All metal, tough as nails construction.
It won't melt if you leave it in the sun...but don't anyway. :-)
Dozens of inexpensive, & compatible FD lenses from many manufacturers on Ebay, etc.
"The" camera for baby-boomers like me who got into photography before computers.
Tell me another camera that will go 30+ years, take thousands of outstanding photographs, and have nothing break?

If there is a Top 10 in SLR history: the Canon FTb "must" be on the list.

Matter of fact, I just bought another "mint" FTb off Ebay...payed handsomely for it too! I figure I can now use the old one for parts...IF it ever dies!

The only weakness for me was it's weight when carrying it around my neck attached to a larger telephoto lens. This was solved by buying the second best photographic item of my life...a photographer's vest for storing et. al. No more camera bags slipping off the shoulder! They aren't cheap, but worth their cost several times over, and the "weight" of all your geat is spread over the shoulders, not a strap digging into one. Mine is an Eddie Bauer, and very well made.

Where can I start with my trusty, 1974 Canon FTbN (new).
It has taken over 8,000 flawless Kodachrome slides primarily, for use in magazines by this photojournalist. Currently my old "tank" is 32 years old, and has never been worked on, although it now needs a new mirror dampener installed...that's it! It's been meticuoulsy cleaned, and maintained, but has never even needed an adjustment of any kind. It's been from the salty Gulf Coast, to the highest elevations in Colorado...Arizona's summer heat, to below freezing.

The FD lenses it uses are far superior in durability to the newer "plastc" versions. Ditto the FTb. If I remember correctly, the camera and std. 50mm lens weighs about 2 1/2 pounds! If you are looking for low price, durability...and ALL manual (except the simple metering system's battery power)...there is no better camera. I'd planned to move up to a "Professional" F-1, but the simplified FTb had all I ever needed, with B-1/1000 sec. shutter.

Customer Service

With the FTb...I've never needed any Customer Service!
Simple is still better in many cases...the less complicated...the less to go wrong.
10+ rating for my dear old FTb...it just keeps going, and going. Wish I had a 34 year old car with no problems! :-) A 34 year old computer, or computerized camera? Dream on!

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I also have a Canon AT-1, which has also proven durable. It too is all manual, and similar to the FTb, except the electronic shutter...which has had to be repaired once. It's a "tweener" between the FTb, and the plastic jobs. Not as strong as the FTb, but still tough in the 20 years I've owned it.

Aside from my Canon-brand lenses, I've also had very good "professional" results with Tokina FD lenses. Very sharp, and less expensive than the Canon's when I bought them "new" over the past 3 decades.

Strongly engineered product that exudes some sort of chemistry. The later FTBn also displays the shutter speed in the viewfinder which is helpful. Mine came with the 50mm FD 1.4 SSC lens which seems sharper than the EF version.

Harder to hold without the grip of a motor winder. Mirror slap recoils like a shotgun.

This is a camera (FTBn) that has charisma. I also have an EOS body, lenses, and accessories but they feel disposable in comparison. I use the new equipment in the field though because it's lightweight and my FTBn and FD lenses are too pristine I feel to knock around. I've seen FTB bodies going for $300 at major camera sellers.

Customer Service

Fine for new cameras. They have a respecatable online museum that displays all the Canon cameras too.

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Some Nikons and Pentax. I like old rangefinders, e.g. Olympus RC35. Wish they would put that model on the forum.

Quiet, mecanical operation, manual.

None for me!

Big Camera, very solid,forever camera, bueild strong, very quiet. I'm sorry I don't write english!! Es una camara eterna, de construcción robusta, operación silenciosa. He tenido muchas camaras a lo largo de mis correrias, esta me encanta!

Customer Service

Mecanica Foto Electronica Guadalajara Prisciliano Sanchez 513 44100 Guadalajara Jalisco MEXICO Tel. (52)01336581114

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Pentax Spotmatic.

Accurate light meter Easy to load Quiet

Not very ergonomic Heavy

This is the best camera I've ever used out of 4. It is perfect for photographing animals because It does not make much noise. The FTb has a very good light meter which ,If you used right, will never mislead you and cause you to underexpose a photograph. I use it for astrophotography, aircraft photos and bird close ups and It fits all of those rolls perfectely.

