How to Use a Canon T
Check the battery, if you have any fitted., Replace the batteries if needs be., Fit the lens., Set the lens' aperture ring to "A"., Make sure the stopped-down metering switch isn't pressed., Turn on the viewfinder display., Load the film.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Check the battery
Press and hold the battery check button.
Open up the side panel, then press and hold the battery check button (indicated).
Don't hit the manual film rewind button, which is right beneath it.
The battery check here shows three bars, indicating a happy T90.
Check the top LCD.
It'll be reading "BC".
It'll also indicate up to three bars at the bottom (each of them made out of three little bars).
If you see two or three, then you're safe.
If you see one, you might be good for a roll of film, but it's a good idea to carry some spares with you.
If you see none, then you should replace your batteries as soon as possible (though the camera will function perfectly right up until they're totally drained). -
Step 2: if you have any fitted.
Unlatch the battery tray.
The latch is on the right hand side of the camera (if you're looking from the back).
Flip out the lever then turn the latch anti-clockwise.
Remove the battery tray.
The battery tray is a little flimsy, so don't yank it out.
A loaded battery tray.
Fit the batteries into the battery tray.
You'll need four AA batteries for this, either carbon-zinc batteries (cheap "heavy duty" ones), alkaline batteries, or Ni-Cds batteries.
Canon didn't explicitly mention using Ni-Mh batteries, so do this at your own risk.
Make sure you insert them with the + and
- terminals of the batteries pointing in the correct direction, as the battery tray indicates.
Slide your loaded battery tray into the camera.
Reinsert the battery tray.
You may find that right at the end, you have to apply a little bit of pressure, holding the battery tray all the way in so that you can latch it.
This is normal.
Turn the latch clockwise to lock the battery tray in place. , There are two types of Canon FD lenses, which fit in slightly different ways.
Note that in the pictures the red dots are not lined up perfectly as the description suggests they should be; this was to stop the lens plopping off while the picture was being taken, sorry.
Lenses without locking rings mount just like almost every other SLR lens from other systems.
Lenses without chrome locking rings:
These are sometimes called "New FD" or "FD-n" lenses.
Line up the red dot on the lens with the red dot on the camera body.
If you're looking at it from the front, grip the aperture ring and turn the lens clockwise until it locks into place (you'll feel, or perhaps hear, a distinct click when it's locked).
Older FD lenses have a chrome locking ring.
Lenses with chrome locking rings:
Line up the red dot on the locking ring with the red dot on the camera body.
Gently rotate the locking ring until it's tight enough.
These lenses never really lock into place like the New FD lenses (and lenses from almost every other SLR camera system) do.
Use your judgment as to what is tight enough, but be careful not to over-tighten it. , In aperture-priority mode, the aperture is set from the camera, not the aperture ring.
You will find that if it's not already on "A"
you'll have to push a button in order to turn it to the "A" position., You don't care what this does, but it's the switch on the right-hand-side (looking from the front) of the lens mount on the camera.
If this is pushed in as shown in the picture, push it towards the lens, then release it. (The stopped-down-metering switch does have its uses, in particular for using some non-Canon-FD lenses on the T90, but if you're using Canon FD lenses, you won't need to care about it.
This is the primary cause of confusing "EEEE EEE" errors.), Open the flap on the side again and look at the switch right at the top, marked "FINDER".
Turn this to the central position, i.e. the solid circle.
This turns on some critical readings in the viewfinder, so you want to leave this on if you're not hopelessly low on battery., This is mostly automatic.
All you need to do is this:
Turn on the camera.
Put the power switch into the "A" position, as indicated in the picture.
Open the back of the camera.
The buttons to do this are on the right hand side of the camera (if you're looking at it from the back).
Hold down the button marked "1" in the picture, while pushing the switch marked "2" downwards.
The back will pop open.
Drop a film cassette into the chamber on the left.
There's only one way that it will fit in, so don't lose sleep over this.
Be very careful not to touch the shutter blades.
These are very precise and delicate components.
Do not touch them, ever.
Pull out the film leader.
Extend it so that the edge of the film leader is at the orange index mark, as shown in the picture.
Make sure that the perforations on the film line up with the sprockets just to the left of the take-up spool.
Close the back of the camera.
The T90 will load the film automatically and set the correct ISO (film speed). -
Step 3: Replace the batteries if needs be.
-
Step 4: Fit the lens.
