The T80, introduced in April of 1985 which was a year after the T70, looks and feels like its older brother. The body is the same tough black-grey polycarbonate plastic.
The Canon T80
An Auto Focus SLR Experiment
The 1970’s was the decade of
perfecting Automatic Exposure
(AE) and the Canon “A” Series of
cameras. The 1980’s was the
decade of Automatic Focus (AF)
and the “T” Series of cameras. It
was also the decade of the EOS
camera but that is getting ahead of ourselves.
Canon had been experimenting with auto-focus since the early 1960’s and released their first auto-focus camera, the Sure Shot compact camera, in 1979. (I wrote about the early history of Auto-Focus in the Camera Notes.)
The problem for autofocus in the single lens reflex camera was the need for a removable lens. That requirement raised a whole set of different issues to be dealt with. How was the lens to be powered, where was the motor(s) to be located, what kind of motor was required, what modifications to the lens mount would have to be made? And most important of all, what changes would actually work in the real world.
The T80 was Canon’s first self focusing interchangeable lens SLR and it was an interesting camera. It relied on contrast detection for focusing using the method they first used in the AL-1 . However, the three auto focus AC lenses made for the T80 had their power coming from the camera body through modifications to the FD lens mount and the electric motor to power the lens was in the lens. These were new ideas that would later be found in the EOS cameras. The T80 exposure was totally automatic and very similar to the system found in the T70.
In every way the T80 was a transitional camera between the auto exposure cameras and the modern EOS cameras. It was a test bed for the EF lenses that were just around the corner.
Like the T70 the front of the T80 camera is almost featureless. The Remote Control Socket has been moved to the left (in the picture) end of the camera. There is nothing else.
The Memo Holder is still on the back of the T80. The body is deeper providing internal space for the necessary self focusing batteries and circuitry.
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I think that the T80 is often overlooked by collectors and film shooters. This may be because its operation is different than a modern SLR and using it in manual mode is problematic. We shall have a look at this interesting camera but this page is not a complete instruction manual for its operation. However, there is enough additional material here for you to learn all you need to use this camera.
Before I wrote this page I did not really understand the T80 but now that I have come to understand it I have realised that this is a capable entry level automatic camera worth spending time with.
The T80 Characteristics
There is much of the T70 in this camera. The shutter has vertically moving metal blades and has shutter speeds from 2 Seconds to 1/1000th. Flash sync is at 1/90th.
The shutter fires with a single press of the shutter button but if you hold the button down it fires continuoulsy at about 0.7 frames per second. The auto-focus locks while shooting continuously.
Film advance and rewind is powered and so there are no film wind levers or rewind cranks. Film loading is easier than easy. Insert the film cassette, lay the film leader across the film advance sprocket and close the back. The camera will automatically advance the film to the first exposure immediately, or if the camera is turned off, the next time you turn it on.
Exposure measurement used a Silicon Photo Cell (SPC) for its superior sensitivity and linearity. However, the distance measuring circuits used CdS linear arrays in the same manner as the Canon AL-1.
On the T80 everything is controlled by buttons on the top deck. On the right side is a slide switch beside the shutter button and below them is a large LCD screen where settings are displayed. On the left side are three buttons. So, to set the ISO speed of the film you press the button labeled ISO, that’s rather intuitive, and on the LCD screen appears the current setting and you use the slide switch to move the value up or down. Press “BC”, for battery check, and a dashed line appears across the bottom of the LCD screen. Two or three dashes says the battery is good. One or no dashes says the batteries should be replaced. And by the way, even if the battery check says to replace the batteries you can try to fire the shutter. If it does fire the exposure will be correct. So you can see, this camera is intuitive and easy to use.
The camera will accommodate film speeds from 12 to 1600 ASA which is set with the buttons on the top of the camera. Like the T70, all of the controls on the camera are via buttons and the LCD screen on the top of the body.
The body is taller than on the T70 making room for 4 1.5 volt AAA cells which load through the bottom. On the back of the bottom is a power switch as well as the self timer setting. On the right side is a slide switch to activate the film rewind. All of these are clearly labeled.
The Canon T80 was not a popular camera and was only in production for a year. The engineers at Canon were working on the next generation or cameras and their creations simply overtook the T80 as we shall see when we look at the T90.
All of the T70’s controls are on the top deck and the status of the camera is displayed on the LCD screen on the right side of the prism housing. The controls are different but nevertheless intuitive and easily mastered.
