Canon AE-1 Film Camera

These are fantastic cameras... easy to use and they deliver incredible results... but first, understand this is a manual focus FILM camera... not a digital camera. There is no auto-focus... you have to focus. And you can not hook this camera up to your computer and download pictures. It uses film which must be developed. If you are still interested in this type of camera... keep reading for some helpful advise.

1: SEALS: The light seals keep light from sneaking into the film chamber. Even if a camera has never been used, these seals deteriorate over time and need to be replaced. Always ask the condition of the light seals. If they are worn out they will be sticky to the touch and leave residue on the film chamber door.

2: BATTERY DOOR: These cameras have a little door that covers the battery compartment. Because people rarely use the hot-shoe cover to open the battery door properly, they often break the door. Be sure to ask about the condition of the battery door.

3: SQUEAK: Watch out for the Squeak! When the internals begin the dry out and gears begin to show signs of wear the Canon A series has a tendency to make a squeak sound when firing the shutter. It sometimes sounds as if the camera is coughing. This is a sign the camera needs service. Without service the internals will wear even more and will soon fail.

4: VIEW FINDER:
Ask if the viewfinder is clear and free of scratches. While this would not affect picture quality it is kind of annoying to see specs of dust and scratches while trying to compose your shot.

A good seller should provide photos and descriptions to answer these questions, but some people do not have the time or expertise so often times you need to ask. Their answers will tell you a lot about not only the camera… but also the seller.

I lucked into on of these guys when I was in college. I bought it off of a professor who did not know what she had. It was a mint condition Canon AE-1 Program with three lenses and some other goodies. Picked it up for 100 dollars! =) Some say that the program option takes the fun out of photography and makes it brainless -- I say it is a good step in learning the dynamics of good photography. As you know, film is going the way of the dinosaur. But for those who still like LP's and amps with tubes, this is the camera for you. Mine has been pretty no hassle until it turned 26 years old. The photo sensor crapped out on it which broke my heart. With out the photo sensor there is not light meter and without a light meter, there really is not way of knowing what kind of light you are dealing with. In spite of the photo sensor, it has been a super durable camera with lots of options. It is like a car -- if you take good care of it, it will take good care of you. As in the other reviews do take the time to ask quetions about the camera -- the squak is a sign of a camera that needs some lub and some basic mantainace that is long overdue. As about the foam seals and request lots of pictures of the unit. If it looks clean and tight chances are you will be satisfied -- but due know that there are some things you can not see. An honest seller will disclose the bad with the good and do know that you are buying a camera that has been around since the early 1980's. This is a great first film camera for anyone who still likes to shoot film. It is pretty idiot proof in Program mode. On ebay you can get a great buy for those who are unloading their entire kits.

I purchased the Cannon AE-1 as my first SLR camera when they first came out over 25 years ago. I loved the camera and all the features it offered then. When I moved to another state, my son had the camera and I never saw it again; he sold it. Since I've gotten my own computer and discovered the world of Ebay, I found the camera again. I still love the fact that everything in in my control. The camera I bought on Ebay is in perfect condition just as promised. I have used it with the same ease as I did years ago. There is nothing I didn't like about it years ago, and, there is nothing I don't like about it now. I'm really happy I found it again.

I bought the Canon AE-1 brand new back in 1986 when I was a photography student. I am still using it after 20 years for weddings and birthday parties along with a 50mm f1.8 lens and a Tokina 80-200mm f4 zoom lens. The picture quality has only improved over the years thanks to new developments on film and photo paper technology. The camera is a little heavier than the new ones, but after 20 years I guess I’m used to it, although I use the tripod a lot. This camera is built like a brick. It has survived several falls and the only thing missing is the battery door.

I highly recommend this camera for its ease of use, automatic and manual exposure controls, robustness, availability of high quality lenses and dedicated flash units. I’m pretty sure that I will go digital eventually, but for what I have seen, the only one that would rival my Canon AE-1 is a Canon 5D but it’s way to expensive yet. For now, I’ll keep holding on to my beloved AE-1.

I shoot for a living. I own all new pro digital stuff. I have all the nice new "L" lenses. I always have two or three AE-1 cameras in my car. I love shooting film. I really love my black body AE-1 cameras. When buying one look for the "MINT" condition. Personally, I love the canon Squeek. I think its fun to walk around the major studios (Warner, Fox, & Universal) with an AE-1 around my neck. It's the Canon AE-1 that is the true stud of cameras. If you can find a clean one, grab it, and use it. Find a black body and you have it all.

