The
Canon F-1 35mm SLR; A Real Pro Of Its Time
Robert E. Mayer, April, 2007
When the Canon F-1 SLR 35mm camera system was introduced the spring
of 1971 it was a full-blown system containing a brand-new, truly
professional camera plus every extra accessory that any photographer
could need or desire. The entire system was dramatically introduced
at the unique Photo Expo ’71 held at McCormick Place in Chicago.
In the early ’70s Canon products were imported and distributed
by Bell & Howell Corporation, where I managed the company photo
services. My staff and I all used these cameras extensively both
in and out of the studio and also took publicity still photos for
press releases.
This was back in the era of
manually operated, mechanical cameras long before battery-powered
electric motor drive and extensively computerized cameras existed.
Thus some of the features touted for this new camera system 25
years ago seem antiquated today, but were actually advanced for
that era.
| Canon F-1 with some
of the accessories. When introduced in 1971 the Canon
F-1 SLR was a full-blown system camera with over 180
accessories available. These included user interchangeable
focusing screens, five penta-prisms, a motor drive
for 3 fps continuous shooting, and a 250-exposure
film back. |
|
Among the major features was
an unusually fast top shutter speed of 1/2000 sec with a focal
plane shutter. It also featured increased accuracy of the manually
set lower shutter speeds, down to 1 second, which were set on
the combined shutter speed/ASA film speed dial on top. A new series
of Canon FD bayonet-mount lenses could be metered through the
lens, either by full-aperture opening for brighter viewing or
stopped-down to check depth of field. Both meter readings and
the shutter speed were visible on a long vertical rectangle outside
the right edge of the viewfinder field. The CdS meter read the
center of the frame and used a match needle system to set the
exposure.
Although exposures were set
manually on the basic camera, automatic exposure control could
be achieved by adding a bulky Servo EE viewfinder. This would
also function when used with an accessory electric motor drive,
all without needing any special factory servicing or modifications.
With the motor drive exposures up to three per second were possible.
The drive included a built-in timer that could be set to intervals
up to 60 seconds. When outfitted with the accessory 250-exposure
long rollfilm back, unmanned fully automatic photography could
be obtained.
Interchangeable Screens
And Finders
There were four user interchangeable focusing screens located
just below the removable viewfinder penta-prism, and five interchangeable
viewfinders. Naturally there was the standard conventional eye-level
prism. A really helpful Speed Finder contained two prisms with
the back one capable of rotating so the extra-large eyepiece could
either point straight up or straight back. This could be used
easily with glasses or goggles and made ground-level or over-the-crowd
shooting simpler. A Booster T prism amplified the meter sensitivity
for shooting under low-light level situations. The Servo EE viewfinder
made automatic metering possible. A conventional folding waist-level
finder rounded out the optional viewfinders.
There was a PC flash terminal
on the left side of the body, but no built-in hot shoe. Two versions
of a small accessory hot shoe, called the Flash Coupler D and
Flash Coupler L, easily slid over the rewind knob and made contact
with two electrical contacts so hot shoe flashes could be used.
The rewind knob had a safety lock button, which must be pressed
down before the camera back could be opened. All components were
extra rugged for long service under demanding professional uses.
| Canon F-1 with eight
interchangeable lenses. There were more than 40 Canon
FD mount interchangeable lenses introduced along with
the new Canon F-1 SLR. Those shown here range from
a 7.5mm fisheye up to a 200mm f/4. |
|
A Degree Of Flash
Automation
Since electric eye sensors for flash automation were still years
away, an unusual accessory provided a degree of flash automation
with specific lenses when used with the Canon Speedlite 133D hot
shoe flash. Called the CAT (Canon Auto Tuning) system, it consisted
of the small shoe mount flash unit plus the Flash Coupler L (with
two batteries inside), the Flash Auto Ring A2 that fit onto the
filter threads on the front of most of the different speeds of
35mm and 50mm Canon FD lenses. A cord connected the flash and
auto ring, then after the lens was focused the aperture was manually
turned so the needle in the viewfinder would bisect the metering
ring in the viewfinder, indicating proper flash exposure. This
sure was simpler than using a flash GN (Guide Number) and having
to divide the distance into the GN, then setting this number on
the lens aperture whenever the intended subject was at a different
distance! Since single-use flash bulbs were still commonly used,
there were optional flash units that accepted Flash Cubes (a 1”
square having four tiny flash bulbs in one housing) that rotated
to a unused bulb after each one fired and a folding reflector
V-3 flash that accepted the small M-3 peanut flash bulbs.
