Canon AT 1 User manual

Congratulations upon the purchase of
your new Canon AT-1,
a remarkably
advanced camera that reflects the latest
trends in SLR photography. As a
flawless product of Canon technology,
its vast potential as a rewarding means
of expression
is assured for years to
come by an incomparable system of
fine lenses and accessories.
At an extremely reasonable price, the
Canon AT-1 offers you through-the-
lens Central Emphasis Metering plus
many of the superb advantages enjoyed
by users of
its all-electronic counter-
part, the Canon AE-1. Its fabulous
electronic system consisting of the
Power Winder A for continuous rapid-
fire shooting, the Speedlite 155A and
199A for perfectly synchronized flash
shooting and the Data
Back A for
automatic data imprining give the AT-1
unsurpassably versatile performance.
Similarly, you have the entire system of
superior
FD interchangeable lenses at
your disposal which enable metering at
full aperture.
But perhaps most conspicuous
is the
absence of mechanical noise that
is
characteristic of conventional SLRs.
The AT-1 incorporates a wonderfully
silent electromagnetic release, in
addition to
a 10-secondelectronic self-
timer, for perfectly vibrationless
operation. Moreover, you will surely
find the Canon AT-1, with
its
extremely compact and lightweight
body tobe one of the easiest to operate
cameras ever.
In order to derive full benefit from the
many features the AT-1 affords, please
take the time to read and understand
the following instructions. Canon
remains always ready to lend you
its
support in the future with a system of
lenses and accessories unequaled the
world over.
2

nce Scale (infeet and meters) FocusingRing
Aperture Ring
Canon Breech-Lock Ring Distance
l ndex
Stopped-Down Lever
\\ L
Flash Termin$ Depth-of-FieldScale
Y EE Lock Pin
"A" Mark
-Set Ring
\
-- ASA Film
7 Speed
-Shutter Speed
Dial
7
i - -!&-. b
FilmAdvance Lever
I
Shutter Release Button
ElectronicSelf-Timer Lever
FilmRewind Crank (Shutter Release Lock)
MainSwitch (Battery Check Lever)
\
-r Acce!r#Sh!e
FilmPlane Indicator Automatic Flash Contact
Synchronization Contact
While reading the instruction booklet, unfold
this flap and the flap on the back cover tofacilitate your
understandingof the instructions.

PICTORIAL OUTLINE FOR USING THE CAMERA
I
Load the battery.
Turn the main switch on.
. ' OFF
I 0:- 1C
5
Look into the viewfinder.
Compose the picture and focus.
Out of Focus In Focus
2 Loadthe film.
Determine the exposure
by adjusting
the shutter speed dial and the aperture
6 ring.
3
- -

3 Set the ASA film speed.
4 Advance the film.
7 Press the shutter button.

Photography with the Canon Speedlite
155A
1. Take off the battery chamber cover and
load the batteries.
2.
Set the ASA film speed oF the 155A.
3. Mount the Speedlite 155A on the acces-
$oryshoe of the camera.
4.
Turn the main switch on.
5. Set the AUTOIMANU. switch.
6. Set the prescribedflstop on the lens.
7. Focus and press the shutter button.
Photography with the Canon Power
Winder
A
1. Remove the Battery Pack A.
2. Loadthe batteries intothe Battery Pack A.
3. Attach the Battery Pack A to the Power
Winder A.
4.
Take off the winder coupler cover on the
bottom of the camera body and put
it In
the winder coupler's cover holder.
5. Attach the Power Winder
A to the
camera.
6. Turn the main switch on.
7. Focus and press the shutter button.
-r. . ._ --* 8
I-- - _
-3
'i
-wndul Coupler Covcr
F' -- WR'Z

