Nice overview. To stop people assuming their meter is dead with no reading, the battery check should be carried out at ASA/ISO 100, shutter speed 1/1000.
Thanks for the tutorial. Just adopted the FTb and can't wait to try it out. Only previous experience with film was with the Rollei 35LED but your film explained the FTb very well
Great video on a fine vintage camera, David! I just picked up my FTb (new) in a thrift store for under $50 and everything works perfectly! I just ran my 1st roll of Kodak UltraMax 400 and got negatives and 4x6 prints back from the lab. Photos came out great with the exception of several, out of a roll of 36, having vertical light leaks due to the light seals being quite worn out. I have an excellent camera repair guy who owns his own small shop. I will have him put in new light seals, recalibrate the meter (so I can use 1.5v batteries) and do a CLA. I also have a Canon AE-1. They both share my Canon FD lenses. In addition to the Canon FD 50mm 1.8, I also have the Canon FD 135mm 2.8. I have two of the 50mm 1.8 lenses, one in a breach-mount and the other in a bayonet mount. I have the Canon 2x extender, also. Both are so much fun to shoot with and I get the most pleasing results, and I especially love the all-mechanical FTb! My FTb is perhaps my 2nd most favorite vintage film SLR next to my Nikon F, with the photomic Ftn prism head (chrome on black).
Interesting, I too have an AE 1 and an FTbn an assortment of fifties in 1.4s and 1.8s,, 100 2.8 and several third party to fill out my system. Also I have and enjoy the older Nikon's.
Great video, thank you. I love to use my FT-b time to time, paired with an FD 50mm f1.8, FD 24mm f2.8 and FD 70-210 f4.0. Photos have nice aesthetic and charm.
As a curiosity, I still have (and it works) a Speedlite 133D flash that was sold at the same time as the camera.. It has an autoring to attach on the focusing ring at the front of the lens. This (I suppose) has a resistance in it, and adjust light from the flash, to the focusing distance.
Nice videos David, having watched a few videos on the Ftb, yours are the ones that covers all aspect of the camera best. Have my Ftb since I bought it new in 1992, and still use it. A solid and good camera. Light meter batteries that work good are Weincell 1,35V Merury free batteries, Amazon sell them about 7-8 USD. Have used several over the last 10 years, no problems with correct metering.
Canon FTb is my first proper manual exposure SLR and prior getting a Nikon F it's my workhorse, solidly build, simple to use and repair, never stranded me, and been accompanying me to different parts of my country. Mine is June 1971 batch paired with its original lens, FD 50 mm f/1.4 chrome nose. Meanwhile, all of the features, including the light meter still works (after recalibrating and cleaned the battery compartment), the match needle nature is intuitive and fun to use. Absolutely joy to use, reliable, got satisfying feeling and sounds when operating it and minimal camera shake. The only downside is, admittedly it's quite heavy.
Hello, David. Thanks for making and sharing these videos. I've watched many of your videos before and only just realized that I haven't yet started following you. All fixed now. Keep up the good work!
just bought an FTb for Christmas and your videos have helped out a ton! thank you very much! one question; how do I know for certain that my camera model is from early to mid 70's?
Thank you and you know that because that's about when these were made. Video 1 has the production years in it, which I don't recall of the top of my head.
This was an excellent video thank you ! I bought an FTB from an old Japanese man's attic and have been really enjoying it, but have been struggling to find the right battery to fit into the light meter
Thank you and no I didn't. I'm seeking this one as is right now. The repair cost on these is prohibitive unless it's a camera that's going to be used a lot.
Thank you! I used to sell those but elected to stop because the overseas alternatives were less than I could get them made in bulk. So if you look for an LR44 battery adapter on eBay, you'll find it pretty readily. The simple brass ones are very cheap now.
Hi David, most helpful video I've seen on this model! Using my FTb, I had the exact problem you described when shooting double exposures where both frames were ruined because I didn't take a dead frame. To get around this, I understand I need to advance the lever after my second exposure and then expose again with 0 light coming in. But what if I wanted to do triple or more exposures? Would I need a dead frame after each "real" exposure? Could you please generally expand on the process for a beginner? A related question: the manual says to rewind the rewind crank 7/8 of a rotation, but you just held your crank in place; is the dead frame a workaround to this step? Thank you!
Thank you! For any multiple exposures, after you finish the process, you'll need a dead frame, yes, because that eliminates overlapping due to the gearing not engaging right away. For exposures of more than 2 you'll need to compensate more than one stop. I forget the exact numbers, but a triple exposure is around 1.7 stops, four is about 2. the compensation gets less with greater numbers of frames and when you hit 15 it's around four or five stops of light.