I have been in photography since the early 70's. I have used Canon cameras both for hobby and business use. The Canon AE1 is a well balanced manual camera with a pretty accurate light meter. To me the Canon AE1 and Canon A1 or the workhorses of their line, as the F2 in Nikon has always been. A very dependable and versatile camera. The digital cameras of today are nice, but actual creativity in the hands of the user is a button flick. This type of camera lets the persons creativity take center stage.

This camera is excallent and built to last.
It handling and feel is magnificient as well as its performance.

You can find its review speak of it very highly. I will not go after its good, because camera is super as I said and gave my rating.

You can also find the its specs and user manual in the web, I will not go there, I just want to point the things you need to be aware while buyinng one which is the most important one, especially buying from ebay:

1- MIRROR SQUEAK - this is the most common problem. it causes slow mirror up/down which results bad pictures. Your camera MUST NOT have this problem otherwise you will not like results which is improper exposure. you hear this type of squeak when you press the shutter.

2- APERTURE SQUEAK - this is less common but its results are similar: bad exposure. the aperture level does not move fast enough and close the aperture enogh. you hear a squeak when you wind the film.

3- BAD LIGHT SEALS: you camera light seals needs to be replaced at this age.

4- CAMERA FIRES AS SOON AS I WINF FILM: bad magnet(1) problem, creates unwanted double exposure.

5- CAMERAS DOES NOT FIRE: generally bad magnet(2). result is obvious, lock up.

6- BATTERY DRAIN: the battery drains in couple days due to some internal bad contacts.

Therefore, my suggestion is buy from a good reputation seller or ensure you check all those once you get it and you have option to return.

I have always used Canon AE1 OR AE1 Program. I find this camera to be the most reliable camera I have every used. The best when shooting infrared film. I would recommend it to anyone. This camera is also great for long exposure shots. I have never had a problem with resiprosity failure. The only camera I use.

I was excited to win this camera. I needed it for my photo class this semester. The person selling it said it was in great condition, only to find out it has a slight problem. I started my photo class, and found that all my film had these big black lines going through it after i developed it. I though maybe I had done something or it was the film. After the same thing happened to 4 more rolls, i took the camera to a shop called Kamera Korner. They just told me my new camera is leaking light, and it is quite expensive to fix. Now I don't know what to do. I just spent all my money on this camera to find out it is defective. Oh well. I guess that's what you get for buying used items online. Too bad.

If anyone is buying this camera as a beginner it is excellent.

Pros - Inexpensive yet a great camera, it was a very popular brand when it first came out so there are many out there and many accessories to buy, it is very easy to operate.

Cons - Rather heavy for most SLRs, Shutter sound is relatively loud, there are a couple of parts I would have asked to be in different places

All in all it is a great camera. When buying on ebay ask the seller if there is any visible fungus and if there is evidence of grease or lubrication. These are some common problems that will severely depreciate a camera like this. If you get the chance and the AE-1 and the AE-1 PROGRAM are the same price purchase the program because it is slightly better.

The Canon AE-1, is one the top selling 35mm SLR, ever made, period! Well built, on the exterior, as well as on the interior. A quality SLR, with or without, many of the top quality accessories, that can be used with it. The weight is also a plus when it comes to this SLR. From beginner to seasoned professional, there is a place where a Canon AE_1 fits. Not just as a backup, but as the main SLR. It is just a wonderful camera to use, as well as own. Hey it draws a lot of interest when you show it off. You have to work with this SLR, a little manual labor here and there, but the results can be breath taking. I just LOVE, the camera. I which that it was still in production, but it's not. One main flaw of this camera, as well as the other AA_series cameras, is the dreaded "Canon Squeak". Lubrication is the main culprit, but this can be remedied, by most camera stores. Please, try one if you can, and you won't want to put it down.

