Canon F-1 (Original) Video 2: Batteries, Load Film, Change Lenses, Take Photos, Double Exposures

[@mattmays9063]

Fortunately, I found an original Canon F-1 UNUSED in the box. I got it today and I am so excited to use this camera. It came with an authentic Japanese warranty card and everything. It's probably going to get framed, to be honest.

[@DavidHancock]

That's an incredible find.

[@keycapconnoisseur7184]

Just got my F-1, thanks for this detailed two-part special.

[@DavidHancock]

Nice! Great choice and thank you.

[@lilyhart6650]

This two part series was an amazingly detailed overview of the F1! Truly appreciate the dedication and effort that went into making these videos. After recently purchasing an F1 and finally getting back into analogue photography after a few years - this brought me back up to speed and has relit my passion for film photography. Thanks man! 🙏🏻

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you! :D

[@ticoman90]

this helped more than you'll ever know. From a complete film/camera noob who has recently picked up the hobby and wants to learn as much as possible on the Canon F1. You're extremely thorough and now I feel like I owe you money 😂

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you! 😄 Just let your photo friends know about my channel.

[@bassman7772]

A new friend gave me an F-1 in near mint condition couldn’t be more excited to shoot with it !

[@DavidHancock]

Fantastic!

[@petervanorsouw]

Canon really got its act together with the EOS 30 Mirror lock up, Double exposures and Lens mount just to name a few. The Olympus OM 1 & 4 are probably the easiest Cameras of that era to use. (For me) Thanks for showing these in depth reviews 👍

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@espedito2003]

Hi David. Your videos are very good and helpfull. A hint I saw on another guy video shows the self time can be set and the lever is still free to do the field depth preview and mirror lock. So the rule is to set the self timer first and then do the other. Keep up the good work.

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you and that's a great tip!

[@arca5200]

So it's advisable to shoot with out a battery? My needle isn't moving at all.

[@DavidHancock]

Yes if you have an external light meter (there are some good ones for smart phones as well as some dedicated light meter units on the market) and as long as you use the light meter and dial in the settings correctly. The camera does not need a battery to take a photo, only to operate the light meter.

[@fernandoguerrero5333]

David, actually, you can use the self-timer and mirror lock-up together on the original F-1. First, move the self-timer lever (counter-clockwise), then press and hold the lever in (stop-down), and move the lower switch to mirror-lock up indicator, rewind the film advance, and press the shutter :)

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@kevinruiz6618]

you’re the best man. i just ordered my canon f1 with a 50mm 1.4 lens (the newer variant lens, i believe they’re all ssc but they just don’t say it? correct me if i’m wrong) and i couldn’t be more excited. you make the operation look so seamless. this is my first ever camera, film or digital, and i’m excited to start learning on it. i eventually want one of those pentax 6x7 with the waist level finder, that’s what initially sparked my curiosity and now newfound interest in cameras.

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you! If you have the FDn, then yes, it will have the SSC coatings. A Pentax 6X7 is a nice, but really huge and heavy camera, just as a heads up.

[@kevinruiz6618]

@@DavidHancock yes thats the one, the FDn, i forgot the name. and yeah i looked into the pentax before landing on the f-1 as a camera to start on, since the pentax is medium format, i want at least some experience shooting film before purchasing one of those. quick question, is the pentax 6x7 also fully mechanical (other than the viewfinder) like the f-1 is? it shouldnt be an issue if it isnt but im just wondering, ill most likely get an earlier model, im a sucker for anything old/vintage.

[@DavidHancock]

@@kevinruiz6618 all the Pentax 6x7 models need batteries. The MLU, which is the one you want and I have a video series on it, too, uses a single px28. It needs that to fire the shutter.

[@kevinruiz6618]

@@DavidHancockgot it thank you for clearing that up for me. i’ll be sure to watch that video series too! thank you again.

[@TheKoeslingsPhotography]

Question.. I bought the mr-9 adapter and a battery. When I do the battery check. iso 100 and ss 2000. The light goes above the tiny block like half way close to the red top but not quite. Does that mean it works fine?

[@DavidHancock]

That sounds like you're in good shape, yes.

[@angelg147ag]

For the double exposure settings did you mean you shoot the first image at 1/125 f5.6 then the second image you stop down to 1/250 f5.6?

[@DavidHancock]

Nope. Each photo needs to have the exposure cut in half to provide a balanced exposure. Now that said, you can experiment. If you cut the first image by 1/3 and the second by 2/3, then you sill have a single exposure on the frame but you have changed the balance of the exposure between the two. So the concept demonstration is to explain the process and science, but double exposures don't HAVE to be evenly balanced as long as you're not wildly overexposing the film.

[@MrFilipFabulous]

I have a tough choixe to make, Minolta 7000i or Canon F-1 or F-2. What would.you recommend to someone who is still a newbie but has serious intentions to keep up with it for life?