The battery door is on the bottom, left end in the picture. Left of center at the bottom is the film rewind button and slide switch which is used to begin the auto film rewind. Other than the tripod mount there is nothing else on the bottom..
This is a film camera and internally it is the same as any film camera and in particular the T50 and T70. Below the film chamber on the back of the battery compartment on the left side in the picture) is the On-Off switch and Time Switch. To the right is the film rewind switch.
The T80 Viewfinder
The viewfinder is bright and pleasant to use. The screen has what Canon calls a laser matte finish with a microprism focusing circle in the center containing a split image prism. That is interesting because the image is split vertically and horizontally so focusing on horizontal lines is just as easy as on vertical lines. This screen is not user changeable. Metering sensitivity is Canon’s Center Weighted Average which means that more weight is given to the light the closer the sampling is to the center of the screen.
Along the right edge of the screen are four LED’s that reported to the user the state of the camera. A red “M” at the top lit up if a mounted FD lens was off the automatic setting. Below that is a Green “P” that illuminates if the scene will be properly exposed but if there are problems with the lighting it will flash. Check the User Instructions for how this works.
These are the possible symbols and icons that may appear on the LCD screen although not all at the same time. Those displayed will be relevant to the state of the camera at the time.
The red diamond icon illuminates if the selected AE Program cannot take an acceptable exposure. And finally there is a lighening bolt symbol in green that lights up when certain attached Speedlites reached full charge.
The Auto Focus System
The lens mount on the T80 was a modified FD mount. It was a normal FD mount with six electrical contacts added just inside the rim. Regular FD lenses could be mounted and function as normal manual focus lenses. The mount is usually referred to as the FD-AC lens mount.
There were three self focusing lenses created for this camera and with them the camera became a fully automated SLR.
These lenses were the AC 50mm f.1.8, the AC 35-70mm f/3.5-4.5 and the AC 75-200mm f/4.5. All three had no aperture ring and depended on the camera to set aperture automatically.
Although the focusing motor was in the lens the distance measuring circuits were in the camera body and were the same as those found on the AL-1. You will find a full explanation there.
The FD-AC lens mount is the FD mountwith the six electrical pin contacts, seen here on the left edge, to communicate focus information to the AC lens. They do not interfer with with other FD lens being mounted.
The T80 User Instructions and other printed material do not really go into this in any detail but the camera works well with any of the FD or FDn lenses. Of course that is with manual focusing. But the AE works fine so long as the lens aperture ring is set to the green “A” or “o”. Just like the T70 the camera will chose the shutter speed and aperture based on the EV Chart for the selected Program Mode. And just like the T70, the T80 does not tell you the settings that the camera is selecting and this can be frustrating for more advanced users. If the user moves the FD or FDn lens off of automatic and selects the aperture I am not sure what the camera will do. My T80 does not work so I cannot test it and I don’t know if the camera will function in Aperture Priority mode.
The AC lenses will also mount on “F” and “A” Series camera bodies. However, as there is no way to manually set the aperture they are not practical unless the camera has automatic exposure such as the AE-1, AE-1 Program, or A-1 in which case the lens can be used in Shutter Priority mode. The User Manual does not really discuss this but you can find a brief discussion in the Dealers’ Notes. Of course you will have to focus manually.
The T80 will accept standard FD and FDn lenses and the exposure metering will work as expected if the lens is set to Auto (the green “A” or “o”).
The T80 will accept standard FD and FDn lenses and the exposure metering will work as expected if the lens is set to Auto (the green “A” or “o”).
The AC Lenses
There were three AC lenses offered by Canon. Firstly there was the AC 50mm f/1.8 which is shown on the T80 above and here to the right. Secondly there was AC 35-70mm f/3.5-4.5 normal zoom. Finally, there was the AC 70-200mm f/4 telephoto. The first thing to notice was the bulge to one side in the lens housing. To this point motors had not been sufficiently miniaturized to create a more normal looking lens. In that bulge were the circuitry and motors to operate the focusing of the lens. There were no batteries in the lenses, all power being drawn from the camera body.
Secondly, on the rear of the lens you can see that the lens is a typical FD lens with the addition of six electrical contacts on a small concentric raised platform. The lens is mounted on the T80 in the same manner as any FDn lens.
Notice that there is no Aperture Ring. Exposure with the AC lenses is automatic and the aperture used is selected by the camera, as we shall see.
