Thrift Store AT-1

[k5083]

<p>On a recent extended business trip, I managed to get lost one day while trying to find a short cut between my hotel and the place where I had to appear for business each day. Just about the time I realized I was going in the wrong direction, I passed a large thrift store. It was a convenient place to turn around and while I was at it I ventured in. Now, I never look in thrift stores for cameras any more, because despite the great finds that people report in this forum, all I ever see there is junk. This one looked larger and a little nicer than most. Among the usual array of junk it contained a Canon AT-1 in pretty much perfect-appearing condition. I picked it up and found that it still contained a battery which not only had not leaked acid all over the innards, but still had enough juice to verify that the meter and shutter worked properly. The camera was marked down 50% to $15 that day, so I decided to take it home.</p>

<p>I've never owned a Canon film SLR nor wanted to, but this one seemed like a decent deal. Actually, $15 is not out of line with typical ebay prices for this unwanted model, which is basically an AE-1 with just metered manual, no auto modes, for the budget consumer. But on ebay one does not get to verify the cosmetic and working condition, and one has to pay shipping. This one had no lens, but there was a cheap Soligor zoom in FD mount in the case for about $25. The store wouldn't cut me a better deal on it, so I left it behind, knowing I had Canon mounts at home for my T4/TX lens collection. With the money I would have spent on the Soligor, I waited on ebay for one of the Vivitar Series 1 70-210 zooms that everyone raves about, and soon picked up a Tokina-made one in FD mount. Thinking about it, this might be another silly purchase because comparable zooms by Canon itself can be had for about the same money, and nobody ever claimed that the Tokinas were better than the OEM lenses. What can I say, I'm a sucker for the hype.</p>

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[ridinhome]

<p>August,<br>

Congratulations, that's a real find! Don't recall if you've posted in the Canon FD forum before, but if not we have a Photo of the Month thread - please contribute!<br>

Kayam<br>

P.S. I have the Canon 70-210 and yes it is an excellent lens.</p>

[k5083]

<p>The SLRs that I acquire are beginning to sort themselves into 3 or 4 categories. First there's the high-end delightful "prosumer" machines like my Minolta XEs, my Autoreflex T3, and my Contax bodies. There are the rock-solid manual jobbies like the SRTs and Spotmatics. There are the funky antiques like the Contaflex and Exakta. And then there is the tier of low-end, sometimes quirky, unsung but decent everyday cameras -- stuff like my Olympus OMG, Konica FS-1, and this thing. Not cameras that I love, but fun to play with and easy to carry around.</p>

<p>The AT is a straightforward camera that does what it is supposed to. It has the classic match-needle metering. Not so classic is the fact that it has an electronic shutter and is a paperweight without live batteries, quite absurd in a camera with no auto exposure that uses batteries only for metering. This of course is because it's a de-featured AE-1, but that only explains it, it doesn't excuse it. The other thing I don't like about it is that the position of the shutter speed dial, on the right edge around the wind crank, makes it too easy to change shutter speeds without noticing. Oh, and the 6-volt battery seems excessive, and expensive, just to power a meter.</p>

<p>I shot my first half of the test roll with a Vivitar TX 100-300. Like many of the TX mount zooms, this is a better lens than you would expect. I was shooting cherry blossoms for my personal stock file, to use on home-printed greeting cards and such. I find that it takes the 300mm focal length to really isolate a few blossoms for the 3D effect that I liie.</p>

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[k5083]

<p>When the Series 1 arrived, I switched to that and did some architecture shooting. Like people say, this lens is just silly sharp. </p>

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[k5083]

<p>Although I enjoy using the AT-1, I hate the Canon breech mount. I can put up with this type of mounting system on my RB67, because hey, it's an RB67, but I don't see it as worth the effort for a 35mm. I know Canon made some other fine SLRs, but I think I'll stop at this one.</p>

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[k5083]

<p>I might want one other lens for it, a Canon 24mm if I see a decent price on one. That and the 70-210 are pretty much all I need. I find myself not shooting much at "normal" focal lengths these days.</p>

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[rick_drawbridge]

<p>Great find, August. They <em>do</em> seem to be an overlooked camera, but I like the no-frills approach. They are, after all, just a vehicle for the fine Canon FD lenses and all the other bargains available in this clumsy mount. That lens is a honey...very nice pictures, "Windows" and "Arched Entry" are excellent.</p>

[ed_k__north_carolina_]

<p>What a lucky find!<br>

I have begun collecting Canons from my days in the camera biz. I sold a bunch of AE-1s and A-1s back in the late 70s. I had an AE-1, but sold it to buy my EF (which I just had CLA'd).<br>

