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

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A “new old” Canon lens.

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

Happy to add this wonderful Canon FL 28mm f3.5 lens to my hoard (did I say that out loud?) of Canon gear. It’s the first and only FL in my collection. It looks unused.

It also has an <E.P> mark. It’s reported to have been introduced in December 1966 – is that correct?

7/7, 6-blades, 269 g, W-60-B hood, 58mm filters, and 60mm metal cap.

Looking forward to taking it for a spin.

FL lenses feature the same Canon breech lock mount as the previous Canon R lenses and the most modern FD lens, which came out in 1971.

Reportedly, the lens was released in 1966.

Even the inspection sticker looks untouched.

For me, the coveted <E.P> mark, which indicates the lens was likely sold at a US military store in Japan.

These details were published by Canon in 1971.

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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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Rare Canon EF Brochure – 1974

January 24, 2026January 24, 2026Chris and Carol 2 Comments

Pictured is an early version of the famous Canon EF.

The EF is a close cousin of the Canon F-1.

The EF has many more features than the F-1 right out of the box.

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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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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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Happy SUNday!

January 11, 2026January 11, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

This is the last Canon EF 35mm film camera in my collection. I’ve owned quite a few over the years, but I kept this one because it’s in mint condition and works perfectly. This EF was made in early 1976. It’s affectionally know as the Black Beauty.

It’s a very close cousin to the Canon F-1. The original F-1 was released in March 1971. The EF made its appearance in November 1973.

It’s one of the most underrated cameras of the 1970s, and in some ways was better than the F-1 straight out of the box.

If you’re looking to add a classic film camera from the seventies, the Canon EF is worth the chase!

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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.

Likely the first and most complete brochure for the new Canon F-1, which was released in March 1971. This brochure is dated November 1970.

An often overlooked early Canon camera. Dated November 1970.

Part of Canon’s building blocks of sophisticated 35mm SLRs on their way to developing the F-1. Dated September 1969.

I had the next model up from this classic. Dated March 1971.

Check out these guys with their Canon Super 8 movie camera. Dated March 1971.

I have more brochures in my collection, with the earliest being from the mid-1950s.

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A very early Canon F-1.

December 23, 2025December 23, 2025Chris and Carol Leave a comment

My early F-1, July 1971, with a matching July 1971 50mm f1.4 lens and a November 1971 instruction book (PUB. NO. 5366G). These very early books are almost harder to find than the cameras.

What’s interesting about this camera is that the serial number is less than 3,000, but the date stamp inside reads L712C, indicating July 1971. I have an August 1971 camera, and its SN is just shy of 20,000. My guess is that, for whatever reason, this body sat around long after its serial number was issued. The ‘C’ after the date stamp may tell the story that we’ll never know.

Almost as new as the day it rolled off the line.

The first F-1s began at 100001. This one should have been assembled in December 1970 or January 1971, based on the low serial number. The F-1 was released in March 1971.

The baseplate is in excellent condition for such an old F-1.

Canon stamps what is believed to be a factory date code inside the film chamber of every camera made. This code indicates that it was assembled in 1971 (L), July (7). The following two numbers are an internal code, as is the ‘C’ – lost in time as to their meaning.

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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 © 2015-2025 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

A special place for Canons, www.ccstudio2380.com

December 21, 2025December 21, 2025Chris and Carol Leave a comment

My well-used but super-clean Canon New F-1 (F-1N) limited-edition Los Angeles 1984 camera set.

The LA Olympics F-1 is a favorite with collectors. Most ended up either being gently used or put on display. Fewer than 9,500 were made. My F-1 was obviously a busy camera throughout its life. It was assembled in November 1983, and the lens in October. Most of these were made with the AE finder, which makes mine a bit more unusual because it has an eye-level finder. Everything works as designed.

Canon New FD 135mm f3.5 short telephoto lens set. The 135 is a popular lens for portraits, sporting events, and wildlife photography.

It’s no secret that I love super-wide-angle lenses, the wider the better. I’ve used the 17mm and the 24mm; the 20mm is a nice compromise between those two.

Who doesn’t love a still-mint-condition instruction booklet?

Remembering a sharp camera from the late 1970s. My last cine camera before I got my first video camera.

As I continue to downsize my collection, these special Canons are now available in my Etsy camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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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 © 2015-2025 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

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Tag Made in Japan

Canon FTb-N

A “new old” Canon lens.

When it all comes together.

Rare Canon EF Brochure – 1974

Canon Chrome Nose 28/3.5 Lens

Nikon F2A Photomic Camera Set

Happy SUNday!

Happy SUNday! – camera brochures

A very early Canon F-1.

A special place for Canons, www.ccstudio2380.com