@@DavidHancock that's helpful! I'll do some testing with exposure compensation going forward. Do you have any thoughts on the rewind crank rotation question? Or is it advisable to just hold the crank in place as I advance the lever? Thanks again
Awsome Video ! Quick question about the stop down metering ... I don't get the difference when you measure the light when using the stop down option and when you are not.
Thank you! So, stop down metering. When you have a lens that communicates with the camera, you don't need to use it. With FD lenses, the FTb can perform open-aperture metering. That means that the aperture remains open during metering and that the camera uses data input from the aperture ring to calculate meter readings. With FL-mount lenses no aperture-lens coupling exists for open-aperture metering and that means that the camera can't adjust the meter reading as the aperture ring is changed. So the aperture needs to be stopped-down manually to allow the camera to read the scene's light levels with FL-mount lenses. Then the shutter speed has to be adjusted to obtain a proper exposure while the lens is stopped down. If your lens has an aperture ring on the front of it, you will need to stop-down your lens. If the aperture ring is on the back, you do not.
Hi, thanks for the video! My problem is, the needle which is connected to the shutter speed dial does not work properly. It lays pointing down with 85 degrees. I couldn’t find the proper batteries so i am using a 1.5 volt battery, could this be the problem? Which settings should i prefer for 100 iso films for sunny weather?
That sounds like there's no power reaching the light meter, which is very common in these. It could be that an internal wire is lose. It could be that the meter cells are dead. It could be that the needle galvanometer has failed. The only way to find out is to have it professionally serviced.
Great video! And I know it's an old video, but I'm gonna ask anyway. Between Canon FTB and Minolta xg1, which one would you choose/recommend? I've watched both of your videos, on both of the cameras, and still can't decide. The price is the same for the offers I found. Help
Thank you! For deciding on a camera, the first thing is to look at the interface and see which you prefer and also consider if you already have lenses in one of the mounts. Another consideration is what known flaws the cameras have. For the XG-1, the prisms' silver can fail and ruin the viewfinder (the prism then has to be replaced) and they are also susceptible to failed electronics that brick the camera. For the FTb, the old batteries are not available and the workarounds in the video have to be used. If a previous owner let a battery leak, that will probably require a repair as leaked batteries can corrode and damage internal wiring. Also the FTb, being fully mechanical, can have shutter timing issues if it's been poorly stored.
@@DavidHancock Thanks a lot for your response. Yeah, I definitely have to keep those potential flaws in mind when deciding. Found your channel just recently and it's clear that you have a wealth of knowledge and experience in this area, and I've been really impressed with the quality of your videos overall. Keep up the great work! Thanks again for your help.
I recently bought this camera and am trying to find a manual flash that would be compatible with it. Are there any affordable ones you would recommend?
Thanks so much for this Video! A Question about the compensation for the Battery. In my camera there's a V625. I tried the sunny 16 rule, expecting to see the meter telling me i'm way over exposed like you said, but instead it showed me about 2 stops underexposure. so now I'm confused. Granted it's winter now, but still no clouds in the sky and it's sunny. I bought it used a while ago. Battery check says it's ok, the meter moves, so i guess it's working. But now with that experiment i'm way off of what i was expecting. Any guesses? I've seen the tip about the 675 Batteries in the comments, and I'll give that a try, since it would be a lot less of a workaround.
Thank you and what you're seeing is totally normal with over-voltage. I, first time I used too-strong of a battery, expected over-voltage to translate into over-exposure, but for some (probably very reasonable) electrical engineering and circuitry reason I don't understand, the inverse is true -- too much voltage results in a meter reading that underexposes the images. Sounds like it's working, just calibrate the meter for Sunny 16 with your ISO adjustment and you'll be fine. Ultimately, I'd say to look for a simple brass adapter and 675 batteries instead, because I don't know if over-powering the circuits for prolonged periods is bad for them.
@@DavidHancock Thanks for your reply! But isn't it the other way around then (again) ? Since the meter is below the aperture ring and if i didnt know any better and were to just compensate for that with my aperture and shutter settings to match the needle with the aperture ring, the final images would turn out over exposed, right? Because meter says it's under exposed, i try to give it more light, i would then over expose the image. Whereas if i'd ignore the meter telling me "watch out it's under exposed" i'd actually have enough light... That's a lot of back and fourth thinking, which makes me just want to buy another battery as you suggest, but now i need to know :D
A working meter will move the needle in the view finder when you check the battery, right? That's what mine does, but I'm not sure if the battery works or if the meter is fuctioning.
