Canon A1, thinking of buying, any issues?

[mark_pierlot]

<p>Adam, I'll second Kayam's endorsement of the 80-200/4 L and 35-105/3.5 zooms. A somewhat lighter and more compact alternative to the 35-105 that is just as good optically (though not as well built) is the 28-85/4. At the wide end, the 20-35/4 L is very good, but rather pricier than the others. As Nick says, you should avoid the later 35-70, though there is an earlier 35-70/2.8-3.5 which is very well built and optically superb for an earlier zoom.</p>

<p>You really can't go wrong with any of the FD primes. The 50/1.4 is the workhorse of the FD line, and is so good optically that Canon has retained its optical formula with the current EF 50/1.4. I would advise you to pick up the fastest primes you can afford at the focal lengths you want. If you'd like a list of my personal favourites, drop me an e-mail.</p>

<p> </p>

[adam_jones8]

<p>If i only buy one lens which should it be? The 50mm f1.4 of the 35-105mm f3.5? May buy the two though, will have to see what they're going for online.<br>

Thanks</p>

[User_4136860]

<p>I bought my A1 second hand more than twenty three years ago, and it's been utterly reliable,I just had it CLA'd for the first time because the mirror mechanism had started to squeak, and to have the light seals replaced The metering system because it uses solid state electronics not galvanometers needles and moving parts is very dependable and accurate and is still spot on..</p>

[adam_jones8]

<p>Thanks Ben. I'm currently bidding on an A1 that has had the seals done, the mirror oiled and solenoid and magnets cleaned etc cleaned. Looking forward to getting it if i win the auction.</p>

[SCL]

<p>Adam - I had an A1 for about 12-13 years, a true workhorse which always delivered...but as my eyesight grew worse, I grew to really hate its viewfinder. Then I discovered the T90, the last of Canon's FD line of cameras. By way of comparison, the T90 incorporates all of the A1 features and more, including a better viewfinder, built in autowinder, and it uses good old AA batteries, available in almost any store in the nation. The current price for a good used version is pretty attractive as well...so if you haven't yet commited, give it a look. BTW KEH isn't in the UK, it is out on the east coast: www.KEH.com. Check their used gear. Good luck & welcome in advance to the wonderful world of Canon FD.</p>

[ridinhome]

<p>Adam - whether you should buy the 50 1.4 or the 35-105 depends entirely on what you are trying to do. If this is for a photography course, you're probably better off buying the 50 1.4. The broader range of f-stops will allow you to play around with depth of field far more. Plus, using a normal prime teaches you framing discipline (IMHO, as someone who is trying to relearn photography). That said, if you are already comfortable with your skills, but the 35-105.<br />Or, given the prices at which FD gear sells, buy both.</p>

[adam_jones8]

<p>Thanks Steven, going to go with the A1. Which lenses have you had experience of? Looking to get the 50mm f1.4 and the 35-100mm f3.5. if you had to pick one, which would it be?<br>

Adam</p>

[adam_jones8]

<p>Thanks Kayam, will look into the 50mm first then.</p>

 

[adam_jones8]

<p>What's the difference between the normal lenses, the ssc lenses and the primes?<br>

Thanks</p>

[sw12dz]

<p>YOU KNOW WHAT REALLY PISSES ME OFF? It's not the battery issue. :) It's the fact that some of you cannot answer the OP's question. He wanted to know if there are any issues with the A1, specifically with the meter. What is so hard about that? He did not ask, "which FD camera should I buy if money is not an issue"?</p>

<p>He's interested in purchasing an A1, which is a fine camera. He's on a student budget. Why do some of you have to try and sway him towards an F1 or a T90 that costs far more than an A1? Perhaps it's the fact that it's just too easy to spend someone else's money.</p>

<p>There, I've said it and I feel a whole lot better. :)</p>

<p> </p>

[ridinhome]

<p>"Normal" lens - refers to a lens that provides a perspective that looks natural to the human eye. For 35mm photography, this is a 50mm lens (note that what is a normal lens differs based on film format / digital sensor size).<br>

SSC lens - refers to Super Spectra Coating as opposed to just Spectra Coating. SC lenses are generally cheaper. All later Canon FD lenses (distinguished by a bayonet style mount rather than the old breech lock mount) are SSC lenses, with the exception of the 50mm 1.8. Not sure about the 50 1.4. If you have a choice, buy the SSC lens.<br>

Prime lens - fixed focal length lens (i.e. not a zoom).</p>

[adam_jones8]

<p>Thanks, what's the difference between the mounts? how do i tell the difference?</p>

[ridinhome]

<p><a href="http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/lens/">http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/lens/</a></p>

