stephen_moon1

<p>All the seals look perfect to me. None of the issues you mentioned are present. Thanks for all the info!</p>

<p>Thanks for the tip! How do I tell if this camera needs new seals?</p>

<p>Nikon?... Never heard of it, are they any good? ;) I would love to try lots of of different cameras, honestly. Leica would be cool, if I had the extra cash. I actually just found a VI-T at a resale shop for $3! It looks pretty much perfect, just the viewfinder seems a little yellow/hazy - came with a leather case, a lens, and working light meter, too. And, from what I have read, it seems they take Leica-type lenses.</p>

<p>Thanks, Lupo! Spencer, that looks like a really cool camera. I looked at some photos that were taken with it, too. I am in school as well, as an art major. I really enjoy drawing and graphics. What are you going for? Thanks for the welcome, you two.</p>

<p>Hey! I'm Stephen and I am new to photography. I have been lurking for a while, reading good information and endless debates. All of that has helped me decide on a camera and a few pieces of glass to get me started. I am an art major but never tried my hand at photography. Macro, tilt-shift, and pin-hole are all really interesting to me - landscape, too. </p> <p>I ended up getting a near mint Canon New F-1, and I had to get help already in the FD forum! The prospect of shooting film really excites me, for a lot of reasons. But, one thing that stands out is that I feel each shot will have more meaning to me - help teach me to put more thought into it. I also invested in the Motor Drive and AE Finder FN, which I got from KEH. I only know about that company from searching topics on here. I ended getting these Canon lenses: Macro 50mm 3.5, 20-35mm 3.5 L, and 50mm 1.4 - to start. I really want to try as much as possible to see what sticks, but that whole money thing... You know? But, I feel that should be a good starting point for me to try things out. FD tilt-shift lenses are pretty pricey, after all the money I have already invested, but hopefully soon! </p> <p>I am glad to be on the forums here and hope to learn a lot. I've already gained a lot of good knowledge to help point me in the right direction, so thanks for sharing all of the information you have; searching this site answered a lot of my questions. Anywho, I look forward to sharing with you all and getting to know you. </p> <p>-Stephen</p>

<p>Oh, ok. I had it in my head that the blackout should be equal to the shutter's speed. It makes sense now. If the first seller hadn't misrepresented the condition of the camera's optics and lenses, I would feel a little more badly than I do for returning it! So, user error it is. I appreciate the insight. I am glad to know that I have a good camera in my hands now. Thank you very much, Rick and Keith. Now it is time to download the manual for the Motor Drive and get ready to shoot some this weekend.</p>

<p>I think I see whats going on... When looking at the mirror and firing it, the mirror has to fall back to its position. So, it may move up quickly, depending on the shutter speed setting, but it still falls back at the same rate - no matter the setting. And the mirror moving is what causes that "blackout". I was under the impression that it would appear to move the same speed, when looking through the viewfinder.</p>

<p>I just thought the "black out" time in the viewfinder should match the perceived speed as the shutter moves when I watch it with the back open. Is that not the case, and everything is fine? Thanks for the info, Keith.</p>

<p>When I read about those issues before purchasing my camera, maybe it caused me to misinterpret what is normal - due to my lack of experience? I just thought the view through the finder would be as fast as the shutter "blink" setting is set to. With the back off it is definitely very fast. Am I explaining this correctly/coherently? </p>

<p>Update: when I actually open the back - and keep it open - it seems to move bit faster through the finder, at 1/2000th ,then when the door is shut. At low speeds, when looking through the finder, i see it "black" for a long time - the correct time, like 1 second. Is that just how these work? Does a proper one behave this way? As in, when I look though the finder will the view seem slow when I go higher than the first few shutter settings? Sorry for my noobness! Thanks again.</p>

<p>Hi,<br> <br />I have been learning so much by searching through the threads here, I really appreciate all the sharing of knowledge. After years of wanting to take photos, I have finally been making some purchases to realize that goal - a couple of lenses to get me started and a Canon F-1N, New F-1. I managed to grab a few accessories from KEH, as well. I only know about them from the forums here, so thanks again.<br> Anyway, the first F-1N I got on an auction site said that all was tested and that the shutter operated properly. When I got it, however, I found that the shutter only worked properly at the first few low speeds. All the other speeds seem to fire at the same sluggish rate, no matter how high I adjust it. I thought it was a power issue, so I bought a new battery at Radio Shack. But, it still had the same problem. The timer worked, though, so I know the electronics were at least partially working. At that point I just sent it back as I have seen that other people have had similar issues. <br> The second one I got has the same problem! Or, am I the problem? Could it be user error? They claimed it was tested at all speeds, too. I tried to be very picky about the seller reputation and description of its testing. I don't have it loaded with film, I am just testing it as I got it. I have changed the switch from "normal" to "light", and tried a couple of other things. The timer on this one didn't work at first, it would beep but the shutter never moved. Replacing it with my battery - from last time - fixed that, but the shutter remains slow. The pin in the battery compartment has what I consider to be very good resistance, it is firm when I push it. Am I missing something here? Is there a setting I am overlooking to get this to work right? If I have this set to 1/2000th it should click extremely fast, right? <br> This last one that I bought is in amazing shape, and the serial number indicates that it was from one of the last years that it was made. So, if it is truly just bad luck, and this one is also broken, should I keep searching for a late 30xxxx serial number F-1N in excellent condition? Or, could this be repaired at a reasonable rate? All the other ones that are in this good of shape and late serial number are considerably more expensive. I just want to find one that was taken care of and will last me for a long time. Thanks for any insight you can offer, I greatly appreciate it. </p> <p>All the best,</p> <p>Stephen</p>