CONTENTS
..............
SPECIFICATIONS 8-10
....
Handlingthe Case and Lens Cap 12-13
...............
Mountingthe Lens 13
Loadingthe Battery and MainSwitch
. .I 4.15
..............
Checkingthe Battery 16
...
Film Advance and Shutter Release 17-18
..............
Loadingthe Film 19-20
..................
Frame Counter 21
...............
Settingthe ASA 22-23
OPERATION FOR GENERAL
................
PHOTOGRAPHY 25
Selectingthe Shutter Speed
....... 27-28
..................
Lens Aperture 28
.............
Viewingand Focusing 29
Dioptric Adjustment Lenses
......... 30
............
Viewfinder Information 32
Determiningthe Exposure
.......... 33
Meter CouplingRange
.............. 35
Holdingthe Camera
.............. 37
Releasingthe Shutter and
............
Rewindingthe Film 38-39
DETAILED OPERATIONOF
THE AT-1
.................... 41
Effectsof Changingthe Shutter Speed
and the Aperture
.............. 43-44
................
Depth-of-Field 45-46
............
Usingthe Self-Timer 47-48
.....
Flash Photographywith the AT-I 49
................. Long Exposures 50
Stopped-DownMetering
............. 52
Manual Aperture Control
......... 53-54
Lenses
..................... 55-58
ACCESSORIES. CARE OF THE
CAMERA. MAINTENANCE. AND
................
MISCELLANEA 59
......
Canon Speedlite 155A and 199A 61
Canon Power Winder A
............ 62
Canon Data Back A and Auto Bellows
. . 63
Other Accessories
.............. 64-65
Care and Storage of the Camera
..... 67-69

SPEC1FlCATlONS
Type: 35mm SLR (Single-Lens-Reflex)
Camera with focal planeshutter.
PictureSize: 24 x 36mm
lnterchangeable lenses: Canon FD series
lenses for full aperture metering. Canon
FL series lenses for stopped-down
metering.
Standard Lenses: Canon FD 55mm fl1.2
S.S.C.
Canon FD 50mm f11.4 S.S.C.
Canon FD 50mm fl1.8 S.C.
Lens Mount: Canon Breech-LockMount.
Canon FD, FL, and R lenses can be
m~untedfor use.
Viewfinder: Fixedeye-level pentaprism.
Field of View: 93.5% vertical and 96.3%
horizontal coverage of the actual picture
area.
Magnification:
1:0.82 at infinity with a
standard 50mm lens.
Dioptric Adjustment Lens S: Standard -1
diopter.
lnterchangeable with +3,
+2, +1.5, +I,
+0.5, 0, -0.5, -2, -3, and -4 diopters.
Focusing Screen: Split-image/microprism
rangefinder surrounded by matte screen
Viewfinder Information: Meter needle and
aperture needle (circular index) are seen
on the right hand side of the viewfinder.
On the upper right hand is an over-
exposurelbattery check index mark and
on the lower right hand
is a metering
limit index mark on the underexposure
side.
Viewfinder Attachments: Angle Finder A2
and
B, Magnifier S, Dioptric Adjustment
Lens S(10kinds), and Eyecup4s.
Mirror: Instant-return, large reflector mirror
with shock absorbingmechanism.
Exposure Meter: Built-in. Using CdS photo-
cell. Coupled to shutter speeds, film
speeds, and flstops. Match needle type,
TTL full aperture metering mechanism.
Light Metering System: TTL (Through-The-
Lens)Central Emphasis Meteringmethod
Exposure Meter Coupling Range: EV 3 (fl1.4
at 114 sec.) to EV 17 (fl16 at 11500
sec.) at ASA 100 film with FD 50mm
fl1.4 S.S.C. Lens.
FilmSpeed Range: ASA 25 toASA 3200

Shutter: Cloth focal plane shutter with four
spindles. Shock and noise damping
mechanisms are incorporated. All shutter
speeds are electronically controlled.
Shutter Speeds: 1
/I 000, 11500, 11250,
11125, 1/60, 1/30, 1/15, 118, 114, 112, 1,
2 (seconds)and B.
X synchronization is at 1160 seconds.
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 synchronization are in white. There
is a shutter dial guard to prevent uninten-
tional movement of the dial. The ASA
dial
is located underneath the shutter
speed dial.
Self-Timer: Electronically controlled self-
timer. After the self-timer lever is pushed
forward, the self-timer
is activated by the
shutter release button. The self-timer
releases the shutter after
a time lag of 10
seconds. A self-timer
LED lamp blinks on
and off when the self-timer
is in
operation. The self-timer operation can
be cancelledwhile in operation.
Stopping-Down the Lens: Stopping-down
the lens can be performed by pushingthe
stopped-down lever after setting the
aperture ring.
Power Source: One 6V silver oxide battery;
Eveready No. 544, UCAR No.544, JIS
4G13, and Mallory
PX28. The battery
lasts the equivalent of
20,000 shutter
releases, or one year under normal use.
Battery Check: Battery power level can be
checked by the meter needle inside the
viewfinder .when the main switch
is
turned to the battery check index mark
"C".
Flash Synchronization: X synchronization
is at 1/60 sec. M synchronization is at
1/30sec. and below.
Flash Terminal: The accessory shoe has
a
direct flash contact and automatic flash
control contact. On the front of the
camera body is the flash terminal, JIS-B
type for flash units with a cord.
It has a
built-in protective rim to prevent elect-
rical shock.
Automatic Flash: With the Canon Speedlite
155A or 199A. set the aperture to the

