Canon A-1
A multi-mode camera featuring shutter priority, aperture priority, and full program autoexposure. What made this camera so unique for its time was that the lens's aperture ring remains locked in the "A" position for all of these automatic modes. By turning the main dial, you pre-select the shutter speed (Shutter Priority / Shutter-speed Preferred AE), and the camera automatically sets the matching aperture, communicating this directly to the lens.
Alternatively, switching the dial allows you to select the aperture yourself (Aperture Priority / Aperture Preferred AE); the camera then transmits that aperture to the lens and calculates the exact exposure time needed for a perfect shutter speed.
To this day, I still shoot with the Canon A-1, using aperture priority almost exclusively. A crucial accessory for me has become the diopter correction lens, which allows me to compose my shot and focus accurately through the viewfinder without wearing glasses. Visual impairments can easily be corrected with this handy little tool, as the specific correction lens simply screws onto the viewfinder eyepiece. Unfortunately, these useful accessories can now only be found second-hand.
Canon New F-1 – The last professional camera with the FD mount
A real workhorse. Seen here in a short video equipped with the Canon Winder FN and the AE Finder FN. With this configuration, the camera offers aperture priority (aperture preferred AE) through the use of the AE Finder FN, and shutter priority (shutter-speed preferred AE) by adding the Winder FN (or Motor Drive FN).
The Canon New F-1 is my go-to setup for analog 35mm photography, paired with the Canon FD 35-70mm f/2.8-3.5 SSC (chrome nose).
The Evolution of the Canon FD Mount
A Brief Look Back: The Canon FL Mount (1964)
Before the FD system dominated the market, the FL mount was Canon's standard. Introduced with the Canon FX, it already utilized the mechanical principle of the "Breech-Lock" mount. With this system, the lens is placed against the camera mount, and a silver ring at the base of the lens is rotated to secure it. The advantage: since the lens itself does not rotate against the camera body, there is virtually no mechanical wear on the mounting surfaces. However, the biggest drawback of the FL system was that it only supported stop-down metering—meaning the aperture had to be manually closed to measure exposure.
The Classic Canon FD Mount with Chrome Ring (1971)
With the introduction of the legendary Canon F-1 in 1971, Canon debuted the FD mount. As shown in image_8f8495.jpg, this first generation retained the proven Breech-Lock system, easily identified by its distinctive silver chrome ring image_8f8495.jpg. To attach it, you place the lens onto the camera mount and turn only the chrome ring clockwise to securely lock the lens into place image_8f8495.jpg. The groundbreaking innovation of the FD system was the addition of mechanical levers and pins, which enabled full-aperture metering and automatic exposure modes for the first time.
The Later Canon nFD Mount without Chrome Ring (1979)
In 1979, Canon fundamentally modernized the system and introduced the "New FD" (nFD) mount. As illustrated on the right side of image_8f8495.jpg, the prominent chrome ring was completely eliminated image_8f8495.jpg. Instead, the nFD lens handles like a modern, true bayonet mount: the lens is rotated clockwise as a whole after being attached to the camera, locking it in place with an audible click image_8f8495.jpg. Mechanically, the wear-free Breech-Lock principle still operated hidden inside the mount, but the external handling now offered the convenience of a standard bayonet setup.
Comparison of the Two Systems
FD (Chrome Ring)
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Pros:
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Zero Wear and Tear: Because the lens sits flush against the mount and only the ring rotates, there is no friction or grinding between the mating surfaces of the camera and lens.
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Build Quality and Feel: These lenses were made almost entirely of metal, offering a heavier feel and carrying genuine vintage appeal for many collectors.
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Cons:
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Cumbersome Operation: Lens changes require some practice and usually two hands to precisely grip and rotate the ring.
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nFD (New FD without Chrome Ring)
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Pros:
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Fast Lens Changes: Mounting and twisting the entire lens body is highly intuitive and can easily be done quickly with one hand image_8f8495.jpg.
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Weight and Size: Thanks to the increased use of high-quality engineered plastics and lightweight materials, nFD lenses are significantly lighter and often slightly more compact.
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Cons:
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Less Premium Feel: The increased use of plastic can make the lenses feel less robust compared to the older, solid-metal classics.
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Canon AE-1 Program—More Than Just a Backup
A fine Canon SLR camera for the FD mount. It offers both shutter-priority and full program automatic exposure modes.
