Joining in the Canon FD fun

Just got this F-1n lot today. The finder needs a bit of cleaning and my tech will need to do the conversion to modern battery type. Other that all works perfectly. Note the lovely "vintage" camera strap!

DSC_6004 by fiddlefye, on Flickr

Beautiful kit: congrats! :) Now all you need is a 55mm f/1.2 SSC Aspherical, an FTb, an EF, a TX, and an EX-Auto for a complete classic-era Canon SLR collection! :p

The original first-gen F-1 remains the high water mark for Canon. They went all out to compete with Nikon F/F2, and it shows in the craftsmanship and versatility. I really really wanted to fall in love with it when I bought one some years ago, but after getting a Nikon F2AS it was impossible for me to go back to a needle display with limited low light meter range (tho I did miss the nifty F-1 quasi-spot metering pattern, and incredibly well-implemented DOF preview/mirror lockup). At different times I've also owned the Canon TX (superb budget rival to Nikkormat), and a beautiful Canon EF (essentially the F-1 with fixed prism & no motor coupling, in exchange for advanced wide-range Silicon Blue meter and shutter-priority AE).

Things were never quite the same after the AE-1 phenomenon. Canon took the lead in innovation (the "New F-1" was pretty amazing), but lost a bit of its soul in the process. Soon after, Nikon-Minolta-Pentax-Konica all followed suit (esp during the early AF phase: yuck). 1971-1975 was the peak for all these brands in terms of their classic character: they didn't get their real personalities back until well into the DSLR era.

BTW that sleek "budget" power winder on your F-1 surprised and irked Nikon to no end. They didn't expect Canon to match the economy winder option popularized by the Contax RTS. Nikon had a very difficult time coming up with an answer to it, and when they did it was the underwhelming, overpriced, hamfisted MD-3. Canon had leapfrogged the F-1 over the Nikon F2 in several key respects, including built-in electrical contacts syncing the shutter to motor drives. Without such contacts, Nikon F2 drives were inherently more complex and expensive than they might have been.

Beautiful kit: congrats! :) Now all you need is a 55mm f/1.2 SSC Aspherical, an FTb, an EF, a TX, and an EX-Auto for a complete classic-era Canon SLR collection! :p

 

The original first-gen F-1 remains the high water mark for Canon. They went all out to compete with Nikon F/F2, and it shows in the craftsmanship and versatility. I really really wanted to fall in love with it when I bought one some years ago, but after getting a Nikon F2AS it was impossible for me to go back to a needle display with limited low light meter range (tho I did miss the nifty F-1 quasi-spot metering pattern, and incredibly well-implemented DOF preview/mirror lockup). At different times I've also owned the Canon TX (superb budget rival to Nikkormat), and a beautiful Canon EF (essentially the F-1 with fixed prism & no motor coupling, in exchange for advanced wide-range Silicon Blue meter and shutter-priority AE).

 

Things were never quite the same after the AE-1 phenomenon. Canon took the lead in innovation (the "New F-1" was pretty amazing), but lost a bit of its soul in the process. Soon after, Nikon-Minolta-Pentax-Konica all followed suit (esp during the early AF phase: yuck). 1971-1975 was the peak for all these brands in terms of their classic character: they didn't get their real personalities back until well into the DSLR era.

 

BTW that sleek "budget" power winder on your F-1 surprised and irked Nikon to no end. They didn't expect Canon to match the economy winder option popularized by the Contax RTS. Nikon had a very difficult time coming up with an answer to it, and when they did it was the underwhelming, overpriced, hamfisted MD-3. Canon had leapfrogged the F-1 over the Nikon F2 in several key respects, including built-in electrical contacts syncing the shutter to motor drives. Without such contacts, Nikon F2 drives were inherently more complex and expensive than they might have been.

Plenty of lenses to be found, that is for sure! In terms of SLRs I'm basically Nikon since I sold the Contax RTSII system I used for a couple of decades (I had both the winder and the big motor drive) a few years ago - F2S, FE (with MD-12), F4 and a bunch of glass as well as a D750 for the digital side of things. I also have a couple of Leicaflexes - SL and SL2 and Olympus (OM-1 and OM-1n). I picked up the Canon F-1 out of admiration (also because it was an amazing deal) and am really quite impressed with it. It really is a beautifully conceived and built camera. What interests me is how the three systems are so similar in spec, yet so different in implementation and character.

Having so many parallel systems is perhaps rather silly from a photographic point of view, but I find it interesting and it doesn't seem to have a negative effect on my photographic work.

