The Canon FTQL was introduced in March 1966 and remained in production until March 1972. In 1971, Canon introduced the FTbQL and the F-1 to replace the FTQL. In 1971, a Canon FTQL with the standard 50mm 1:1.8 kit lens had a MSRP of $269.50 (equivalent to $1,763.76 in 2021). Other kit lenses offered were the 50mm 1:1.4 and the 58mm 1:1.2. An option to only purchase the body was offered later. These days, you can pick up a pretty clean working example for less than $100.
During the production run of the Canon FT QL, there were only minor changes made, most of them cosmetic. One of the changes was the addition of a coin slot on the battery cover on later models. The example I have does not have the coin slot, indicating it’s one of the earlier models.
The Canon FTQL features a Canon FL lens mount (introduced in April 1964 on the Canon FX camera and replaced by the FD mount in 1971) allowing you to choose from quite a large array of FL lenses. The FTQL can also accommodate Canon FD lenses, introduced after the FL lenses. FD lenses can be operated in stop-down mode on the Canon FL mount. Canon FL lenses can be used on FD mount cameras.
Release the film back lock, located on the bottom left of the camera, to open the camera’s film back. Upon doing so, you’ll see where “QL” portion of the camera’s name comes from. The “QL” refers to the “Quick Load” system, a stainless steel sprung hinged mechanism integrated into the film back that’s designed to make loading the film into the camera easier as well as (you guessed it) quicker!
Just pull up on the film rewind lever to pull out the rewind spool, pop in a new cartridge of your favorite 35mm film, return the film rewind spool to its original position, pull enough film from the cartridge to reach the red indicator, then simply close and lock the film back. You’re done! The camera will do the rest for you. The Quick Load mechanism holds the film against the film advance teeth while you advance the film to the first frame. Fire the shutter and advance the film again, and you’re all set to create your next masterpiece. As long as you remember to pull the film out to the red indicator when loading, you won’t have to worry about “shooting blanks” all day and not knowing something is amiss until the film advance lever keeps advancing even though the frame counter has climbed much higher than it should have given the film loaded into the camera. We’ve all been there (some of us more than once) and it’s never a good time. Frankly, I wish other manufacturers would have implemented similar features on all manual 35mm cameras. While my beloved Minolta X-370 is one of my favorite cameras the shoot, I’ve missed many shots because I failed to ensure the film was securely attached to the take-up spool after loading the camera. Still, even with the Quick Load system, it’s always a good idea to give the film rewind lever a tug to ensure the film caught the take-up spook and to take up any slack after loading. It’s just a good habit to get into. The Canon FT QL does not have a window in the film back allowing you to confirm there’s actually film in the camera. The only thing worse than spending hours shooting a camera where the film isn’t advancing is spending hours shooting a camera NOT loaded with film. Don’t ask me how I know. Just trust me on this one.
There’s not holder on the back of the film camera to hold the tab from the film box. As a reminder of what I put in the camera (since I frequently load a camera with film, but don’t always finish the roll in out outing), I place a piece of painter’s tape on the bottom of the camera and record the film that’s inside. This can be removed later and leaves no sticky residue on the bottom plate. I’ve also found that, when placed around the tripod socket, this tape provides a protective barrier to prevent scratches on the bottom of the camera when putting it on a tripod.
Frame counter counts up and resets when the camera back is opened. As I’m one of those people to forget the reset the film counter when it doesn’t reset automatically, I appreciate this feature.
The film speed can be set from ISO 25 to 2000. To change the ISO, gently lift and turn the shutter speed dial housing. It was a good thing I had my reading glasses handy, as they were necessary to set the ISO. And don’t think you’re going to get any fancy DX code reading from this camera. DX encoded 35mm film cartridges wouldn’t come into use until nearly 20 years after production of this camera ceased. But that also means you don’t have to worry about having to trick the camera into shooting film at a speed different than the one indicated on the film canister.