At the time there were 40 different Canon FD breech-lock mount
interchangeable lenses, most of which were prime (single) focal
length ranging from a fisheye 7.5mm up to a 1200mm long telephoto.
A couple of zoom lenses were initially available, and many more
came along later. Among the first system zoom lenses offered were
a 55-135mm f/3.5, 100-200mm f/5.6, and 85-300mm f/5.
Motorized Advance
Two motor drives were offered. Both were easily attached by simply
removing the bottom cover plate on the camera and attaching the
motor drive housing, which coupled with camera drive mechanisms
located inside the F-1 body. Other system cameras back then required
factory modification before a motor drive could be attached. One
model had a handle protruding from the bottom for easier gripping
and an external battery pack for AA-size batteries. The later
Motor Drive MF had a thicker base plate and a side grip that housed
the batteries. The side grip had a convenient shutter release
button on the top and could drive the film for 3.5 fps continuous
shooting.
The F-1 was truly modular
since the viewfinder could be removed and changed. The base plate
came off for attaching a motor drive, and the entire camera back
could be removed when the long roll, 250 exposure, film magazine
was attached. Among the numerous optional accessories were two
different bellows, various extension tubes, close-up lenses, a
copying stand, slide duplicating bellows, and microscope tube
attachments.
When introduced, the suggested
list price of the Canon F-1 with the FD 50mm f/1.4 lens was $500.
The Motor Drive was $345; the Servo EE Finder $280; the Booster
T Finder $225; and the Speed Finder $150.
Lens Mounts
The new Canon FD bayonet mount lenses featured an improved mounting
system from the earlier Canon FL lenses. There is no unlocking
button or lever. You simply turned the large knurled ring closest
to the camera body about 75Þ counterclockwise to unlock
the lens, then pulled straight out to remove it. The spring-loaded
locking mechanism automatically locked in the open position. To
reattach a lens, you aligned the red dot on the lens with a red
dot on the top center of the body and gently pressed the lens
in toward the body. The locking ring then partially revolved clockwise
toward the locking position. You then continued turning the locking
ring slightly until it stopped to properly seat and lock the lens
in place. The spring mechanism made it much quicker to remove
and lock the lenses onto the body. Each lens had a click-stop
for both full and half stop aperture settings. It takes about
a 180Þ turn of the rubberized knurled ring at the front
of the lens to focus from infinity to 2 ft (on the 50mm f/1.4
normal lens that is).
Through the decades since
this camera was introduced I have exposed many hundreds of rolls
of all types of film in the two F-1 bodies and dozens of FD mount
lenses I still own. It has proven to be both rugged and reliable
under a wide variety of weather and use situations both in studios
and on location. The sharp detail and excellent quality of these
images was always consistently superior to those made with the
many other makes of 35mm SLR cameras I have used or owned.
Later upgraded models included
the F-1n in ’76 and the new F-1 in ’81, each with
more internal electronics and more sophisticated metering. To
keep the system concept intact, they accepted all Canon FD mount
lenses and most of the numerous accessories designed for the original
Canon F-1.
The Canon F-1 was a leading
professional SLR camera that was competitive in all aspects with
the other SLR models available in the early ’70s. It had
an extensive following with photojournalists and active pro photographers
of all types in its heyday. It is still a very competent camera
today if you like a manually operated camera.
