barryreid

The New F-1's shutter timings are also mechanical from 1/125 to 1/2000th.

On the questions here - The settings for 1x, 1/2x, etc are exposure compensation which can be used when you don't trust the light meter. The original RTS doesn't have an on-off switch they saved that for the RTS II. The concept behind this was that you could just pick up the camera and shoot. Hence the RTS acronym - it stands for Real Time System. The shutter button is very sensitive and has a short travel with no 'half press' to check the exposure (again this is a feature on the RTS II). There is an exposure preview button on the front, above the self timer which will tell you how the camera is going to expose. Sadly this also means no exposure lock. The Yashica "Twin" of this camera - the FR-I has a similar body style but is downgraded 9e.g. no 1/2000th shutter speed) but more than compensates with nice meter-on switch on the back which is why it's my preferred camera of the two. It also has leathers which don't deteriorate. The RTS II is in a different league to either in terms of usability with more conventional shutter release, memory lock and TTL flash. It's also IMO the most durable, as it's a perfected RTS. All of the RTS series are electronic cameras and getting unreliable the electronics often fail on the RTS I and the RTS III has a DC-DC converter unit which often fails and can't bee replaced. Finally, another thumbs up for the 139, its a super little camera which does most of what the RTS II does in a tiny package, and if you want a cut price version, Yashica's FX-D is essentially the same - to the extent that they can share autowinders. Ultimately, I do prefer the 139's improved successor, the 159MM, for it's programme modes and faster top shutter speeds, 1/250th flash sync and sculpted handgrip making it the most capable manual wind Contax/Yashica SLR.

If you want to get the best quality out of your lenses you should tune the adapter to the lens then keep it on there. Buying a decent adapter per lens and doing this is cheaper, better and easier in the long run. By adapting the lens mount but - still adding the variable of an adapter - you are not getting the best from your lenses. See the link below, although this is for C/Y to Eos it applies generally. Setting Up Camera Adapters Tutorial

A worthwhile reminder. I have just done both of mine. May I also recommend running the command dial up and down the scales a couple of times the you dry fire - to avoid oxidation affecting the contacts.

I like to use a Contax 139 & 45 or an OM-4T & 40mm f/2 for this too - indeed I've gotten rid of the likes of my 35SP as it's almost as bulky yet I can also carry a small wide or telephoto (e.g. OM 21mm f/3.5) in a jacket pocket.

I sold a black 'double teeth' T3 for £1150 (which is close to your $1500) a couple of years back, making a very tidy profit on a camera I had for a fortnight and didn't really warm to. As it was boxed and in good shape I'm pretty sure I could get significantly more for it today... Wish I had another to sell!

Didn’t bother me! I bought my first Canon FD SLR in 1990, a T90, for the multi-spot meter and slick form. For my photographic needs (architectural) AF was, at the time, still not as reliable as my 20 year old eyes. As it goes my compact was a Minox, I only wet AF with my first digital, in 2005. I have needed it for the last couple of years though.

Having just bagged a New F-1 with zero brassing :) and an even tidier Winder FN I'm going to add the FDn 35/2 in 2020.

Bet neither of them has the eyecup... ;)

$150 sounds awful expensive. Mine cost about £15 back in 1992 or thereabouts. One of the best value accessories I ever bought!

There’s no doubt, in my mind, that the single digit OM cameras were ‘Pro’ they sat at the heart of a vast system which included some pretty exotic and even unique glass e.g the 250/2, 350/2.8, 21/2, 24mm Shift (a first which is much better than the Canon TS-E Mk1) and a super-strong macro system both lenses, flashes and other accessories. It's worth remembering Oly are big players in the medical instrument market and that’s professional use too, just not in the photojournalist sense. To support those use cases and the macro system they also had motor drives, interval timers microscope adapters, specialist medical camera bodies, endoscopy equipment, bulk film backs and a world of other stuff. There’s no way all of that could be sustained unless there was a real market for it.

Further echoing the above X-*00 Minoltas are still towards the 'disposable' price range. My week old (to me) X-700 and 35-70/3.5 cost £30. Not that much more than the £25 I’ll have spent on batteries, film, dev and scan just to get the first roll through it. Yes, that was a great deal, but IMHO those late MD Minoltas like the X–500 & 700 are probably among the best value film cameras out there right now.

Pretty much everything I've read does concur with SCL's comment and the photozone review.

The Olympus 35RD or 35DC models are great, with a superb 1.7 lens, if you can get one with a working leaf shutter.

FD adapters generally have an ring with two positions lock and open. You need it to be in the lock position to see the selected aperture. This is due to the nature of the lens coupling. Also, I think the adapter needs to be on the open position when you mount the lens.

That's a sweet Combo!

FWIW the 35/2 IS as the same length and the FDn and although the new-fangled EF lens is heavier it's similar to the Breechlock versions.

OK, answered it myself, by default. I was using some old Wein cells and they do say it takes 30 mins to get up to speed which is clearly correct as the meter and long shutter speeds now work properly. Now time to get some film and go for a work-out with this chunk of heavy metal.

My latest EF purchase (my third - the first was an expendable alternative to my T90 for a trip back in '94) is showing weird metering behaviour. It seems to be working as ISO 200 when set to ISO 12... I suspect it may be that the batteries are drained - Does this sound feasible?

That 135/2 is one of my all time favourite lenses. It’s one that I deeply regret selling when I divested from FD and moved to Contax/Yashica cameras and glass as I transitioned to Eos DSLRs 10 years ago. Would be great to get that 135 and 20-35L again before I get an FF mirrorless.

For what it's worth - there was some gunge near these buttons, after a bit of deep cleaning and some fiddling around with a toothpick the button released. Thankfully I was then bale to test the metering and (WooHoo!) fire the shutter. So, in the end a fully functioning second T90 body. Next up will be to get some contact cleaner for both bodies per John's suggestion.

Normally a good shout but I don't really want to in this case. The body was bought because there were a couple of lenses & a 300TL which almost mint and fully working and worth what I paid - a second T90 is just a bonus.

Hi, I just picked up a T90 from eBay and am hoping that there is some good knowledge on this forum! It was described as working but I'm not sure how the vendor could have come to that conclusion as the -ve terminal had a ton of corrosion/leakage residue on it. Anyhow, after cleaning that up I got it powered up and started checking buttons - the first of which was the mode selection which stuck down as soon as I pressed it Thus all I can do with my new toy is fiddle with the mode or change the Multiple Exposure count (the metering button works and returns as normal). Does anyone have an idea of how to free these little buttons up without having to doe something drastic take a screwdriver to the camera and pull the top plate off? Another question - this is my second T90 (I've had my first since 1990) and both have a slightly 'skippy' command dial so they won't always register a click. This isn't a showstopper but it can be annoying - is it just a matter of exercising the dial, in the same way the shutter needs exercising.

I shot APS with a Contax TIX, and I subsequently owned a T3. IMO the TIX was the better camera In use and if APS hadn’t been canned I’d happily buy another.

The Canodate E from 1970.