This platform of film cameras introduced by Canon in the 1970's is certainly as versatile a product as one could want for amateur and accomplished photography buffs alike. As with most things in electronics to utilize its full potential you should use like brand lenses when possible. The ease of use and split field focus feature are tops. The single limiting option that I have found is that it is difficult to double expose on the same frame and the split frame feature is equally hard if not impossible to accomplish. There are a vast array of accessories available for this base and will let you exercise your imagination to its fullest. With the addition of a MA-1 power winder and a zoom it is excellent for shooting high speed sporting events and nature sequence photos.
If you are purchasing your first one or if you just aren't sure what to look for here are list of problems that are common to this camera. Broken latch on the battery door. (the hotfoot cover contains the tool to open the door but is usually not included in a used unit, go figure.) the light seals and mirror cushion seem to have a 10 year shelf life then they need to be replaced. This is easily visually checked. Just open the camera body up and remove the lens. Place the shutter speed in manual or infinity( thats the B setting) then operate the shutter, keep the shutter switch depressed so the mirror stays up. Now look at the black foam that is sealing the light chamber around the mirror and the edges of the lens mount and top and bottom covers of the body. If any of these look ragged or sticky and black then you need to replace them. Its not expensive a kit is about 15 dollars but you should probably let an experienced camera shop do it for you until you learn how. I personally bought one that was junk just so I could practice taking one apart and putting it back together. Cost me $10 and has saved me hundreds.
Another frequent area of concern comes in the shutter squeeking when you open it or feeling a grinding noise when you move the film advance. While this sometimes means you have serious internal issues it is usually just a cleaning and lubrication problem. The electronics on this model are rock solid and it is very rare for them to fail. More often than not it is a broken wire in battery compartment or corroded contacts. I hope you find this helpful and that it answers some of your needs when buying a canon Ae-1.

Excellent camera - takes fantastic pictures - would never purchase anything other than a Canon - have had Canon for over 30 years - never deen disappointed.

The Canon AE1 Program camera combines a lot of things to make picture-taking easier, while at the same time yielding great photos. Lately we seem to put everything into digital cameras because they are so easy to use. The Canon AE1 Program may not be as simple to use as a digital, but there are also advantages. How many times has your auto-focus camera produced a fuzzy picture because it didn't focus on the object you were expecting it to? With the AE1 Program, you control the focus. It is not automatic, but you can actually watch the viewfinder and rotate the focus to any point you like.
This camera does several things automatically that once required manual settings. It will choose a shutter speed and f-stop for you in the Program mode, or you can select a shutter speed yourself and let the camera choose the correct f-stop. On the other hand you can decide both if you prefer.
The camera will be louder than your digital, because when you press the shutter release, the lens must stop down and the mirror must flip up out of the way before the shutter opens and closes, then the mirror drops back down again. All this happens quickly but it seems loud if you are accustomed to a digital camera.
If you use the correct flash with this camera, it will automatically set the shutter to flash speed and set the lens opening for the proper exposure.
The Canon lenses are well known for sharpness, and the lenses made for this camera are no exception. It also can use lenses made for the other Canon "A" series cameras.
If you want to take control of your photos while at the same time having some degree of automatic operation, you will be highly pleased with this camera.

This camera takes awesome pictures.There is so much you can do with it.It came with five lenses (which is easy to put on and take off),so you can get close up shots from a far distance and portrait shots up close.There is a digital reading in the view finder to help in making a perfect picture every time.Camera is very easy to use,I have not had one bad picture.There is nothing I dislike about it.

I'm an amateur camera collector with a fondness for Canon products. My favorite camera ever was an AE-1 Program that was stolen from me while on military duty in the Phillipines. Subsequent purchases, even though more technologically advanced, never provided the satisfaction that my AE-1 Program had.

I've made purchases on Ebay that barely lived up to their descriptions, but weren't bad enough to return, and caused at least minimal regret. This AE-1 Program camera was even better than described. It was an incredible price for a camera in such perfect condition.

The Canon AE-1 is a great camera to use. We had ours for many years, bought new when they came out and given to my by my father. I have used my camera for a photography class and on vacations. The only problems I have had was the lining that keeps out light started to shred a little, but was easily and affordably replaceable. Another lining was started to shred onto the inside of the lens, causing black spots on photos. An unexpected problem happened; the film winder popped off and I am now unable to get my film out.
Otherwise, this camera is amazing. It's easy to use and a great camera for beginners and pros.

This camera is easy to use and BEST for begginners using an SLR 35mm Camera!