Customer Service

N/A

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None

Rugged construction. Beautiful lens

Hard to find battery.

Bought my FTB new in about '72 while in the US Army. I have used this over and over since then. I've got the 1.4 lens and I get beautiful results for someone with little experience. This camera is a great tool for someone learning photography since it is all manual. Only problem in 30+ years is small amount of loss of silvering on mirror. Would welcome thoughts on repair.

Mirror lock-up, depth-of-field preview, does not rely on batteries to function, built solid like a tank

It's not really a weakness but it's heavy. After an afternoon of shooting you really feel sore. Fully manual everything so if you're shooting fast action then you miss out on quite a few shots.

I purchased this camera after reading reviews both here and in another website. The FTb is a very robust and capable camera. It's fully manual which is excellent for learning the basics of metering. I used it recently on a trip to Tombstone, AZ and while it was supposedly only a back-up (for an A-1) the strangest thing happened. The A-1's batteries conked out under the intense heat and gosh darn it! there are no stores around. Luckily the FTb is gentler on batteries and should it's batteries fail, it will still function. Finished the trip shooting only with the FTb and a handful of lenses.

Customer Service

None

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Canon A-1 Pentax Spotmatic (another capable camera) Various Pentax cameras

Solid as a ROCK. Dependable. Don't leave home without one.

If I were not used to plain microprisms, I'd say this unit could use a split-focus screen, but hey it's still QUITE up to date for its manufacturing date.

I found this FTb in a sandwich bag at a yard sale. I thought it would be good for parts only, or at least the lens would fetch some trade-in points on another lens. But lo and behold, it functions solid as a rock. Cosmetically, the only "defect" is the original owner's drivers' license number engraved on the bottom plate (I have a written receipt from that person for my purchase). I shoot photos at Native American Powwows, following the dancers could be likened to sports photography. Indoor/outdoor/day/evening all-weather dances pose a variety of lighting conditions. No problems with meter accuracy. I like the indicator wheel on the lower left of the viewfinder to show shutter speed, less finder area taken up than a sliding scale. This camera is a bit too old to have split-focus aids, but I am used to the plain microprisms of my late 60's Yashica and Mamiya-Sekor models anyway. I am also used to the weight, I like the solid feel and they are just all-around more rugged than the lightweight, plastic bodies (I have a Fujica STx-1N that feels like a toy in comparison). And the FTb even has a sync cord output.

Customer Service

Out-of-production model, Not Applicable. Did not ever have to use it for the EOS-A2E, either.

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Fujica STx-1N Yashica TL Super Mamiya-Sekor 1000 DTL Canon EOS-A2E

The camera has held up splendidly in jungles, beaches, mountains, rain, heat, you name it. After almost 30 years, I finally brought it in for maintenance so I can keep it running forever. I have other cameras, but this is my favorite. My friends keep changing cameras every couple of years, but my FTb produces solid pictures year after year.

1.35 V Mercury Battery availablity. Solved by adapting camera to new 1.5 battery.

This is the best camera you can own. I bought mine at a military PX in 1974 when I was stationed near Viet Nam. The camera taught me everything I needed to know about photography. It serves the novice through expert equally well. My daughter just used it for a high school photography class and the teacher offered to buy it !

Customer Service

Best camera repair shop in the world is TC camera repair in Lisle, Illinois.

All mechanical like my yasahica&fujica cameras.

Since it's all mechanical . No option for motor drive.

Size is relative to weight compared to my Olympus equipment. Love battery usage compared to Ae-1 program & price.

Customer Service

None at present time.

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Om-2n, Ae-1, Om-10, Nikon nikormat, & Fujica St 701.

heavy duty, Easy to use & all manual!

weight

My first and only camera. I use it for Car & Bike races and after more than 25 years it never miss a shoot. I use it in all european tracks, with snow, rain, d*** hot sun and I had no problem. Now I'm lookin for another FTB and a zoom.

Customer Service

just a mechanical controll & clean ....15 years ago!!

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Nikon EM