Reliable, durable, takes great pictures. Only the meter needs a battery. MLU, self-timer. Uses all those great FD and FL mount lenses.

No provision for winder/motor drive.

I've spoken to some have brought up its "slow" shutter speed of 1/1000. But can anyone recall a situation where they used anything that fast? It's good enough for Leica today, using fast lenses.

This is the best kept secret in 35mm photography. I came across it by accident, then bought one for next to nothing to back up an A-1. After a CLA, I use this body more and more. The partial meter is the best choice out there for manual focus cameras. Just be sure to meter the subject in the 12% spot in the center of the viewfinder. And it is very, very tough, capable of functioning in the harshest conditions, including those where I wouldn't take the A-1. Millions of them were made, and they don't cost much. If you like simple, reliable cameras that take great pictures, this could be what you're looking for.

Customer Service

CLA after purchase

Similar Products Used:

Canon, Nikon, Pentax AF and MF. Leica.

Absolutely unbreakable, unbelievable machine. It has done everything I've asked of it, and it's always done it well.

Currently, it's only flaw is that it needs to be retimed (1/4 shutter speed is shorter than 1/15) Other than that, it works perfectly, and I just avoid the 1/4 speed.

Great camera for beginners as well as professionals in need of a back up. This one was formerly my uncle's, from back in his college days of photography. Nearly 2 decades later, it's still a great camera.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

None

Very good Pictures, Survived 6 Meters Fall.
with Sigma 80-200, very good tele photo's
I'm buying a new camera and sarch for a new home for it.

Havy, no AUTO fitures

they don't make like these anymore.

Similar Products Used:

None

Solid metal design. You can beat someone with this camera and then take thier picture(as my photography teacher said to me once).

Well my light meter doesn't work anymore on this camera.

A very good little camera, esp. for beginners learning about shutter speeds and F-Stops.

Similar Products Used:

None

solid, metal, crystal clear optics, simple match needle metering, easy to spot meter and get perfect exposures every time! Great camera to understand about exposure and composition, I may have replaced the battery a handful of times in more then 25 years! Amazing camera!

heavy (by today's standards) but you really feel a connection to the photographic experience

A real love affair with this camera! It's been all over the world with me, and aside from the weight and size, (which I've never minded) there's nothing that could be said bad about it. To the contrary, put some Kodachrome in it on a bright day, learn how to meter (find the darkest and lightest portions of the scene, decide how to favor the exposure of your scene, and set f-stop to the middle) and you'll always get the widest range of exposure imaginable!

The FD series lenses are awesome. Also, this was one of the first, or the first, 35mm SLR to have a quick load feature (mechanical, not electronic!) that works every time.

I have resisted getting new equipment over the years because this is such a reference standard. When the AE-1s came out, I bought one for my wife and it was stolen. Now, I'm buying her a Canon Sure Shot Classic 120, and maybe I'll use it, too. The idea of the electronics in a camera seems strange to me, because the FTb has always been simpler than all the gadgetry. But, point and shoot....hmm.

Get this camera if you ever can, and really learn the art of photography.

Customer Service

Once had camera cleaned after being in desert, by authorized service tech, and once had it checked for specs- no problem either time

Similar Products Used:

Canon AE-1, Nikons, Olympus F

A solid brass body and excellent metering system which works as long as there's battery juice to drive it. I've lugged my three FTB bodies and a case of prime FD lenses from coast to coast and across the Arctic and they're never let me down...ever. Simple, solid photo tools that always work.

No longer in production. Otherwise, none.

If you have enough confidence in your ability to shoot without resorting to electronics and automated systems, find an FTB and you'll never have to worry about your equipment again.

Customer Service

Other than cleaning and winterizing for super-cold work, none of my three FTBs has ever needed repairs. After thousands of rolls of film shot with them, the black finish is wearing off the corners revealing a nice brass patina. A solid metal camera body sure beats wimpy plastic when the going gets abusive.

Similar Products Used:

Several Nikons and other stuff.

Wonderfull machine that depends on mechanics and makes you think when photographing

Every one can take great pictures with a camera like this. Even I.

What else would you need in a camera? A fan maybe?
Ever wondered why they keep making cameras depend more and more on batteries?
If you know the answer you must have an old camera like this.

Customer Service

Never needed

Similar Products Used:

Leica, Pentax, Praktica

Solid, sturdy, reliable and easy. Great for a beginner who is simply learning to be creative and learning to get the "feel" of a camera in their hands.

None!

This was the first camera I bought back in 1976 when I was 16 years old. It was stolen in 1990, and since then I've used a fully-automatic Nikon system. But the desire to own this camera again led me to buying a used one with a 50mm f/1.4 lens for $200.00. It'll be a great second camera for me - and it's still a great first camera for many others. As some have said, a real work horse.

Similar Products Used:

Pentax, Minolta (all of the same era)