seems like an amazing camera, maybe a little too much camera for me right now, but I'm looking forward to getting into film photography.<br>

I also received a few lenses with it, so I was hoping to find another Canon FD mount that is fully manual and does not require batteries for the shutter to operate, ideally at different settings rather than just one speed like some I've read about. A battery for a meter is fine, but I want something I can take on a long trip and not worry about finding a battery (ie needing to go to a pet store to get a camera battery...).<br>

So, what Canon FD mount would you suggest that wouldn't require batteries to operate that I might find for less than $100?<br>

Thank you,<br>

Scott</p>

[chris_roberts10]

<p>The New F-1. It takes a standard 4LR44 battery which will operate for years without changing, but will operate in fully manual mode with slightly less range of shutter speeds without the battery. </p>

[Lou_Meluso]

<p>Hi Scott: Not sure of the prices but there are a pile of FD compatible mechanical bodies that only use batteries to power the meter, not the camera. The ones I liked, from most to least expensive, were the Original F-1, F-1n, FTbn, and TX. These are older bodies types.<br>

That said, I also used battery dependent, A-1's AE-1 Programs and T90's for years without issue. Those batteries are easy to come by just about any where and small enough to carry spares. The T90 was such a sweet camera! The 6V battery for your A-1 is quite small and super easy to carry an extra one.</p>

[flatulent1]

<p>The best of the latest, in your price range, would be the FTb and FTbn. Fully manual, battery powers the meter only; if you don't use the meter, you won't need the battery. The battery for these is the no-longer-available mercury cell, though there are ways around that if you do a little research. The price of those bodies could well be in the $20 range; add to that the cost of a good CLA (which, after all this time, it will surely need) and you're up near your limit.</p>

<p>I second Louis' recommendation of the T90. Not at all fully manual, it is fully electronic in the modern style, takes four AA batteries, and shoots like a dream. The body can be had for under $100, CLA adds $125 and is well worth it. I have several.</p>

[jochen_busch]

<p>I like my T90, but my photogear-workshop says "T90 is high-risc-area" If anything fails, nobody will be able to fix it. He serviced my EF and I asked "will it work for the rest of my lifetime?" "longer" was his answer. So I can strongly recommend the EF. Yes it is a fully automatic (time-preset) camera, but all times 1/2 - 1/1000 are mechanical and work without batteries. Only the electronic times 1 - 30 sec need the battery. Payed some months ago with the 1,4/50 S.S.C. including the service of camera and lens less than 200 Euro in Germany.</p>

<p>And if You are running out of money in the desert, may be You find a dealer that pays hard coins only for the shutter, because the blades are made from platinum :-))</p>

[ed_k__north_carolina_]

<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>Let's not overwhelm Scott with high-end solutions.</p>

<p>All the suggestions are good, however Fred suggestion answers your question precisely.</p>

<p>The FTb/FTbn are excellent fully manual cameras. The issue of the meter battery is less important the many make it out to be. The PX-13 mercury cells are no longer available, however the PX-25 alkaline cells are pretty easy to find. The voltage difference (1.35V vs 1.5V) isn't enough to skew the meter readings for B&W or Color print film (film latitude is a discussion for another day).</p>

<p>I have 6 or 7 FTb/FTbn cameras in my collection, including my very first FTb (the only one bought new see: http://www.photo.net/canon-fd-camera-forum/00bocR). They are reliable workhorses that will serve you well. The FTb was often considered an F-1 without the interchangeable finders and motor drive and it shares the same meter system with the F-1.<br>

Every serious Canon FD user should have an FTb(n) in their collection, it's a brick: a tough, plain and simple reliable workhorse.</p>

<p>Ed.</p>

<div></div>

[SCL]

<p>Hi Scott - The A-1 was my first Canon FD...pretty classy and served me well for over 10 years...but honestly I never liked the diode metering, so I sold it in the early 1990s. About 8 years ago I remembered how much I liked some of the top end FD lenses, and they had become dirt cheap...so I researched bodies and got a T90 (I like cameras which use a cheap universal battery which I can pick up at any store anywhere in the world), and have been thoroughly delighted with it...in whichever mode I choose (usually manual or AP). Your A-1 should serve you well, and I encourage you to really get familiar with it before making a choice of another body.</p>

[User_502260]

