The Canon FT QL is a

35mm 35 mm may refer to: * 135 film, a type of still photography format commonly referred to as 35 mm film * 35 mm movie film, a type of motion picture film stock * 35MM 35 mm may refer to: * 135 film, a type of still photography format ...

single-lens reflex A single-lens reflex camera (SLR) is a camera that typically uses a mirror and prism system (hence "reflex" from the mirror's reflection) that permits the photographer to view through the lens and see exactly what will be captured. With twin le ...

camera A camera is an optical instrument that can capture an image. Most cameras can capture 2D images, with some more advanced models being able to capture 3D images. At a basic level, most cameras consist of sealed boxes (the camera body), with a ...

introduced by

Canon Inc. is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optical, imaging, and industrial products, such as lenses, cameras, medical equipment, scanners, printers, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment.< ...

in March 1966. It has a

Canon FL Canon FL refers to a lens mount standard for 35mm single-lens reflex cameras from Canon. It was introduced in April 1964 with the Canon FX camera, replacing the previous Canon R lens mount. The FL mount was in turn replaced in 1971 by the Ca ...

lens mount compatible with the large range of FL series lenses. The FT can also operate the later Canon FD series lenses in stop-down mode, but the earlier R series has a different lens aperture mechanism and cannot be used, although the bayonet fitting is similar. The standard kit lenses were Canon's 50mm f/1.8 ; 50mm f/1.4 and 58mm f/1.2, the body-only option was offered later. FT QL was introduced in March 1966, a year after the

pellicle mirror A pellicle mirror is an ultra-thin, ultra-lightweight semi-transparent mirror employed in the light path of an optical instrument, splitting the light beam into two separate beams, both of reduced light intensity. Splitting the beam allows its use ...

Canon Pellix The Canon Pellix is a manual-focus single-lens reflex (SLR) camera released in 1965 that uses a stationary half-silvered mirror behind which a metering cell is raised during light level metering. The First Canon with TTL Canon suddenly switche ...

. However it differs from the Pellix models, having a normal quick-return reflex mirror and offering stop-down TTL metering. The TTL metering is semi-spot in nature and works through a prism incorporated in the viewfinder condenser/screen assembly. The later

Canon F-1 The Canon F-1 is a 35 mm single-lens reflex camera produced by Canon of Japan from March 1971 until the end of 1981, at which point it had been superseded by the New F-1 launched earlier that year. The Canon FD lens mount was introduced ...

has a similar prism for metering in its removable screen. The Canon FT viewfinder screen is not user changeable. The pentaprism finder is fixed like the similar FX and FP models but unlike some earlier Canon R reflexes. The cloth focal plane shutter has speeds from 1 sec to 1/1000 and B. The electronic flash sync. speed is 1/60. A delayed action timer gives 8 – 10 seconds delay, using the same front of body lever that actuates the stop-down metering. The mirror can be locked up for vibration reduction or for use with special FL lenses like the original 19mm f3.5 wide angle which projects deeply into the body and would foul the mirror. The QL designation was a reference to Canon's ingenious and successful "quick load" system. A stainless steel sprung hinged device inside the rear door makes film loading simpler than competing cameras of the era. You just laid the film's leader over the drive gear and take-up fingers and closed the back. It also made it "repeatable" - by always putting the same sprocket hole over the drive gear you could rewind a partially-shot roll (leaving its leader out) and put it back in later. You'd just click past the already-taken frames (with the lens cap on) and then continue. This made it possible to switch back and forth between types of film: black and white, color negative, and color slide. An accessory device, the Canon Booster, worked only with the FT QL and Pellix QL. It is a plug-in device that sits on the

accessory shoe Canon EOS 350D Hot shoe Proprietary hot shoe used by Minolta and older Sony cameras (Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D">Sony.html" ;"title="Minolta and older Sony">Minolta and older Sony cameras (Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D) A hot shoe is a mounting poin ...

and increases the metering sensitivity by a factor of 16 for measuring exposure in poor light. Its operation is somewhat clumsy and is best kept for tripod use. The Canon FT is one of a series of three basically identical cameras released around this time. The first was the

Canon FX The Canon FX is a 35 mm SLR manufactured by Canon Inc. of Japan and introduced in April 1964. It introduced the Canon FL lens mount, the successor to the Canon R. The camera has a built-in lightmeter using a CdS photocell mounted on the ph ...

which had a built-in meter, but no through-the-lens (TTL) metering, instead using a window on the camera body front. The later entry level FP has no built-in meter. The final model was the top of this sector, the Canon FT QL, which was developed to combat the growing popularity of the

Pentax Spotmatic The Pentax Spotmatic refers to a family of 35mm single-lens reflex cameras manufactured by the Asahi Optical Co. Ltd., later known as Pentax Corporation, between 1964 and 1976. All Pentax Spotmatics used the M42 screw-thread lens mount which w ...

variants as well as the

Topcon is a Japanese manufacturer of optical equipment for ophthalmology and surveying. History September 1932—TOPCON was established based on the surveying instruments division of K. Hattori & Co., Ltd. (currently SEIKO HOLDINGS CORPORATION) in o ...

RE SLRs. The FT QL and its sisters were an important step for Canon, leading to a number of improved versions such as the FTb and the full professional camera system the F-1. FT QL production ended in 1972 after the FTb was introduced. During the production run of the Canon FT QL, Canon quietly upgraded some components and made minor cosmetic changes. Some of the changes are listed below: - Text font size become bolder and more legible. - The battery charge lever font color has been changed from blue to black. - The serial number has been relocated from the rear of the camera, next to the viewfinder, to the top plate, below the battery charge lever. - The "Canon Camera Company. Inc." text is removed from the back of the camera. - The "Made in Japan" text is relocated from the rear of the camera, to the bottom of the camera. - The screw-in battery compartment lid adds a coin slot for easier access. - The film pressure plate is significantly larger for better alignment. - The mirror lock up lever is slightly larger for easier handling. - The circular hump is removed from the back of the camera. under the film rewind knob. - The rear film transport area next to the shutter has an extra step for smoother operation.

References

Photography in Malaysia
Retrieved on October 22, 2005.

by luis triguez {{Table of Canon SLR Canon FL cameras