I’ve been looking for an SLR film camera for quite a while now. When it comes to shooting film, my Olympus Trip will always be my first love, but the more that I shoot in analogue, the more that I want to use a camera with a little more control.
I found this gorgeous Canon FT QL at the local auction house and it was L O V E. I mean, just look at it. That is one beautiful camera. Not only that but it has a 50mm 1.8 lens- which is pretty much my favourite lens- and it’s Canon, and I really am a Canon girl. So, needless to say, I put a bid in… and then crossed my fingers, and waited…
Sometimes cameras go for rather a lot at the auction but this month I was lucky and when I phoned up the auction house at the end of the day, it turned out that I had got it for a song- cue a happy dance all around the kitchen!
It currently resides in the camera repair shop, where they are checking it over, cleaning it up and hopefully replacing the battery in the light meter too. In the meantime, I am stocking up on 35mm film (from the Pound Shop, of all places) and getting excited about shooting my first roll with it in a week or so.
And I bet your results will be gorgeous. My husband had the same lens on our old Canon – it absolutely revolutionised the way I take pictures. For the first time I really *looked* before I pressed the shutter.
50mm lenses really are amazing, aren’t they!
what is the difference then with film to digital cameras…is the ‘look’ different? I am fascinated to know x
I have been mulling over a reply to this, but it is so lengthy that I think it deserves a whole post to itself, so I will blog it soon… L x
We have an old Canon AE-1 – (well it was Dan’s from when he studied photography A level). It’s beautiful. I must take it out one day for a play…. maybe we can together? x
Yay! So so pleased for you. I cannot wait to see the results xx
I still have my old SLRs, and the option to borrow all my Dad’s but I never think to get them out … I guess because I only really take pics to share online these days … thank you for the reminder to play more with my old toys, and wishing you lots of fun with yours 🙂
I scan in my film photographs, so you can share those online too, if the fancy takes you! x
I know I’m a bit late at this party, but nevertheless wanted to share my experiences with the FTqL
For me it was my first ‘real’ camera I bought from my brother in the early 70’s
He had spent a considerable amount of money, especially in those days, on it, together with a FL 1.8/50 mm, a FL 3.5/135mm, and a quite rare (and expensive) in those days FL 1.8/85mm
On my first ‘shooting trip’ I, still being a high school student in those days, shot this picture
http://m4.i.pbase.com/g9/20/670620/2/158154584.Y1i07Tf1.jpg with the FL 1.8/85mm
just like this one http://m6.i.pbase.com/g9/20/670620/2/158154586.NRBri4x2.jpg
(shot in the same year, but with another school acquaintance)
Switched to Nikon when I started my photography studies in the late 70’s (never forgave Canon dropping the FL/FD mount in favour of the EOS mount, making all those lenses useless with one stroke of a pen) and nowadays shoot digital
But after all those years (images were shot in 1974) still am amazed by the beautiful image rendering of that old glass on what IMO is a legendary body