[david_thrower]

<p>Hi Adam<br>

I've got an A1 that I've had for 15 years and although it looks totally knackered I still use it a lot and it never lets me down. I've also got a T90 and an F1 and they all have their plus points but an A1 is a fantastic camera and you will love using one if you buy one.<br>

As for lenses I prefer the older breech lock lenses with the chrome ring that slides round to lock the lens onto the body but that it purely a personal thing.<br>

I've got a 50mm F1.4 lens (a really old one with a chrome ring where the filter screws on) and it is a beautiful lens to use. I've also got a 55mm ssc aspherical which I love and a 35mm chrome nose F2 lens with a concave front element which has yellowed over time (all these 35mm concave element lenses have) and that is also a lovely lens to use for black and white photography.<br>

The Canon FD system is perfect for the use you have (as a student) as the kit is of pro quality but very cheap to buy as it isn't as fashionable as the manual focus Nikons and Olympus cameras and Leica's etc.<br>

If you're a student shooting work for college don't get too hung up on which lenses to buy as the quality of any of them (even cheap third party zooms) will be fine for projects etc.<br>

If you're buying from ebay etc be sure to ask the seller if the lenses have any fungus in as this is a pain to clean and all old lenses are prone to it.<br>

Best of luck and have fun.<br>

Dave Thrower</p>

<p> </p>

[bengt_rehn]

<p>Canon A1 doesnt have a centerweight average metering. It has a type of zone meter that take more weight to the bottom corners than a simple centerweight meter. It works very well in landscape orientation but you have to pay special attention when shooting in portrait orientation.</p>

<p>I have both the A1 and the F1n old. A1 is my favorit for traveling and F1 when I have plenty of time and the extra bulk and weight doesnt matter.</p>

<p>A 50 mm lens is cheep, sharp and fast but it has quite often too narrow angle of view. A lot of people would prefer a 35 mm lens instead for its wider view, as a one lens (prime) solution.<br>

Perspective is primary the relation between camera position and objects positions. The angle of view of a lens make the photographer to alter camera position (not always), but it doesnt mean that the perspective then become less natural.</p>

[douglas_vitello]

<p>Stuart,<br>

I think a lot of us FD guys are a little on edge after that '(Lack of) Familiarity Breeds Contempt' post.I know as a F1N user it kind of ticked me off.The A1 is a fine camera but like others have said for the money a T Series does a pretty decent job for about the same cash outlay.F1's are more about long term resale value and brutal abuse (kind of like a real 4 x 4 vs a crossover truck).The A Series are one trick ponies when it comes to metering while the T Series (T90 & T70) and F1N series offered 2 -3 metering options - something to think about if you plan to shoot a lot of slides and less print film.</p>

[mark_pierlot]

<p>Bengt, the A-1 does indeed have centerweighted average metering (<a href="http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/film/data/1976-1985/1978_a1.html?lang=us&categ=srs&page=a&p=2">link</a>). It's the EF that has the partial metering at the bottom of the frame that you describe.</p>

<p>Gentlemen, let's not let Ken Rockwell get under our skins. He's just a hack with a website. What the f**k does he know about Canon FD gear?</p>

<p>I've recently acquired an A-1 after letting my first one go a few years ago and regretting it. I erroneously thought that with a pair of T90's, a trio of EF's, a trio of F-1's, and a pair of F-1N's, I didn't need an A-1. But a few weeks ago I picked up a near mint A-1 and a very clean FTb-N, both of which I just had CLA'ed. Each of these bodies has its virtues, and all are a joy to use.</p>

<p>I'm looking forward to a spring and summer of shooting at least a roll of Ektar 100 in each of my FD bodies.</p>

[tsuacctnt]

<p>From all the old Canon FD camera's I've bought, meter accuracy has never been a problem. They've all been good enough for print film at least. Light leaks are pretty common though as the foam seals disintigrate over the course of 20 years. Same for the mirror bumper. 50mm f1.4 is a good lens to start with. I think you have to have at least one normal lens in your kit and as earlier posters pointed out the large aperture will let you achieve a really shallow depth of field and shoot in in fairly dim light. A-1 is a fun camera to shoot and does what it needs to do. My only complaint about the camera, and maybe this is only a problem with two A-1's that I've had, is that if you don't turn the camera 'off' when you're not using it it will drain out the battery. </p>

[awahlster]

<p>Chris that is a problem with your two A-1 and the meter is not engaged until the shutter button is depressed half way so no current draw.</p>

<p>I have had the same battery in my A-1 four 4 years now I never turn it off. The battery still measures good and the meter is still accurate.</p>

[h_s1]

