Canon A-1 Video 2: Change Battery, Load Film, Light Meter, and PASM Modes

[@nishantpatil1247]

This is the most informative video on the whole KZbin about Canon A1

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@cmcshane7]

Having shot exclusively digital for many years, I hadn't used my A1 in quite a while. These videos were an excellent refresher on using the camera on which I learned about photography in the first place. Thanks!

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@kaykwanda8234]

Thank you David. I bought the A-1 a week ago and as some one who has very little knowledge about photography, this is very helpful.

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you! Great camera choice, too.

[@diggerlenny4836]

Out of curiosity can you pick one of these up cheaply now? Or would you mind saying what you had to pay for yours?

[@DavidHancock]

@@diggerlenny4836 These are definitely not cheap right now. A decade ago I could get these for about $40. I think they run about $180+ body only now.

[@diggerlenny4836]

@@DavidHancock wow. Ok. Thanks for the reply. Maybe they are not so common to find in good condition like yours anymore! Very interesting walk through you did. Thanks for sharing this info:)

[@kaykwanda8234]

@@diggerlenny4836 I'm in South Africa, I bought it for R2500 which is $132. It was just the body.

[@rogerdude23]

Thank you so much for explaining the whole double exposure feature (and everything else) 😀

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@marcelocampoamor4761]

Hi David, as always, very good explanations in your videos. Two years ago I bought an A-1 in pretty good condition, a camera that on paper is capable of doing wonders according to the legend of the time when the camera was announced. I must admit that I have not used it much, only two rolls of film in two years. My purchase was due not only to the good price but also to the curiosity of investigating a little more and trying to understand why so many people always talk about it being an underrated camera, especially compared to the AE-1 and the AE-1program that are sold more and more expensively, being a younger sister of the A-1 and less capable. My impression is that it is a camera that can do a little bit of everything but nothing very well, at least in my experience with other cameras of the time, since the workflow depending on which exposure mode is used is inconsistent. My most direct comparison is the Minolta XD-11 which is superior in everything (except perhaps in ergonomics). You can take photos without taking your eye off the viewfinder, having all the pertinent information such as the chosen aperture, selected speed and, most importantly, to work manually, you can see the current exposure and the recommended exposure by the camera to obtain a correct one. It was also evident to me that with the use of the microprocessor in the A-1 they were able to compensate for the use of cheaper mechanics and construction materials, the proof of which is the famous mirror noise and a maximum shutter speed of 1/60. Although it later became common for all brands, Minolta for example started with the X series with exactly the same concept of reducing costs. If it is about automation and ease of use, it is preferable to buy any camera from 1988 onwards, which can be bought for much less. For artisanal photography I prefer any camera from the 60s or 70s.

[@DavidHancock]

The A-1 is an interesting camera to me, too. I do consider it objectively good and it is second only to the original F-1 my favorite Canon FD camera, but for me, there's nothing the A-1 can do that the F-1 can't. I honestly do not reach for the A-1 ever. (I can't even recall whether or not I still own this one!) It does feel like Canon tried to pack everything into it and that the result was something a bit overly complex with a feature set that's hard to truly capitalize on. When I've used the A-1 in the past, I pretty much just set it to aperture-priority mode and go.

[@SpongeLab]

Top info about multiple exposures, Gonna go have some fun 😀

[@liveinaweorg]

Superb pair of videos. Thank you, David, you have this done to an art.

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@JamesWalls-yl7tm]

Absolutely amazing in-depth look at this camera - thank you for taking the time to make this!

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@sanfilippobakery7159]

Amazing video, thanks for sharing, thanks to you I got a full understanding of my camera

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@anhphuongluongngoc1652]

thank u so much for how thorough you went through each feature!! I can't wait for my A1 and finally put it into use

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@FireFox133]

Amazon content David, thanks a lot. Will defnitely come back to this when I forget about some functions of the A1. Thanks!

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@shublnnlnnln]

Thank you! This was very helpful ❤

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@DesertPunks]

Very curious what the other A1 viewfinder variations looked like.

[@DavidHancock]

Pretty similar to the F-1 focusing screen options.

[@IsaiahPrestes]

Oh no! Hold on, hold on! Let me get a popcorn bucket! 🤩

[@GRIMtheOG213]

So on fully manual, if the aperture number inside the viewfinder is blinking, does that mean you have to adjust the shutter speed to where the aperture number stops blinking because the current settings make it under/over exposed?

[@DavidHancock]

Correct. So if the lowest number is blinking it means the film will be overexposed and you need a smaller aperture or faster shutter speed. The opposite is true if the highest number is blinking.

[@najibroashan5526]

Hi dear David! Few days ago you reviewed Canon AE-1 program and now A-1. If you are me, which one you will choose to buy or to use? What is the big deference? Thanks for your reviews! Sincerely your Najib from Denmark

[@DavidHancock]

Hi, Najib, were it me, I would go with the A-1 because the build quality is a bit better. The biggest difference is the feature set. The A-1 is more complex because it has more stuff that it can do. The AE-1 Program is designed for a larger audience, including more people who don't need or don't want to use all the A-1's features. So if you want a streamlined and easy experience, the AE-1 Program is the best bet. If you want to handle and manage a lot of complexity and capability, compared to the AE-1 Program, then the A-1 is the choice.

[@pompeii357]

Hi Great Chanel,thak you,i have a general question, what is the' macro adopter 'that mentioned on lenses review,and were can i get it? Thank you

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you! What mirrorless camera are you using? I'll drop you a link.

