Canon AE-1 User manual

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The Basic Steps to Picture- Taking
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Congratulations on your pur-
chase
of a Canon AE-1. We
know that you are anxious to
start taking pictures with it.
Our first hint for taking great
ones is to read these instruc-
tions. Follow the steps in
order and become well ac-
quainted with the camera .
Then, once you have a good
understanding of PART I,
move on to PART II. It con-
tains a lot of information you
won't find elsewhere. The
brief time spent in reading
these instructions is a sound
investment in satisfaction and
enjoyment .
Symbols
9' Signals an important DO.
®Signals an important DON'T.
Copyright © 1980 by Canon Inc.
All rights reserved.
Printed in Japan
2
CONTENTS
1. Attach the lens ... . ...... .
2.
Set the lens for AE photography
3. Load the battery ... .... .. ... .
4 .
Check the battery ....... .... .
5. Before
loading film, learn to operate
basic controls
6. Set the ASA .
7. Load
the film
8. Learn to hold the camera correctly
9. One shot at a time . ..... .
10. At the end of the roll , rewind
the film .. .. ...... ... .
*Dedicated Flash Photography
*Self- Timer .. . ...... .
*Carry ing the Camera .. .
* Pre-Shooting Checklist . .
pp.3-4
p.5
p.6
p.7
p.8
p.9
pp.10-12
... p. 13
pp.14-15
. . . p.16
. .. p.17
pp . 18-19
p.20
p.21
Camera parts are labeled on the insides of the foldout
flaps at the beginning and end of PART II.
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The instructions in this section
concerning the lens are for an FD
lens without a chrome mount
ring. If your lens looks like this
one with a chrome mount ring,
read its instructions for handling
the rear cap and mounting it on
the camera.
1. Attach the Lens
Remove the rear lens cap by
turning it in the direct i on of
the arrow until it stops and
pulling it out.
To reattach the rear lens cap,
align it with the lens as il-
lustrated. Then lightly push
it in and turn it clockwise until
it stops.
Remove the body cap.
3
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To mount the lens, first align
the rounded red positioning
point on the lens with the red
dot above the camera mount
as illustrated.
8 If your camera looks like
this, with a red
dot show-
ing inside the camera
mount, do not mount the
lens yet . First press in
the small chrome button
as shown to release the
stop·down slide. Then
mount the lens. Leave
4 the
stop-down slide as it is.
Then turn the lens in the
direction of the arrow until
it stops and the lens release
button pops out with a click.
Make sure the lens release
button has popped out. Other·
wise, the lens will not work
properly. DO. NOT press the
lens release button while
mounting or it will not pop
out.
[S' When film is loaded, make sure
it
is completely advanced to
the next frame before mount·
ing the lens.
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Remove the front lens cap.
To remove the lens, turn it in
the direction of the arrow,
while pressing the lens release
button, until 1t stops.
2. Setthe Lens for AE(~~~~~~~c) Photography
While pressing in the AE lock pin, turn the aperture ring in the
direction of the arrow until "A" click-stops at the aperture index.
"A" will be in line with the red dot on the camera. If you forget
to do this, automatic exposure will be impossible.
~
1. AE photography is possible only w i th a Canon FD lens. See PART II,
p.24 for how to use a non-FD lens on the AE-1 .
2. Some
Canon FD lenses have a green circle in place of the "A" mark. It
means the same thing as the "A" mark.
5
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3. Load the Battery
Remove the viewfinder cover
from the accessory shoe.
Open the battery chamber
cover using the viewfinder
cover.
Load
one new battery so that
its poles are in the directions
indicated by the diagram in-
side
the battery chamber.
Correct Batteries
Silver Oxide 6V
AI kaline-manganese
6V
6
Examples
Eveready (UCAR) No . 544,
Mallory PX 28 , JIS 4G13
Eveready (UCAR) No . 537
Without a battery, the AE-1 's shutter will not"
work and it will be impossible to take a
picture . We recommend carrying a spare
battery .
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Insert the negative end first.
Then push
down and insert
the positive end. Close the
chamber cover.
8 Don't touch the battery
poles. Wipe them and the
camera contacts with a
clean, dry cloth before
loading to prevent poor
contact from dirt.
4. Check the Battery
Press the battery check button
while looking through the
viewfinder. The meter needle
in the viewfinder will move.
~
X
t
-------
'
OK
If the battery is good, the
meter needle will rest at or be-
low the battery check index.
If there is not enough power,
it will rest above the index.
Replace the battery.
1. With normal use, the battery should last about one
year.
2. It is necessary to take special precautions with the
battery when ;tou are shooting in very low tempera-
tures(belowO C,32 ° F). SeePARTII,p.30 .
7
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5. Before Loading Film, Learn to Operate Basic Controls
Turn the shutter button lock
lever
to "A" .
i@I' Turn the shutter button
lock lever to "L" to pre-
vent accidental shutter
release or battery drain
whenever you are not
using the camera.
8
Turn the film advance lever in
the direction of the arrow
until it stops. You may turn it
in one continuous stroke or in
several short strokes . When
film is loaded, this will ad-
vance it
to the next frame.
The AE-1 has a
two-step
shutter button . Press it half-
way to turn the meter on and
to get a meter reading in the
viewfinder. Gently squeeze it
all the way down toreleasethe
shutter . You cannot release
the shutter again until the film
is advanced.
8 NEVER JAB the shutter button! Pressing it gently is im-
portant for getting sharp pictur e s.
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6. Set the ASA
Lift the knurled ring around the shutter speed dial and turn it until the ASA speed of your film is
aligned with the green index. This is absolutely necessary for getting correct exposure .
9
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7. Load the Film
Pull the rewind knob up until
the back cover pop s open.
A plastic ins c; t is attached to the
pressure plate of a new AE-1 to
protect it in transport. Before
loading the first film cartridge, it
is important to remove this insert .
It may be thrown away.
10
The AE-1 uses color (negative
or slide) or black and white
film in standard 35mm car-
tridges. Place the cartridge in
the film chamber as shown.
Then push the rewind knob
down , rotating it until it drops
into its normal position .
Pull the film leader across the
camera and insert
it into any
slot of the take-up spool.
'q Shield the film from direct
sunlight while loading.
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