The Very Basics to Shooting Film with a Canon FTb
Film photography is a technical and seemingly complicated process if you have never encountered it before. This instruction set aims to guide you through the process of loading your film and preparing the camera to capture images, then adjusting exposure levels, taking a picture, and setting up for the next. Photography is an art and therefore includes a broad window for creative freedom. A few of the steps in the process require a touch of personal judgement based on changing external conditions, and so there may be some ambiguity when adjusting settings.
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Note: There is a glossary included at the end of the instruction set with a list of possible unknown terms, as well as a full diagram of the FTb’s model.
Loading the Film
1. Pull straight up on the film rewind knob on the top left of the camera
- It should make a noticeable release; the back of the camera will unlock and rise slightly.
2. Take your film canister out of its capsule
(IAll images provided by Canon FTb Instruction Manual)
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3. Turn it upside-down so that the knobbed side is facing the bottom of the camera
4. Load it into the left side of the back of the camera so that the loose tail of the film is positioned across the length of the camera, to the right
5. Hold the film canister in this position
6. Gently pull the film across the back of the camera
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- The door to the back of the camera should be all the way open so that the QL cover used to hold the film in place is not in the way.
7. Align it with the red marking behind the film door on the lower half of the camera
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- The position of the red marking is circled in the figure
8. Make sure the holes in the top and bottom of the film strand are threaded with the light grey gears of the camera
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​ - These gears will advance the film during operation but will not be able to if not aligned correctly.
9. Close the back of the camera
10. Push the film rewind knob on the top left of the camera down so that it holds the film in place
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- Your film is now loaded! The shot counter on the top right of the camera should be at the S position
Priming the Film
1. Push the film advance lever in its semi-circular path until it stops
2. Release it so that it swings back into place
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- This removed any slack created when loading the film and advanced it one position.
3. Press the shutter release button
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- The goal here is to get the shot counter on the top of the camera to the 0 position; there are a couple repetitious steps here. The camera is not actually taking pictures or wasting shots.
4. Push the film advance lever in its circular path again until it stops
5. Release it
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- The shot counter on the top right of the camera should be between S and 0​
6. Press the shutter release button again
7. Push the film advance lever in its circular path again until it stops
8. Release it
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- ​This part seems wasteful but is essential to properly priming your film. The shot counter should now read 0; your camera is ready to capture a picture
Focusing the Lens
1. ​Turn on the camera’s power
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- ​This is located to the right of the film rewind knob on the top left of the camera.
- It is assumed that your FTb already is equipped with a 625A battery
2. Remove the lens cap on the front of the camera.​
3. ​Position your dominant eye to the viewfinder on the top back of the camera
4. Close your other eye
5. Find your subject or whatever you wish to capture in the viewfinder
6. Rotate the focus on the lens in one direction
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- On the top of the lens there are measurements to how far away your subject may be
7. Rotate the focus on the lens in the other direction
8. Clarify the image
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- Use your judgement. If the image is not totally clear when you get you shot back, chalk it up to creative liberty! Mistakes and errors are not always real in art.
Adjusting the Aperture
1. Rotate the aperture dial on top of the lens.
2. Select an aperture
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- A lower aperture is better for subject images or portraits. A higher aperture will capture details more broadly but requires more light to get a clear picture.
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- It is better to set this feature before adjusting shutter speed to reduce monotony
Adjusting the Shutter Speed
1. ​Rotate the shutter speed nob on the top right of the camera to 125
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- The lower the shutter speed, the longer the camera will capture light when you take a picture. It is advised not to go below 60 on a 50mm lens, the standard model, to reduce motion blur when using a handheld camera.
2. Reposition your dominant eye to the viewfinder on the top back of the camera
3. Close your other eye
4. Position the line (meter needle) on the righthand side inside the bubble (aperture needle).
- The line and the bubble are the light meter inside the camera. Decreasing the shutter speed will raise the line and increasing it will lower the line. The position of the bubble depends on the aperture: a lower aperture will lower the bubble, and a higher one will raise it.
Taking the Photo
1. Steady your hands as much as possible
2. Take a deep breath
3. Hold it in
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- You are trying to reduce any shakiness that may translate to the image.
4. Press the shutter release button gently to capture the picture
5. Exhale...
6. Now cherish the moment
- You won’t see the picture till much later when you get the roll of film developed
Preparing for the Next
1. Push the film advance lever in its circular path until it stops
2. Release it so that it swings back into place
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- Your camera is now ready for the next picture
3. Repeat steps following “Focusing the Lens” onward to take another
Glossary
Aperture – the size of the opening in the lens that controls the amount of light that reaches the film; ranges from f/1.8 to f/16 on the standard model 50mm lens; high aperture has a smaller opening and therefore captures less light, but will give a wider depth of field, low aperture has a bigger opening, captures more light, and will produce a smaller depth of field
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Film – Light sensitive media used to capture pictures; quality and ISO levels may vary
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Film Canister – The cylindrical hard plastic casing that stores coiled film inside
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Film Advance Lever – advances the film in the camera after each shot is taken so that a blank section of film will be exposed for the next picture
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Film Rewind Knob – rewinds the film when the roll is out of shots and locks the film canister into place
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ISO Level – indicates the film’s sensitivity to light; typically range from 100 to 3200; high ISO film may be used in darker settings and sometimes at night, low ISO requires more light and should be used with flash or in daylight conditions
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Lens Cap – protects the camera’s lens from scratches, smudges, and debris
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Shot Counter – keeps track of the number of shots that have already been spent so that the user is aware of how many pictures they have left on a roll of film
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Shutter Release Button – used to take a picture by opening the shutter of the camera
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Shutter Speed – the length of time the camera’s shutter will remain open; ranges from B (bulb) to 1000 on the Canon FTb and are measured in fractions of a second; low shutter speeds will stay open longer and capture motion blur; a shutter speed of 250 is really 1/250th of a second and will capture less light than a shutter speed of 2, or ½ of a second
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QL Cover – a mechanism that is loosely attached to the door on the back of the camera and holds down the film when loading a new roll and in normal operation
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Viewfinder – the scope of the camera that is looked through when lining up a shot
Canon FTb Diagram