Love the videos, just got myself a FTb so this was very helpful, thank you! Question though; I have both FL, FD and nFD lenses. My 50mm F/1.4 FL lens doesn't seem to work with metering though, while the others do. The "ring" in the viewfinder doesn't move at all, but the needle does. I can't seem to figure out how to get the correct exposure with this lens - am I missing something? Cheers /Fred
Hmm. I'm not sure on that one. I seem to recall a handful of the FL lenses are incompatible but I could be wrong on that. It's been a while since I made this video.
The adapter fits with a 386 battery which is flatter than the 357. I just went through that struggle today. Unfortunately for me while the meter work's it seems to have been uncoupled with the shutter speed and ISO dial. Hoping it's not a difficult repair...
386 (lr43) will work with the adapter? They’re 1.5 v so it should technically work I think. If so that’s the answer, these adapters are VERY hard to fit with LR44/SR44
They work but their usable life once unpackaged is short. You can also use a 675 battery inside a brass adapter and that will work and give proper meter readings. I learned that after I made this video.
Thanks for the video but my battery cover doesn't have the slot to use a coin and the like and for the life of me can't get the cover. Any suggestions? Thanks all in advance
Ugh yuck. Okay so the first solution is to try a rubber jar opener mat. Try undoing that with pressure from the palm of your hand. If that doesn't work, you'll need a Dremel with a small bit and a tool called a spanner wrench. Drill two holes far apart and then use the spanner wrench to remove the cap. Here's an old video of mine showing how to do it: czcams.com/video/0BQNSsM1okU/video.html
@@DavidHancock Thanks for the quick reply, I just inherited it and it seems to be in perfect condition so I wanted to give it a whirl. I will definitely have someone more skilled than I watch your video. Again, greatly appreciated.
Not sure you covered this, maybe I missed it. The ”M” on the depth of field lever allows you to lock the mirror in the up position. The mass of the mirrors on these old cameras could cause unsharp pictures for longer exposures using the cable release. Cool feature I think!
And further on, I just got my first FTB QL. I bought it from a quite established shop in London, but the camera had a 15. Volt battery inside and they said they didn't do any calibration or anything else. I just got two 1,35 Weincell batteries, however, when I do the metre check on 100 ASA and 1000 shutter speed, the needle shows insufficient battery. Meanwhile, the 15V shows sufficient battery. Is it possible the camera is damaged through probably years of using the 1.5V Battery? Or perhaps the shops or someone else properly modified it inside to adjust?
There are a number of things it could be. The electronics in these should be robust enough not to be altered by battery selection over time. Also, modifying these for modern batteries is not easy and requires a lot of disassembly, so if it was modified then it would have likely been done by a professional. So here's what you can do to find out what's going on: 1- Use a 675 battery (available at any pharmacy) with a simple brass adapter (available on eBay) and that will give you the proper (or near as makes no difference) voltage. 2- With that setup, set the aperture to f/16, ASA to 400, and shutter dial to 1/500th. Outside in full sun with the sun to your back meter off a tree or an unshaded sidewalk and the meter reading ought to be close. If it's 1/250th, or 1/1,000th, both are fine. 3-In that setup if the meter indicates either way too much or way too little light that's a big problem that likely means one of the metering cells has died.
@@DavidHancock Thank you so much for your adivce, super helpful! Again, I am quite new to film photography. When you say "meter reading ought to be close", do you mean the needle should be centred on the dial in that specific setup? Is that what "correct" metering is? The metre seems to work though! I just developed my first three rolls and most exposures are solid! The ones in dark lighting (in a bar or at night) are quite underexposed, but editable, I guess that is normal when I shoot a 400 B&W film? Another question I have is, how would you clean the camera body? I have a tinyyy bit of grease (I beleive) around my shutter speed knob and my trigger. I was planning to use some q-tips with isopropyl alcohold, how would you do it? Thanks a lot.
@@torbenlillegraven6783 Sounds like you've got out down. Very good! And yeah, correct meter reading is a centered needle (I think -- it's been four years since I used one of these now, so I can't recall if it's a single needle interface or a match needle.) As for camera cleaning: czcams.com/video/GWX4ciViSOo/video.html
I know of the Wein Cell batteries, which are a bit expensive. I do believe there is a 1.4V hearing aid battery but I don't know if an adapter exists for it (it's sized differently.)
