Canon AE-1 User manual

DistanceScale (infeet and meters1 Focusing Ring
Di~tanceIndex
Exposure PreviewS
Stapped-Down Leve
Shutter Speed Dial
Film Advance
Lever
hutter Release Button
enronic Self-Timer Lever
Film Rewind Crank
hutter Release Lock1
Film Plane Indicator
Battery Check
Button
I
While reading the instruction baokier. unfold this flap and the ftav on the back cover to facilitate your
undersfending of the instructions. 3

PICTORIALOUTLINE FOR USING THE CAMERA
1 Set the aperture ring of the lens to
the "A" mark.
2 Load the battery.
4
Set the ASA film speed.
5
Look into the viewfinder.
Select a shutter speed. Composethe picture and focus.
~~~
-- ~ ~. . -.
Out of Focus In Focus

3 Load the film.
ii
6
Advance film; Check exposure.
Press the shutter button.
Photography with the Canon Speedlite
155A
1. . Loadthe batteries.
2. Set the ASA film speed.
3. Mount the Speedlite 155A on the AE-1.
4. Turnthe main switch on.
5. Set the AUTOIMANU. switch.
6. Focus and press the shutter button.

Photography with the Canon Power
Winder
A
1.
Remove the Battery Pack A.
--
2.
Load the batteries into the Battery Pack A.
3.
Attach the Battery Pack A to the Power
Winder A.
4.
Take off the winder coupler cover.
5.
Attach the Power Winder A to the AE-1.
6.
Turn the main switch on.
7.
Focus and press the shutter button.
Winder Coupler Co
,. ,

TABLE OF CONTENTS
SPECIFICATIONS ................. 8
PRELIMINARY PREPARATION
..... 12
Handlingthe Caseand Lens Cap ..... 12-15
Mountingthe Lensand Setting the
Aperture Ringtothe "A" Mark
..... 16-19
Loadingthe Batteryand
Battery Check
................. 20-22
Loadingthe FilmandSetting
theASA
.................... 23-25
OPERATION FOR
GENERAL PHOTOGRAPHY
........ 29
SelectingtheShutter Speed .......... 31
Readingthe Exposure
............. 32
Focusingand Dioptric
Adjustment Lenses
............... 33
HoldingtheCamera
............... 37
Rewinding the Film
............... 39
Double-checkBefore Shooting
....... 40
DETAILED OPERATION OF
THE AE-1
..................... 41
Viewfinder Informationand
Meter Sensitivity Pattern
........... 43
AE Coupling Rangeand
OverexposureWarning Mark
......... 44
Underexposureand
Coupling RangeWarning LED Lamp
.... 45
Stopped-Down Metering Index Mark
and ManualAperture Control
..
MSignal .................... 46
Effects of Changingthe Shuner
Speed and theAperture
.......... 47-48
Depth-of-Field ................ 49-50
Shootingagainstthe Lightand
ManualOverride
................. 51
ExposureCompensation byChanging the
...
ASA Settingand Usingthe Self-Timer 52
......
Long Exposuresand "8" Setting 54
Stopped-Down Metering
............ 55
Manual Diaphragm Control
........ 56-58
Lenses
...................... 58-62
ACCESSORIES. CARE OF THE CAMERA.
MAINTENANCE. AND MISCELLANEA
63
Canon Speedlite 155A ............. 65
FlashPhotography withthe AE-1
...... 66
Canon Power Winder A
............ 67
Canon Data Back A
and Auto Bellows
................69
Other Accessories ................ 70
Characteristics
................... 72
Careand Storageof the Camera
....... 76
UsingtheCamera in
Very Cold Conditions
............. 77

SPEC1FlCATlONS
Type: 35mm SLR (Single-Lens-Reflex)
camera with electronically controlled AE
(Automatic Exposure) and focal plane
shutter.
PictureSize: 24 x 36mm
Interchangeable Lenses: Canon FD series
withfull aperture meteringand
AE coupl-
ing. Canon FL series, TS lens, Fish-eye
lens and Mirror lens with stoppeddown
metering.
Standard Lenses: Canon FD 55mm fl1.2
S.S.C.
Canon FD 50mm fl1.4
Canon FD 50rnm fl1.8
Lens Mount: Canon Breech-Lockmount.
Viewfinder: Fixedeye-levelpentaprism.
Field of View: 93.5% vertical and 96%
horizontal coverage of the actual picture
area.
Magnification: 1:0.86
at infinity with a
standard 50mm lens.
