My daughter bought a Canon FTb at an antique store and the mirror won't flip up. Does this camera need a lens in order for the mirror to work? Also, the battery is dead.
I have an FTb and the battery is only needed for the metering system. There is a lever surrounding the shutter release and it needs to be pointed at the A mark. L locks the shutter release button. Also, make sure the advance lever has been cocked and that the speed dial is set at a reasonable speed.
You do not need to have a lens barrel attached to make the mirror flip. There is a lever at the front of the body of the camera which makes the mirror flip. There is a clear picture of it here that might help.
The battery is used only for the light level meter, - it powers the needle in the viewfinder. This page here shows how to replace the battery. It takes ages to find the battery compartment if you don't know anything about this camera.
I am looking for a CCB4 filter for the Canon FTb if anyone knows where one can be found.