Canon AE-1
Encyclopedia
The Canon AE-1 is a 35 mm single-lens reflex
(SLR) film camera
for use with interchangeable lenses. It was manufactured by Canon Camera K. K. (today Canon Incorporated
) in Japan
from April 1976 to 1984. It uses an electronically controlled, electromagnet horizontal cloth focal plane shutter, with a speed range of 2 to 1/1000 second plus Bulb and flash X-sync of 1/60th second. The camera body is 87 mm tall, 141 mm wide, and 48 mm deep; it weighs 590 g. Most are black with chrome trim, but some are all black.
The AE-1 is a historically significant SLR, though not necessarily because of any major technological firsts (although it was the first microprocessor CPU
-equipped SLR). Its notability is based in its sales. Backed by a major advertising campaign, the AE-1 sold five million units, an unprecedented success in the SLR market.
breech-lock lens mount
and accepts any FD or New FD (FDn) lens. It is not compatible with Canon's later Canon EF lens mount
, though adapters made by independent manufacturers can be found. Original FD lenses, introduced in 1971, did not rotate in the mounting process; instead, a locking ring at the base was turned to attach the lens. This was often criticised as being slower and more awkward than the bayonet mounts of competing cameras. The counter argument, though, was that as the lens/body mating surfaces did not rotate, there was no wear that could affect the critical distance from lens to film plane. In 1976, in addition to the AE-1, Canon also introduced the New FD series of lenses that rotate the whole lens barrel to lock. During the late 1970s, there were approximately 40 Canon FD lenses available for purchase. They ranged from a Fisheye FD 15 mm f/2.8 SSC to a FD 800 mm f/5.6 SSC.
Accessories for the AE-1 included the Canon Winder A (motorized single frame film advance up to 2 frames per second), the Canon Databack A (sequential numbering or date stamping on the film), and the Canon Speedlite 155A (guide number 56/17 (feet/meters) at ASA 100) and Canon Speedlite 177A (guide number 83/25 (feet/meters) at ASA 100) electronic flashes.
The AE-1 was a battery powered (one 4LR44 or PX-28) microprocessor-controlled manual focus SLR. It supported either manual exposure control or shutter priority
auto exposure. The exposure control system consisted of a needle pointing along a vertical f-stop scale on the right side of the viewfinder to indicate the readings of the built-in light meter (center-weighted with a silicon photocell). The viewfinder used by the AE-1 was Canon’s standard split image rangefinder with microprism collar focusing aids.
, Nikon
, Minolta
, Pentax
and Olympus. Between 1975 to 1985, there was a dramatic departure from heavy all-metal manual mechanical camera bodies to much more compact bodies with integrated circuit (IC) electronic automation. In addition, due to rapid advances in electronics, the brands leap-frogged each other with successively more automated models.
Although Canon Camera K. K. had been making quality 35 mm cameras for decades, it had always been overshadowed by their rival Nippon Kokagu K. K. and their Nikon cameras. While Canons easily led in the amateur compact fixed-lens RF market (where Nikons did not compete), Canon SLRs had far less cachet than Nikon SLRs. Nikon, with its solid reputation for quality of material and worksmanship, held a stranglehold on the prestigious professional SLR market that competitors could not break.
The AE-1 was the vanguard of the landmark Canon amateur level A-series SLRs and led Canon’s charge into the emerging electronically controlled SLR market. The other members of the A-series were the AT-1
(released 1977), A-1
(1978), AV-1
(1979), AE-1 Program
(1981) and AL-1
(1982). They all used the same compact aluminum alloy chassis, but with different feature levels and outer cosmetic plastic panels. By sharing most major components, including an inexpensive horizontal cloth-curtain shutter, viewfinder information display, and autoflash control, Canon further reduced costs and could undercut the price of the more expensive SLRs then on the market.
