Canon FTb-N

March 8, 2026March 8, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

My Canon FTb-N from 1974. It was an update to the original FTb, which was released in March 1971 – the same date as the Canon F-1. The FTb-N was released in July 1973. OK, that’s a lot of dates, how about some pics?

A big-bodied camera and lens. The ‘QL’ designation indicates it is ‘Quick-Loading’.

The Canon FD 50mm f/1.8 lens was released in April 1972. It’s affectionately called a chrome nose.

Actually, this is a depiction of the original FTb from March 1971, before the updates made on the FTb-N.

The Canon FTb-N is a worthy addition to your list of Canon must-haves.

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Comments are always welcome; I’ve learned a great deal from reader feedback. As always, thanks for stopping by. While there, visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com (CC Design Studios, hosted on Etsy). – Chris Whelan

Please respect that all content, including photos and text, is this blog’s property and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris, Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris. Copyright © 2015-2026 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

Canon P*rn…

February 27, 2026February 27, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

They could have crossed paths in the past. The F-1 is from August 1971, and the lens’s SN (36594) could have been a late-in-the-run model. Anyway, I have them displayed together ATM.

The <E.P> marks indicate that they were purchased at a U.S. military exchange, likely in Japan.

Canon FL 28mm f3.5 lens with its correct Canon lens hood.

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When it all comes together.

February 8, 2026February 8, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

My early Canon F-1 set.

Part of the fun of collecting is when all of the bits come together. My Canon F-1 is from 1971, the first year of the F-1 (released in March). The lens is from late 1972 and is affectionally known as a chrome nose (for obvious reasons). The chrome filter is from 1963, but it would have still been the appropriate filter for this later lens. The lens hood is an all-metal model designed for this lens. Even the rear lens cap is correct.

It’s a beautiful lens that Canon described as a super-wide-angle lens back in the day.

Top view with the correct front lens cap.

The beauty of collecting these early Canon F-1s is that they are still very affordable and still plentiful. Because of their popularity, they are easy to have professionally repaired and adjusted by qualified technicians at a reasonable price.

The early F-1. Serial numbers start at 100001, so my F-1 was number 2,597 and was assembled in July 1971.

1971 price list. It wasn’t an inexpensive camera.

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Canon Chrome Nose 28/3.5 Lens

January 23, 2026January 23, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

An early Canon wide-angle lens with its desirable chrome nose.

I enjoy collecting these lenses. They are from the very earliest days of the Canon F-1, and they have a heft to them that’s very reassuring. Lots of brass and glass. The lens weighs 290 grams.

Considering its age, the markings are super sharp and crazy clean.

The JCII inspection sticker (the gold thingy) was likely placed before the lens was fully assembled.

Canon stamped a date code on most everything it produced. Here, M1010 indicates the lens was completed and passed an internal inspection in October 1972. N = 1972 and 10 = October. The last two numbers are an internal code only known to Canon.

Here is the lens mounted to my earliest Canon F-1 from late 1970 or early 1971.

The early chrome-nose Canon lenses are a fun way to collect classic camera gear. If you can find a nice, clean example, you won’t be disappointed.

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Contax RX – a gem and the end of an era.

January 20, 2026January 20, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

It is a beautiful and well-balanced camera set. The RX was first released in 1996, towards the end of Contax’s 35mm film era. Yashica was long gone by then.
Contax Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 28-70mm f/3.5-4.5 Lens.

Contax Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 28-70mm f/3.5-4.5 Lens.

The beauty of pure black & white negative film.

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Nikon F2A Photomic Camera Set

January 18, 2026January 21, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

My Nikon F2A set.

I’m moving on from it. Enjoyed every minute of using and collecting all of the bits that make it special.

My set includes the super-sharp Nikkor 50mm f/2 Ai lens with hood, cap, and filter.

It’s available in my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

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Yashica brochures in my camera shop. Let’s make a movie!

January 9, 2026January 9, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I’ve just added some hard-to-find Yashica sales brochures and instruction booklets in my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com.

Probably one of the most popular Yashica cameras ever made.

Yashica movie camera brochures are often difficult to find.

This was a very sophisticated Super 8 camera, as good as any made during that period.

A popular movie camera of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

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Yashima Flex – 1954

January 9, 2026January 9, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

As it would have looked back in 1954, leaving the factory in Suwa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Built by the talented craftspeople of Yashima Kogaku Seiki Co., Ltd.

Yashima’s first twin-lens reflex camera was to bear the company name. The Yashima Flex launched a wave of TLRs manufactured by Yashima and later Yashica. By the end of the 1950s, Yashica produced more of these types of cameras than anyone else in the world.

We are very lucky to add such a historic camera to our collection. We enjoy sharing these simple machines with others and hope to pass along a better understanding of the importance of these classic film cameras.

If you have a chance to chase this camera, it will be worth your time. The build quality is impressive.

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Analog beauties.

January 6, 2026January 6, 2026Chris and Carol 2 Comments

I was able to find a Canon Motor Drive MF, still new in its box, recently. It is an early model built in February 1974. Obviously, it’s getting much more difficult to find unused camera gear from the seventies, and as a collector, it’s a thrill when you do.

Canon OD F-1 with all the extras. The ‘OD’ stands for the limited-edition Olive Drab camera made in 1978 by Canon for its home market. About 3k were made.

I attached the motor drive to this camera to show off the contrast between colors.

The chrome-nose Canon 50mm f1.8 lens is an early version of the lens. This one is mid-1971.

The motor drive is in perfect condition and works perfectly. It was made in February 1974, and it’s an early version of the drive.

No doubt, combined, it’s a beast, but surprisingly easy to use, as it fits my hand perfectly.

It arrived still wrapped in the factory plastic.

A snip from a Canon book from June 1973.

Canon’s Motor Drive Unit. This was the first motor drive for the F-1.

A Japanese sales brochure for the Canon OD F-1.

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Happy SUNday! – camera brochures

January 4, 2026January 4, 2026Chris and Carol 2 Comments

Collecting classic camera sales brochures is fun, but it’s also educational. If the marketing departments did their jobs correctly, then the information should be entertaining and a great way to enhance your collecting experience.

Here are five recent acquisitions.