Double exposures are basically useless with this camera, even if possible with difficulties. The users manual describes a five step procedure; 1 When the first exposure have been done, depress the rewind button. 2 Rewind the film rewind crank while watching the mark on the film rewind button carefully. 3 Stop rewinding when the mark has made a 7/8 turn, i.e. 315° 4 Next, wind the film advance lever while lightly holding the rewind crank. when resistance is felt on the film rewind crank, stop winding. 5 Wind the film advance lever once more. The camera is ready for another exposure.... As I said do not bother, double exposures are a hit or miss with the Ftb. It's excellent in all other aspects.
I'm having another option for getting the meter to work fine without adjusting ASA-Setting. Just use Type 675 1,4 Volt hearing-aid batteries. They are much closer to 1.35 Volt and therefore more accurate.
tld work, too. Given that 0.15 volts difference causes a two-stop different in meter reading, however, there would still need to be some compensation as a 0.05-volt difference would likely cause around a 2/3-stop exposure error. That's within the tolerance of many films, but could still lead to some overly dark shots. Thank you for the idea!
I've used 675 1.4v batteries with my Canon TX and found it's got little to no difference compared to the exposure that the battery that came with the camera when I got it. Its a good solution especially at £4 for a pack of 6
Probably the camera introduction with the most fails I've seen from you yet, which was quite entertaining. :) - btw, instead of the sunny 16, why not just use a lightmeter app on the phone?
:D Yeah, I had some bloopers. For Sunny 16, that's just a guide as it's easy and doesn't require anything else. A smartphone light meter app will work, in general. There are some caveats which have to do with different smart phone cameras performing differently and that leading to some light meter apps having various levels of accuracy versus film light meters. Digital camera makers fudge the ISO ratings with their cameras more than film cameras could because the sensor and software are developed in-house whereas film was based on the specs from other firms. That said, as a general rule, light meter apps are okay for calibration or to use in lieu of the camera's light meter if it's failed.
im having issues with getting my film to advance, the mechanism seems to be working when theres no film in the camera but when i put film in, every thing seems to freeze. i was wondering if anyone could help
Got it. Okay. Let's try this. Take the lens off the camera and load the film. Grab a Sharpie and fire the shutter in bulb. Hold the shutter open, mark the film, and remove the Sharpie before closing the shutter. Advance the film and see if the mark moves. If yes, no problem. If no, then yes there's definitely a problem with the advance gearing. I suggest that test because sometimes the old QL cameras can be a bit hard to read when loading film.
I think that was true with older films, but modern films include anti-static compounds on the back of the film. I'd also now that any camera with a full rewind motor will rewind film faster than can be done by hand.
@@johndonoghue3256 Yeah, the film tech now is way more advanced. That said, there was definitely something special about many of the emulsions from back in the day.
Nice overview. To stop people assuming their meter is dead with no reading, the battery check should be carried out at ASA/ISO 100, shutter speed 1/1000.
Thank you that is an excellent point that I overlooked.
Was going to say the same thing.
Thank you so much, far and away the most informative set of videos I've watched.
Thank you!
Amazing instructions on how to double-expose. Exactly what I needed- thank you!
Thank you!
So helpful. Thank you very much
complimenti, sono i due video più completi e precisi che abbia mai visto su questa fotocamera
Grazie!
Thank you David for the videos on this camera! I just bought one myself and I'm very much looking forward using this camera, this helped me out a lot.
Thank you, AJ!
Thanks for the tutorial. Just adopted the FTb and can't wait to try it out. Only previous experience with film was with the Rollei 35LED but your film explained the FTb very well
Thank you!
Thank you for this video!
Thank you!
Thanks Dear David. I learned some thing which was important to me.
Thank you, Najib!
Great video on a fine vintage camera, David! I just picked up my FTb (new) in a thrift store for under $50 and everything works perfectly! I just ran my 1st roll of Kodak UltraMax 400 and got negatives and 4x6 prints back from the lab. Photos came out great with the exception of several, out of a roll of 36, having vertical light leaks due to the light seals being quite worn out. I have an excellent camera repair guy who owns his own small shop. I will have him put in new light seals, recalibrate the meter (so I can use 1.5v batteries) and do a CLA. I also have a Canon AE-1. They both share my Canon FD lenses. In addition to the Canon FD 50mm 1.8, I also have the Canon FD 135mm 2.8. I have two of the 50mm 1.8 lenses, one in a breach-mount and the other in a bayonet mount. I have the Canon 2x extender, also. Both are so much fun to shoot with and I get the most pleasing results, and I especially love the all-mechanical FTb! My FTb is perhaps my 2nd most favorite vintage film SLR next to my Nikon F, with the photomic Ftn prism head (chrome on black).
