Used Olympus FTL for Sale — From £54

£54.00 Low price

£599.00 High price

8 Listings

2 Retailers

1 Reduced

Great for: general

Olympus's sole M42-mount SLR from 1970, bridging the screw-mount era and the revolutionary OM system to come.

The Olympus FTL is a 35mm SLR from 1970, notable as Olympus's only M42 screw-mount SLR camera before the company switched to the proprietary OM bayonet mount. The FTL offers through-the-lens metering in a compact body that foreshadowed the size-reduction philosophy Yoshihisa Maitani would perfect with the OM system.

The camera features an open-aperture TTL metering system using a CdS cell, providing accurate centre-weighted readings for manual exposure setting. The focal-plane shutter offers speeds from 1 second to 1/1000s, and the M42 mount gives access to the enormous worldwide ecosystem of screw-mount lenses from dozens of manufacturers.

Build quality is solid Olympus metal construction that feels well-made and carefully assembled. The viewfinder is bright and clear, and the camera handles well with the compact dimensions that would become an Olympus hallmark. The shutter release and film advance are smooth and precise, reflecting Olympus's attention to user experience.

The Olympus FTL is an interesting collector's piece as the only M42-mount Olympus SLR, making it a unique bridge between the universal M42 era and Olympus's proprietary OM system. On the used market it offers Olympus build quality with the versatility of M42 lens compatibility at very affordable prices.