flstop, and the amount of light is auto-
matically controlled for correct flash
exposure, adjusting the shutter speed to
1/60of
a second automatically.
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.
Film Loading: Performed by pulling up the
rewind crank to open the back cover.
Easy film loading with multi-slot take-up
spool.
Film Advance Lever: Single strokewith 120°
throw and 30°stand-off. Tlie film can be
wound with several short strokes. The
Canon Power Winder A can be mounted
for automatic winding of the film.
Frame Counter: Additive type. Automatical-
ly 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 us-
ing the rewing crank on the top. The
rewind button
is autorr~atically reset
when the film
is advanced with the film
advance lever.
Size: 141
x 87 x 47.5mrn (5-9116" x -3-7116"
x 1-718") body only.
Weight: 5909 (20-13116ozs.) body only.
7909 (27-718 ozs.) with the 50mm f11.8
S.C. lens.
8959 (31-9116ozs.) with the 50mm fl1.4
S.S.C. lens.
1,100g (38-13116 ozs.) with the 55mm
fl1.2 S.S.C. lens.
Subject tochange without notice.

id*
PRELIMINARY PREPARATION
Neckstrap and Case
Slide the scratch prevention ring and
spare battery case which houses a spare
battery onto the Canon AT-1's neckstrap,
then thread the neckstrap through the rings.
Adjust the neckstrap to alength mmtsuitable
for you.
Firmly attach the case to the camera by
turning the screw on the bottom of the case.
When you wish to take off the top cover of
the soft case, turn the top cover to the
bottom then slide
it straight up in the direc-
tion of the arrow and pull
it out as indicated
in the photo.

Handling the Lens Cap
The lens cap can be removed from the
front of the lens after pressing in the tabs on
both sides of the cap. The rear dust cap can
be
removed by turning the Canon Breech-Lock
ring in the direction of the arrow. To attach
the dust cap, align its slot with the positioning
pin below the red dot of the Breech-Lock
ring, and press it in. When the dust cap is
removed, the Breech-Lockring
is locked.
Mounting the Lens
Remove the body cap. Make sure that the
aperture ring
is not set to the "A" mark
before mounting the lens. Release the
aperture ring from the
"A" mark by pushing
the
EE lock pin and turn the ring. Then,
mount the lens by aligning the red dot of the
body with the red dot of the bayonet ring,
and then turning the Breech-Lockring clock-
wise, pressing gently until
it locks into
position. Reverse the procedure to dismount
the lens.

-. /q ,- , Loading the Battery
r"
The camera will function only when the
battery
is loaded and the main switch is turn-
ed on. Use
a silver oxide battery for the power
source. The battery chamber cover can
be
opened more easily by using the viewfinder
cover that is inserted intothe accessory shoe.
Be careful to load the battery correctly
with the
"+" side up following the diagram on
the inside of the battery chamber. If the bat-
tery
is incorrectly loaded so the polarities are
facing the wrong direction, the camera will
not function. Load the battery by inserting
the
"-" contact first while holding down the
battery inthe bottom of the battery chamber.
When loading or removing the battery, make
cartain that the main switch
is set at OFF.
Only a silver oxide battery can be used
and other types cannot be used. In general
use, the battery will last one year.

