I was browsing Facebook Marketplace for cameras on sale near me and saw this for £20, which I had just got in a card for Christmas, perfect. So I sent a message and trundled along to inspect it, but all was not well. The item had belonged to a relative of theirs, and they had left the batteries inside. Of course, they had leaked and the camera didn’t respond to the new ones I had taken with me. Not to be perturbed, I asked if we could have a go at cleaning the contacts before we gave up. The seller agreed, and we set to work at their kitchen table. I must look trustworthy for them to invite me into their house 🙂

Their young son was very interested in the process, he said he had some toys that also had battery damage. They got out some cotton buds, kitchen roll, and malt vinegar…needed for fish and chips, so usually found in any UK kitchen. The young son watched on and asked good questions, “Will the vinegar damage the electrics?” “No, see how I am not using too much and wiping it away quickly.” “Do you always walk around with batteries, and how did you know the size?” “No, I googled it first.”

After a few minutes of cleaning, we tried again and yatta, success. Smiles all around, and they knocked £5 off the price. Even better.

The auto-focusing seemed to work when it was set to infinity, but it would not obtain focus at the closer setting. That’s fine, I would just have to take photos beyond one metre. The auto-focus was slow and searching, which I think is normal for this lens. After all, it was the first-ever autofocus lens from Canon and was released in 1985.

I loaded a gifted roll of Kodak BW400CN and went on a walk around London with a friend. We had tickets to see the Lee Miller exhibit at the Tate. It was so worth the trip, I am glad I made the effort.

The two photos taken at close focus were achieved by using manual focus. Though the focusing was slow, it nearly always hit really well….eventually. My friend had a go with it, but she struggled. She thought it wasn’t working. The one out of focus was taken inside while I was playing with it. I wondered if it would struggle in a darker environment, yes, and I found out that the shutter button was quite sensitive.

All in all, I didn’t mind this camera. It is not my favourite, but I liked it more than the T50 at least, but not as much as the T90.

Well, now I need to try the T60 as I think that is the last one in this range that I haven’t tried. Unfortunately, it will have to wait a while as my car needs a new exhaust. No exhaust, no car = no jobs, no money. On a more positive note, I already have lots of films from various Christmas presents, lots of cameras to play with, and a plethora of books to peruse. I am set, and this too shall pass. Many worse things could happen.

Oh and I have been trialling crocheting camera straps. On the first one, I attempted to sew the ends to an old one I had lying around, it didn’t go well. For the second one, I used the last bit of wool to make a tie-type end, which seems much cleaner.

And back to the camera. Here are a couple of other useful links if you want to know more:
https://mikeeckman.com/2020/06/canon-t80-1985/
https://casualphotophile.com/2019/01/21/canon-t80-review/