F1 and there Finders

Hi Guys, just chasing after a little info, as it has been nearly 30 yrs since owning/driving a New f1.

I Just picked up a 1971 (first version) F1, However it has the eye level finder FN sitting on top, and i was under the impression that the finders on the F1 and F1n where not interchangeable with the New F1 finders. It even had the slot on the side of the finder FN so u can see the meter in the camera body.

So i guess what i'm asking, is there any advantage to trying to find an original finder for the camera or keep the FN.

It has the hot shoe but the connections for the flash obviously don't connect anywhere.

If you can see the shutter speed and meter needle along the right edge of the viewfinder, and can live with a finder that probably doesn’t fit 100% perfectly on the camera, then keep the FN eye level finder. I suppose the only advantage to using the original eye-level finder would be that it was designed for the camera, fits properly, which will minimize the chance of dust ending up on the focusing screen.

Finders are not interchangeable between the New F1 (3rd version) and the original F1. The New F1 finder will not even lock onto the original F1 - it will slide on. I just tried for you. It feels like the distance between the focusing screen and the finder may be slightly different between the first and third version of this camera. I suggest you try and get

Philip, read the OP's post, his 1971 F-1 has a Finder FN mounted on it.

 

My AE Finder FN will slide into my old F-1, but it's not a perfect fit (gap between the front of the finder and the camera). I could live with it that way, but wouldn't want to.

As said, it will work in the sense that it it will physically fit.

 

I've not done it other than test fitting, but I also wonder if the eye relief/focus will be correct with the difference in distance between the bottom of the prism and the focusing screen. The focus itself won't be off, but I suspect it might make the finder blurry.

 

I have to say, though, that the AE prism would drive me crazy even on the original F-1. It's not even my favorite prism on the New F-1-I have one body with an AE prism and one with standard(ironically, my standard prism is on my LA Olympic model, which is much more difficult than the AE version of this finder-yes mine does have the gold lettering) and I prefer the size and handling of the standard finder.

 

With that said, at least it does have an accessory shoe(it won't function as a hot shoe as the contacts aren't there) something otherwise lacking on the original F-1.

Rickic, since the New F-1 finder's focusing accuracy cannot be assumed on the older body, and it does not lock in place, I think it's advantageous to acquire the correct F-1 finder.

The finder FN slides onto the camera body really smoothly and clicks into place with no force and no sloppy movement. It lines up perfectly flush at the front and sides and focusing with the B screen it came with appears to be ok. Just a small gap at the back under the eye piece. time to shop around and find the right piece just to compare..

Thanks everyone for your help

I discovered this almost compatibility quite a number of years ago and found it to be more of a curiosity than anything else. Yes, the eye relief is slightly different. Enough for my eye to feel sort of wonky after I've been looking through it for a while. I dunno if one can focus accurately with it because I never used it other than to try it out. But the OP remarked that this camera was found with the F-1N eye level finder on it, so that likely means it was used. None the less, if the camera will be used, I recommend looking for the correct finder. You can pick up one of the sports finders in a pinch that will actually work quite well and provide you with great eye relief. I recommend doing some searches on eBay. It might take a while to find the standard finder, but the sport finders for the old F-1 are fairly common there.

I'm using a Canon F-1N Waist Level Finder FN-6X

http://www.canon-photography.com/wp-canon-f1n-waistlevelfinder6x-front.jpg

 

On a F1 Old, it locks correctly and I can see the exposimeter levels. I still need to figure out about focus/magnification, but i'm quite happy with the luminosity and comfort. (Have paid some 60USD)

This is the finder I mentioned. It is available in two versions, one for the old F-1 and one for the new F-1. The one for the old F-1 just says "Canon" across its front, while the one for the New F-1 has a flash hot shoe. I've seen one version for the New F-1 that says "Speed Finder" under "Canon" and doesn't have a flash shoe.

 

http://img0052.psstatic.com/132926456_canon-f-1-with-motor-drive-mf-speed-finder-ebay.jpg

 

Here it is by itself, rotated into the flat configuration, useful for waist level shooting. It usually comes with a leather case like the one shown here.

 

The finder for the New F-1 will work, but obviously the flash shoe won't, and the eye relief issue will still be there, but probably less pronounced due to the nature in which it is used. Here's a New F-1 Speed Finder mounted on a New F-1, for comparison's sake.

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/canonf1n/LA-Olympic1984/NewF1LAOlympicSideSpeedB.JPG

 

The Speed Finders are a cool and handy accessory (I have one for my old F-1), but the plain old finder is definitely something you'll still want to have. I just did a quick check on eBay and found two old F-1 plain eye-level finders, ranging in price from $30 to $40, and several speed finders ranging in price from $60 to $85.