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Cooltouch
Tinkerer
Username: Cooltouch
Post Number: 82
Registered: 01-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 19, 2011 - 06:12 pm: | 
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Recently I acquired a couple of FTbs. I can't help it, I have a soft spot for 'em. One of them is the early model, and the other is the FTbn. Now, I've always prefered the "n" for its refinements over the original. But yesterday I was giving them both a thorough cleaning, which involved removing both the top and bottom covers so I could clean out all the film chips, etc, from the bottom and the crud out of the viewfinders.
What I noticed pretty quickly was a few of the parts under the bottom plate were different. In one case, the early one has a brass gear with a peg that rotates against a lever, and the later one's is nylon. Another piece that's sort of inset into the floor and rotates with the crank, and I really don't know what it is, seems to be made out of metal with th original and black plastic with the "n" model. I spotted a couple other, more minor, differences too.
I've owned a few FTbns and they've always been stone-cold reliable, so I'm thinking it might be moot point, and really I'm just curious more than anything else, but I wonder if folks who have worked on a lot of them over the years might have concluded that the early one is the more reliable of the two?
I was thinking about selling the early one and keeping the "n", but now I think I'll go ahead and hang onto it. It's in a bit nicer cosmetic condition than the "n" anyway. |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 910
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 19, 2011 - 06:34 pm: |
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The take up mechanism on the 'n' model is definitely suspect under heavy use. We used the 'n' as a general handout camera kit for all our on site staff, had around twenty of the bodies which got fairly heavy use. Over a period of six years two particularly ham fisted staff members buggered up five bodies - all broken take up mechanisms.
I have a couple of early FTb's to which I have fitted the later plastic tipped wind on lever - I prefer this lever and the mod is very simple. |
Gez
Tinkerer
Username: Gez
Post Number: 278
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 20, 2011 - 04:57 am: |
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I haven't noticed any differences in reliability of the two models, although the first curtain brake pad in 'N' version seems to detach more often than in the original model. What lets both versions down is the inadequate protection of the prism surface from the retaining bracket and cushioning foam. The small plastic cover lets the corrosive products of degraded foam attack the prism paint and coating. Other manufacturers were superior in this regard. |
Cooltouch
Tinkerer
Username: Cooltouch
Post Number: 85
Registered: 01-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 21, 2011 - 04:49 pm: |
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I just had the FTbn apart a few days ago, and the prism is almost completely enshrouded by a thin sheet of plastic, cut to fit the outer contours of the prism. It's held in place by a metal bracket, which is held in place by two screws. Between the metal bracket and the plastic covering is a cushion of foam material. Other than the foam for the mirror, that is the only foam I came across under the camera's top cover.
Another FTbn I own, when it arrived, there was gunk smeared all over the focusing screen that had come from a decaying mirror cushion. I thought I was going to have to open it up, and remove the prism and the focusing screen to clean it. Turns out though that all I had to do was gently wipe the focusing screen with a Q-tip dipped in denatured alcohol, which instantly disolved the gunk. I ended up with a very clear and clean looking focusing screen.
I mention this just to state that the gunk from the mirror pad probably wont be able to get up inside past the focusing screen anyway. |
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