Funny how bits of synchronicity turn up. I'd been in to my tech's shop a few days ago to pick up my Canon 7 rangefinder that he'd just done a full CLA on and there was a Vivitar Series 1 35-85 f2.8 in FD mount sitting all lonely on the counter. I mounted it on an A-1 he had been working on, played with it for a bit and we chatted about the Canon bodies of the era. The next day I stopped in at an estate sale during a break at work and there was the F-1 lot. They were asking $100 for it which I would have gladly paid, but I offered him the contents of my pockets ($52.80) and he accepted. I have a feeling the Vivitar might come home with me as well as I know my tech doesn't want much for it.

I'll be dropping in at the shop again tomorrow to pick up the two Olympus that have now been serviced and will leave him the F-1 to get the full loving treatment. I do need to track down a replacement bottom plate as the original was lost sometime after the winder was mounted and I would like to be able to use the camera without it as well.

The lovely vintage camera strap has been removed and will be retired as it is tearing up the paint work!

It really is a beautifully conceived and built camera. What interests me is how the three systems are so similar in spec, yet so different in implementation and character.

Yes! So much more affordable to do these long term comparisons now, too, after digital knocked the stuffing out of most film camera prices.

Having so many parallel systems is perhaps rather silly from a photographic point of view, but I find it interesting and it doesn't seem to have a negative effect on my photographic work.

Preach, brother. ;) I don't need Pentax Spotmatic, Olympus OM1 and Konica T3 in addition to my primary Nikon 35mm SLR kit, but I like stray lenses in the other systems and each camera was way out of my reach as a teen when they were current. Now? How could I resist a Konica T3 with stunningly good f/1.4 Hexanon for $60? etc etc. At least I have a slightly more legit excuse for owning three medium format systems (down from six :eek:): Hasselblad is 6x6 SLR, Mamiya C220 is 6x6 TLR and Mamiya Universal Press is 6x9 rangefinder. I need three different MF camera types because... reasons.:rolleyes:

there was a Vivitar Series 1 35-85 f2.8 in FD mount sitting all lonely on the counter

Take it home (you know you want to). The Vivitar Series One glass is a steal in FD mount: they go for half what they do in Nikon mount. The first two Series One lenses (80-200 f/3.5, and this 35-85) were statement pieces, rivaling or beating Nikon/Canon equivalents. Actually there was no equivalent to the 35-85: Vivitar started the whole ball rolling for premium midrange zooms. Its still a remarkably good film lens for its age, with the only major dealbreaker being poor flare resistance. If you can grab it for a song, go for it. I have the 80-200 and its aces.

You might want to think twice about battery conversion. As far as I can tell, the PX 625 in 1.5 volt has been discontinued by Eveready and Duracell. ( I hope I'm wrong) I've been using the easy to find #675 with complete success.

Before you go off and shoot 84 rolls of film without having them developed, shoot one as the F1 is notorious for un-even shutter travel.

A friend challenges me on having all of these various systems running and insists I should sell them off (a bit of "pot calling kettle black" involved, mind you). But I'm having fun! - and not spending crazy amounts of money in the process. It helps that I have a tech who has become a close friend who shares the same passion for these fine old dearies.

Every worthy camera or lens that comes my way gets properly serviced - repaired if necessary and a full CLA even if it doesn't. Those who handle these old cameras (and often pass judgement on them) without having them properly serviced haven't a clue what they're really about. Case in point - the Canon 7 rangefinder I picked up this past summer often has the shutter described as being noisy. Fully serviced, it is now easily as quiet as any Leica I've owned and the film advance is on the far side of "buttery" smooth.When I got it everything worked, now it is marvelous. In the 80s as a single guy I once had a fairly large collection of "collectible" cameras, sold it off (just before the Great Digital Interregnum) and bought my first house with the proceeds. I won't ever be traveling down that path again, but it is still fun to fill in experience with some types I didn't get to the first time around. While I may often make my purchases based on cost I never see the value in the camera in those terms. Cameras like the F-1 I have just acquired may not be worth a whole lot of money, but they are absolutely astounding creations, worthy of veneration, maintenance and appreciation. That I get to make new images of amazing quality with these old cameras is a great joy.

You might want to think twice about battery conversion. As far as I can tell, the PX 625 in 1.5 volt has been discontinued by Eveready and Duracell. ( I hope I'm wrong) I've been using the easy to find #675 with complete success.

 

Before you go off and shoot 84 rolls of film without having them developed, shoot one as the F1 is notorious for un-even shutter travel.

I'm going to have my tech give the camera the full treatment before any film gets shot so I presume that any issues with shutter etc. will have been dealt with in the process. Something that surprises me a bit is how incredibly similar the sound of the shutter is at the various speeds to the one in my Canon 7 rangefinder.