Very nice! That's a good find and some minor maintenance always helps old cameras.
Interesting, I too have an AE 1 and an FTbn an assortment of fifties in 1.4s and 1.8s,, 100 2.8 and several third party to fill out my system. Also I have and enjoy the older Nikon's.
Great video, thank you. I love to use my FT-b time to time, paired with an FD 50mm f1.8, FD 24mm f2.8 and FD 70-210 f4.0. Photos have nice aesthetic and charm.
Thank you!
As a curiosity, I still have (and it works) a Speedlite 133D flash that was sold at the same time as the camera.. It has an autoring to attach on the focusing ring at the front of the lens. This (I suppose) has a resistance in it, and adjust light from the flash, to the focusing distance.
Nice videos David, having watched a few videos on the Ftb, yours are the ones that covers all aspect of the camera best. Have my Ftb since I bought it new in 1992, and still use it. A solid and good camera. Light meter batteries that work good are Weincell 1,35V Merury free batteries, Amazon sell them about 7-8 USD. Have used several over the last 10 years, no problems with correct metering.
Thank you and very nice!
Canon FTb is my first proper manual exposure SLR and prior getting a Nikon F it's my workhorse, solidly build, simple to use and repair, never stranded me, and been accompanying me to different parts of my country. Mine is June 1971 batch paired with its original lens, FD 50 mm f/1.4 chrome nose. Meanwhile, all of the features, including the light meter still works (after recalibrating and cleaned the battery compartment), the match needle nature is intuitive and fun to use. Absolutely joy to use, reliable, got satisfying feeling and sounds when operating it and minimal camera shake. The only downside is, admittedly it's quite heavy.
Very nice! That's an awesome camera to have and use for so long.
Hello, David. Thanks for making and sharing these videos. I've watched many of your videos before and only just realized that I haven't yet started following you. All fixed now. Keep up the good work!
Thank you! It's good to have you in the subscriber pool!
just bought an FTb for Christmas and your videos have helped out a ton! thank you very much! one question; how do I know for certain that my camera model is from early to mid 70's?
Thank you and you know that because that's about when these were made. Video 1 has the production years in it, which I don't recall of the top of my head.
This was an excellent video thank you ! I bought an FTB from an old Japanese man's attic and have been really enjoying it, but have been struggling to find the right battery to fit into the light meter
Thank you!
Great videos, thanks a lot! Hwould you reccomend to store this camera?
Thank you! I use Pelican cases often and keep a desiccant pack in them and keep it recharged.
Did you get the meter fixed? My is dead too. Would be great to get it working again. Nice to see this camera on youtube. Thanks for the content!
Thank you and no I didn't. I'm seeking this one as is right now. The repair cost on these is prohibitive unless it's a camera that's going to be used a lot.
Amazing video, where did you buy the adaptador for the battery?
Thank you! I used to sell those but elected to stop because the overseas alternatives were less than I could get them made in bulk. So if you look for an LR44 battery adapter on eBay, you'll find it pretty readily. The simple brass ones are very cheap now.
Hi David, most helpful video I've seen on this model! Using my FTb, I had the exact problem you described when shooting double exposures where both frames were ruined because I didn't take a dead frame. To get around this, I understand I need to advance the lever after my second exposure and then expose again with 0 light coming in. But what if I wanted to do triple or more exposures? Would I need a dead frame after each "real" exposure? Could you please generally expand on the process for a beginner? A related question: the manual says to rewind the rewind crank 7/8 of a rotation, but you just held your crank in place; is the dead frame a workaround to this step? Thank you!
Thank you! For any multiple exposures, after you finish the process, you'll need a dead frame, yes, because that eliminates overlapping due to the gearing not engaging right away. For exposures of more than 2 you'll need to compensate more than one stop. I forget the exact numbers, but a triple exposure is around 1.7 stops, four is about 2. the compensation gets less with greater numbers of frames and when you hit 15 it's around four or five stops of light.
@@DavidHancock that's helpful! I'll do some testing with exposure compensation going forward. Do you have any thoughts on the rewind crank rotation question? Or is it advisable to just hold the crank in place as I advance the lever? Thanks again
Good work. Thanks for sharing. I don't think you mentioned the name / model # of the contemporary battery that it takes.
Thank you! I think the PX650 is the modern one.
My first camera the FTb❤❤❤❤❤
Nice first camera!
