Some question about my AE-1 and FD/FL lenses

<p><br />Just for fun I bought a Canon AE-1, with a "Canon Lens FL 50mm 1:1.4 II No. 138727", price 53 Dollar. I still use film EOS a lot, but am not familiar with any other film camera system. I bought this because I thought it would be cool to also have a camera with manual focusing. Just would like to ask you some questions to make sense of my impulse buy. I am especially confused about the camera/lens combination.<br /><br />I have shot one roll of film as a test. The camera seems to work okay. Condition is kinda good but there is some dirt inside the viewfinder. Do you think the price I paid was okay?<br /><br />What are the lenses that are supposed to go with this system, FL or FD? Ideally I should use FD, not FL, is this correct?<br /><br />Anyway I only have this FL lens for now. This lens apparently has two modes, A and M. I have shot a roll of test film (color negative, ISO 800). In M mode, it works correctly. In A mode, I expected the camera to act in shutter priority mode, but this seems <em>not</em> to work, i.e. the camera does not seem to stop down the aperture. Is this because:<br />a) The camera does actually stop down, but immediately completely opens the aperture again, and this is so fast that I can not see it?<br />b) The camera would work in shutter priority mode, but it can only do this with FD lenses, not FL lenses?<br />c) The camera or lens is probably broken?<br /><br />The self timer does not seem to work when in S mode. The red LED does not glow, and the camera takes the picture immediately. Is this probably because:<br />a) The self-timer is broken? Can I fix it? Self-timer is something I normally use often.<br />b) The combo of AE-1 and FL lens does not allow for self-timer, only FD lens?<br /><br />Thanks!</p>

<p>Anton:</p>

<p>Indirect answer -<br>

Reading material:<br>

http://www.photo.net/canon-fd-camera-forum/002JL9</p>

<p>Site for a user manual (small donation a plus):<br>

http://butkus.org/chinon/canon/canon_ae-1/canon_ae-1.htm<br>

Jim</p>

<p>Hi Jim,<br>

> Reading material:<br /> <a href="/canon-fd-camera-forum/002JL9" rel="nofollow">http://www.photo.net/canon-fd-camera-forum/002JL9</a><br>

This discussion indeed states, as do other places on the net, that the AE-1 in combination with FL lenses does not offer automatic exposure. Then why does the FL lens have an M and A (!) mode? This is what actually made me write the original post.<br>

<a href="/canon-fd-camera-forum/002JL9" rel="nofollow">> </a>Site for a user manual (small donation a plus):<br /> <a href="http://butkus.org/chinon/canon/canon_ae-1/canon_ae-1.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://butkus.org/chinon/canon/canon_ae-1/canon_ae-1.htm</a><br>

Yes, reading the manual was the first thing I did. However this did not clarify my questions for me, so this is why I asked on photo.net. It is not clear to me why an FL lens that does not work in automatic mode, would have an A (as opposed to M) mode.<br>

Also several other questions in my original post have no direct relation to the manual / discussion in question (price, self-timer). So I thought my original post was warranted.</p>

 

<p>Here's a great resouce on the camera as well as the full range of lenses. http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/canon/fdresources/SLRs/ae1/index.</p>

<p> Anton, The FL lens line is an older group of lenses not designed for automatic exposure. The A-M ring allows the camera to stop down to your selected f stop when you press the shutter when making an exposure but remaining wide open for viewing until then. The m mode stops down the lens and it stays at the f stop you have selected. </p>

Anton, as you know the FL series of lenses came many years before your AE-1. On an FL lens with "A" and "M"

diaphragm settings, the former allows the camera to close and open the diaphragm to your selected setting at the time of

exposure. This is convenient in that it permits focus, composition, and shooting through a fully open aperture. It does NOT allow

the camera to SELECT the aperture however, as would be necessary for a shutter-priority exposure system (the other problem is

an FL lens cannot communicate any aperture info back to the camera, which is necessary for the auto exposure program

to function). The "M" setting is full manual...open, close, you do it all!

 

So yes, FD lenses are needed to permit full function of an AE-1. You'll notice the "A" setting on their aperture rings? This is also an "automatic" setting but with an important distinction: in this position the aperture setting is unlocked from the ring and fully controlled by the AE-1's auto exposure program: if you've set a shutter speed of 1/125 and the camera calculates f/8 for correct exposure, it will be closed to f/8 when you take the picture. It is also stepless, allowing finer control of the aperture to optimize exposure.

 

It is easy to see how the term "automatic" can be confusing! Its context is crucial to understanding.

<p>Rick<br>

FL lenses ended in 1971 (and some continued past that the 300mm f2.8 S.S.C. Florite was introduced in 1974 the 1200mm f11 was introduced in 1972) as the F1 and FTB were introduced with the first of the FD mount lenses. So FL lenses were only 5 years before the AE-1 was introduced in April of 1976.</p>

<p>I would hardly call 5 years "many"</p>

<p>Anton:</p>

<p>(i) 53 bucks, yeah, it's a good deal. All the 50/1.4 lenses have a similar design and they're good lenses. </p>

<p>(ii) If I were shooting with your setup, I'd probably set the shutter speed to 1/250, and take a meter reading using stop-down metering like they say in the manual. Then I'd just keep shooting and use that reading or open up a bit, provided the light stays fairly constant. </p>

<p>If you're using color negative film, you can overexpose it a couple of stops with no major harm done. You don't have to be too fussy, but when in doubt, err on the side of overexposure.</p>

<p>The 50/1.4 Canon manual focus SLR lenses do not all have a similar design. The FL lens line came out in 1964 along with the FX and FP cameras. The original 50/1.4 Canon FL lens was a six element design. In 1968 Canon updated the design of the 50/1.4 FL lens so it had seven elements. The earlier models of the seven element lens had the 50/1.4 FL II marking. The "II" marking was later dropped. This improved 50/1.4 FL has performance which is similar to that of the later 50/1.4 FD from 1971. The 50/1.4 FD SSC of 1973 has improved coating and that can be very useful in difficult lighting situations. Canon 50/1.4 FD SSC and New FD lenses are very reasonably priced and one of these would make using the AE-1 a lot easier. </p>

<p>I bought a "box of camera stuff" last year at local trade event, for 40 bucks. It included an AE1P, AE1, a couple of lenses, and a whole lot of studio lighting and other stuff I haven't even really inventoried yet. Awesome deals on some very nice cameras!<br>

Anyway, the crud you're seeing in the viewfinder and on the mirror may be bits of rotten mirror buffer material. The camera could almost certainly use a good CLA and re-sealing. </p>

<p>Jeff, by 'similar design', I meant they're all double-Gauss constructions. Six elements, seven elements, meh. </p>