![Canon A-1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Canon_A-1.jpg)
The Canon A-1 is an advanced-level
single-lens reflex
A single-lens reflex camera (SLR) is a camera that typically uses a mirror and prism system (hence "reflex" from the mirror's reflection) that permits the photographer to view through the lens and see exactly what will be captured. With twin le ...
(SLR)
35 mm film camera
A camera is an optical instrument that can capture an image. Most cameras can capture 2D images, with some more advanced models being able to capture 3D images. At a basic level, most cameras consist of sealed boxes (the camera body), with a ...
for use with interchangeable lenses. It was manufactured by Canon Camera K. K. (today
Canon Incorporated) in Japan from April 1978 to 1985. It employs a horizontal cloth-curtain
focal-plane shutter
In camera design, a focal-plane shutter (FPS) is a type of photographic shutter that is positioned immediately in front of the focal plane of the camera, that is, right in front of the photographic film or image sensor.
Two-curtain shutters ...
with a speed range of 30 to 1/1000 second plus
bulb and
flash synchronization
In photography, flash synchronization or flash sync is the synchronizing the firing of a photographic flash with the opening of the shutter admitting light to photographic film or electronic image sensor.
In cameras with mechanical (clockwor ...
speed of 1/60 second. It has dimensions of height, width, depth and weight. Unlike most SLRs of the time, it was available in only one color; all black. The introductory US list price for the body plus Canon FD 50 mm f/1.4 SSC lens was $625; the camera body was generally sold with a 30–40% discount (roughly $375 to $435).
The A-1 is a historically significant camera. It was the first SLR to offer an electronically controlled programmed autoexposure mode. While the
Minolta XD
The Minolta XD-7 (sold as the XD-11 in North America and as the XD in Japan) is a 35mm SLR film camera manufactured by Minolta from 1977 until 1984. It was Minolta's first SLR camera to feature both shutter priority and aperture priority automat ...
came out in 1977 with electronic control exposure modes, specifically Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Full Manual modes, as well as an "off the modev dial" full program exposure mode, the Canon A-1 offered "Program" mode. Instead of the photographer picking a shutter speed to freeze or blur motion and choosing a lens aperture
f-stop
In optics, the f-number of an optical system such as a camera lens is the ratio of the system's focal length to the diameter of the entrance pupil ("clear aperture").Smith, Warren ''Modern Optical Engineering'', 4th Ed., 2007 McGraw-Hill ...
to control
depth of field (focus), the photographer relied on the A-1's microprocessor to automatically select a compromise exposure based on
light meter
A light meter is a device used to measure the amount of light. In photography, a light meter (more correctly an exposure meter) is used to determine the proper exposure (photography), exposure for a photograph. The meter will include either a Di ...
input. Virtually all cameras today have at least one program mode.
Features
![Canon_A-1_viewfinder_JM](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Canon_A-1_viewfinder_JM.jpg)
The A-1 accepts any
lens
A lens is a transmissive optical device which focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements ...
with the
Canon FD
The Canon FD lens mount is a physical standard for connecting a photographic lens to a 35mm 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 served as th ...
breech lock
mount (introduced in 1971) or Canon New FD pseudo-bayonet mount (sometimes called the FDn mount, introduced 1979). It can also use most earlier FL lenses and some even older R (or Canomatic) series lenses, albeit with reduced functionality. This excludes all of Canon's
EF bayonet mount autofocus lenses (introduced in 1987). During the late 1970s and the 1980s, there were approximately 55 Canon FD lenses available for purchase. They ranged from a 7.5mm f/5.6 fisheye to an FD 800mm f/5.6 telephoto, and included lenses with maximum apertures to f/1.2 and a line of L-series lenses of exceptional quality. Accessories for the A-1 included the Canon
motor drive
Motor drive means a system that includes a motor. An adjustable speed motor drive means a system that includes a motor that has multiple operating speeds. A variable speed motor drive is a system that includes a motor and is continuously variabl ...