The AC lens has a bulge on the side to house the electric motor and its circuitry to drive the focusing. The rear of the lens is the familiar FDn lens mount with the addition of six electrical contacts (above the rear lens element).
The T80 Exposure Control and LCD Screen
The focusing and exposure processes are completely separate. That is why regular FD and FDn lenses work just fine on the T80 even though they don’t focus automatically.
The exposure system samples a small amount of light from the image which passes up through the prism to a Silicon Photo Cell positioned above the eyepiece for the viewfinder. The sampling provides a center weighted average meter reading.
The LCD Screen on the top deck of the T80 is more complex than that found on the T70 and the symbols require a little more explanation. Although it looks complicated these symbols do not all appear at the same time.
So what does the camera do with this reading? Like the T70, the T80 is completely automatic and it does not tell the user what it is doing. Nowhere are the f/stop or shutter speed reported (with one exception we discuss below) to the user. Instead you can chose one of five modes which are really programmed expose based on different relationships between f/stop and shutter speed. Lets look at them and explain what I mean as we do.
Deep Focus
If you select the Deep Focus option the camera will favour large depth of field with lens wide open and shutter set accordingly. The number “1” indicates the first frame is ready. The symbol along the bottom left indicates that the camera has film in it and it is ready to shoot.
Stop Action
You select Stop Action when you are shooting a fast moving subject. The camera will give priority to fast shutter speeds which means wider apertures and higher shutter speeds. Of course all the while taking into account light levels and film speed.
Shallow Focus
Shallow focus is exactly what it sounds like: shallow depth of field. The camera will select wide apertures which will mean higher shutter speeds. Obviously, if the photographer knows he will be shooting in this mode he will chose a lower film speed.
Flowing
The Flowing option is interesting in a couple of respects. You chose this option when you want to follow a subject and blur the background at the same time. This is the one setting that allows you to select a shutter speed. On this screen you are about to shoot your fourth exposure at 1/30th of a second. You can select 1/15th to 1/125th and B.
Standard
Standard tries to be, well …, standard. It tries to balance all of the available factors to give the best pictures in the widest circumstances. This is probably the best setting for the entry level user and for general photography for the more savy user.
The user is unable to chose the camera settings but these five options give him/her a way to automatically select the settings they would have chosen in any event. If you think about it, it is a pretty versatile system.
This is only a brief description of the camera’s operation. To actually get detailed instructions have a look at the Instruction Manual or the Brochure on the right.
This Canon T80 Brochure, Publication C-CE-216 (1985), explains the functions of the T80 in great detail. It is a must read!
The T80 is simple to operate but it is different. Before taking the T80 out for a photo walk spend some time reading this Manual and going over the camera’s controls.
The Notes that Canon provides to their dealers to describe the T80 and its accessories are most interesting and the last page contains a list of accessories available.
The Speedlite 277T was designed for the T70 where its use was almost totally automatic. It could be used as well on the T50 and other cameras of the “A” Series. Refer to the Manual for the 277T for details.
T80 Flash Photography
Just as Canon released the Speedlite 244T for the T50 camera when the T70 came out they introduced the Speedlite 277T designed for the T50 and T70. With the T80 it was still the recommended flash unit, With it flash photography became almost automatic with the Speedlite actually setting the shutter speed and aperture.
On the back of the flash the user first set the film speed. Then there were two switch settings. The “Program” setting allowed the Speedlite and camera to chose both speed (190th of a second) and aperture. The second
The use of the 277T is to be found in the Instruction Manual
setting “F.No. Set” allowed the user to select one of eight f/stops on the Speedlite and that aperture would then be set automatically on the camera.
The 277T could also be used on the F-1, A-1, AE-1 and AE-1 Program and the AL-1, AV-1 and other cameras with some restrictions. These are set out in the Speedlite’s User Manual. The Manual also warns against using this Speedlite on cameras other than those by Canon as it was designed specifically for them. This unit cannot be used in multiple flash setups or with slave units.
The T70 Instructions recommend that flash units other than those by Canon not be used on this camera. I have not experimented with any flashes other than the 277T so it is hard to pass any comment. The Instructions for the camera should be read closely as well as the Manual for the desire flash unit considerable testing should be done before using a different flash in critical situations.
