Film Rewind crank: this crank is used to rewind the film manually, this is also how you open the back panel to load and unload film. Light Meter Switch: you need a battery for this it is not necessary to take quality photos but helps with finding the right aperture and shutter speed settings great for beginners. Focusing Ring: This is used so that you can make the object that you are photographing clear. Aperture Ring: This is used to adjust the amount of light that exposes to the film, this is important to adjust according to your light environment. ASA Film Speed: This is used to adjust the ASA which is the referred to as film speed, The film speed you choose depends on what film you have to use the manufacturer will note the film speed: 400 is the most common ideal for indoor and outdoor shots. Shutter Lock: This is used to lock the shutter to prevent unintentional photos when the engraved line on the dial is pointed at “L” then the shutter lock is activated is it is pointed at “A” then the camera is ready to take photos. Shutter Release Button: This will release the shutter and expose the film which “takes the photo”. Shutter Speed Dial: This is how you choose how fast your shutter opens then closes. Film Advance Lever: This moves the exposed film out of the way, moving a new piece of unexposed film ready to be used. Framer Counter: This will let you know how many frames you have used
Battery Compartment: This is where the battery is held, this use to hold a mercury battery (1. 3v) which is unsafe and most likely banned in your country. The replacement battery is a 1. 5v alkaline battery 625a. The only issue is that the meter doesn’t read as accurate as it used to because of the change in voltage from the replacement battery.
Self-Timer: this activates with the shutter release button, after you twist the lever. There will be approximately 10 seconds of lag. Flash Socket: this is for a flash accessory, this is used so that the flash is timed correctly with the shutter.
View Finder: this is used to see what your lens is viewing so that you can Focus and take your photo how you see fit. Back Panel: this is where film is stored.
Film Rewind Button: This is a button that you press when you use up all your frames on your roll of film. Tripod Socket: This socket is used for tripods which are great for slow shutter speeds and precision shots.
To unlock the lens, turn the bayonet ring to the left until the red dot on the lens lines up with the bayonet dot.
To put a lens back on, line the two red dots together and turn right on the bayonet ring until the red dots are perpendicular. The Canon FTb is from 1971 and the lens mount it uses is an older model than the current modern canon lens cameras. The type of lens mount is called the Canon FD which was introduced in 1971 and used on various canon models until 1987.
Place the film in the cartridge compartment. Follow the diagram that is on the inside of the panel. With two fingers, keeping the film down so that the film doesn’t rise, pull the film slowly to the right lining up the film perforations with the film advance sprocket. Close the back panel.
When you pressed the film rewind button earlier, the frame counter should have went back to S. Pull the film advance lever and press the shutter release button 3 times. This moves the blank frames and unexposed film so that the camera is ready to take photos.
When you are not able to pull the film advance lever and you can’t press the shutter release button, that means you need to remove the film and replace it with a new roll.
This will reset the frame count and will allow you to wind the film.
Do some research so you understand aperture and shutter speed; these are important concepts to understand while using any manual film camera.
Turning the aperture ring counter-clockwise will decrease the amount of light that will be exposed to the film suitable for bright lighting. Turning the ring clockwise will increase the amount of light that will be exposed suitable for low lighting. You can also follow the ring in the viewfinder; up is for brighter environments and down is for dimmer environments.
Using the light meter isn’t necessary for taking good quality photos with the FTb, but it can help beginners with finding a general aperture and shutter speed. You shouldn’t rely on this light meter though; although it can be a useful tool in guiding you, it is deceptive and not as accurate as it used to be. This is due to the change in voltage with the alkaline replacement battery because the original battery was a mercury battery.
You will hear a click and that will be the shutter opening and closing, exposing the film to what you have your camera focused on. To shoot another photo you must pull the film advance lever to the right and then you are ready to take another photo.
