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jack wittlich
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Saturday, August 27, 2005 - 07:20 am: |
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I recently bought an old black body Canon FTB-n with the number 825 7/2 marked on the inside of the back. When I bought it on eBay, I didn't notice a small, irregular hole in the bottom that was covered with black tape. The hole is about 0.188" diameter, near the front edge of the bottom, and almost in line with the l of QL on the front. Shooting a roll of film shows no light leakage. It's a cosmetics thing. I wonder what the hole was for. It doesn't line up with the winder mechanisim. |
Glenn Middleton
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Saturday, August 27, 2005 - 11:39 am: |
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I suppose the irregular hole is due to somebody trying to drill thin plate unclamped.The hole should be adjacent to the bottom of the shutter release spindle/rod.Many years ago someone published a modification in one of the forensic journals,to allow a Squirrel Data Recorder to be activated every time the shutter was released. Basically the mod was a sprung electrical contact that was operated by the foot of release rod.The contact was held on the base plate by a paxolin washer,via the hole in question.The neg lead was attached via tripod bush. The system did give some improvements to identifying negatives in a long test sequence.However the data back was the more sensible way to go when they became available on other models. The 825 7/2 if it is not a repair ref, could be an inventory number.A laboratory camera is likely to have had this mod. Of cause it could just be due to somebody playing silly buggers! |
jack wittlich
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Saturday, August 27, 2005 - 12:16 pm: |
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Hey, thanks for the ideas. I'm an old FTB-n fan from the '70's when I had a chrome model. I gave it to my son, and decided I had to have another one. Go figure? Best regards, Jack |
Jan Dvorak
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Saturday, August 27, 2005 - 04:49 pm: |
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Jack, If the 825 7/2 number is stamped in faint ink on the inside of the back, it would relate to Canon's dating scheme. I seem to recall that the number would tell you the month and year of manufacture, as well the plant which produced it (not certain about the last item though). I don't remember anymore where I found the info, but am certain that some 'googling' would find it again. All the best, Jan |
Glenn Middleton
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Saturday, August 27, 2005 - 06:21 pm: |
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The Canon coding is alphanumeric and on the body is printed/paint stamped in the cassette chamber,adjacent to the latch.The only back doors so marked are the Data Backs.For ref the code could be a, N0903F or b, ON612;in case a, body manufactured in Fukushima September 1973.The 03 is a factory code which has nothing to do with date.In case b,body manufactured in Oita June 1999.After 1986 factory code became suffix,again the 12 is not part of date code.Letter A is 1960 or 1986, Z is 1985.Months Jan thro' Sept can be 01 thro' 09 or the 0 can be omitted. The code was/is always alphanumeric and has never included the / sign in items I own or have repaired/examined. |
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