MA (automatic film advance up to 5 frames per second), the Canon Databack A (sequential numbering or date stamping on the film), and the Canon Speedlight 155A (guide number 56/17 (feet/meters) at ASA/ISO 100) and Canon Speedlight 199A (guide number 98/30 (feet/meters) at ASA/ISO 100) electronic flashes.
The A-1 is a battery-powered (one 4LR44 or PX-28) microprocessor-controlled manual-focus SLR with manual exposure control or
shutter priority,
aperture priority
Aperture priority, often abbreviated ''A'' or ''Av'' (for aperture value) on a camera mode dial, is a mode on some cameras that allows the user to set a specific aperture value (f-number) while the camera selects a shutter speed to match it tha ...
or programmed autoexposure. A fifth mode is "stopped down AE", in which the aperture is closed and alterable by the photographer and the camera selects the shutter speed based on the actual light reading. This differs from aperture priority in which the aperture is not closed until a photograph is taken and the shutter speed is calculated based on the light measured through the fully open aperture. Stopped down AE existed so that old FL lenses could be used with at least some kind of AE, and was also useful for
photomicroscopy, manual-aperture lenses, etc. The A-1 is the first SLR to have all four of the now standard
PASM exposure modes. It has a viewfinder exposure information system using a six-digit, seven-segment per digit, red alphanumeric LED display on the bottom of the viewfinder to indicate the readings of the built-in silicon photocell light meter. It supports one metering mode, centerweighted average metering. The
focusing screen also has Canon's standard split image rangefinder and microprism collar focusing help.
Design history
Beginning with the amateur level Canon AE-1 of 1976, there was a complete overhaul of the entire Canon SLR line. The 1970s and 1980s were an era of intense competition among the major SLR brands: Canon,
Nikon
(, ; ), also known just as Nikon, is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and imaging products. The companies held by Nikon form the Nikon Group.
Nikon's products include cameras, camera ...
,
Minolta
was a Japanese manufacturer of cameras, camera accessories, photocopiers, fax machines, and laser printers. Minolta Co., Ltd., which is also known simply as Minolta, was founded in Osaka, Japan, in 1928 as . It made the first integrated aut ...
,
Pentax
is a brand name used primarily by the Japanese multinational imaging and electronics company Ricoh for DSLR cameras, lenses, sport optics (including binoculars and rifle scopes), and CCTV optics. The Pentax brand is also used by Hoya Corporatio ...
and
Olympus. Between 1975 and 1985, there was a dramatic shift away from heavy all-metal manual mechanical camera bodies to much more compact bodies with integrated circuit (IC) electronic automation. In addition, because of rapid advances in electronics, the brands continually leapfrogged each other with models having new or more automatic features, and less expensive components and assembly. The industry was trying to expand out from the saturated high-end professional market and appeal to the large mass of low-end amateur photographers keen to move up from compact automatic
leaf shutter
In photography, a shutter is a device that allows light to pass for a determined period, exposing photographic film or a photosensitive digital sensor to light in order to capture a permanent image of a scene. A shutter can also be used to all ...
rangefinder camera
A rangefinder camera is a camera fitted with a rangefinder, typically a split-image rangefinder: a range-finding focusing mechanism allowing the photographer to measure the subject distance and take photographs that are in sharp focus. Most va ...
s to the more "glamorous" SLR but were intimidated by the need to learn all the details of operating a traditional SLR.
The A-1 is the high technology standard bearer of the landmark Canon amateur level A-series SLRs. The other members of the A-series are the
Canon AE-1
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 controll ...
(released 1976),
AT-1 (1977),
AV-1 (1979),
AE-1 Program (1981) and
AL-1 (1982). They all use the same compact aluminum alloy chassis, but with differing feature levels and outer cosmetic acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) plastic panels. By sharing most major components, and an inexpensive horizontal cloth-curtain shutter, costs could be spread out over a larger production volumes. The A-1 represented Canon's bid to defeat Nikon through more features and cheaper pricing.