I have 2 lenses to go with this camera and both work awesome.

Pictures come out clear and clean, Fast and easy film loading.

A great affordable investment for FILM Cameras!

I bought this camera because I am currently in photography school. I already had a good digital camera and really did not need to purchase another one, however, the lessons called for experience using manual focus. My digital camera didn't really have all of the components for manual focusing. So, I purchased the film camera from Ebay. I love it, it takes great pictures and most of all I can follow my lessons and understand the instructions in regards to aperture, exposure and lens size. The AE-1 was very easy to use and although, it was a little ancient to me, it works great and I quickly fell in love with it!

This is the first camera I bought when I started getting into photography. If you're looking to learn all the neccessary basics of taking photos this is the camera for you. It has fully manual controls so it gives you complete control over every picture you take. I've even recently passed this camera on to my younger brother that just started his high school photography class. A+ camera!

I have been using the Canon A series cameras for 25-30 years. When my tried and true AE fell over board I turned to E Bay to find a replacement. Where else in the world can you find a like new 30 year old Canon AE-1 camera in perfect working order still in the original box with instructions. Go E-Bay! The people I have E-Bayed with have all been pleasant and professional. As for the Canon A series cameras that I have and use on a regular basis I have zero complaints....Thanks Canon and E-Bay for a wonderful camera!

My father used to have the canon A1 camera and I used it in High School for photography. I missed taking good pictures and I loved this camera. I think i'm gonna stick with it for now and practice more on my photography skills.

I am a vintage photographer, so I now blog about vintage cameras with which I am familiar. I just purchased a Canon AE1 Programable 35 mm camera to review, having need for one in hand to photograph and to use for image comparisons.
The AE-1 was introduced in 1976 after a lengthy marketing build-up, and previews at various shows. It was a milestone for Canon, as a compact 35 that could be used by amateurs and professionals alike. It was also relatively afordable for the time.

Any photographer who liked Canons either bought or planned to buy one. There was an ongoing fued, just as there is today, between Canon and Nikon. Nikon was considered to be the preferred professional camera at the tiume, but Canon was gaining ground. Minolta would take a different route and Olympus would own the sub-contact market, gaining great loyalty among its smaller group of owners.

But the Canon AE-1 certainly generated plenty of fanfare. And it was largely deserved. I got mine a couple of years after its introduction, an old habit that I got into with virtually everything newly made, in order to allow time to get any bugs worked out. It had a few, but still became wildly popular.

My canon came with a fixed 50mm 1.4. I bought an extra 135mm Canon lens, and a 28mm, in order to have the usual compliment of basic lenses. I was a fast proponent of medium format. The 35 had always been considered something of a toy to me. With ownership of a Pentax Spotmatic, I had grown slightly more trusting of 35. The Canon helped me a little farther along.

The AE1 "tweren't no Hassy", but it was a fun camera with fairly true metering.
Back then, pros preferred so set their own aparture and shutter, after having taken or devined the proper combination (usually a combo of both).

The AE1 could be used in full manual mode. It could also be used in shutter priority mode. This meant that you set the shutter speed, and the meter and electronics would adjust the apeture for the best exposure. This was okay for many applications, but left something to be desired while hoping to control depth of field.

Symbols were used to denote various other modes much as cameras are labled today. Portrait, scenic, macro, sunsets, and even back-lighted scenes--which would automatically open up an additional stop and a half. This could also be accomplished by way of a left index finger on a silver button-within easy access.

The FD mount lenses were a little different, and were called the "New FD lenses". Lens compatablility has never been one of Canon's bragging rights, but the old lenses would work after a fashion. The optics and color corrective coatings on the AE1 were very good. In lens test from the time Nikon lenses were said to stillo have an edge. As I have come to know, different photographers look for different characteristics in lenses. Sharpness is merely one ingrediant sought after, and is often not sought after at all. Focus at all f/stops is also important. The Canon lenses were good at this in my experience.

I am running out of space, so I need to draw this to a conclusion. The AE1 was and is a good 35mm film camera, which allows both manual and automatic use. One notorious problem for the aging cameras is called "chirp". Cameras which have not been used much for a long time develop a sound from the shutter blades that sound like a "chirp". It is pretty loud. I haven't acertained if it is an accurate predictor of shutter problems. I would always ask.