I'll have a chat with my tech about which battery he is setting up for. He just finished converting my Olympus OM-1 and I'll be picking it up this afternoon and dropping off the F-1 at the same time.

The battery conversion most techs install is simply a resistor to drop the voltage from todays' common 1.5v batteries to the 1.35v most of these old meters require very specifically. Which battery you actually choose to use is secondary: if the alkaline PX625 has been discontinued, just use a standard S76 silver oxide in one of those size adapter shells, or a rubber O-ring. Silver oxide is usually preferable to alkaline with these old meters anyway: their lifetime power output stability more closely matches the old mercury batteries the meters were calibrated for.

The drawback of having a permanent conversion done is it locks you out of the option of available-anywhere zinc-air 675 batteries. These are a perfect match for old mercury-dependent meters because they are 1.35v instead of 1.5v to begin with, and their power curve mirrors mercury and silver oxide. The 675 gets a bad rap because the cells only last a few months in service, an attitude which baffles me. You can buy a bilster pak of 12 or 16 zinc-air cells for $8 on eBay, enough to last years. Carry a spare (which anyone sensible does anyway) and the shorter lifespan is a non-issue.

"Note the lovely "vintage" camera strap!"

That makes me feel very vintage myself as I have a drawer full of them. You might notice from my photo that I don't use them.

"Note the lovely "vintage" camera strap!"

 

That makes me feel very vintage myself as I have a drawer full of them. You might notice from my photo that I don't use them.

I still have my own from the period as well, though strictly as a "museum piece". ;)

The pre A-series Canon SLRs were always tempting, but I ended up getting nearly the full run of the A's as well as the 'T's' instead.

As Katherine Hepburn said:

You can't have it all-you have to make choices-win here, lose there.

The fabled Gene M of 'found photo' fame here had a large number of F-1s as I recall.

I've been enjoying Gene's "Found Photo" site. The replacement for the bottom plate that had gone missing when the F-1 was attached to the winder decades ago arrived in the mail and was dropped off to my tech this morning. Much as it is nice to have the winder I don't imagine I'll use it all that much as it adds considerably to the weight and isn't exactly the soul of discretion when it comes to sound levels. I think my F-1 will get a lot more use without it and it now be an option. If I really want to burn through film my Nikon F4 does it faster and a lot quieter.

So I hope to have some pics to post from the Canon before long!

Congrat! I love the F1n the most (even more than my New F1s and T90) because it is more of a manual camera (and I don't use the battery). My F1n also misses the bottom plate but I don't want spend money for it so I just cover it by a piece of paper. I even think maybe it can be used without the bottom plate (and no light leak) but I didn't try.

The camera can certainly be used without a bottom plate, but they can be had off ebay etc. and aren't horribly expensive. I thought it was worth the money spent at any rate to keep grit etc. out of the works.

The completely mechanical nature of the camera is definitely one of its allures and what lovely mechanics it has! With the battery situation sorted out the metering is really nice as well.

The camera can certainly be used without a bottom plate, but they can be had off ebay

Thanks for confirming that there would be no light leak without the bottom plate. It was interesting (at least to me) how I got that F1n. I sold a Yashica GSN (in "perfect" condition) to someone by Craiglist for $100 (I was happy with that price and the buyer was also very happy). That buyer brought with him the F1n (great condition which is mine now) and suggested that he didn't like it and would sell it to me for $10. The F1n was in its "never ready" case and I checked it, found the bottom plate was missing (I guess the previous user might remove the plate to use with the drive). I asked if the man had the drive, he said there was some other piece that he threw away. The deal was too good to pass. That was how I got it but I don't like to carry the camera in its "never ready" case.

Thanks for confirming that there would be no light leak without the bottom plate. It was interesting (at least to me) how I got that F1n. I sold a Yashica GSN (in "perfect" condition) to someone by Craiglist for $100 (I was happy with that price and the buyer was also very happy). That buyer brought with him the F1n (great condition which is mine now) and suggested that he didn't like it and would sell it to me for $10. The F1n was in its "never ready" case and I checked it, found the bottom plate was missing (I guess the previous user might remove the plate to use with the drive). I asked if the man had the drive, he said there was some other piece that he threw away. The deal was too good to pass. That was how I got it but I don't like to carry the camera in its "never ready" case.

Definitely a deal not to be passed up! Have a look on ebay. There always seem to be a few bottoms plates in nice shape for sale at any given time. Attaching in is absurdly easy - hook it over the tab on one side and the battery cover holds it in place, though it doesn't instantly fall off without the battery cover on (which you need in any case).