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Archive 2014 · Canon Ftb and battery life. . .

  
 
jamato8
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Canon Ftb and battery life. . .


I bought an Ftb new, when they were new, sometime in 1975. Then it mattered more about the lenses than the sensor, since we all had access to the same film. What amazes me though are two things. One, the batteries then, based on a little mercury added, could last years and the main thing that changed image quality, was the lens. I had the F1 and later other Canons but the Ftb still works and the battery, which I still have 5 NOS refrigerated all this time and still test new, still works. It has been going for 40 years! Try that with any current battery (true they have much more to do but any current battery in the same meter last a couple of years at most). They allowed mercury in fluorescent bulbs but not something that would outlast anything else of this type by 10 or 15 times. I just tested the battery in my MR meter for my M2 Leica as well, which was placed around that time and used quite a bit, and the voltage still tests almost new and the meter works fine (and is accurate which the later 625 type battery was now due to a different voltage and they didn't/don't last very long).

Good cameras and some (not all) good batteries then in 75. With all that I still enjoy digital.



Oct 05, 2014 at 02:41 PM
retrofocus
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Canon Ftb and battery life. . .


I made the similar experience with my FTb battery life time. Lasted easily for more than 15 years. The battery is only used for the light metering here, not for the film transport (this is all manual). Great camera, my favorite FD lens based camera. I used it regularly until 2005. My FD lenses remained unused until this year when I bought the Sony A7R. All my FD lenses work great on this digital camera now.


Oct 05, 2014 at 03:05 PM
jamato8
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Canon Ftb and battery life. . .


The battery in mine has lasted 40 years and still going. Yes I realize it only operates the light meter but what is amazing is how long the actual battery lasts. Even if sitting, which I have 5 of purchased in 90, they still test new and they are 25 years old. The battery for memory in my 5DII already failed once.

Someday will have to break out my FD lenses and get a Sony.



Oct 06, 2014 at 11:28 AM
garyvot
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Canon Ftb and battery life. . .


The Canon FtbN was my first 35mm SLR. (That was a damn long time ago.) A great camera. I still own an original F1 of the same era, but I had it modified to use modern batteries since the original mercury cells are no longer made.


Oct 07, 2014 at 12:03 PM
jamato8
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Canon Ftb and battery life. . .


garyvot wrote:
The Canon FtbN was my first 35mm SLR. (That was a damn long time ago.) A great camera. I still own an original F1 of the same era, but I had it modified to use modern batteries since the original mercury cells are no longer made.


Right and still they weren't as good at metering as with the original. Having 5 nos batteries and they all test new, seems to speak to the fact that though they have a trace amount of mercury, I think the many batteries that are gone through of non mercury, far outweighs the benefits. I am still amaze that I have 2 40 year old 625's that still operate as new. And then the camera, which came after my Leica IIIC, M2 and M3, still is going strong but sadly I just don't shoot film any longer.



Oct 07, 2014 at 05:09 PM





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