The Canon (Kwanon*) FT was introduced in March of 1966 as its intended popular offering to take its new line of automated FL lenses that offered a modified form of automation after the user takes the required stopped-down metering readings. Claims from Canon asserted that this offers a higher form of exposure accuracy but the market eventually evaluated it as little more than an admission of the lack of sophistication on the part of the Canon approach. The camera can also be used with the later introduced FD lenses using its stopped-down metering method but is incompatible with the earlier "R Canomatic" series though the mount is very similar.

The "QL" designation stands for Canon's very clever and successful Quick Load film loading system that greatly simplified film loading but solved a problem that was greater in the minds of Canon's engineers than in that of its customers. Canon eventually abandoned it.

The FT QL has a fixed pentaprism, no user changeable viewfinder screens (microprism spot only), TTL 12% rectangular spot stop-down metering, no motor connection, lock up mirror provision (to minimize vibration on time exposures or accommodate protruding lenses), cloth horizontal travel 1 to 1/1000th FP shutter, X-Sync at 1/60th, 8-10 second self-timer

During an era when meter sensitivity was an issue, Canon offered a unique almost two decade sensitivity booster that, though it was an engineering marvel for that time, was less than a complete marketing success due to its awkwardness of use.