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Post by nikonbob on Oct 5, 2010 21:17:49 GMT -5
Ran across one of these locally for not too much so took a flyer on it and bought it. To be honest I had not hears of this Oly model before. Surprisingly the meter works but the shutter speeds seem a little erratic and cosmetically it is in not too bad shape. After doing a little research I found out why I had not heard of it before. Produced for about 1 year as an in-between model to fill the gap between the Pen F and the M1/OM1 intro. Some rumors have it as a Minolta designed body and looking at it there seems to be some resemblance in the squared of corners of the body and the shape of the prism, interesting. Another long drought here between finds but it was worth the wait. I'll try and exercise the shutter back to normal and may run a roll through it.
Bob
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Doug T.
Lifetime Member
Pettin' The Gator
Posts: 1,199
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Post by Doug T. on Oct 6, 2010 9:05:39 GMT -5
Bob, I haven't heard of one either, nor have I ever seen one. Are you going to post a photo of it?
Doug
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daveh
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Posts: 4,696
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Post by daveh on Oct 6, 2010 11:14:33 GMT -5
The FTL was the first Olympus SLR (as far as I know). I think it was made by someone like Fuji and badged 'Olympus', coming out some time around 1970. It took 42mm screw lenses. My brother had, and perhaps still has, one. I shall be seeing him in a week or so and will ask him.
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photax
Lifetime Member
Posts: 1,915
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Post by photax on Oct 6, 2010 11:40:04 GMT -5
Hi Bob !
Great find ! I have also not heard of this model before, but here the Olympus cameras are not widely spread. What lens does it have ?
MIK
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Post by nikonbob on Oct 6, 2010 17:16:39 GMT -5
Doug
I have been busy painting the a living room for a neighbour lady so I haven't had much spare time. I will try to get one up shortly.
Dave
Time to see if you can add that to your collection.
MIK
It has an Olympus F.ZUIKO Auto-S 50/1.8. The camera may or may not be 100% Olympus but the lens appears to be.
Bob
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daveh
Lifetime Member
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Post by daveh on Oct 6, 2010 18:19:36 GMT -5
Thinking about it, I'm sure the FTL has been covered in one of the threads on here a few months ago.
Olympus did have the Pen half-frame SLR from the 60s and what I should have said earlier that this was the first full frame SLR from Olympus - I think.
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Post by nikonbob on Oct 6, 2010 18:32:54 GMT -5
Doug Here ya go as promised, a couple or three quick ones. Dave Yea, it was their first full frame SLR from what I have read. Bob
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daveh
Lifetime Member
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Post by daveh on Oct 6, 2010 18:45:10 GMT -5
Bob, my nephew might have taken the FTL over when he did his photographic course about 18 years ago.
Looking up again on the internet the camera is shrouded in a bit of mystery. Their chief designer of the time seems to say the design was bought in - but the conclusion reached was that it was built by Olympus.
I am sure when it came out about 40 years ago I read that it was manufactured by someone else and just badged as an Olympus. It could be that I am not remembering correctly or it could be that the article I read had got it wrong. Someone somewhere will know the full truth but won't necessarily be telling it.
Dave.
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Post by nikonbob on Oct 6, 2010 19:06:31 GMT -5
Dave
Yea, quite a mystery but I still think that looking at the body shape, top deck layout and body shape Minolta may have had a hand in it somewhere. OTH nothing wrong with having a mystery or two hanging around.
Bob
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Post by drako on Oct 8, 2010 18:38:43 GMT -5
Minolta, yes, agreed.
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Mark Vaughan
Lifetime Member
I STILL have a pile of Nikons. Considering starting a collection of Ricoh SLRs and RFs.
Posts: 191
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Post by Mark Vaughan on Nov 15, 2010 11:32:03 GMT -5
Yeah, that does look like it has some SRT DNA in it...
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casualcollector
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In Search of "R" Serial Soligors
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Post by casualcollector on Nov 20, 2010 21:30:01 GMT -5
Found this website on the FTL some time ago. The writer's thought is that Olympus bought the design from outside but produced it in house. www.biofos.com/cornucop/ftl.htmlI see similarity in dimensions to the Fujica ST series. My hunch is that both designs originated at Nittoh/Komine.
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daveh
Lifetime Member
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Post by daveh on Nov 21, 2010 20:49:21 GMT -5
cc, it is interesting that you say about similarities in design of the Fuji and the FTL. It was Fuji I had "remembered" as being the designers/manufacturers - from the article I had read (probably Amateur Photographer) when the camera first came out.
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rono
Contributing Member
Posts: 28
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Post by rono on Jun 26, 2015 21:19:06 GMT -5
An interesting camera. As an OM collector started looking at the FTL as a small system, one camera half a dozen lenses, bellows and microscope adapter. The manual and early product literature list a few finder accesories, lenses reversal adapter, an extension tube set. The product literature even lists a slide projector. Have seen pictures of a projector in other OM literature but have never seen one yet. A few years ago many of the cameras, lenses and accesories showed up on e-bay many of the them seem to have dried up. Would love to complete my set.
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Stephen
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Still collecting.......
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Post by Stephen on Jun 28, 2015 12:03:28 GMT -5
Maitani Yoshihisa, the OM designer, stated that the FTL was built by Olympus, but that he did not know who designed it. The internals are typical Olympus style and manufacture, and the lenses are 100% Olympus made.
It seems Maitani was kept out of the production of the FTL, he was deeply into the OM design at the same period. Olympus bosses were split at the time, parts of the board supported the OM, parts wanted nothing to do with it.
The intention was to move into 35 mm reflexes with two cameras, one for amateurs, and one for the professional and advanced amateurs. But costs involved with two lines were to high, and the Maitani camp got the OM adopted as the only SLR.
As the main company designer, the statement that he did not know who designed it must be treated with some suspicion that he was not going to say to prevent an old argument raising up again. He obviously felt very sore that the company wasted money on the FTL.
The design of the shutter does resemble Fuji practice, but then all cloth blind focal planes resemble each other anyway. Stephen.
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