<p>I would recommend an FTbN. You get to see the shutter speed in the finder so you know it's adequate for what you're shooting. I do not recommend the use of a 1.5 volt battery even with print films. It would give you underexposed images in the beginning, correct exposures for a short time and overexposure after that. A 675 hearing aid battery will give you correct exposures and the spring will hold it in place without any other kind of adapter. For about $30 you can get an MR-9 adapter. The MR-9 adapter works best with a 386 1.5 volt silver oxide battery. The 386 is slightly slimmer than an MS-76 so the battery cover will close fully and the adapter will keep the batery centered. The centering is not necessary but looks nicer. The MR-9 changes the voltage to 1.35.<br>

You would want to have the FTbN serviced so you know it's working properly. You will then have a camera which you can enjoy for many years. The FTbN has 12 degree metering so you will now what you are taking a reading from. Most FTbNs I have seen have a microprism focusing aid but some have a combination split image with a micriprism collar. The FTbN's shutter is fully operational with no battery and the camera also has mirror lock-up. I have many Canon film SLRs. If I will not need the interchangeable screens of an F-1/F-1n/F-1N, I like the FTbN for most Canon shooting. </p>

[pmind]

<p>I suggest the FTbN as well.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>It will be hard to beat the A-1 (<a href="/modern-film-cameras-forum/00b82L">link</a>). Get a manual for it (e.g., <a href="http://www.butkus.org/chinon/canon/canon_a-1/canon_a-1.htm">Butkus</a>), if you don't have one, and take the time to learn how to use it. I can't see that many of the alternatives listed above are going to be any easier to learn and you just need to understand that the more desirable ones, IMHO, all need batteries of one kind or another. At least many of the batteries are still available on the market.</p>

<p>For my money, the best ever FD-mount camera (indeed one of the best overall, for that matter) was the T90, but it has an unfortunate shutter magnet problem.<br /> You've already got the A-1, so why not use it? You can shoot with the A-1 without using all the built-in bells and whistles, and work your way up to full control of the machine.</p>

[User_502260]

<p>I find that the A-1 is not terribly friendly for manual use. This doesn't mean it can't be done. What camera you like will depend, to a great extent, on what kind of picture taking you do. If I were to shoot auto racing I would shoot in shutter priority/automatic with a winder or motor and the A-1 would be more convenient that an FTbN. If I am shooting landscapes or doing macro work I would prefer an FTbN or an F-1. The A-1 and FTbN both have fixed focusing screens with the A-1 screen being factory interchangeable. An AE-1 Program has a user interchangeable screen. I'm sure most AE-1 Program users did not use the feature. The A-1, AE-1 Program and AE-1 all have center weighted metering. The same goes for the EF. The EF, like the F-1N has a hybrid shutter system and some of its shutter speeds are also available even without batteries. While the EF also has center weighted metering, its silicon meter reacts very quickly. Most surviving EFs need an overhaul. To get a metering pattern other than center weighted you can use an F-1N with the right focusing screen and even get shutter prioroty with the right finder and winder/motor. I don't have a T90 and I am not looking for one. A Nikon N90S for $25 has many more features and I have plenty of lenses to fit it too. Somehow the Nikon N90S has aged better than the Canon T90. </p>

[awahlster]

<p>Stop worrying about it and go burn some film. If you can afford to go on a trip long enough to burn enough film to wear out an A series battery then you can afford to have one shipped to meet you somewhere along the trip.</p>

<p>in 2003 the wife and I went to England and Germany through France. It was a road trip we stopped every where and took photos of everything.<br>

The wife shot like 20) 36ex rolls of Fujicolor and I shot over 40 rolls of 36ex transparency film. She didn't dent the battery in her AE-1P and I only used one set of AA alkalines in my T-90 We came back through the airport with 85 rolls of exposed film. from the 4 cameras we took and I never once had to deal with batteries.<br>

I've shot over 60 rolls of film with an A-1 and still had a working battery when I changed it out 4 years after putting it in.<br>

No one ever took a great photo sitting at a computer discussing what the best piece of equipment to make me a better photographer. </p>

[scott_white1]

<p>I can't thank all of you enough for your help and responses.</p>

<p>Just to clarify a bit more, I am looking for another body because the A-1 that was given to me has the shutter squeak so I am afraid to use it too much before getting it repaired the next time I'm back home. I have found the instructions on lubricating it myself and feel comfortable doing so, but I want to make sure other parts that may need lubrication/cleaning get tended to as well before heavy use.</p>