-
Step 5: Set the lens' aperture ring to "A".
-
Step 6: Make sure the stopped-down metering switch isn't pressed.
-
Step 7: Turn on the viewfinder display.
-
Step 8: Load the film.
Detailed Guide
Press and hold the battery check button.
Open up the side panel, then press and hold the battery check button (indicated).
Don't hit the manual film rewind button, which is right beneath it.
The battery check here shows three bars, indicating a happy T90.
Check the top LCD.
It'll be reading "BC".
It'll also indicate up to three bars at the bottom (each of them made out of three little bars).
If you see two or three, then you're safe.
If you see one, you might be good for a roll of film, but it's a good idea to carry some spares with you.
If you see none, then you should replace your batteries as soon as possible (though the camera will function perfectly right up until they're totally drained).
Unlatch the battery tray.
The latch is on the right hand side of the camera (if you're looking from the back).
Flip out the lever then turn the latch anti-clockwise.
Remove the battery tray.
The battery tray is a little flimsy, so don't yank it out.
A loaded battery tray.
Fit the batteries into the battery tray.
You'll need four AA batteries for this, either carbon-zinc batteries (cheap "heavy duty" ones), alkaline batteries, or Ni-Cds batteries.
Canon didn't explicitly mention using Ni-Mh batteries, so do this at your own risk.
Make sure you insert them with the + and
- terminals of the batteries pointing in the correct direction, as the battery tray indicates.
Slide your loaded battery tray into the camera.
Reinsert the battery tray.
You may find that right at the end, you have to apply a little bit of pressure, holding the battery tray all the way in so that you can latch it.
This is normal.
Turn the latch clockwise to lock the battery tray in place. , There are two types of Canon FD lenses, which fit in slightly different ways.
Note that in the pictures the red dots are not lined up perfectly as the description suggests they should be; this was to stop the lens plopping off while the picture was being taken, sorry.
Lenses without locking rings mount just like almost every other SLR lens from other systems.
Lenses without chrome locking rings:
These are sometimes called "New FD" or "FD-n" lenses.
Line up the red dot on the lens with the red dot on the camera body.
If you're looking at it from the front, grip the aperture ring and turn the lens clockwise until it locks into place (you'll feel, or perhaps hear, a distinct click when it's locked).
Older FD lenses have a chrome locking ring.
Lenses with chrome locking rings:
Line up the red dot on the locking ring with the red dot on the camera body.
Gently rotate the locking ring until it's tight enough.
These lenses never really lock into place like the New FD lenses (and lenses from almost every other SLR camera system) do.
Use your judgment as to what is tight enough, but be careful not to over-tighten it. , In aperture-priority mode, the aperture is set from the camera, not the aperture ring.
You will find that if it's not already on "A"
you'll have to push a button in order to turn it to the "A" position., You don't care what this does, but it's the switch on the right-hand-side (looking from the front) of the lens mount on the camera.
If this is pushed in as shown in the picture, push it towards the lens, then release it. (The stopped-down-metering switch does have its uses, in particular for using some non-Canon-FD lenses on the T90, but if you're using Canon FD lenses, you won't need to care about it.
This is the primary cause of confusing "EEEE EEE" errors.), Open the flap on the side again and look at the switch right at the top, marked "FINDER".
Turn this to the central position, i.e. the solid circle.
This turns on some critical readings in the viewfinder, so you want to leave this on if you're not hopelessly low on battery., This is mostly automatic.
All you need to do is this:
Turn on the camera.
Put the power switch into the "A" position, as indicated in the picture.
Open the back of the camera.
The buttons to do this are on the right hand side of the camera (if you're looking at it from the back).
Hold down the button marked "1" in the picture, while pushing the switch marked "2" downwards.
The back will pop open.
Drop a film cassette into the chamber on the left.
There's only one way that it will fit in, so don't lose sleep over this.
Be very careful not to touch the shutter blades.
These are very precise and delicate components.
Do not touch them, ever.
Pull out the film leader.
Extend it so that the edge of the film leader is at the orange index mark, as shown in the picture.
Make sure that the perforations on the film line up with the sprockets just to the left of the take-up spool.
Close the back of the camera.
The T90 will load the film automatically and set the correct ISO (film speed).
About the Author
Scott Wright
Scott Wright specializes in religion and has been creating helpful content for over 2 years. Scott is committed to helping readers learn new skills and improve their lives.
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