<p>Here are some possible issues. Note that these are not "known" issues in the sense that A-1 is notorious to suffer from these, but these are issues that one should check for any camera that is as old or used.<br /> 1. When you release the shutter at various speeds, check if you get a squeal or squeak. If this has been dealt with successfully, good.<br /> 2. When you wind to next frame, check to see if there is a squeal or a squeak <em>during</em> winding! You should try doing this a number of times rapidly to be sure.<br /> 3. Check the meter is correct by metering a known light source. Checking the sunny 16 rule is an option, another is to verify the camera's meter with a known good meter.<br /> 4. This is a tricky one to check, but many A-series cameras can suffer from current leakage resulting in depletion of the battery prematurely (within weeks or days as opposed to a year or two's time).<br /> 5. Check with a flash that its hot shoe as well as its PC socket work properly and fire the flash.<br /> 6. Open the camera back, unmount the lens, and release the shutter at various speeds against a bright uniform scene (bright wall, open sky, etc.), and check that as the shutter is released, you see an area of constant brightness. Do this for speeds of 1/1000, 1/500 and 1/250 at least. If you do not see a constant brightness (see darkness on either side of the aperture box), the shutter curtains need cleaning and lubrication.<br /> 7. Do Step 6 at 1/60 with a flash mounted. As you release the shutter, you should see the scene (wall, preferably) illuminated by the flash. If the aperture box is not of uniform brightness, the the shutter is needs cleaning and lubrication, or the flash sync is not working properly. If you do not see a bright scene through the aperture box lit by the flash, then flash sync contact is surely off.<br /> 8. With a good lens mounted, verify that at different apertures set on the camera, the lens aperture closes to the correct value. Hard to check, and hardly is a problem though.<br /> 9. With the back open, lens unmounted. try to see through the curtain at a bright scene to notice if there are any holes in the curtain. Wind the frame and similarly check the second curtain as well.<br /> 10. Check that there are no signs of fungus in the viewfinder, on the lens and inside the aperture box (yes, fungus can be present on the aperture box walls as well!).<br>

11. Check the seals and the mirror damper with a needle or a screw driver. If the foam sticks to the tool (is gooey), then these will need replacing.</p>

<p>Those are all that I can recall from the top of my head at present. If you have money to spend and are serious about this camera, a professional CLA will help if you find problems. However, if money is tight (or the camera is not worth much) and you are mechanically inclined and competent, most of the above problems can be solved by yourself.</p>

[barryreid]

<p>Hi, Adam</p>

<p>Firstly welcome to this forum. It's full of dedicated FD nuts so a great place for all sorts of info about the system right down to stuff that's so obscure you wouldn't believe it. The flipside is that there are some strong opinions around, but don't let that put you off as people are almost always trying to help.</p>

<p>The A-1 is a very good camera, not without it's quirks, and a solid introduction to film based SLRs.</p>

<p>If you are looking for another lens to go with your 50mm you need to think what you want to do. The 35-105 f/3.5 is one of the best lenses for the FD system but there is also a 28-85 f/4 which is equally good but gives a wider short end. You might also just get a 28mm f/2.8 and 135mm if you want to be old school and avoid zooms.</p>

<p>As you are in the UK you may want to try buying from Mifsuds as they have the 35-105 for £49, and a few other lenses at reasonable prices. You could also try Ffordes as they always have a good range of FD kit, but are possibly slightly pricier.</p>

[adam_jones8]

<p>Thanks for that Barry, have enquired about the lens - very cheap so we'll see what condition it i in. In regards to the 50mm f1.4 which mark is better? The earlier SSC or the later new model?<br>

Thanks again.<br>

Adam</p>

[h_s1]

<p>One little fact I forgot to mention (perhaps it's already been mentioned), the A series cameras consume power even when their shutter is open. So if you have it open in B mode for long period, for example, the battery will run out of power in around 2~3 hours. Hopefully, this is not a usual requirement for you but it is nice to keep this in mind to avoid nasty surprises. People who do night photography of the sky for prolonged periods, hence, avoid these cameras.</p>

<p>Otherwise it is an excellent camera, I love it!</p>

<p> </p>

[dave_s]

<p><em>In regards to the 50mm f1.4 which mark is better? The earlier SSC or the later new model?</em></p>

<p>Most would say there's no meaningful difference, so buy on condition. If you have a bunch of 55mm filters lying around, buy the SSC. If you have 52mm filters, get FDn. If you think an F-1N may be in your future, FDn has a tiny advantage.</p>

[adam_jones8]

<p>Any difference between the two SSC models? I see they came out within a month or two, but the later was considerably more.</p>