Awsome Video ! Quick question about the stop down metering ... I don't get the difference when you measure the light when using the stop down option and when you are not.
Thank you!
So, stop down metering. When you have a lens that communicates with the camera, you don't need to use it. With FD lenses, the FTb can perform open-aperture metering. That means that the aperture remains open during metering and that the camera uses data input from the aperture ring to calculate meter readings. With FL-mount lenses no aperture-lens coupling exists for open-aperture metering and that means that the camera can't adjust the meter reading as the aperture ring is changed. So the aperture needs to be stopped-down manually to allow the camera to read the scene's light levels with FL-mount lenses. Then the shutter speed has to be adjusted to obtain a proper exposure while the lens is stopped down.
If your lens has an aperture ring on the front of it, you will need to stop-down your lens. If the aperture ring is on the back, you do not.
@@DavidHancock very clear thanks a lot 💪💪💪
Hi, thanks for the video! My problem is, the needle which is connected to the shutter speed dial does not work properly. It lays pointing down with 85 degrees. I couldn’t find the proper batteries so i am using a 1.5 volt battery, could this be the problem? Which settings should i prefer for 100 iso films for sunny weather?
That sounds like there's no power reaching the light meter, which is very common in these. It could be that an internal wire is lose. It could be that the meter cells are dead. It could be that the needle galvanometer has failed. The only way to find out is to have it professionally serviced.
Great video! And I know it's an old video, but I'm gonna ask anyway. Between Canon FTB and Minolta xg1, which one would you choose/recommend? I've watched both of your videos, on both of the cameras, and still can't decide. The price is the same for the offers I found. Help
Thank you!
For deciding on a camera, the first thing is to look at the interface and see which you prefer and also consider if you already have lenses in one of the mounts.
Another consideration is what known flaws the cameras have. For the XG-1, the prisms' silver can fail and ruin the viewfinder (the prism then has to be replaced) and they are also susceptible to failed electronics that brick the camera.
For the FTb, the old batteries are not available and the workarounds in the video have to be used. If a previous owner let a battery leak, that will probably require a repair as leaked batteries can corrode and damage internal wiring. Also the FTb, being fully mechanical, can have shutter timing issues if it's been poorly stored.
@@DavidHancock Thanks a lot for your response. Yeah, I definitely have to keep those potential flaws in mind when deciding. Found your channel just recently and it's clear that you have a wealth of knowledge and experience in this area, and I've been really impressed with the quality of your videos overall. Keep up the great work! Thanks again for your help.
I recently bought this camera and am trying to find a manual flash that would be compatible with it. Are there any affordable ones you would recommend?
Any flash with a single central pin will work, from an old 1980s Vivitar to a brand new AmazonBasics or Yongnuo with manual flash control settings.
Thanks so much for this Video! A Question about the compensation for the Battery. In my camera there's a V625. I tried the sunny 16 rule, expecting to see the meter telling me i'm way over exposed like you said, but instead it showed me about 2 stops underexposure. so now I'm confused. Granted it's winter now, but still no clouds in the sky and it's sunny. I bought it used a while ago. Battery check says it's ok, the meter moves, so i guess it's working. But now with that experiment i'm way off of what i was expecting. Any guesses? I've seen the tip about the 675 Batteries in the comments, and I'll give that a try, since it would be a lot less of a workaround.
Thank you and what you're seeing is totally normal with over-voltage. I, first time I used too-strong of a battery, expected over-voltage to translate into over-exposure, but for some (probably very reasonable) electrical engineering and circuitry reason I don't understand, the inverse is true -- too much voltage results in a meter reading that underexposes the images. Sounds like it's working, just calibrate the meter for Sunny 16 with your ISO adjustment and you'll be fine. Ultimately, I'd say to look for a simple brass adapter and 675 batteries instead, because I don't know if over-powering the circuits for prolonged periods is bad for them.
@@DavidHancock Thanks for your reply! But isn't it the other way around then (again) ? Since the meter is below the aperture ring and if i didnt know any better and were to just compensate for that with my aperture and shutter settings to match the needle with the aperture ring, the final images would turn out over exposed, right? Because meter says it's under exposed, i try to give it more light, i would then over expose the image. Whereas if i'd ignore the meter telling me "watch out it's under exposed" i'd actually have enough light... That's a lot of back and fourth thinking, which makes me just want to buy another battery as you suggest, but now i need to know :D
A working meter will move the needle in the view finder when you check the battery, right? That's what mine does, but I'm not sure if the battery works or if the meter is fuctioning.
