Canon AT-1

[walter g]

I just bought a Canon AT-1 off of Ebay. It was as is so it's a gamble. I'm normally at about 99% buying cameras this way. They either work perfectly or need very minor repair.
We will see if my gamble pays off. $6.80 for the camera and $6.80 shipping.= $13.60.

Anyone on here using an At-1?

[scsambrook]

If it's working properly you'll really like it. Nice bright viewfinder with a good microprism/split image rangefinder - shames most DSLRs!

[marty]

Here I am . As Stephen said. Simple, sturdy and reliable. It features a basic metering system, match and needle, center weighted pattern. I find it very immediate. I have other bodies with a whole lot of features, which I use profitably, but sometimes I feel the need of simplicity and then I come back to the AT-1. The numbers: ASA setting 25-3200, shutter speeds 2"-1/1000" + B, sync at 1/60". It runs on 1 PX-28/544 6V battery which lasts years and is still available. If needed it can be motorized with power winder A or A2. For the price paid you can't go wrong. If you need a lens to go with the 50mm f1.8 is excellent and it's sold for peanuts.

Cheers, M.

[walter g]

Thanks. I will report back after I get it. Hopefully it's a good one.
I will keep an eye out for the 50mm f1.8.

[trev]

I used to have an AT1 once, sadly sold it to fund other things. However, remember it well and with fondness, simple manual focus and NO fancy lights buzzing up and down to confuse you. Go for an FD 1.4 50mm lens if you can afford one otherwise the 1.8 is a good reliable lens and much much less costly.
Dont bother with the auto winder unless you have a lazy thumb as at the most it only manages 2fps which is neither here nor there. Spend the money you'll save on another FD lens like a 28 or a 135.
Above all....enjoy

[dof]

I have an AT-1 and like it better than the AE-1 or A-1 cameras.

[moose10101]

[marty]

[cooltouch]

The AT-1 is the only A-series Canon that has both the shutter speed and aperture coupled to the meter. I've always thought of it as the A-series version of the FTb. Great little camera, and probably my favorite of the lot of the A-series. The only thing I wish it had was a metering pattern closer to the FTb's -- that is, with more of the metering concentrated in the center of the image, rather than Canon's problematic "center-weighted averaging" pattern, which is very prone to being affected by stray light within the frame.

[walter g]

I was looking at the FTb's also.
I only have 1 Canon lens it's a FD 135 3.5. But I have a Sun made Soligor in 28 2.8 and 135 2.8 in FD.
I do have 6 other lenses in Y/S or T mount that I can use tho.

So my first lens I will buy will be either the 50 1.8 or 50 1.4. Then I need to save up for an 85mm.

[cooltouch]

Well, Walter, considering how cheaply FTbs can be had nowadays, I'd recommend you add one to your collection. The last one I bought, I won at eBay. Basically it was the rear lens cap to a lens I wanted -- a Vivitar S1 24-48 zoom. I paid $40 for the outfit. The FTb was in serious need of cleaning and light seal replacement, which I did.

I recommend the FTb over the AT-1 for mostly one reason -- the metering pattern. The FTb, like the old F-1, has a rectangle in the middle of the focusing screen that occupies about 12% of the viewfinder area. Metering occurs ONLY within that rectangle. So if there are bright light sources outside the rectangle -- say like reflections off chrome, for example -- they will not affect exposure readings. I will even position my camera's metering rectangle in various ways against a scene before exposure to do some meter averaging, the better to evaluate optimum exposure. This has worked very well, and often precludes the need for a spot meter.

As for batteries for the old FTb, this isn't an issue. The 675 hearing aid batteries are cheap and work just fine.

[trev]

Second that sentiment and dont forget the WEIN series of batteries, which admittedly cost more but do last longer

[cooltouch]

[walter g]

Thank you. I have 675 batteries, because a couple of my cameras use them.
So that's one more bonus.I think I will keep an eye out for a FTB as a backup.

[walter g]

I received the camera today. By the pics I knew it was a nice looking camera. I'm shocked by how nice it is. It looks even better then the photos.

I bought a battery and installed it. The camera seems to work perfectly.
Tomorrow I will put in a roll of film and give it a try.

Pics of camera later tonight.

[cooltouch]

Woot woot! Pics!

[walter g]

A few quick pics. It has a little dust inside I need to carefully clean, but here it is.

[walter g]

Hopefully it will be a nice day tommorow so I can go out and shoot. It's raining. Completely checked out the camera and it works as it should.
Nice viewfinder on these cameras. I think it will be a pleasure to use.