Canon AE-1 |
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Manufactured or assembled in Japan from 1976 to (After) 1981.
Index of rarity in France: Frequent (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 962
See the complete technical specifications
Chronology of cameras Canon
Starting from the late 1950s, Canon expanded its range of rangefinder cameras by manufacturing a new type of camera, the single-lens reflex (SLR), which had previously been overlooked by the brand. Demand grew worldwide, whether from professionals or amateurs. However, Canon had to produce multiple models before offering one that could compete with the leading professional market model, the Nikon F.
Year | Mount | Exposure | Shutter | ||
Canonflex | ![]() |
1959 | R | Manual | 1 to 1/1000, B, T |
Canonflex RP | ![]() |
1960 | |||
Canonflex R2000 | ![]() |
1960 | 1 to 1/2000, B, T | ||
Canonflex RM | ![]() |
1962 | Built-in selenium photocell meter coupled to the shutter speed dial | 1 to 1/1000, B | |
Canonex | 1963 | Fixed lens | Selenium photocell for comb-controlled shutter speed-priority EE | 1/15 to 1/500, B | |
FX | ![]() |
1964 | FL | CdS element for aperture readings | 1/2 to 1/1000, B |
FP | ![]() |
1964 | Manual | ||
Pellix | ![]() |
1965 | stopped-down match needle | ||
FT QL | ![]() |
1966 | |||
Pellix QL | ![]() |
1966 | 1/2 to 1/1000, T | ||
TL | ![]() |
1968 | 1/2 to 1/500, B | ||
EXEE | ![]() |
1969 | EX | shutter speed-priority | 1/8 to 1/500, B |
F-1 | ![]() |
1971 | FD | stopped-down match needle | 1/2 to 1/2000, B |
FTb | ![]() |
1971 | 1 to 1/1000, B | ||
EX Auto | ![]() |
1972 | EX | shutter speed-priority | 1/8 to 1/500, B |
FTb-N | ![]() |
1973 | FD | stopped-down match needle | 1 to 1/1000, B |
EF | ![]() |
1973 | shutter speed-priority | 30 to 1/1000, B | |
TLb | ![]() |
1974 | stopped-down match needle | 1 to 1/500, B | |
TX | ![]() |
1975 | stopped-down match needle | 1 to 1/500, B | |
AE-1 | ![]() |
1976 | shutter speed-priority | 2 to 1/1000, B | |
F-1 | ![]() |
1976 | stopped-down match needle | 1 to 1/2000, B | |
AT-1 | ![]() |
1976 | stopped-down match needle | 2 to 1/1000, B | |
A-1 | ![]() |
1978 | multi-modes | 30 to 1/1000, B | |
AV-1 | ![]() |
1979 | shutter aperture-priority | 2 to 1/1000, B | |
AE-1 Program | ![]() |
1981 | shutter speed-priority,, Program | 2 to 1/1000, B | |
New F-1 | ![]() |
1981 | stopped-down match needle | 8 to 1/2000, B | |
AL-1 | ![]() |
1982 | shutter aperture-priority | 2 to 1/1000, B | |
T50 | ![]() |
1983 | Program | 2 to 1/1000, B | |
T70 | ![]() |
1984 | shutter speed-priority, Program | 2 to 1/1000, B | |
T80 | ![]() |
1985 | Multi-program | 2 to 1/1000, B | |
T90 | ![]() |
1986 | multi-mode | 30 to 1/4000, B | |
T60 | ![]() |
1990 | shutter aperture-priority,stopped-down match needle | 8 to 1/1000, B |
... To be continued with the EOS series.
The Canon AE-1 marked its era and captivated a whole generation of amateur photographers, myself included. Seeing this camera in catalogs left me dreaming, and I guided hundreds of birdwatching tourists to save up enough to buy it (and even then, the last few hundred francs had to come from my parents' pockets). A 300mm, then a 400mm lens (though not Canon ones) were added to the camera, filling my free time as I chased after everything that flew. A large Vivitar 283 flash (another bestseller of the time), a grip, and a winder completed the kit. A few years later, after selling some photos, the Canon AE-1 became my second camera, with the Canon A-1 (which I deeply regret selling) as my primary.
The Canon AE-1 featured shutter priority, which was very practical for capturing birds. This easy-to-use shutter priority mode contributed significantly to its success among amateurs. Exposure control was handled by a central processing unit (the first computer I ever owned!) whose exact description in the manual is "central processing unit consisting of two integrated circuits and an LSI circuit with an I2L (integrated injection logic circuit).” No details on the pressure of these injectors ;-).
In the viewfinder, there was a coincidence rangefinder/microprism system. Initially, I missed quite a few shots trying to align the broken lines. By the time the line became continuous, it was too late, and the subject was gone. A needle indicated the aperture calculated by the LSI on a scale. At the top of this scale, there was a red zone indicating overexposure. A diode at the bottom of the scale would blink in case of underexposure or to indicate that the chosen shutter speed was out of the coupling range given the film sensitivity. An "M" would blink whenever the lens was set to manual mode. The body could be motorized to shoot up to 2 frames per second.
The black version of the camera is less common than the silver version, as the black one was significantly more expensive to purchase.
![Canon AE-1](../../canon/images/canonoae1.jpg )
Interesting links or bibliography :
Sur Camera-wiki.org, suggested by Sylvain Halgand |
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