[@lauraellenellen]

Hello! Thank you so much for this helpful video. I just purchased an A1 and I have two questions about shooting in manual mode. First is about the the exposure compensation dial on the left. When I'm shooting in full manual mode - is that exposure compensation dial only affecting what my meter is telling me my exposure should be? Or is that dial actually changing my exposure FOR me? I ask because the meter on my camera is off slightly from meter readings on my light meter. Adjusting the exposure comp dial is making my in-camera meter match what my external light meter is telling me which is a good thing but I don't want that dial to actually change my exposure, I just want it to adjust my meter readings. I hope that makes sense. Second question is - if my lens is set to a specific aperture that I want to use, but my meter is telling me a different aperture I should use, can I just set my shutter speed as I'd like and ignore the AV that the camera's meter is telling me? The AV is set on the lens how I'd like it so if my meter is telling me a different AV that's just a meter reading right? My camera isn't actually going to choose that AV it's telling me in the meter? Like, does the AV on the lens override what the meter is telling me? Thanks so much again!

[@DavidHancock]

Good questions. In full manual, the EV adjustment will change your meter reading, not adjust any settings. The camera will still do what you want it to do. With the lens question, if you have the lens at f/8 and the camera says f/4 and you leave the shutter speed at that setting, the image will be very dark. So in that case, you would want to use the shutter speed to make the aperture setting change from f/4 to f/8. As you adjust one setting, the other should also change, so using the meter in full manual is a match-number approach to what you want your settings to be. If you are focused on the aperture value specifically, then dial that in and adjust the shutter speed until you're happy with the reading in the viewfinder.

[@lauraellenellen]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. So I set the AV I want on my lens, then just adjust my SS on the camera until the compensation matches with the AV on my lens in the meter reading? @@DavidHancock

[@DavidHancock]

@@lauraellenellen that's how I do it.

[@lauraellenellen]

Amazing thank you again! @@DavidHancock

[@777juliee]

I have a question, my ae mode to switch from shutter and aperture near the shutter button does turn so it it stuck on the black side and I can’t switch to yellow, should this be important? And am I able to get it fixed? It turns slightly but it doesn’t switch the modes.

[@DavidHancock]

It's only important if you want to use it. It probably has some dirt in it. The easiest way to try and fix it is to use some 91% isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab and swab the switch a number of times. The alcohol will loosen any grease and dirt and you may then be able to fix it. If that fails, check with the Fix Old Cameras channel to see if he has a solution.

[@777juliee]

@okay sounds good, thank you!

[@k-panga]

Is a canon a1 worth it if one has a Pentax ME super or ME f?

[@DavidHancock]

Nope. Here's the best advice I can give you on cameras: buy one and learn to use it well. Don't have tons of cameras with similar capabilities lying around.

[@k-panga]

@@DavidHancock ok, I want to get a automatic camera, and I am between the ME super or F and the A1. The issue with the MEs is that they need to be fixed for the common issue of infinite winding and mirror locking but are much cheaper than the A1 that I can get in my country. There are repairs shops here, so that isn’t an issue and they probably won’t need to change parts, just degrease and relube. I can get them for an equivalent to 50 dollars, or a bundle of Me super, Mg and Me for 100.

[@DavidHancock]

@@k-panga If you already have lenses for one of those, stick with it. Otherwise, I'd look at the A-1 of those three.

[@k-panga]

@@DavidHancock I have just 1 50mm Pentax k mount from a k1000, and 3 m42 lenses from an older camera.

[@klausrickert3607]

Hi All, the thing with -"not to mount an FD-lens with the "A"-mode set"- is NOT an issue with the A1 or say the AE1 or any othe A-model which employs "Time Variation" ability. In other words ....if the A-model offers -shutter priority-mode- you can have the lens set to the "A" when attaching it! If the camera has no shutter priority mode (for example the AV1 or the AL1), the A-setting of the lens is mechanically blocked and the FD-lens cannot be attached in this setting. I do not know, if that can cause damage, but at least, it does not work. Yours Klaus Rickert

[@DavidHancock]

@@klausrickert3607 thank you.

[@klausrickert3607]

Sorry! What you explain on "the usage of FL-lenses" with the A1 is wrong. The thing is, that the A1 neither "knows" about the aperture setting of the FL-Lens, nor does it know the OPEN APERTURE of the lens since the old FL-lenses cannot communicate these data to the camera. If the A1 does not get this "FD-info" from the lens, it "suggests" f:5.6. So you have to switch the A1 to AV and dial in f:5,6 in the display and nothing different! Stop the FL-lens down as needed and the A1 will find correct shutter speeds corresponding to the aperture you set the lens to. Even more is possible! You can use open aperture without stopping down the FL-lens having correct metering making use of the following TRICK! Since the camera does not know the OPEN aperture of the FL-lens, it cannot count down the steps ... you have to do that! Say, your FL-lens is fully open at f:2.8 but the A1 "calculates" f:5.6 because it does not know the lens' open aperture! Now, you want to shoot at f: 5.6 and so adjust the lens' aperture (stepped down 2 steps) you have to step down the A1's reading to the same amount and dial in f:11. Now, you can focus at open aperture and the A1 will find correct aperture with the FL-lens WITHOUT being stepped down previously. Sounds complicated??! No! it is not! Try and see ....it works! Yours Klaus

[@DavidHancock]

@@klausrickert3607 yep. I got that wrong and will correct that when I redo this video some day. I think that's also been pointed out in a previous comment.