Canon A-1 review 1979

Nesster · Expire: 2014-02-20

Canon A-1 review measurements meter sensitivity strip down shutter exposure 1979 Popular Photography

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philslizzy · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 4744 Location: Cheshire, England

The A1 was an awesome camera in it's day. I'd love a working one!!

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

I had one but it confused me, I got rid of it and got an AE1p instead. I still have it. The A1 was a superb camera, but I just couldn't get on with it.

Excalibur · Expire: 2014-04-21

Excalibur · Expire: 2014-04-21

Thanks for the review but was disappointed with the just "good" mentioned. Sad

fermy · Joined: 17 Feb 2012 Posts: 1974

It's a good camera, the finish though OK for the 80', is nothing like the cameras of 60' and early 70', the top plate is painted plastic... It was made to a price point, so "good" is probably fair. It's a great shooter though.

56 DIN · Expire: 2021-11-18

i had one, too - it was the most modern camera i could affort and i liked it very much
thanks for sharing the test

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

Excalibur · Expire: 2014-04-21

I don't know whether this camera is extra clever or what, but I'll be giving mine a workout and using a flashgun meant for a Canon T70...well on fitting on the A1 it sets the flash syn (1/60 sec-got that right) and tells me to use either f5.6 for dark areas or f8 for bright...which I would set for my old Nissin flashgun if I was using it. Cool

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

Excalibur · Expire: 2014-04-21

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

I bought the A1 new in 1979 andI think I used it for about a year, I remember taking it to Canada and using Kodachrome and getting a lot of good shots from it, but the chances are I was using it in full auto. My dyslexia - dyscalculia - is part of a bigger learning difficulty, as they call it today; back in school I was just stupid according to the teachers, so I have great difficulty reading instructions and retaining that new information long enough to actually apply it. And the A1 was just far too complicated for me at that time, when I turned the scroll wheel and saw the unknown numbers - in 1/2 or 1/3 stops - I had to search for the familiar f stop numbers that meant a little bit to me. To this day I could not recite the list of f stops or shutter speeds commonly found on a camera, I have my own 'vision' of what they mean that isn't based on numbers. And I still can't read instructions and retain the facts, I've got a fancy mobile phone that I have no idea how to use. Somehow I spent nearly 40 years as an engineer! Laughing

But I would like an A1 again, it is a classic camera of its time. I've just looked in my old copy of "Lens Works" and all the serial numbers of the camera and lenses I bought are written in the front cover, it's scary, these are 1970 - 1980 prices!
Canon A1 £264, 28 / 2 £320, 50 / 1.2 £98, 80-200 / 4 £449, 500 Reflex £450, 199A Speedlite £75, Motordrive £220. According to that old list, with the accessories, I had it insured for £2,300, more that I earned in a year. I was young and foolish...... Laughing

Excalibur · Expire: 2014-04-21

Well I bought my A1 with 50mmm f1.4 lens for £30 at a boot sale last year, but with new experience I would advise newbies (if they want a camera in the Canon A range) to get the A1.....but the Canon T range is superior, well if you don't care about how a camera looks.

womble · Joined: 28 Sep 2009 Posts: 987 Location: Hertfordshire

I remember as a teenager saving up for my first SLR and A1 was sooooo tempting with all those modes. Knowing very little about photography I was swayed by the 'more is better' marketing. In the end I couldn't afford an A1 so bought a Pentax ME Super instead. I've been a Pentax man (mainly) ever since although recently the various former eastern bloc cameras seem to have been quietly multiplying while I wasn't looking and my friend's old Minolta 7000 has been getting a bit of a workout. I do have a couple of Canon EOS film cameras but they are such big ugly bricks I only use them on site as i don't mind if they get covered in muck.

K.

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01