Bell & Howell FD35
Dec 30, 2014 14:53:58 #
I'm hopeful some of you out there are familiar with the Bell&Howell B35. I read the manual but it left unanswered the
big question; will it take pictures without a battery? The shutter snaps at all speeds, the fstops work, and the range-finder seems ok. Please don't say try it because then I would miss out on chattin with you folks.
big question; will it take pictures without a battery? The shutter snaps at all speeds, the fstops work, and the range-finder seems ok. Please don't say try it because then I would miss out on chattin with you folks.
Dec 30, 2014 15:54:28 #
It's a Canon TX with a Bell & Howell nameplate.
The manual can be found here LINK
Donate to Mike Butkus!
He has a lot of old manuals and it's less expensive than finding one, buying it and postage.
(edit: I just re-read your post and saw that you do have a manual)
It should take photos w/o a battery as it has a mechanical shutter.
The battery is just for the meter.
It uses the old Canon FD lenses.
Hope you're not snowbound!
I spent some time at RIT myself.
The manual can be found here LINK
Donate to Mike Butkus!
He has a lot of old manuals and it's less expensive than finding one, buying it and postage.
(edit: I just re-read your post and saw that you do have a manual)
It should take photos w/o a battery as it has a mechanical shutter.
The battery is just for the meter.
It uses the old Canon FD lenses.
Hope you're not snowbound!
I spent some time at RIT myself.
Dec 30, 2014 16:26:45 #
I have used Butkus many times since I started collecting vintage cameras. I go for two things when I buy or bid. 1 does it interest me and 2 does it work, or be made to work. My wife doesn't share much of my hobby. I picked up a P/S with an auto flash, half-power fill flash, plus a pretty long zoom. She loves it and after 2 years has figured out how to load the film. Thanks again for your feed-back.
Dec 30, 2014 16:30:53 #
HarveyRothbeind wrote:
I have used Butkus many times since I started collecting vintage cameras. I go for two things when I buy or bid. 1 does it interest me and 2 does it work, or be made to work. My wife doesn't share much of my hobby. I picked up a P/S with an auto flash, half-power fill flash, plus a pretty long zoom. She loves it and after 2 years has figured out how to load the film. Thanks again for your feed-back.
I have several old Nikons myself.
I use them for the Boy Scout photography merit badge class.
They can see how the shutter and aperture works.
They can't break them.
I was pretty leery of electronic shutters when they first came out.
Dec 30, 2014 17:32:59 #
Just to be a bit of a nitpicker, I believe if you check you will find that the name is Bell + Howell, not Bell & Howell. That respected old name went out of business long ago. Don't know anything about Bell + Howell, but it irritates me a bit to see them using that name in what I consider to be a deceptive manner. That's just my take on it.
Dec 30, 2014 22:44:15 #
My first SLR was a Bell/Howell Canon FX in 1967. At that time Bell & Howell imported Canon cameras. My FX took FL lenses. FD lenses came later. You could use FD lenses on older Canons with stopdown metering or newer ones with full aperture metering. You couldn't use FL lenses on Canons with full aperture metering. I had to get all new lenses when I went from my FT to my FTb. I was not happy.
Dec 31, 2014 09:47:59 #
The name on the front of the camera over the lens shows Bell & Howell. Not Bell + Howell.
Dec 31, 2014 10:16:18 #
HarveyRothbeind wrote:
The name on the front of the camera over the lens shows Bell & Howell. Not Bell + Howell.
There is a lot of confusion between the two. So far as I know, Bell & Howell no longer exists as a manufacturer of photographic products. Their name is licensed for the sale of re-branded products, such as Canon cameras. Bell + Howell, to me, has always been a ripoff of the Bell & Howell name, although, I could be wrong about that. Maybe I just don't like Bell + Howell because my father had a number of Bell & Howell products. I still have one of his 8mm projectors from the early '50's. Built like a tank and still works perfectly.
Dec 31, 2014 12:02:32 #
LFingar wrote:
Just to be a bit of a nitpicker, I believe if you check you will find that the name is Bell + Howell, not Bell & Howell. That respected old name went out of business long ago. Don't know anything about Bell + Howell, but it irritates me a bit to see them using that name in what I consider to be a deceptive manner. That's just my take on it.
You are mistaken.
I am looking at my Bell & Howell camera right now. It is Bell & Howell / Canon, model FX written on it using the ampersand symbol. It is not Bell + Howell.
It works just fine without a battery but the meter does not function so you use the sunny 16 rule, a hand held meter or some other means of determining the exposure.
Dec 31, 2014 12:08:16 #
MarkD wrote:
My first SLR was a Bell/Howell Canon FX in 1967. At that time Bell & Howell imported Canon cameras. My FX took FL lenses. FD lenses came later. You could use FD lenses on older Canons with stopdown metering or newer ones with full aperture metering. You couldn't use FL lenses on Canons with full aperture metering. I had to get all new lenses when I went from my FT to my FTb. I was not happy.
The R an FL lenses still worked as designed on the FTb. Just no full aperture metering. So you were misinformed as to them not working. My R an FL lenses work just fine on the FD series bodies and Canon so states in the instructions with a couple of special lenses as exceptions. Yes you are right no full aperture metering but they still fit, metered as designed and produced exceptional photos. The FL 85-300 is an exceptional lens people are even converting to EOS mount because of the quality.
Dec 31, 2014 12:08:35 #
I also have a few Canon models (T70,T90) and the FD or FL lens mounts to the B&H (B+H). All i have to do is film test it using sunny 16. But western New York is cold this time of the year.
Dec 31, 2014 12:29:12 #
HarveyRothbeind wrote:
I also have a few Canon models (T70,T90) and the FD or FL lens mounts to the B&H (B+H). All i have to do is film test it using sunny 16. But western New York is cold this time of the year.
Go on line there should be something like Kodak used to have on the boxes of film saying what to use for clouds etc.
I kept my old Kodak Silver photo guide that has all this in it but should be readily available on line.
Dec 31, 2014 13:23:35 #
There was at one time in the far distant past when every box or can of Kodak film contained exposure guide on one side and a flash guide on the other. Other film makers followed Kodak. Then to save $$$$ the exp guide was moved to the end flaps of the film box. Or pressure from camera producers, who placed the flap-holder on the back of cameras were behind it. But now with auto everything you can look into a small window and read the cassette data directly. Aint progress wunnerful?????
Dec 31, 2014 17:26:28 #
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