Canon AE-1

Canon's AE-1 is the first film camera I used consistently. I primarily use my F1 at the moment but I thought it would be a good idea to share my thoughts on the legendary AE-1.

The AE-1 was one of the most produced 35mm cameras in history. It has automated features and a variety of compatible accessories. On its own, it is a very simple 35mm camera that is easy to use and produces good results. There are a few versions of this camera including a Program version, some with metal internal parts, and others with plastic, but they all share the same overall design. The outside of the camera is painted plastic, some in silver and others in black. So I wouldn't recommend dropping it, and I would look over any camera you are looking to buy very carefully. 

In the standard version of the AE-1 (non-program), the shutter speed goes from Bulb to 2 seconds all the way up to 1/1000th of a second. Pretty standard stuff for a camera at the time. On the aperture dial of the FD mount lenses, there is an "A" setting that allows for its automation.  For this to work, as well as the meter, the ISO/ASA dial has to be set properly which is easily done by lifting gently on the dial and turning it to the appropriate speed.

One caveat to this camera is that it will not fire without a battery. It uses a little 6V battery that goes in the front of the camera.  The first time I tried this camera I thought it was broken because it would't fire, a quick battery change resolved it. The door to the battery is known for breaking. Another thing to be aware of when making a purchase. It can be replaced but can be a bit of a challenge, and some special tools are necessary.

If you shoot the camera the way I do, fully manual, I think you will be delightfully surprised how simple and fun it is to shoot. All you do is set your settings, wind, and shoot. Nothing more to it. There is no exposure compensation, no metering mode adjustment, and only a single split prism focus point. 

Inside the viewfinder is a simple scale showing only the aperture numbers and a needle. As the lighting changes or you change your shutter speed, the needle points to what aperture would give you average exposure. A very easy way to see visually how the light and settings are effecting your image. This is how I ended up really understanding the relationship between f-stops and lighting. The split prism focus point allows for simple focussing that is generally pretty accurate. It is only split horizontally but the camera can be turned sideways to focus on a horizontal line easily. The viewfinder itself is plenty bright allowing for easy viewing. 

By eliminating any unnecessary features they have created a simple shooting process that allows you to focus on the image you are making. Some of my favorite film images were made with this camera for that reason. It is easier to compose when you have nothing else to worry about. Combining this camera with a 50mm 1.8 (the standard lens for this camera) make it fairly versatile in a variety of situations.

Aside from the features listed above; there is a meter button, a depth of field preview switch, and a flash sync port. There is also a connection at the bottom for an auto winder.

One problem that I found later on was that the rewind knob that opens the back can get caught on a camera strap and open. This wasn't too common of a problem, but I am clumsy with this sort of thing. Cameras like the F1 have a locking mechanism to keep this from happening. 

The automated features seem to work fairly well on all models of this camera. However, at this point I don't think you would be buying a film camera to use it on auto. In my opinion that defeats the purpose, but to each is own I guess.

Overall, the AE-1 is a great camera that continues to be of use for photography enthusiasts and film shooters. If you are looking for a camera to try film on, this is a very good option. It is a simple, easy to use camera. Its lack of excessive features allows you to focus on making images, something that can be hard to do with the feature rich cameras we are used to today. It is a camera I have enjoyed shooting and will probably continue to enjoy in the future.

Thanks for reading!