Other T80 Accessories
We cannot delve into all of the accessories available for the T80 but they are basically the same as for the T70 . Have a look at the last page of the Dealer’s Notes above for a list but this is not an all inclusive list because there are accessories meant for earlier cameras that will use the FD lens mount. Do not be afraid to try various pieces of equipment for earlier cameras to see what can be adapted to the T80 but be careful, try fitting them gently, and do not force anything. If it does not fit gently then accept that it does not fit.
T80 Camera Cases
The last page of the T80 Dealers’ Notes lists several camera cases for the camera. The most common is the Case S for the T80 for the AC 50mm f/1.8. Because of the lens shape this is not the same as the Case S for the T70.
After that is the Case L for the T80 for a larger lens, the AC 35-70mm f/3.5-4.5 zoom lens. I assume there was a case to accomodate the AC70-200mm but it was released after these Dealers’ Notes were printed.
This is the Case S for the T80. It is a large case and does not fit well. OK for storing the camera, without batteries, but if I were going to take pictures I would leave the top half of the case at home. (This is are pictures purloined from E-bay as I don’t have one of these to photography yet.)
The Command Back 80
The back on the T80 is removable and can be replaced by the Command Back 80 which was designed specifically for the T80. This back will imprint the date up to 2029 on the bottom edge of the film. It can also print the day and time of the exposure or it can print an arbitrary 6 digit number plus the letters A through F. It will also print frame number up to four digits. Not only that but it can control exposures and the firing of the shutter at set intervals. You can find a more complete description of the Command Back 80 here together with a copy of the User Instructions.
The Shutter Button has no threaded cable release receptical. Because the shutter is fired electronically it was possible to trigger it electrically as well.
On the right end of the T80 is a screw in cap which covers the Remote Control Terminal. This connection will accept several devices that will fire the camera. It is not a PC Socket. It is a three contact plug that is secured by a screw in collar.
The simple replacement for the physical cable release is the Remote Switch 60T3. This is a simple device. There is one button which will fire the camera. It will slide forward and lock allowing the shutter to keep firing or, in Bulb mode, keep the shutter open. That’s it. Almost as simple as a traditional cable release and just as effective.
The Wireless Controller LC-1 is an infra red remote trigger that allows you to fire the shutter from several meters away so long as you have direct line of sight from the Receiver Unit on the camera to the Transmitter in your hand. The Receiver Unit slips into the hot shoe and a wire out the back plugs into the Remote Control Terminal.
The connector on the end of the plug in cable looks like a miniature RCA Jack which will not fit the Remote Control Terninal. You need an adapter called the Remote Switch Adapter T3 This is shown in the illustration on Page 66 of the User Instructions for the T70.
Although the LC-1 works on the T80 the User Instructions say that it is designed for the New F-1 with one of the power winders (for the LC-1 to plug into), and it will work with the A-1, AE-1 Program with Motor Drive MA or Power Winder A2, or the F-1 with Motor Drive MF or Power Winder F. The power winders are required because they have a plug that will fit the jack on the LC-1
Speaking of adapters, if you want to use a traditional cable release you can get a Cable Release Adapter T3 which the cable release can screw into and it plugs into the Remote Control Terminal.
The Command Back often has a problem with moisture in the small LCD screen, as mine does. That’s the black area on the right of the screen.
The Remote Switch 60T3 has just a button to press and you can lock it. That’s all you need to know. Plug it in and press the button.
The User Instructions for the Wireless Controller LC-1 say that it is designed for “F” and “A” Series cameras which came before the “T” Series the the User Manual for the LC-1 says it works on the T70.
Miscellaneous other T80 Accessories
The last page of the Dealers’ Notes for the T80 has a detailed list of accessories that can be used with it. These include a wide range of macro photography accessories such as bellows units, macro photo couplers, extension tubes and viewfinder angle viewers and magnifiers. The camera also works with the camera holder F4, copy stands, cable releases, dioptric adjustment lenses and camera cases. And let’s not forget Canon’s extensive range of lenses for every purpose.
This camera may not be a professional top of the line camera but you can see that it is versatile and capable of all types of photography. Today’s collectors and film shooters are overlooking a very capable and historically important transitional camera. It certainly deserves a place in any collection of Canon film SLR’s. And it is a great camera to take out for a walk. It captures great pictures.
Because of the FD lens mount the T80 can make use of attachments designed decades before for other cameras including this FDn 135mm f/2.8 telephoto lens. The lens can work with all five exposure modes but of course it will be manual focus.
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