It will, but make sure you have the correct-voltage battery or your images will all be underexposed.
Hello David, 1 question, how would I do if a want to take a long exposure picture ?
For anything longer than a second, you're use the bulb or time (B or T -- I forget which this camera has) exposure setting.
i found the 1.35 battery on amazon and im using 400 film. is it fine to leave the speed at 400? what elise would i need to adjust?
You're good to go, no other adjustments needed.
Love the videos, just got myself a FTb so this was very helpful, thank you!
Question though; I have both FL, FD and nFD lenses. My 50mm F/1.4 FL lens doesn't seem to work with metering though, while the others do. The "ring" in the viewfinder doesn't move at all, but the needle does. I can't seem to figure out how to get the correct exposure with this lens - am I missing something? Cheers /Fred
Hmm. I'm not sure on that one. I seem to recall a handful of the FL lenses are incompatible but I could be wrong on that. It's been a while since I made this video.
The adapter fits with a 386 battery which is flatter than the 357. I just went through that struggle today. Unfortunately for me while the meter work's it seems to have been uncoupled with the shutter speed and ISO dial. Hoping it's not a difficult repair...
Thank you!
386 (lr43) will work with the adapter? They’re 1.5 v so it should technically work I think. If so that’s the answer, these adapters are VERY hard to fit with LR44/SR44
the batery is only for the meter right? or it is required for the shutter to work?
Correct, only for the meter. The rest of the camera is mechanical.
What about those Wein cell 1.35v batteries?
They work but their usable life once unpackaged is short. You can also use a 675 battery inside a brass adapter and that will work and give proper meter readings. I learned that after I made this video.
So can I trust the meter in the camera using a 1.5v battery?
Nope. Your photos will all be about two stops underexposed, assuming a fresh battery.
Thanks for the video but my battery cover doesn't have the slot to use a coin and the like and for the life of me can't get the cover. Any suggestions? Thanks all in advance
Ugh yuck. Okay so the first solution is to try a rubber jar opener mat. Try undoing that with pressure from the palm of your hand. If that doesn't work, you'll need a Dremel with a small bit and a tool called a spanner wrench. Drill two holes far apart and then use the spanner wrench to remove the cap. Here's an old video of mine showing how to do it: czcams.com/video/0BQNSsM1okU/video.html
@@DavidHancock Thanks for the quick reply, I just inherited it and it seems to be in perfect condition so I wanted to give it a whirl. I will definitely have someone more skilled than I watch your video. Again, greatly appreciated.
Not sure you covered this, maybe I missed it. The ”M” on the depth of field lever allows you to lock the mirror in the up position. The mass of the mirrors on these old cameras could cause unsharp pictures for longer exposures using the cable release. Cool feature I think!
I might have missed that. Thank you!
And further on, I just got my first FTB QL. I bought it from a quite established shop in London, but the camera had a 15. Volt battery inside and they said they didn't do any calibration or anything else. I just got two 1,35 Weincell batteries, however, when I do the metre check on 100 ASA and 1000 shutter speed, the needle shows insufficient battery. Meanwhile, the 15V shows sufficient battery. Is it possible the camera is damaged through probably years of using the 1.5V Battery? Or perhaps the shops or someone else properly modified it inside to adjust?
There are a number of things it could be. The electronics in these should be robust enough not to be altered by battery selection over time. Also, modifying these for modern batteries is not easy and requires a lot of disassembly, so if it was modified then it would have likely been done by a professional. So here's what you can do to find out what's going on:
1- Use a 675 battery (available at any pharmacy) with a simple brass adapter (available on eBay) and that will give you the proper (or near as makes no difference) voltage.
2- With that setup, set the aperture to f/16, ASA to 400, and shutter dial to 1/500th. Outside in full sun with the sun to your back meter off a tree or an unshaded sidewalk and the meter reading ought to be close. If it's 1/250th, or 1/1,000th, both are fine.
3-In that setup if the meter indicates either way too much or way too little light that's a big problem that likely means one of the metering cells has died.
@@DavidHancock Thank you so much for your adivce, super helpful! Again, I am quite new to film photography. When you say "meter reading ought to be close", do you mean the needle should be centred on the dial in that specific setup? Is that what "correct" metering is? The metre seems to work though! I just developed my first three rolls and most exposures are solid! The ones in dark lighting (in a bar or at night) are quite underexposed, but editable, I guess that is normal when I shoot a 400 B&W film? Another question I have is, how would you clean the camera body? I have a tinyyy bit of grease (I beleive) around my shutter speed knob and my trigger. I was planning to use some q-tips with isopropyl alcohold, how would you do it? Thanks a lot.