In keeping with its cost-cutting philosophy, Canon designed the AE-1 to use a significant amount of structural plastic for a lighter and cheaper camera at the expense of being less impact resistant. Canon went to great effort to disguise the use of plastic - the injection-molded acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene
(ABS) top and bottom plates were copper-electroplated and then satin chrome finished (or black enameled) to give the look and feel of metal. Extensive use of electronics also allowed simpler modular internal construction instead of mechanical linkages. Five major and 25 minor internal modules reduced the individual parts count by over 300. Modular construction, in turn, allowed automated production lines in order to reduce cost. Unfortunately, cost concerns also resulted in the use of plastic in some of the moving/operating mechanisms.
The AE-1 was never designed to be a "pro" camera. However it was made to have relatively straightforward camera controls and automatic aperture for newcomers, with various manual controls and system accessories to appeal to more experienced photographers. The AE-1 was the first SLR purchased by millions of amateur photographers, persuaded by its feature list and low price.
In many ways, the AE-1 represented the confluence of two streams of Canon camera development. The first generation electronically controlled Canon 35 mm SLR EF (1973) merged with the final generation RF Canonet G-III QL-17 (1972). After decades of chasing Nikon for Japanese optical supremacy, Canon finally hit upon a formula for success: high technology for ease of use, cheaper internal parts and electronics for lower price, and heavy advertising to get the message out. Despite outcries from traditionalist photographers who complained about an “excess” of automation ruining the art of photography, automation proved to be the only way to entice the amateur photographer.
The AE-1 had only one pointer needle used to indicate the light meter recommended f-stop, and neither a follower needle to indicate the actual lens set f-stop, nor plus/minus indicators for over/underexposure. The shutter-priority system of the AE-1 was more suited to sports action than to preserving depth-of-field, yet the 1/1000 top speed of its horizontally traveling shutter limited its use for such activities. The battery door design was subject to frequent breakage, and over time owners have reported instances of shutter and mechanical gremlins, including mirror linkage wear (the "Canon squeal"). Canon's eventual abandonment of the FD lens mount for the EOS autofocus design also had an effect on used prices for the AE-1 on the used market.
Single-lens reflex camera
A single-lens reflex camera is a camera that typically uses a semi-automatic moving mirror system that permits the photographer to see exactly what will be captured by the film or digital imaging system, as opposed to pre-SLR cameras where the view through the viewfinder could be significantly...
(SLR) film camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
for use with interchangeable lenses. It was manufactured by Canon Camera K. K. (today Canon Incorporated
Canon Inc.
is a Japanese multinational corporation that specialises in the manufacture of imaging and optical products, including cameras, camcorders, photocopiers, steppers and computer printers. Its headquarters are located in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan.-Origins:...
) in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
from April 1976 to 1984. It uses an electronically controlled, electromagnet horizontal cloth focal plane shutter, with a speed range of 2 to 1/1000 second plus Bulb and flash X-sync of 1/60th second. The camera body is 87 mm tall, 141 mm wide, and 48 mm deep; it weighs 590 g. Most are black with chrome trim, but some are all black.
The AE-1 is a historically significant SLR, though not necessarily because of any major technological firsts (although it was the first microprocessor CPU
Central processing unit
The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...
-equipped SLR). Its notability is based in its sales. Backed by a major advertising campaign, the AE-1 sold five million units, an unprecedented success in the SLR market.
Features
The AE-1 has a Canon FDCanon FD
The Canon FD lens mount is a physical standard for connecting a photographic lens to a single-lens reflex camera body. The standard was developed by Canon of Japan and was introduced in March 1971 with the Canon F-1 camera. It was the primary Canon SLR lens mounting system until 1987 when the...
breech-lock lens mount
Lens mount
A lens mount is an interface — mechanical and often also electrical — between a photographic camera body and a lens. It is confined to cameras where the body allows interchangeable lenses, most usually the single lens reflex type or any movie camera of 16 mm or higher gauge...
and accepts any FD or New FD (FDn) lens. It is not compatible with Canon's later Canon EF lens mount
Canon EF lens mount
Introduced in 1987, the EF lens mount is the standard lens mount on the Canon EOS family of SLR film and digital cameras. EF stands for "Electro-Focus": automatic focusing on EF lenses is handled by a dedicated electric motor built into the lens...