Among all of my new acquisitions, was a nearly mint AT-1. It came with a FDn 50mm F1.8 and FDn 135mm F3.5 in mint condition. The cool thing was it had the instruction book and the original receipts from May of 1980!<br>

I had forgotten how nice the AT-1 was! It is a pleasure to use. After using DSLRs extensively for the last 5 years it was rewarding to use a well balanced manual camera that had complete system interchangeability with the rest of my FD lens stable.<br>

I prefer the breech-lock lenses, they and the M-42s are the only ones without any play when mounted to the camera body.<br>

btw, the battery allows the CPU to precisely control shutter speeds and set the X-sync speed when a compatible Speedlite is attached. One should not overlook that there are situations that do not require an Auto-exposure (AE) camera. Macro work with a bellows, slide duplication, etc. The AT-1 is suited for these kinds of work whle allowing a power winder to be attached. This may seem insignificant today with 7-10fps cameras common; but back in the 70's any power winder or motor drive was high end. The Canon A Series introduced the first successful affordable camera system that had an affordable power winder without exotic power sources or price tags.</p>

<p>Ed</p>

[ed_k__north_carolina_]

<p>Sorry, I forgot to mention: nice photos!</p>

[timwitt]

<p>August, Most Canon FD lenses from around 1979 up to EOS (1987) were bayonet twist mount lenses. Both lens mounts are compatable with all FD cameras.<br>

I check many thrift stores and mostly find junk but today I found an Electro 35 GT for $7.50 and a Olympus Stylus mju I for $2.50 in good condition, just exactly what I need......two more cameras!</p>

[Andy Collins]

<p>August, great find! I don't have this model, but it looks like a really nice example you've stumbled upon. Don't rule out any future Canons...they're awfully nice, especially when you start to venture into EF or F-1 territory. The FTb is also a rock solid camera that I think everyone should have. Very nice photos too. I like all of them!</p>

[chuck_foreman1]

<p>Hey lucky you .. a great find. Nice knowing you can adapt lenses you already have and also the opportunity to check the meter and see/feel the condition. The Ebay experience is lacking in this regard. I think Rick echoed my thoughts on the simple match meter. I have always had the low-end approach and I like the little help it gives but leaves me the responsibility.<br>

Never say never ..now you have an excuse to look at Canon lenses knowing you have at least one body they'll fit.<br>

Oh and great photos especially liked that building with the arch! Thanks for posting this (to me) previously unknown model!</p>

[k5083]

Thanks for the comments guys. Ed, you don't have to sell me on non-AE cameras, I love them and have little use for auto generally. As for the merits of the electronic shutter, well, okay. Precise e-control of the traditional discrete speeds doesn't really impress me that much, but one thing I will say for it is that the button has just the right sensitivity and resistance which results in a smooth release and may, in my mind at least, reduce camera shake.

[Lou_Meluso]

<p>Great Score! The AT, like all the "A" series is very robust, yet so light you can carry it all day. It was my first A-Series camera. The fine FD lenses represent some of the best bang-for-the-buck in all of camera-dom. They are so good, for so little, they have a tendency to spoil you so be careful. The nFD 24mm f/2 is superb and the 24mm f/2.8 (breech or bayonet) is merely excellent. I had that same Vivitar S1 zoom for many years and it is a great optic with wonderful close up capabilities. I liked it better than the standard Canon zoom optically. Both have very good build quality. It took the Canon nFD 80-200mm f/4 L zoom to finally wrest it from my grubby paws. </p>

<p>Those are some beautiful images! They highlight both your skill and the quality of that camera/lens combination. Good luck with your new Canon rig.</p>

[Mike Gammill]

KEH cautions that only silver cells be used in the AT-1. Never heard of that when we used to sell 'em. Great photos.

Congrats on your great find.

[dave_s]

<p><em>KEH cautions that only silver cells be used in the AT-1.</em><br>

<em> </em><br>

IIRC, the AT-1 is the only one of the 'A' series cameras which uses a cadmium sulfide (CdS) photocell in the light meter. I guess that also makes it the last Canon camera to have a CdS meter, and everything since has been a silicon photodiode. Anyway, CdS meters tend to be prissy about accurate voltage, so maybe that's the reason for recommending a silver cell. </p>

<p>When I got an AT-1 in 1979, I think I recall using a silver cell at first. Later I bought other types including alkalines when I was too cheap to replace the silver cells ('coz I was always broke in the 70s and 80s!) I don't remember the other types of battery causing metering errors, even using slide film. </p>

<p>Good camera, until I got it wet. </p>