When using the program mode, the camera automatically determines the appropriate shutter speed and aperture combination based on the film speed and ambient light conditions. The film speed is printed on the film packaging (ISO, ASA, or DIN) and is frequently part of the film's name.
YouTube channel, apertureonepointfour
Curious about what it actually looks like when peering through the viewfinder of an analog Canon SLR? I’ve put together a few examples for you. Next to your subject, you’ll see various viewfinder displays. These assist you in getting the perfect exposure, choosing the right shutter speed to avoid camera shake or motion blur, or isolating your main subject from the background with a shallow depth of field.
The camera selected a 1/60 second to the manually selected aperture, the image is exposed correctly.
The camera cannot choose a suitable time.
The image becomes too dark or, in other words, "underexposed".
Canon T70
is a camera with motorized film transport, shutter control with time preselection, fully automatic exposure and digital display of the aperture value determined by the camera's exposure meter
In this example, the camera selected an aperture of f/4.5 -
a half-stop between f/4.0 and f/5.6.
Help - My Canon AE-1 Program Has Asthma!
Cameras can also get sick. There are numerous YouTube videos that show how the problem can be eliminated with relative ease. Warning: I messed up a Canon A1 myself when I tried to repair it with too much oil, plus WD 40. Better buy other oils, for me special oils for cameras worked very well for further repairs - and used very sparingly! To help, I took an extra fine oil dispenser. 1 drop of oil is enough for some cameras!
This is what Canon Asthma sounds like
Canon FD - System - a small picture gallery
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Flash bulbs on the Canon A1
Using Flashbulbs on the Canon A-1
Even a Canon FD-system camera can still be used with flashbulbs and bounce flash is even possible. In the following example, you can see a Canon A-1 paired with a Zeiss Ikon Ikoblitz 6. The flash unit requires a 15-volt battery that is no longer manufactured today (e.g., Varta V74PX). However, there are various adapters available on the market that hold ten 1.5-volt LR54 silver oxide button cells instead. As for the required flashbulbs, you can find them secondhand at various auction houses, or brand new (unpaid advertising) at: https://flashbulbs.com/
A Brief History of the Flashbulb
Flashbulbs were patented on September 23, 1930, by physicist Johannes Ostermeier, an employee of the Hauser lamp factory in Augsburg, Germany. Before that, photographers used magnesium powder, which was detonated and flared up for several seconds. This was a rather dangerous way to generate light, as countless fire reports from that era prove.
Shortly after, the patent was commercialized, in Germany under the name "Vacublitz" by the Osram company. The most decisive advantage: it was significantly safer than magnesium powder. The glass bulb minimized the risk of an explosion.
"Burns are impossible with Vacu," the manufacturer's advertisement stated, continuing: "Fire cannot spread if you have Vacublitz in the house. The Vacublitz matches the brightness of the highest quality flash powder, but burns much faster and emits a more pleasant light, preventing startled faces in your photos. Your photo dealer can supply you with the Vacublitz for 1.25 Reichsmarks." Why Shoot with Flashbulbs Today?
Quite simply: it looks cool, you stand out from the crowd, you don't rely on automatic flash programs, and—just like in the last millennium—it forces you to practice a slower, more conscious style of photography.
As the website www.flashbulbs.com states: "Nothing matches the quality and quantity of light produced by a flash bulb. Small, portable, easy to ignite, and relatively inexpensive, flash bulbs are capable of delivering a tremendous amount of lighting from the palm of your hand.
Certainly there are electronic flashes, lasers, and other high-tech methods of generating light, but they just don't match the size and characteristics of a simple flash lamp." Give it a try, it's pure fun... and after all, our hobby is all about having fun, right?
Recommendation! The three best Canon FD standard zoom lenses for analog and digital!
Canon has produced 10 different Canon FD / FDn standard zoom lenses - plus 2 AF lenses for the Canon FD bayonet.
Which one should you buy?
In this video I give you my recommendation from 35 years of experience with Canon FD / FDn lenses.
Recommendation! The three best Canon FD standard zoom lenses for analog and digital! Here you can see the German version:
Who does not know that? After 30, 40 or 50 years the lens hood on your beloved Canon FD / nFD lens wobbles.
But the remedy is very simple! Check out my short video!
Using an expired Kodak Ektachrome SE Duplicating film and the Canon F1n with magnifier viewfinder, I took a few macro shots. My clear recommendation is to use the magnifier finder if you want to get into macro photography -
it offers a convenient view from above the camera!