, though adapters made by independent manufacturers can be found. Original FD lenses, introduced in 1971, did not rotate in the mounting process; instead, a locking ring at the base was turned to attach the lens. This was often criticised as being slower and more awkward than the bayonet mounts of competing cameras. The counter argument, though, was that as the lens/body mating surfaces did not rotate, there was no wear that could affect the critical distance from lens to film plane. In 1976, in addition to the AE-1, Canon also introduced the New FD series of lenses that rotate the whole lens barrel to lock. During the late 1970s, there were approximately 40 Canon FD lenses available for purchase. They ranged from a Fisheye FD 15 mm f/2.8 SSC to a FD 800 mm f/5.6 SSC.
Accessories for the AE-1 included the Canon Winder A (motorized single frame film advance up to 2 frames per second), the Canon Databack A (sequential numbering or date stamping on the film), and the Canon Speedlite 155A (guide number 56/17 (feet/meters) at ASA 100) and Canon Speedlite 177A (guide number 83/25 (feet/meters) at ASA 100) electronic flashes.
The AE-1 was a battery powered (one 4LR44 or PX-28) microprocessor-controlled manual focus SLR. It supported either manual exposure control or shutter priority
Shutter priority
Shutter priority refers to a setting on some cameras that allows the user to choose a specific shutter speed while the camera adjusts the aperture to ensure correct exposure...
auto exposure. The exposure control system consisted of a needle pointing along a vertical f-stop scale on the right side of the viewfinder to indicate the readings of the built-in light meter (center-weighted with a silicon photocell). The viewfinder used by the AE-1 was Canon’s standard split image rangefinder with microprism collar focusing aids.
Design history
The AE-1 was the first in what became a complete overhaul of Canon's line of SLRs. The 70s and 80s were an era of intense competition between the major Japanese SLR brands: CanonCanon Inc.
is a Japanese multinational corporation that specialises in the manufacture of imaging and optical products, including cameras, camcorders, photocopiers, steppers and computer printers. Its headquarters are located in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan.-Origins:...
, Nikon
Nikon
, also known as just Nikon, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and imaging. Its products include cameras, binoculars, microscopes, measurement instruments, and the steppers used in the photolithography steps of semiconductor fabrication, of which...
, Minolta
Minolta
Minolta Co., Ltd. was a Japanese worldwide manufacturer of cameras, camera accessories, photocopiers, fax machines, and laser printers. Minolta was founded in Osaka, Japan, in 1928 as . It is perhaps best known for making the first integrated autofocus 35mm SLR camera system...
, Pentax
Pentax
Pentax is a brand name used by Hoya Corporation for its medical-related products & services and Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company for cameras, sport optics , etc. Hoya purchased and merged with the Japanese optics company on March 31, 2008. Hoya's Pentax imaging business was sold to Ricoh Company, Ltd...
and Olympus. Between 1975 to 1985, there was a dramatic departure from heavy all-metal manual mechanical camera bodies to much more compact bodies with integrated circuit (IC) electronic automation. In addition, due to rapid advances in electronics, the brands leap-frogged each other with successively more automated models.
Although Canon Camera K. K. had been making quality 35 mm cameras for decades, it had always been overshadowed by their rival Nippon Kokagu K. K. and their Nikon cameras. While Canons easily led in the amateur compact fixed-lens RF market (where Nikons did not compete), Canon SLRs had far less cachet than Nikon SLRs. Nikon, with its solid reputation for quality of material and worksmanship, held a stranglehold on the prestigious professional SLR market that competitors could not break.
The AE-1 was the vanguard of the landmark Canon amateur level A-series SLRs and led Canon’s charge into the emerging electronically controlled SLR market. The other members of the A-series were the AT-1
Canon AT-1
The Canon AT-1 is a 35mm FD-mount single-lens reflex camera manufactured by Canon of Japan from December 1976. It was produced purely for export and was never sold in the home Japanese market. It was a version of the popular AE-1 but without the shutter-speed priority auto-exposure mode of that...
