Canon FTb 1974

Jul 19, 2008

- Dear 5miles,

Thanks for your advice on my Canon FTb problem. The camera had been sitting in a drawer for a few years with the film compartment door closed shut, not possible to open. A few days ago, while out a little sick and nothing better to do, I took it out to see if some magic had worked on the problem. I pulled out the film rewinding knob (I called it, in error, the film advance knob in my first posting) located on the left side (as seen from the operators side of the camera, the knob with the fold-out crank) to its first stop. Then you are supposed to pull it out just a little more and the film door latch releases the hook on the door. Grudgingly the door did indeed open! I do not dare to close the cover again.

The flat metal sheet that you refer to, located in a groove is spring loaded and slides to the side (upwards towards the knob) when the door is pushed into the closed position and the hook on the door catches on this metal sheet, or rather a bar, when the spring loading causes it to slide back around the hook. This bar slides nicely back and forth when I push on it with a stiff wire. The spring loading is perfect. However, the internal mechanical coupling to the film rewind knob has failed. However I pull and wiggle the film rewinding knob to try to move the bar in the groove to the open position, there is no movement. I have tried to gently tap the camera body, hold it in different positions etc., all to no avail. Some internal mechanical linkage between the film rewind knob and the bar must have failed. Probably the only remedy is to disassemble the camera and inspect the internal mechanism.

Have you ever dissassembled an FTb camera body? Difficult?
There are a few Phillips type screws around the top of the body. Somewhere I read a note about the Japanese using a slightly different standard for Phillips screw drivers than our normal US standard. Any vendor selling Japaneses standard jewelers screw drivers?

Other than this show stopper problem my 1974 FTb is in great condition. Great camera, fun to use, no batteries needed (except for the light meter).

Hans

Jul 21, 2008

- Hi 5miles,

Thanks for your July 21 posting. The FTb is not worth much money, but it has historical value to me as my first really good camera and it would be fun to have it working again. One idea: buy another FTb to use for dissassembly practice + buy service manuals. Any new ideas you may have about my latch problem are welcome!

You are in the Philippines? I spent a wonderful Christmas and New Year in Cebu City in 1974.

Hans