MainSwitch
The main switch turns on or off the elect-
ric circuits of the camera. Therefore, when
taking photographs,set the main switch to the
"ON" position. The camera will not function
unless it
is set to "ON".
I
When not in use, turn the main switch to
"OFF" to guard against needless consumption
-
\
of the battery. ., k..- -- /
1
\
*
- --
Usable Batteries .- --
Silver Oxide
1 Eveready (UCAR) No.544
Battery(6V)
1 JIS 4213, Mallory PX28
Perform a battery check in the follow-
ing situations:
1.
When a battery is loaded.
2.
Ifthe shutter does not function.
3. When a great number of photographs
have beeri taken.
4.
When the camera is used after it has been
stored for along period without use.
5. When the camera is used in extremely
cold conditions.
As the AT-1
is an electronicallv con-
trolled camera, the shutter will not function
without sufficient battery power.

Meter Needle- ufficient
T ---
Ins
Checking the Battery
The main switch is also used for checking
the battery. To see if the battery power
level
is sufficient, turn the main switch1
battery check lever to the "C" index on the
outer rim of the film rewind crank while
looking intothe viewfinder. When the meter
needle rests above the battery check lower
border, which
is indicated by the meter
needle position illustrated below, the power
level of the battery is sufficient. If the
meter needle just barely coincides with this
lower border, the battery
is near exhaustion
and should be replaced. Ifthe meter needle
does not rise to the index, the battery must
be changed.

Film Advance and Shutter Release
e
Turn the film advance lever until it stops,
so the film will advance one frame
all in one
'*./
motion. The shutter will cock, and the dia-
phragm and mirror will be ready for the next
&
shutter release, while the frame counter
advances simultaneously to the next number.
-
By pushing the film advance lever lightly with
the tip of your thumb,
it will open to its 30°
--
stand-off positionaway from the camera body
for easy film advance.
While the film
is advancing, the shutter will
not be released. Film winding can also be
accomplished by advancing the lever in short
strokes.
Canon has developedthe Power Winder
A
to be used with the AT-1 for automatic film
winding.
It greatly increases the speed and
mobility of the
AT-1. (See page 62.)

Shutter Button and Shutter Lock
The magnetic release shutter button
4
enables smoother shutter release than the
'.\
. Pb-
I .I
mechanical release method does. There is also
less chance for camera shake.
When the shutter lock lever around the
shutter release button
is turned to the "L"
position, the shutter button will be lockedto
prevent unintentional shutter release. Keep
the shutter release button locked while
carryingthe camera to prevent film waste.
When the power level of the battery
is
insufficient, asafety mechanism will keep the
shutter from beingreleased.
At temperatures under
-20 degrees C,
there may be an occurrence when the shutter
will not be released depending on the
batteries, even if the battery power
is suf-
ficient. In that cold condition, the battery's
power is reduced so. some
10 seconds should
be allowed after the battery is checked before
takingapicture.

Loading the Film
The Canon AT-1 uses color or black and
white film instandard35mm cartridges.
.-r
\
Opening the Back Cover
To load a cartridge of film into the
camera, first open the camera's back cover.
Pull up the rewind crank and the back cover
-<
will pop open. The back cover can be securely
closed simply by pressing
it until it locks.
Avoid direct sunlight when loading or un-
loadingthe film.
The Canon Data Back
A, an accessory for
imprinting data such as the day, month and
year, can be attached to the AT-1 in place of
the back cover. (See page
63.) - -.
How to Load the Film -.-, --
Put the cartridge into the film cartridge
chamber and press down while rotating the
rewind knob until
it drops securely into
position. The protruding part of the cartridge
should be on the bottom. Pull the film leader
across and insert the end into one slot of the
multi-slot take-up spool. Turn the film ad-
vance lever and wind the film around the
b

F--c rrrr!!-! take-up spool making sure that the perfora-
tions of the film are engaged in the teeth of
the film transportsprocket.
Then, make sure that there
is no film
slack. In case there
is, gently turn the film
rewind crank in the direction of the arrow to
obtain proper film tautness and the film ad-
vance lever to ensure that the leader
is wound
fully on to the take-up spool before the
camera back
is closed.
When loading the film into the camera,
do nottouch the shutter curtain, the film rails
or the pressure plate.
Closing the Back Cover
Close the back cover until it snaps shut.
Gently turn the film rewind crank clockwise
in the direction of the arrow to take up the
film slack. Then, advance the film
a couple of
times pressing the shutter button until the
first exposure appears inthe frame counter.