(released 1977), A-1
Canon A-1
The Canon A-1 is an advanced level single-lens reflex 35 mm film camera for use with interchangeable lenses. It was manufactured by Canon Camera K. K. in Japan from April 1978 to 1985. It employs a horizontal cloth-curtain focal-plane shutter with a speed range of 30 to 1/1000 second plus bulb...
(1978), AV-1
Canon AV-1
The Canon AV-1 is a 35mm single-lens reflex camera with a FD lens mount, introduced by Canon Inc. in 1979. The AV-1 was very similar to the 1976 AE-1 but provided aperture priority autoexposure rather than the AE-1's shutter speed priority AE...
(1979), AE-1 Program
Canon AE-1 Program
The Canon AE-1 Program is a 35 mm single-lens reflex camera that uses Canon's FD mount lenses. It was introduced in 1981 as the successor to the Canon AE-1, five years after that camera's introduction. The major difference was the addition of the Program AE mode first seen in the A-1...
(1981) and AL-1
Canon AL-1
The Canon AL-1 was an FD mount, 35mm single-lens reflex camera introduced in March 1982. Its main feature was the "Quick Focus" focus-assist system that was aimed at those who had trouble focusing through the viewfinder—either novices, or those with poor eyesight—and was intended to...
(1982). They all used the same compact aluminum alloy chassis, but with different feature levels and outer cosmetic plastic panels. By sharing most major components, including an inexpensive horizontal cloth-curtain shutter, viewfinder information display, and autoflash control, Canon further reduced costs and could undercut the price of the more expensive SLRs then on the market.
In keeping with its cost-cutting philosophy, Canon designed the AE-1 to use a significant amount of structural plastic for a lighter and cheaper camera at the expense of being less impact resistant. Canon went to great effort to disguise the use of plastic - the injection-molded acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene is a common thermoplastic. Its melting point is approximately 105 °C ....
(ABS) top and bottom plates were copper-electroplated and then satin chrome finished (or black enameled) to give the look and feel of metal. Extensive use of electronics also allowed simpler modular internal construction instead of mechanical linkages. Five major and 25 minor internal modules reduced the individual parts count by over 300. Modular construction, in turn, allowed automated production lines in order to reduce cost. Unfortunately, cost concerns also resulted in the use of plastic in some of the moving/operating mechanisms.
The AE-1 was never designed to be a "pro" camera. However it was made to have relatively straightforward camera controls and automatic aperture for newcomers, with various manual controls and system accessories to appeal to more experienced photographers. The AE-1 was the first SLR purchased by millions of amateur photographers, persuaded by its feature list and low price.
In many ways, the AE-1 represented the confluence of two streams of Canon camera development. The first generation electronically controlled Canon 35 mm SLR EF (1973) merged with the final generation RF Canonet G-III QL-17 (1972). After decades of chasing Nikon for Japanese optical supremacy, Canon finally hit upon a formula for success: high technology for ease of use, cheaper internal parts and electronics for lower price, and heavy advertising to get the message out. Despite outcries from traditionalist photographers who complained about an “excess” of automation ruining the art of photography, automation proved to be the only way to entice the amateur photographer.
The AE-1 had only one pointer needle used to indicate the light meter recommended f-stop, and neither a follower needle to indicate the actual lens set f-stop, nor plus/minus indicators for over/underexposure. The shutter-priority system of the AE-1 was more suited to sports action than to preserving depth-of-field, yet the 1/1000 top speed of its horizontally traveling shutter limited its use for such activities. The battery door design was subject to frequent breakage, and over time owners have reported instances of shutter and mechanical gremlins, including mirror linkage wear (the "Canon squeal"). Canon's eventual abandonment of the FD lens mount for the EOS autofocus design also had an effect on used prices for the AE-1 on the used market.
External links
- Official online Canon Museum
- Operators Manual pt1
- Operators Manual pt2
- Manufacturer's website
- http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/canon/fdresources/SLRs/ae1/index.htm