The A-1 attracted much press attention when it was released in early 1978, though not all comments were positive. Some professional photographers worried about the long term reliability of its consumer-level mechanical and electronic components under heavy daily use, the relatively slow flash sync and top shutter speeds. Traditionalist photographers complained about an "excess" of automation ruining the art of photography, a criticism that was leveled at all of the newly automated cameras released in the 1980s. However, the automated features appealed to many new amateur photographers on a budget, and the camera saw strong sales.
Later, as competitors brought out their own programmed SLRs,
[Competitors' programmed SLRs included the ]Nikon FA
(, ; ), also known just as Nikon, is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and Photography, imaging products. The companies held by Nikon form the Nikon Group.
Nikon's products include cam ...
(released 1983), the Minolta X-700
The Minolta X-700 is a 35 mm single-lens reflex film camera introduced by Minolta in 1981. It was the top model of their final manual-focus SLR series before the introduction of the auto-focus Minolta Maxxum 7000.
Features
The X-700 used ...
(1982), virtually Minolta XD
The Minolta XD-7 (sold as the XD-11 in North America and as the XD in Japan) is a 35mm SLR film camera manufactured by Minolta from 1977 until 1984. It was Minolta's first SLR camera to feature both shutter priority and aperture priority automat ...
(1977) has hidden program mode because its unique "final check" metering system shift shutter speed in shutter speed priority mode when needed, Pentax Super Program
is a brand name used primarily by the Japanese multinational imaging and electronics company Ricoh for DSLR cameras, lenses, sport optics (including binoculars and Telescopic sight, rifle scopes), and Closed-circuit television, CCTV optics. The ...
(in the USA/Canada; Super A, rest of the world; 1983), the Olympus OM-2S Program (1984) and even the Ricoh XR-P (1984). the A-1 began to show its age. This is especially true for its horizontal cloth-curtain shutter, viewfinder information display and autoflash control. The A-1 was due for replacement when the
Canon T90
The Canon T90, introduced in 1986, was the top of the line in Canon's '' T series'' of 35 mm Single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras. It is the last professional-level manual-focus camera from Canon, and the last professional camera to use the C ...
came out in 1985. Canon's abandonment of the FD lens mount for the EOS design also had a significant effect on demand for the A-1 on the used market.
Notes
References
* Anonymous. Canon A-1 Brochure. "Canon A-1." Lake Success, NY: Canon USA, Inc., 1978.
* Anonymous. "Canon A-1: New Era in SLR Automation" pp 6–11. Modern Photography's Photo Buying Guide '86. reprint from Modern Photography, July 1978.
* Anonymous. Canon A-1 Advertisement. "See beyond the ordinary." p 29. Modern Photography, Volume 47, Number 7; July 1983.
* Anonymous. "Modern Photography's Annual Guide '84: 48 Top Cameras: Canon A-1" p 71. Modern Photography, Volume 47, Number 12; December 1983.
* Matanle, Ivor. Collecting and Using Classic SLRs. First Paperback Edition. New York, NY: Thames and Hudson, 1997.
* Shell, Bob translator and Harold Franke. Magic Lantern Guides: Canon Classic Cameras; A-1, AT-1, AE-1, AE-1 Program, T50, T70, T90. Sixth Printing 2001. Magic Lantern Guides. Rochester, NY: Silver Pixel Press, 1995.
External links
The A-1 at the Canon Camera MuseumCanon A-1 vs F-1 Retrieved December 26, 2015.
a
Photography in Malaysia
{{Table of Canon SLR
A-1
A1, A-1, A01 or A.1. may refer to:
Education
* A1, the Basic Language Certificate of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
* Language A1, the former name for "Language A: literature", one of the IB Group 1 subjects
* A1, a ...