Viewfinder Information: Split-imagelmicro-
prism rangefinder, aperture scale with
meter needle and stopped-downmetering
index mark which also serves as battery
charge level check mark.Besides.there are
two red zones at the top of the aperture
scale to warn of overexposure.
Below the aperture scale, a red warning
LED lamp blinks to indicate under-
exposure.This lamp also indicates that the
selected shutter speed
is outside the AE
coupling range with respect to the ASA
of the film beingused.
Above the aperture scale, a manual
aperture control "M" signal (red LED)
blinks as a warning that the aperture
ring
is not set at the "A" mark for AE
photography.
Viewfinder Attachments: Angle Finder A2
and
8. Magnifier S, Dioptric Adjustment
Lenses (10 kinds). and Eyecup
45.
Mirror: Instant-return, large reflector mirror
with shock absorbingmechanism.
AE Mechanism: Shutter priority, electro-
nically controlled AE metering system
incorporatingtwo ICs and one LSI equi
pped with
I2 L(IntegratedInjection Logic)
Light Metering System: TTL (Through-
The-Lens) Central Emphasis Metering

method employing a Silicon Photocell as
photosensitive element.
Exposure Meter Coupling Range: With ASA
100 film, EV1 (f11.4 at one second) to
EV18 (f116 at 111000 second) at ASA
100with FD50mm f11.4 lens.
FilmSpeed Range: ASA 25 to ASA 3200.
Exposure Correction: By pressing the back-
light control switch, exposure
is corretted
by the automatic opening of the dia-
phragm
l .5 stops more on the aperture
scale than the actual setting,
ExposurePreview:
Meter needle activated by pressing the
shuner bunon halfway or pressing the
exposure preview switch.
Shutter: Cloth focal plane shutter with four
spindles. Shock and noise damping
mechanisms are incorporated. All shutter
speeds are electronicallycontrolled.
Shutter Speeds: 111000. 11500, 11250.
11125. 1/60, 1/30. 1/15, 118. 114. 112. 1.
2 (seconds) and B. X synchronization is
at 1160seconds.
Shutter Speed Dial: The shutter speed dial
is
on the same axis as the film advance
lever. The number
2 for two seconds is
marked in orange; other numbers as well
as X synchronizationare inwhite.
There
is a shutter dial guard to prevent
unintentional movement of the dial.
The ASA dial
is located underneath
the shutter speed dial.
Shutter Release Button:
It is a large, button
type magnetic release switch. Depressing
the shutter release button halfway
switches on the light metering circuit.
while full depression releases the shutter.
The shutter release button has a locking
device, besides a socket for the cable
release inthe center.
Self-Timer: Electronically controlled self-
timer. After the self-timer lever is pushed
forward, the self-timer
is activatedby the
shutter release button. The self-timer
releases the shutter after a time lagof 10
seconds. A self-timer lamp (red LED)
'blinks on and off to indicate when the
self-timer
is inoperation.
Stopping-Downthe Lens: Stoppingdown the
lens can be performed by pushing the
stopped-down lever after setting the

aperture ring.
Power Source: One 6V silver oxide battery
(Eveready No.544, UCAR No.544, JIS
4G13, or Mallory PX28) or alkaline man-
ganese battery (Eveready No.537, UCAR
No.537I.The battery lasts approximately
one year under normal use.
Battery Check: Battery power level can be
checked by the meter needle in the
viewfinder when the battery check
button
is pressed.
Flash Synchronization:
X synchronization is
at 1I60second.
M synchronization
is at 1130 second and
below.
Flash Terminal: The accessory shoe has a
direct flash contact and automatic flash
control contacts. On the front of the
camera body
is the flash terminal, JIS-8
type for flash units with a cord. It has a
built-in protective rim to prevent elec-
trical shock.
Automatic Flash: With the exclusive Canon
Speedlite 133A. 155A. 177A or 199A.
the shutter speed and aperture are
automatically
set. The amount of light is
automatically controlled for correct flash
exposure.
'Back Cover: The camera's back cover has a
memo holder for your convenience. The
cover can be removed for attaching the
Canon Data Back A. To open, pull the
rewindcrank up.
Film Loading: Easy film loading with multi-
slot take-upspool.
Film Advance Lever: Single stroke with 120'
throw and 30' stand-off. The filmcan be
wound with several short strokes. The
Canon Power Winder A also can
be
mounted for automatic winding of the
film.
Frame Counter: Additive type. Aut*
matically resets when the back cover is
opened. While rewinding film,
it counts
back the frame numbers.
Film Rewinding: Performed by pressing
the rewind button on the bottom and by
using the rewind crank on the top. The
rewind button
is automatically reset
when the film
is advanced with the film
advance lever.