Canon A-1 focusing tips?

<p>Hey guys I've been testing out a friends A-1 recently and wanted to know if you guys had any tips for portrait focusing? I like to compose with my subject's eyes off center sometimes so I'm not sure if focus+recomposing is the way to go or not? I guess the idea is to make peoples faces stop shaking in the microprism, and use the split-image to line things up but that doesn't really help for off-center composing. Would love some advice, thanks!!!</p>

<p>Also the manual says that when the subject is off center, in terms of exposure "some correction may also be necessary"...I am already adding +1 compensation for more overall punch so should I add 1/3 to half of a stop more when I compose off-center?</p>

<p>Focus and recompose is the way to go. Alternatively you can focus on the matte part of the focussig screen but that may be a bit difficult, depending on the lenses you are using. Faster lenses will "snap" into focus, with slower lenses reaching focus is not so obvious in the viewfinder.<br>

Cameras of the A1 era in general use center weighted averaging metering, this has a slight emphasis on the center and lower part of the image. If your subject is off center you may have to compensate. There is no fixed rule for the compensation, depending on the difference between the center and the subject the compensation may be positive or negative; large or small. </p>

<p>If you can't nail sharpness on your matte screen part visually you are left with focusing & recomposing. It split image or microprism ring is the tool of choice depends a lot on the lens you are using. - I guess with the insanely fastest 85mm available for that camera microprisms would just drive me nuts. - Also keep in mind that a face is very 3dimensnional at portrait range, i.e. if the front eye is sharp the nose can be 1" away and out of focus. With a slow zoom the split field might darken out? - If recomposing seems too risky due to subject movement: practice long enough to get a feeling for your distance ring to maybe compensate movements by intuitive counter moves of either yourself or the focus, yes it isn't easy and a constant hunt, but there might be a moment when you feel confident about your subjects expression and your reframing attempt.<br>

On the exposure compensating issue: What are you shooting? - Slightly tanned Caucasian faces are pretty close to 18% gray. - Does your exposure reading really jump upwards when you recompose your shot and get a bit of white shirt into your frame? - If so, use manual exposure. - I wouldn't add exposure when I point my meter on somebody's black turtle neck.</p>

<p>There is no really good way to shoot portraits with the standard screen supplied with the A-1. The A-1 was sold as a camera with "factory interchangeable" screens. I have an A-1 with a slight squeak and with the standard screen. I have another A-1, not working, with a grid screen. I am looking to have the working camera serviced and to switch the screens. Oddly enough, the AE-1 Program, which has fewer features, has user interchangeable screens. A working AE-1 program goes for very little and the screens are available. I find that there are so few situations in which a combination split image/microprism screen works well that I shoot most often with a grid type screen. A plain matte screen will also work but the lines in a grid screen serve as a sharpness reference. I use a grid screen in one of my Minolta X-700s, in Canon F-1s, in Bronica and Mamiya medium format cameras, in Nikon F2, FE, FE2, N2020, N8008S and N90S cameras and even in two Konicas, an FT-1 and a T2. The Konica cameras have custom installations of the Nikon E screen. I can put a 105/2.5 Nikkor on a Nikkormat FT2 and shoot a nice portrait but if the light is low or the subject isn't perfectly still, I'll wish I had a grid screen. The grid screen is also good for macro work and for using slow prime and zoom lenses. If I know I will need to change screens with any frequency I will take a Canon F-1 because changing the screens with the metal frames is less fiddly that changing a screen in a different kind of camera where there is no frame. I'm also less likely to damage the screen. </p>

<p>Make it than changing a screen...</p>

<p>Since more than 30 years I at once changed to a plain matte screen, because split image and microprisms do bother me. Focusing was never a problem for me even with some AF-SLRs. Since I have a EF and a T90, I have no desire to change the screen, because split screen and microprisms are nearly not visible. I keep focusing via the matte part, because this way no recomposing is necessary. Especially with a fast lens, that is usualy used for portrait to blow out backround, it is very easy to focus.<br>

Grid screens I often used but not in terms of focusing.<br>

Recomposing is, as mentioned, indeed a problem for exposure, but light does normaly not change during a shooting. So use manuel exposure and stay with your measurement.</p>

<p>I am now waiting for an AE-1 Program body and a Canon C (plain matte) screen from ebay sellers. I have plenty of screens for my Canon F-1 cameras but the AE-1 Program will give me something lighter to carry. I am also looking for a grid screen for the AE-1 Program because I prefer it to a plain matte screen in most circumstances. I do like a plain matte screen for getting closer than about 1:1. When I use an auto focusing camera like a Nikon N90Swith manual focus lenses I don't always bother to put in a grid screen. The standard screen, even with its AF area focusing brackets, is bright and easy to focus with. There is also the focus confirmation which can be handy with slower lenses. </p>

<p>Perhaps someone can come to my rescue again on this one. It's a chart, maybe by a Leonard P S Foo, of FD screen availability and quality of use.<br>

I have no other indication of where I found it, nor can I relocate it in a Google™.</p>

<p>I don't see the 200/1.8 lens or screens for the T90 so it must have come from before those. I have many screens for the original F-1 and the F-1n as well as many of the later L screens. I have fewer screens for the F-1N. From what I have seen, an F-1n with an L screen is about as bright as similar screen in an F-1N. If you are shooting a flat wall then the standard combination/microprism screen would be fine with almost any lens. When shooting something more three dimensional like a person's face it's easier to use a plain matte or grid screen. It makes getting the eyes in focus easier. My favorite of the F-1/F-1n screens is the L D. For general picture taking and not specifically for portraits, the L E is OK. For the AE-1 Program I'm sure I will stop after getting the standard screen which comes with the camera on its way to me, the C screen and the D screen. If I need anything more I can use a Canon F-1, a Nikon F2 or even a Mamiya NC1000S. The Minolta X-700 does not have interchangeable finders but is very nice to use with a grid screen. Finding the Minolta screens for the X-700 is the hard part. </p>

<p>JDM ...<br>

yep, Mr. Foo strikes again</p>

<p><a href="http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/canon/fdresources/SLRs/ae1pgrm/html/issues/srnchart.pdf">http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/canon/fdresources/SLRs/ae1pgrm/html/issues/srnchart.pdf</a></p>

<p>I looked it up via Google using "compatibility of focusing screens with FD lenses" (which is verbiage from the pdf document heading itself). The 2nd item returned by Google, "Screens", was the link to this page ...</p>

<p><a href="http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/canon/fdresources/SLRs/ae1pgrm/html/index7.htm">http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/canon/fdresources/SLRs/ae1pgrm/html/index7.htm</a></p>

<p>About 30% down on that page is the chart in question.</p>

<p>Happy solstice!</p>

<p>Jim M.</p>

<p> </p>

JDM and Jim:

That chart at MIR is actually the tail end of a huge 3 page fold-out chart in the back of the book LENS WORK, published by Canon in

1980. The fold-out is titled, Canon FD Lens Key Function Table.

<p>Thanks all. I usually keep the url of stuff, but in this case I hadn't. I thought it might be one of the mir pages, and so it was.<br>

I thought I was pretty good at Google™, but obviously not so much as I had thought. :|</p>

<p>Heinrich, I have a pdf of most of the LENS WORK book, but not including the fold-out chart. I have no idea where I got that either. Thanks.</p>

 

<p>Focus on the eyes, compose using the rule of thirds, use a grey card to get the exposure figured out and you'll never go wrong. Don't always trust a zoom lens to keep focus if you're zooming in to focus on the eyes and zooming out to compose. A good 135mm prime lens set to f4.0 is my favorite setup. Your preferences may vary.</p>