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Canon T90

What a shame. Canon T-90 didn't last long. It came out about the same time as the Minolta Maxxum 7000, the first autofocus camera which slowed down the production of  manual focus cameras. Canon and other companies quickly started producing their own autofocus cameras.

T-90 was the top-of-the-line T series in 1986. A pro quality camera loaded with very advanced features well ahead of its time. The T-90 included Manual metering mode as well as aperture and shutter priority , program with 8 modes including stopped down AE and flash, centerweighted average, partial and spot meter reading patterns, exposure compensation, AE lock, dedicated hot shoe, shutter speed range 30 sec to 1/4000 plus B, flash sync at 1/250, second curtain sync, self timer, auto DX coding with manual override, ISO range 6-6400, auto film advance (4.5 fps) and rewind, multiple exposure capability, interchangeable focusing screens, depth-of-field preview.

If you don't mind a manual focus camera, T-90 is simply a fantastic beautiful camera which is available through used market.  


Shown with optional backs: Command Back 90.

Other views. Click to see descriptions.

Specifications

Type: 55 mm single lens reflex (SLR) camera with electronically controlled automatic exposure (AE), focal-plane shutter, and built-in motor drive.

Format: 24×36 mm

Usable lenses: Canon FD lenses (full aperture metering and stopped-down metering) and non FD lenses. (stopped-down metering)

Standard Lens: FD 50 mm f/1.4

Lens Mount: Canon Mount

Viewfinder: Fixed eye-level pentaprism. Gives 94% vertical and horizontal coverage of actual picture area, and 0.77X magnification at infinity with a standard 50 mm lens.

Dioptric Adjustment: Built-in eyepiece is adjusted to standard -1 diopter. eyepoint: 19.3 mm)

Focusing Screen: Standard split-image/ microprism rangefinder. Seven other types of interchangeable screens are available optionally.

Mirror: Quick return type half-mirror with shock and noise absorber.

 

Light Metering System: Through-the-lens (TTL) full aperture metering for FD lenses., using silicon photocell (SPC). Three selectable metering patterns; center-weighted average metering, partial area metering, and spot area metering. When using lenses or accessories without FD signal pins, only stopped-down metering may be used.

Exposure Modes:

1 Shutter-priority AE with selectable safety shift function (ON/OFF possible)
2 Aperture-priority AE with selectable safety shift function (ON/OFF possible)
3 Standard program AE
4 Variable-shift program AE (selectable out of 7 programs)
5 Manual
6 Stopped-down AE
7 Stopped-down (fixed index) metering
8 Flash AE (possible with specified Canon Speedlites)

Meter Coupling Range: EV 0-20 (with ISO 100 film and a 50 mm f/1.4 lens)

Film Speed: ISO 6-6400. (ISO 25-5000 is automatically set by 1/3 step according to DX code standard) Also can be set manually.

Exposure Compensation:

1 Exposure compensation index - ±2 steps by 1/3 increment
2 H/S control - ±4 steps by 1/2 increment. (can only be used during the spot area metering, and in the FE lock mode with the Speedlite 300TL)

Shutter: Vertical-travel metal type focal-plane shutter. All speeds electronically controlled. Front and back curtains controlled by a separate quick-return permanent magnets.

Shutter Speeds: 1/4000-30 sec and bulb. (X-sync = 1/250 sec) Can also be set in 1/2 step.

Self-Timer: Electronically controlled, with a delay of either approx. 10 sec or approx. 2 sec indicated by blinking red LED of the operation confirmation lamp.

Film Loading: Automatic. After the film has been positioned and the back cover closed, the film is automatically advanced to the 1st usable frame and then automatically stopped. (approx. 2 sec) The frame counter display then reads "1".

Film Wind: Automatic using the built-in coreless motor exclusively used for film transport. Continuous shooting is possible. Confirmation by the film transport bar marks on the LCD display panel.

Film Winding Mode: Three selectable modes; S (single exposure). H (max. 4.5 frames per sec), and L (max. 2 frames per sec). When operating in H mode, automatically switches to L mode when battery power drops below prescribed voltage to make shooting capacity longer.

Film Rewind: Automatic using the built-in coreless motor exclusively used for film rewind. Automatically starts when the end of the film is reached and then automatically stops (approx. 8 sec with 24-exp. film). Manual film rewind is also possible by pressing the manual rewind button.

Flash Contact: Coupled directly to the camera by means of the X-sync contact on the accessory shoe. When using the Speedlite 300TL, either the first shutter curtain synchronization or the second shutter curtain synchronization can be set.

Automatic Flash:

When the Speedlite 300TL is used and the camera is set to a program AE mode

1 A-TTL flash-auto: UsingA-TTL program of the camera and the near-infrared preflash of the Speedlite, the correct aperture value is automatically set according to the shooting distance and subject reflectivity. X-sync speed is also automatically set between 1/60 - 1/250 sec upon flash 2 charge-completion. TTL control system which meters the light reflected from the film surface. Automatic fill-in flash is possible.

FE lock TTL flash-auto: The camera's FE lock program automatically sets the aperture. The main flash tube produces preflash and the reflection from the subject is measured by the TTL spot metering and is entered into memory. X-sync speed is also automatically set between 1/60-1/250 sec upon flash charge-completion. Automatic fill-in flash is possible.

Remote Control:

Possible. With three-terminal contact for remote control. Remote Switch 60T3 is required.

Multiple Exposure: By pressing both the shooting mode selector and the metering mode selector at the same time. Continuous multiple exposure is possible. Reset/clear during shooting and preset up to 9 exposures are also possible. Automatically cleared upon completion of preset exposures.

Eyepiece Shutter: Provided.

Exposure Preview Button: Provided.

Finder Display Selector: All LCD/LED displays can be turned ON or OFF. LCD display to the right of the viewfinder and the display panel can be illuminated by the built-in illumination lamp.

LCD Display Panel: Displays only the information required at the time, e.g. shooting mode, metering mode, film winding mode, shutter speed, aperture, film speed, frame counter (additive type), self timer operation, bulb operation time, battery check, etc.

Power Source:

1 Main power source - four AA size batteries. Alkaline-manganese betteries are standard but carbon-zinc and Ni-Cd batteries may also be used.

2 Memory back-up - built-in lithium battery (BR-1225 or CD-1220), battery life is approx. 5 years.

Battery Check: By pressing the battery check button. Three energy levels are shown by the batter check bar marks on the display panel.

Back Cover: Removable. Opened by sliding the latch with safety lock. Command Back 90 and Data Memory Back can be attached.

Dimensions: 153.1 (W) × 121 (H) × 69.4 (D) mm (6-1/4" × 4-3/4" × 2-3/4")

Weight: 800 g (28-3/16oz.) body only.