Canon F1-N Film Camera

This is one of the most incredible combination of hard to find items from the remarkable Canon FD Modular System for Professional Photographers.

The F1 camera body was the camera of choice of journalists because of its toughness, very important in the field ,and its versatility. The pentaprism finder for example could be replaced by the higher performance Sports Finder , that produces a larger ,brighter image that can be observed at a distance from the camera and positioned at different angles ,all welcomed qualities ,highly necessary for rapidly focusing Telephoto lenses ,in less than desirable light and or rapidly occurring events , such as Olympic Games or Journalism.

The 35mm f2.8 Tilt and Shift lens, working synergistically with the Sports Finder and the exceptional reticulated Focusing Screen type "D, Precision Matte with Grid" ,for example , makes this camera a natural for Architectural and Table Top Photography ,fields where specialized photographers cannot afford any distortion in their pictures, requiring the utmost optical control that only Shift ,Tilt and a Laser Reticulated Grid focusing screen can provide to comply with the Scheimpflug rule of Photography .

The F-1 itself is a great professional camera. I used one professionally for many years and made plenty of money with it. I have tons of lenses, filters, etc. to go with it. Unfortunately it was stolen several years ago. Our insurance company is the sort that replaces stolen items with like items that if not identical are the latest upgrades. So my F-1 and zoom lens were replaced with the EOS 1-N since the F-1 was no longer being made. That was nice as the camera body went from a $1,000 value to a $2,000 value. However, none of my equipment worked with that camera body. It's a very nice replacement, but nothing beat the F-1. Then I made the decision to find one on eBay to use again. I found the one I purchased and am happy with it, except it is a version that won't allow a power winder. I do miss that. If you want to purchase an F-1 with a power winder,if not included in the listing, make sure you can add one. I still only shoot one frame at a time but it's always been easier to not have to hand advance the film. Another thing nice about the F-1 is that I can easily do manual adjustments to F stop and shutter speed. My old camera electronics shorted out and I worked for years without anything telling me what F stop to set the lens or what speed to use. Experience and knowledge of your camera allows for this. Everytime I use the EOS - 1N photos are overexposed and it's all automatic. I know that I can adjust for this, but I get tired of pulling out the manual! Don't have to do that with the F-1. Plus I went digital years ago. I still enjoy using the F-1. You can't go wrong with an F-1.

The Canon F-1 is truly a dinosaur from a time when good meant BIG, HEAVY, DURABLE and believe you me, that describes a Canon F-1. These things are built to last forever or until there is no one around anymore that can repair one.

This is not a camera for lightweight casual use. You don't want to lug something like this on a hike or pretty much anywhere unless you are in good enough shape to haul a heavy load all day long. These cameras are meant for serious business and uh, tripod use. Let me make it clear what I mean. If you are going on an extended trip to see a once in a lifetime event that you want to record on film AND your trip will involve a long sea voyage in the steerage area, a 50 mile trip in an old truck with a worn out suspension down a road that is little more than a rocky track followed by a two hour ride in an antique Soviet helicopter and ending up with a two day donkey ride.....well, this is the kind of camera you need. Otherwise, you don't really need one.

The Canon F-1 is an amazingly versatile machine that can do just about any photographic job with superior results. And these days, thanks to the curse of the Digital camera, you can buy a Canon F-1, which at one time was a very expensive camera, for a quarter or less of its original value. Just watch out for heavily worn workhorses. Look for the ones the advanced amatuers of days gone by list for sale here on ebay. Bargains abound.

Shoot more FILM.

I got the Canon F1n with AE finder for about 2 months. I am very satisfied with using it. It's a all-weather camera. Very solid built. Great SLR!

This camera was EXACTLT as described and was in very fine condition for its age. It appeared it was lightly used and lovingly cared for! I doubt I could have found a better value.

The camera was in much better condition than the seller advertised. It was beautiful inside and out. I was looking for an F1 for a long time, I am so happy that this one came along when it did..