@@torbenlillegraven6783 Sounds like you've got out down. Very good! And yeah, correct meter reading is a centered needle (I think -- it's been four years since I used one of these now, so I can't recall if it's a single needle interface or a match needle.)
As for camera cleaning: czcams.com/video/GWX4ciViSOo/video.html
@@DavidHancock Perfect, cheers!
They make drop-in replacements that are 1.35v
I know of the Wein Cell batteries, which are a bit expensive. I do believe there is a 1.4V hearing aid battery but I don't know if an adapter exists for it (it's sized differently.)
Double exposures are basically useless with this camera, even if possible with difficulties. The users manual describes a five step procedure; 1 When the first exposure have been done, depress the rewind button. 2 Rewind the film rewind crank while watching the mark on the film rewind button carefully. 3 Stop rewinding when the mark has made a 7/8 turn, i.e. 315° 4 Next, wind the film advance lever while lightly holding the rewind crank. when resistance is felt on the film rewind crank, stop winding. 5 Wind the film advance lever once more. The camera is ready for another exposure.... As I said do not bother, double exposures are a hit or miss with the Ftb. It's excellent in all other aspects.
Yeah, some of these old models are pretty fiddly for that.
I'm having another option for getting the meter to work fine without adjusting ASA-Setting.
Just use Type 675 1,4 Volt hearing-aid batteries. They are much closer to 1.35 Volt and therefore more accurate.
tld work, too. Given that 0.15 volts difference causes a two-stop different in meter reading, however, there would still need to be some compensation as a 0.05-volt difference would likely cause around a 2/3-stop exposure error. That's within the tolerance of many films, but could still lead to some overly dark shots. Thank you for the idea!
I've used 675 1.4v batteries with my Canon TX and found it's got little to no difference compared to the exposure that the battery that came with the camera when I got it. Its a good solution especially at £4 for a pack of 6
@@jamesal6138 As I told before ...
Probably the camera introduction with the most fails I've seen from you yet, which was quite entertaining. :) - btw, instead of the sunny 16, why not just use a lightmeter app on the phone?
:D Yeah, I had some bloopers. For Sunny 16, that's just a guide as it's easy and doesn't require anything else. A smartphone light meter app will work, in general. There are some caveats which have to do with different smart phone cameras performing differently and that leading to some light meter apps having various levels of accuracy versus film light meters. Digital camera makers fudge the ISO ratings with their cameras more than film cameras could because the sensor and software are developed in-house whereas film was based on the specs from other firms. That said, as a general rule, light meter apps are okay for calibration or to use in lieu of the camera's light meter if it's failed.
im having issues with getting my film to advance, the mechanism seems to be working when theres no film in the camera but when i put film in, every thing seems to freeze. i was wondering if anyone could help
When you say everything freezes, do you mean that the shutter won't even fire?
@@DavidHancock no sorry that was bad wording, lemme rephrase, the advance spool does not spin but every other mechanism functions
Got it. Okay. Let's try this. Take the lens off the camera and load the film. Grab a Sharpie and fire the shutter in bulb. Hold the shutter open, mark the film, and remove the Sharpie before closing the shutter. Advance the film and see if the mark moves. If yes, no problem. If no, then yes there's definitely a problem with the advance gearing. I suggest that test because sometimes the old QL cameras can be a bit hard to read when loading film.
@@DavidHancock thank you! ill have to try this when i get some more film. i just ordered some off amazon and it should get here in 2 days
"It's got a little do dad!!!!!"
You mean it's likely got a resistor or diode to reduce the voltage just enough to compensate.
I think a diode (that's the part used for the internal writing repair,) just couldn't remember the name.
I've heard it's not wise to rewind the film so fast as it can cause static electricity that can cause problems when developing.
I think that was true with older films, but modern films include anti-static compounds on the back of the film. I'd also now that any camera with a full rewind motor will rewind film faster than can be done by hand.
@@DavidHancock I guess I was told that in '81. Times have changed I guess.
@@johndonoghue3256 Yeah, the film tech now is way more advanced. That said, there was definitely something special about many of the emulsions from back in the day.
Камера напоминает pentax k1000... эргономика вся та же....
О да, очень похожие камеры.
Right away I new this video was a sham. You used a Capitalist Pig 5 cent nickle instead of a 10- or 100-Yen coin to unscrew the battery cap.
Viva capitalism!