old school cameras-canon ae1

N

nosilence

Joined
Feb 19, 2003
Messages
408
anyone use one of these? its a manual focus from the eighties. real popular back then, but how are they now and how do they compare to the newer models (rebel, etc..)? im considering one.
 
The AE1 was a great camera. I had one and took 1000s of pictures with it. I have moved to digital photography in the past 5 years. It is easier in many ways. You can check your photo out after you shoot to be sure you got what you wanted. It is also nice to be able to email people the pictures too.

If you go digital get one with high resolution. Mine is 4 mega pixals and it take great photos. I had one of the early olympus (1.3 mega pixals) and it took grainy shots.
 
Assuming evrything works as it should, it will take as good a picture as you are capable of. Most modern features add convenience and provide a crutch for the lazy or uninformed. That said, I use my Nikon f100 95% of the time and my 1970 Minolta SRT 101 the other 5%.
 
I've had a couple AE-1 cameras, and they are pretty good. Although I still have an "old" Canon F-1n pro camera, I find that with my 49 year-old eyes, I tend to reach for one of my Canon EOS AF cameras now-a-days as it can focus quicker and more accurately than I can (most of the time). One really good thing about the Canon AE-1 is that there are ALOT of good, inexpensive lenses and accessories on the "used" market.
 
I have had 2 AE1s over the years and they were very good cameras. I am a geologist and seriously abused them doing field work. They wore out eventually, what with being in a backpack with rock samples, water bottles etc. I have since bought 2 old Canon Ftb models that use the same lenses. The Ftb was one of the last full manual models that Canon made prior to the development of any automatic features. They do have an internal light meter. These cameras never wear out and though they are a little heavier than the AE1. I still use them when I use 35mm film. Some of the old FD lenses are awsome pieces of glass, f1.2 55mm, f1.4 50mm, f2 100 & 200mm.
 
I currently own an AE1 that I use for a photography class I'm taking. The nice thing about it is that I lets you set everything manualy and it doens't have a whole lot of delicate components that are easy to break. On the downside, all that durability is the result of a steel frame that significantly adds to the weight.
 
nosilence, Please......re-read the information
that shego has offered. It points out all to well
a simple honest fact that is plain ignored nowdays.

"Older METAL cameras will out last any hi dollar
Plastic camera ever made"

For that reason just because the Canon you asked about is older if it works OK then it WILL take
good pictures. Period.

I find that by staying in the older used cameras
I can buy ANY accessory I every wanted at a price
I can afford.

If you want to have a toy to play with then any
camera will do, name brand or not. If you want to
take good pictures then buy a camera from the
zeinth of camera design from 1970 to 1985. Then
go out and buy all the lens and stuff you want
and take better pictures. :D :D
 
cool thanks guys. im gonna pick one up tonight from one of my friends. 80 bucks for the camera, 50mm lens, flash, and case. hes givin me a good deal, i couldnt barely get a decent point and shoot camera for that price. up until now ive been using a canon elph z3, which i like for its portability, and it does take decent pics. but if i knew i could get an ae1 for less, i would never have bought it.

also, its an ae-1p, does anyone know what the difference is?
 
AE1-p was a later model than the AE1, the P stands for "program" and allows the camera to function in a fully-automatic mode. You no longer needed to pick an appropriate shutter speed, the camera would choose both sutter speed and f-stop for you. You can however still use the camera in a fully-manual mode.
 
I bought a new AE1-P when they came out and soon went back to the older version. The P eats batteries if you forget and leave it on. The old AE1 battries would last 2-3 years and you could leave it on. The Ftb might even be better. I have had batteries last over 3 years in one of mine. The Ftb is a product of the late 60s. You can get a mint Ftb with lens for under $150.00 on ebay. Look for one with its contemporary 50 mm f1.4 lens. Canon later went to a f 1.8 that was not as heavy duty- more plastic and not as fast.
 
I have one that I got after my Father passed away. It has all the extras, lenses, lights etc. Takes very good pics if you feel like adjusting this and that. Nowadays, it is very hard to find lenses for them if you want to get any extras for it. Not a light camera to be carrying around as compared to todays products. If you want a grab and shoot there are a lot of 35mm out there with auto focus and such. The ae1 is great for detailed pics though
 
ive been taking pictures all day with it. i got a sweet telephoto lens and some neat filters. i have an elph that i carry around for portability, but i wanted a manual camera.
 
A great camera but the biggest advantage of the AE-1 is that it used the FD series of Canon lenses. Those early FD lenses had a breach lock with a brass ring that was indestructible and the lens grind was just superb. Now they are relatively cheap on Ebay. The Nikon had nothing on them. Congrats on the buy.
 
The old AE1 is a fine camera. If you can pick it up cheap enough, use it until the light meter quits. The meters are no longer repairable.:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top