<p>I am also a bit weary of the old microprocessors reliability and lifetime. And am also not a fan of the diode metering. It is blurry when I focus my eye on it, but reads fine when I focus my eye on the center of the viewfinder. I'm a mechanic/carpenter and to me the less computers and electronic components something requires to operate, the more reliable it is and usually has a longer lifetime.</p>

<p>From your suggestions I will start looking for a FTb or an FTbN. I would like to get my hands on an F1, but I do not feel worthy of what seems to be such a collectors camera quite yet and price is also a factor. I appreciate the suggestions and reviews for a T90 as well. I will keep my eye out for one as it seems like it would be a good compliment to my collection if I decide to pursue it further.</p>

<p>In regards to the type of picture taking I do, it is mostly landscapes, but I do a lot of traveling around America, so I do some portraits and street photography as well. For those wondering, I am stepping up to this A-1 from point and shoot digital cameras. I've always looked for more control and have frankly gotten bored with just pointing and shooting a bunch of pictures.</p>

<p>A few other questions if you don't mind answering them here. My A-1 came with a Canon 70-210mm 1:4 lens and a broken Tokina AT-X 28-85mm 1:3.5-4.5. The 70-210 seems a bit much to start with and is pretty large. What would you reccomend for a lens to start with? I was thinking about an easy to find 50mm 1:1.4 or 1:1.8.</p>

<p>As for the broken Tokina, the outer rim/focus ring (not really sure what to call it) has come off and it appears that it is because there are 3 screws that attach it to the front of the lens are missing (Pictures below). I also hear rattling inside when it moves or is lightly shaken. I assume this lens is dead, but wanted to be sure. If you don't think it's dead is it something I can fix?</p>

<p>And a bit off topic, but a backstory to what started my search for something that wasn't so dependent on a battery. I go on tour with various theatrical shows so we often stop in cities and travel through small towns, but I don't have separate transportation from our busses. So when I got the A-1 I was looking for a battery and went to all the usual places and camera stores trying to find a battery when I had time off. The last camera store I went to informed me that the battery I was looking for was now used for electric dog collars. Went to a pet store and got the last one off the shelf. I guess I can suck it up and buy a bunch of batteries to have on hand, but the hunt still inspired me to find something else. It is very helpful to have someone experienced share details about the battery life though, that makes me feel better.<br>

Thanks again,<br>

Scott</p><div></div>

[flatulent1]

<p>A 50/1.4 or 50/1.8 would be a good start. If you like street shooting, then a 28/2.0 is very good; 28/2.8 are cheap and plentiful.</p>

<p>Have you tried shooting a roll with the Tokina? That's a pretty nice lens, though a better one would be the Canon 28-85, which is excellent.</p>

<p>Also, a word of warning about batteries... When you find one for an old camera, and especially if they have to hunt around to find it, check the expiration date before you pay over your hard-earned cash. The last time I tried to buy an unusual battery they tried to sell me one three years past its expiration date. I handed it back and asked them to try again.</p>

<p>Yes, the three versions of F-1, and even the EF, are almost considered collectible, and fetch a fairly high price. It's worth it though, if that's what you want.</p>

[User_502260]

<p>If you will want to shoot landscapes I can recommend a lens which is excellent and inexpensive at the same time. This is the 28mm f/2.8 FD SC. It is a breech-lock lens, not to be confused with the later 28mm f/2.8 New FD. The New FD lens is not bad but it's not nearly as good as the SC version. My experience with PX-28 batteries is not so good. Many are dead when still in date. I use them mostly in Bronica and Mamiya medium format cameras and sometimes in a Canon F-1N. </p>

[Bill C1664885404]

<p>I used 3 A1's heavily all through the 80's...never had a problem with battery life...I think I replaced than annually "just because". IMO, order a couple spares to have on hand for the peace of mind on your trip and then just go enjoy.</p>

[scott_white1]

<p>Thanks everyone, I dropped off the A-1 for a cleaning and lubrication. The Tokina ended up being beyond repair from an apparent fall. The repair tech suggested I try to open it up for the sake of education and see how the focus, zoom and aperture work inside a lens, its pretty cool.<br>

I found an inexpensive Canon 50mm 1.8 lens, so I'll do some shots with that before I commit to any buying more lenses.<br>

I'll let you know how everything goes.<br />Thanks again!</p>