2026-09-04 Canon A-1 Camera

    I was in a camera store rooting through the bargain bin when I came across this terrible Canon case. I expected it to be empty—although everything in the bin was priced at $10, which seemed a bit stiff for an empty case—so I reached out to pick it up. Much to my surprise it held a camera. 

    I opened the case and met this Canon “A” camera . At the time I thought it was yet another Canon AE-1—turns out I already have six—but somehow in black finish. It wasn’t until the store owner said it was an A-1 I decided I had to buy it. No choice at all, even when I asked why it was so cheap and he replied, “it doesn’t fire.” All A-1 (1978-1987) cameras had black finish. Most AE-1’s had a chrome finish, but black finish was available.

    I have written about this camera. I have bought a motor drive for this camera—even when to write about the drive I had to borrow an A-1 camera. I have books that mention this camera. I did a large story on a brochure on this camera. Made from 1978 to 1985 (according to other sources), this camera was an absolute ground breaker in camera electronic design. It was also very mechanically refined. The strange part is, it was not that popular a camera.

    Literally millions of people bought the Canon AE-1. The AE-1 was automatic to a point, but the A-1 was the first Program camera. The term,“Hexaphotocyberntic,” was coined by Canon Ad executives to describe its six exposure modes:

• standard program
• shutter priority AE (auto exposure)
• aperture priority AE
• metered manual
• non-TTL (through-the-lens) flash AE
• stop-down AE

    The viewing screen wasn’t obstructed by exposure information. A four brightness level (depending on the scenes’s EV level) row of eight digits/figures was displayed below the screen.
    

    The A-1 had shutter speeds from 1000 sec to 30 seconds. It had two self-timer speeds (two seconds and ten seconds). It allowed multiple exposures. 

    There were 12 different exposure compensations. The actual light level was stored in its memory, not a fixed exposure combination. It had a viewfinder blind. It had a wireless controller, a 5-exposure-a-second motor drive, a data back, flash automation and some accessories dedicated to only it. It was made from some of the same parts as the AE-1, but it calculated exposures using digital processing using double sided circuit boards and integrated circuits.
    

    I have read that a camera store owner has regularly sold 12 AE-1’s for every A-1. Which doesn’t make that much sense.      

I have an advertisement from a 1970‘s Photography magazine that lists prices for Canon cameras—
Canon AE-1 with 50 mm f/1.8 $238.50
Canon AE-1 Program with 50mm f/1.8 $274.95 +$36.45
Canon A-1 with 50mm f/1.8 $379.50 +$141.00
Canon F-1n with 50mm f/1.8 $447.50 +$209.00

As you can see above, the A-1 cost $141 more than an AE-1. There would be more common accessories like winders available used for AE-1’s, but still… All “A” cameras took the same “FD” mount lenses. All ”A” cameras took the same battery (a 6-volt A544).
    

    I have taken the camera’s base off and fired the shutter by prying the electro-magnet shutter release. There is nothing wrong with the focal plane shutter—it is cloth and travels horizontally with electronic flash sync at 60 sec. 

    I don’t have a A544 battery (both the AE-1 and the A-1 use either the silver oxide or alkaline 544 batteries), but should be able to find one eventually. They aren’t as expensive as lithium batteries. 

Only things holding me back are—

1. the store owner had tried firing the camera with a battery in it, and it wouldn’t fire.
2. I don’t really intend to ever shoot film with it, when years ago I would have.
3. If the camera has an electronic problem, I wouldn’t be able to fix it anyway.
4. The A-1 requires a dual trace oscilloscope for trouble shooting, not the volt-meter I have.

    

    Much to my horror, this camera had a mostly shot roll of film sitting in it. I opened the camera back to discover this. It still gives you a sick feeling, even as you slam the back. 
    This camera doesn’t have the normal lens it came with. You can tell because the camera was sold with a black finished FDn lens with a bayonet mount, instead of the earlier chrome ring breech mount on this lens. The camera is also missing the “sport grip” chunk of screw fastened plastic that partially covers the battery compartment (which has to be removed anyway to mount the MA motor drive). It is missing the cover for the motor drive port (commonly stored in whatever winder or motor drive purchased by owners later). While on the subject of what a poor example this particular camera is, the lens came with a skylight filter that has been dented severely enough to be unremovable, at least by screwing it off. I am tempted to try getting it off by cutting, because not damaging the len’s threads is of paramount importance.