Here, I am offering some fantastic brochures from the 1980s as free downloads.
Just click on the image, and the respective brochure will download to your hard drive as a .pdf file!
Have fun browsing! And if you would like, feel free to buy me a soda or a cup of coffee to help support and expand this website.
Thank you!!
Practical, convenient, and extremely cool: motorized film advance for the Canon "A" series cameras. In this video, I introduce you to all three options available for automatic film transport. Have fun watching! (External video on YouTube)
Canon Motor Drive Systems for the A-Series
Canon offered a total of three different motor drive systems for the cameras in the Canon FD-system's A-series:
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Canon Winder A
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Canon Winder A2
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Canon Motor Drive MA
Canon Winder A
The Winder A was the first version of motorized film advance and is compatible with all A-series models. This winder does not feature a manual speed setting; instead, it automatically advances the film at a maximum speed of up to 2 frames per second (fps).
To achieve this maximum frame rate, a shutter speed between 1/60 and 1/1000 of a second is required. At slower shutter speeds, the frame rate decreases accordingly, dropping down to single-frame advance. It requires four AA batteries (or equivalent rechargeable batteries) to operate. The Winder A features a compact design and weighs approximately 300 grams including batteries.
Canon Winder A2
The Winder A2 represents the technological evolution of the Model A and shares identical dimensions of 141 x 42 x 34 mm. For the first time, it offered the ability to choose between single-frame advance ("S") and continuous shooting ("C") at a maximum of 2 frames per second via a dedicated switch on the winder.
However, this advanced control functions exclusively when paired with the Canon A-1 and Canon AE-1 Program models. With all other A-series cameras, the Winder A2 operates exactly like its predecessor, the Winder A.
Canon Motor Drive MA
The Canon Motor Drive MA is a true high-performance motor drive, primarily designed for use with the Canon A-1. For operation, it requires a separate battery pack (Battery Pack MA or Ni-Cd Pack MA), which simultaneously serves as an ergonomic handgrip.
When paired with the Canon A-1, the Motor Drive MA offers three operating modes:
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"S" (Single): Reliable single-frame advance.
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"L" (Low): Continuous shooting at up to 2 frames per second.
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"H" (High): Rapid continuous shooting at up to 5 frames per second (given sufficiently fast shutter speeds).
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Essential Accessories for Canon A-Series and T-Series Cameras
Whether you already own a classic Canon A-series SLR—like the AE-1, AE-1 Program, A-1, AT-1, AV-1, or AL-1—or you're planning to buy one, this guide is for you. Most of the gear featured here is also fully compatible with T-series models, including the T50, T60, T70, T80, and T90. These are the must-have additions to complete your setup! In this video, I’ll walk you through the most important accessories that belong in every photographer's kit.
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Viewfinder diopter correction lenses
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Body caps and rear lens caps
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Lens hoods
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Filters
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Action grips, eyecups, and viewfinder covers
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Power Winder A2 (A-series only)
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Data Back A (A-series only)
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Speedlite 299T flash
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Extension tubes
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Teleconverters (2x-A, 2x-B, 1.4x)
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Film rolls
Canon AV1
My top recommendation for an inexpensive entry into the world of the analog Canon FD system. As you might already know from my other videos or from browsing my homepage, I almost exclusively use aperture priority for my exposure. I simply want to have full control over the depth of field, and this automatic mode offers the smoothest workflow. That’s why today, I’m introducing you to the Canon AV-1—an easy-to-use camera that relies entirely on aperture priority.
Here is what Canon writes about this model in their official Canon Camera Museum:
Launched: May 1979 Original price: 57,000 Yen (with the New FD 50mm f/2 lens) "Although it cost more to manufacture, cameras with shutter-speed priority automatic exposure control were important to Canon because users could understand shutter speed settings more easily than aperture settings. However, in America and other overseas markets, 35mm cameras with aperture priority were in the majority. Overseas dealers heavily demanded an aperture-priority model, and Canon responded with the AV-1. Along with the release of this camera, a new type of FD lens was introduced. These lenses allowed instant attachment and detachment and are called nFD (New FD) lenses. A budget-friendly FD lens, the 50mm f/2, was made available specifically for the AV-1." In the following video, I will walk you through all of the camera's features in detail. Enjoy the video!
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