The battery compartment is located on the right edge of the camera and is access by turning a knurled cap counterclockwise. The FTQL takes a single 1.35 volt 625-type mercury cell battery. Normally I’d use a WeinCell MRB625 battery as a replacement. As I was currently out, I used an Energizer 1.5-volt 357 battery along with a brass adapter I found on EBay. The film I was shooting had enough latitude that the photos turned out just fine. Still, this was a reminder to place an order for more WeinCell MRB625 batteries, which I did while the film was drying. At the base of the film rewind crank, there’s a small spring-loaded lever next to an arrow pointing to the letter “C”. Push this lever towards the “C” activates the battery check. Look through the viewfinder to see the results of the check. A strong battery will send the exposure meter needle to the top of the viewfinder. While the camera can be operated without a battery, having a working meter is always a plus, and I was thrilled the meter in this camera still worked.
The shutter is a cloth focal plane shutter and has speeds from 1 sec to 1/1000 and B. A flash can be mounted to the cameras’ cold shoe and connected to the PC Sync port located on the front of the camera. The sync. speed is 1/60 and any speed below. Flash sync can also be selected by turning the shutter speed dial to “X”. The shutter speed at “X” is 1/60th of a second.
The FTQL comes with a self-timer, actuated by the lever on the front of the camera. Turn the lever to the 6 O’clock position to set the timer. Push the shutter button to start the time. You’ll then have about 8-10 seconds to get into position or make final preparations on your subject before the shutter will fire. The shutter button can be locked by turning the collar around the shutter button to the “L” position. To fire the shutter, the lock collar must be in the “A” position. A shutter release cable can be threaded into the shutter button. Even with the lock collar in the “L” position, the shutter will fire by using the shutter release cable.
The self-timer lever also serves another purpose. Pushing it towards the lens activates the exposure meter for stopped down metering. A small toggle beneath the self-timer lever can be moved from “L” (Locked) to “A” (Automatic). The FTQL communicates the center-weighted meter reading via a needle in the viewfinder. Aligning the needle with the circle indicates proper exposure. The meter reads only from an area of about 12% of what is visible in the viewfinder. The area being read is in the center and is indicated by an area with a slightly grayed rectangle, allowing the user to determine what is being read by the meter, ensure the reading it being taken from the desired portion of the scene. I found this really helpful when dialing in the exposure. The manual states that when “B” or “X” are selected, the needle will point to the top of the viewfinder and will indicate proper exposure cannot be obtained. I didn’t find this to be the case.
A small lever to the right of the lens mount raises and locks the mirror. Locking up the mirror reduces vibration. It’s also necessary to lock up the mirror when using special FL lenses. The original 19mm 1:3.5 wide angle is one example. This lens protrudes into the body deep enough to interfere with the mirror.
The film I chose to test the camera with was Kodak Tri-X Pan 400. I bought 6 rolls of this film on EBay. I plan to use this film for the first six months of the Frugal Film Project, and you can’t get much more frugal than expired film. The seller did not know when the film expired or how it had been stored, so shooting it really was a crap shoot. I decided to shoot the film at box speed and told myself I’d just have to do another test using fresh film if this roll did not turn out, as I’d really have no idea if the film or the camera was at fault.
Luckily, the entire roll turned out great. I shot this roll over the course of an hour, sharing the frames between indoor and outdoor subjects (mostly indoor, because…well…it was cold and raining – almost snowing – and I’m an indoor dog). Shooting ISO 400 film indoors without a flash on an overcast day meant shooting most of the shots nearly wide open, which gave me a chance to see what kind of bokeh this lens would produce.
So, how did I like shooting the Canon FTQL? Well, it definitely did not disappoint! While it’s not the lightest camera, it feels good in the hands. It’s easy to hold and is reasonably balanced. And I’m one of those photographers who prefer a camera with a little bit of heft to it. I find a little weight helps me to hold the camera a little steadier while photographing. The viewfinder was bright and clear, and not cluttered with a lot of flashing lights or an overload of information. The metering indication patch, that gray rectangle indicating what part of the scene is being evaluation when calculating the exposure, wasn’t distracting in the least. I would prefer a split prism focusing spot as opposed to the microprism spot, but as the focusing screens are not removable/interchangeable, it’s something I’ll just have to live with. I feel as though I only missed focus on a couple of frames from the first roll, so it’s just going to be something I’ll have to get used to.
Will I be shooting this camera again? You bet! I originally purchased this camera with the intention of trying it out, then passing it on to another photographer. But to be honest, I’m so impressed with the images that it just might have earned a spot in my permanent collection. Only the future knows for sure. All I can confidently tell you for sure is that I recommend you give it a try should you come across one at a decent price.
Happy shooting!!