Canon A-1
| Canon A-1 | |
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| Type: | SLR |
| Production period: | 1978 to 1985 |
| Lens connection : | FD bayonet |
| Film format : | 35 mm (small picture) |
| Recording format : | 24 mm × 36 mm |
| Film transport: | manually |
| Closure : | Slit curtain |
The Canon A-1 is a semi-professional KB single lens reflex camera and was the top model of the A series . The A-1 was built from 1978 to 1985 and uses Canon's FD bayonet , which is backwards compatible with its predecessor FL bayonet . The A-1 became particularly important because it was the first to have a fully automatic function - called program automatic by Canon - in which the aperture value and shutter speed are automatically determined by the camera's microprocessor. It was also the first camera to display the shutter speed and aperture value using 7-segment LEDs in the viewfinder area. It came onto the market two years after the Canon AE-1 - the first camera to be controlled by a central microprocessor.
Features and equipment
The camera has a cloth focal plane shutter with four axes. The shutter speed can be set from 30 s to 1/1000 s and to B ( bulb , for long exposures). In addition to the automatic program control (P), it offers an automatic shutter control (Tv), an automatic aperture control (Av), an automatic flash and an automatic aperture control with working aperture as well as a setting for manual exposure (M). With the automatic aperture setting , the light measurement is carried out with the aperture set instead of with an open aperture. In order to be able to influence the automatic functions, exposure correction over twelve levels is available. The film speed can be set in a range from 6 to 12800 ASA (9 to 42 DIN). The camera also offers storage of measured values, a multiple exposure device and an electronically controlled self-timer with selectable delay times of 2 and 10 seconds. The viewfinder can be closed with a small lever to prevent stray light from entering, especially when taking pictures on a tripod.
equipment
Speedlite 188a front
Speedlite 188a back
Canon Winder A2
Canon Databack A
Canon Databack A
System flash units
Canon offered system flash units for the cameras of the A series . This product line was marketed under the name Speedlite. Several devices (133A, 155A, 166A, 177A, 188A and 199A) with different capacities were available. In contrast to the other models, the reflector of the top model 199A could be swiveled.
Motorized drives
Two motorized high-speed elevators (Winder A and A2) and a motor system (MA) for film transport were available for the A-1. The two winders were powered by four AA batteries and achieved a speed of two frames per second. The motor system could be operated with a battery pack or with a battery pack with twelve AA batteries and achieved a speed of up to five images per second. In contrast to the two winders, the motor drive had two built-in triggers - one of them for portrait format shots. Automatic film return was not possible with any of the three drive systems.
Dating back
The so-called Databack A enabled numbers and letters to be imprinted on the negative by means of a mini flash. It could be exchanged for the standard back of the A-1 by the user. The following characters could be selected using three setting wheels:
- Wheel one (right): Numbers from 0 to 31 or no sign
- Wheel two (middle): Numbers from 0 to 31, letters from A to G or no character
- Wheel three (left): Numbers from 0 to 9, from 78 to 89, Roman numerals from I to X, letters from a to g or no character.
literature
- Ludwig Knülle: Canon A-1. The new dimension in camera technology . vwi Verlag, Herrsching 1978, ISBN 3-88369-064-3 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Operating instructions for the various models