[@DavidHancock]

I can't recommend a specific camera. Those are very different options and both have strengths and weaknesses. What I can do is recommend an approach to the decision. Evaluate that you need first -- how do you plan to use it, do you want automatic exposure and autofocus -- questions like that. Most of those answers will guide you to a specific camera.

[@Its_jugi]

@davidhancock I just bought a Canon F-1 (Old) everything works great. I shot one roll so far. Some phots turned out pretty good others culd have been better. (Still learning) lol. One question I have is the horizontal line in my meter doesn't move from the bottom red square. I have been been using an external phone app. I just wanted to see if there was a fix for this or as long as i use a light meter will I be okay?

[@DavidHancock]

Good choice on cameras. First question on the meter needle, do you have a battery of the correct voltage installed and is the light meter turned on?

[@Its_jugi]

Thanks! I really love it. I actually bought some 1.35 V mercury Replacement batteries from Adorama. brand is called Wein Cell and they work great. So the novice in me didn't even check the battery chamber when I bought it so my first roll and second roll were shot with no battery. the first roll turned out great on cinestill 400. the second roll was all pink hue and idk if that was because it was expired Walgreens type film from the early 90s I think. but that roll was not good at all. now im shooting on Kodak gold 200 and will see how this turns out with new film and battery actually in chamber. When I followed your step to check batter charge the meter does work but when I mess with settings the circle moves but the needle still doesn't. @@DavidHancock

[@WiiZKiiD23]

Does the Olympus OM10 need the same adapter since it’s the same batteries

[@DavidHancock]

Nope. It uses two 357 batteries without an adapter. I have two complete video manuals on that camera, too.

[@WiiZKiiD23]

@@DavidHancockI have the brass adapter for my f1 but I am running LR44 battery am I still 2 stops under exposed ?

[@marcusoroberts]

I'm going to put you on the spot, sorry. Out of all the flagship 35mm cameras available around that time, which would you choose out of the Pentax LX, Canon F1/F1n/Nikon F3 or maybe some other i.e. that lovely forgotten Contax? I'd really be interested. Thanks again for the fab vids.

[@petervanorsouw]

The Olympus OM 1 has the easiest features of any camera of that era. I'm So glad now that I didn't go Canon.

[@DavidHancock]

So my five favorite 35mm SLRs are the Minolta Alpha 9, Canon F-1N ( updated original), Pentax LX, Nikon F3, and Olympus OM-4, in that order. The F-1 Original, LX, and F3 are all functionally tied for second place. I tend to grab the F-1 or LX since I have the sports finder for each of those, but I tend to prefer the F-1 slightly because it's all mechanical and I love an all-mechanical camera. (For instance, my favorite film camera overall is the Bronica S2A -- all mechanical and just delightful to use.)

[@marcusoroberts]

@@DavidHancock Wow, thanks. I really wasn't expecting Minolta to be on your list. I need to check that out. Bronica S2A has always been on my list. Impossible to find. I think for me, it will always be the LX, but love the ruggedness of the F-1 and F-1n. the F3 looks so beautiful but I have no experience of either Nikon nor Canon systems. Please do continue with your fab vids David. Great work.

[@DavidHancock]

@@marcusoroberts thank you and for the Bronica, check out the C. Just be sure you get one with the 12/24 switch on the back of the side. Those are built similarly to the S2A and have a hidden 1/1000 shutter speed. They tend to run a bit less than the S2A, too.

[@haemy]

Awesome video! On my F1 the lever under the mirror, that you talk about at 12:30, does not return to the side at all. I can glide it in the side, but it will bounce back in the middle. Do you know what it can cause and what might be the fix?

[@DavidHancock]

Hmm. That's odd. Does the camera work properly otherwise?

[@barryconway]

Thanks, David, for this and Part 1. I have an F1 on the way (fingers crossed it is “as described”!) and found a ton of useful prep info here. One question I have, which seems unanswered in your huge catalog: any thoughts shared on Waist-level vs Sports Finder viewfinders? I have the chance to get one or the other, my eyes are aging, and I suspect that one or the other might help in that respect!

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you and I love the sports finger. It's one of the best viewfinders I've ever use and the image from the ground glass is bright and large. I use contacts with film SLRs now and it's fantastic for that, but back when I used glasses only the eyepoint made the sportsfinder a great option. I love that the thing rotates, too, which is wonderful for waist-level shooting.

[@barryconway]

@@DavidHancock thank you for taking the time to reply. Useful guidance. I learned (since asking) too, that the Sports Finder presents corrected image orientation- waist level is inverted (laterally). Sports Finder, I learned, also rotates through 180° to present a ‘waist level’ view, so the Sports Finder does appear to present ‘more for your money’!

[@aaronlabarre501]

So educational and informative, I love it. I have an original old F-1 and have been wondering about a door flap it has right next to the lens mount on the film cassette side. Do you know what that’s for?

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you and I think so. Check video 1 where I go over what everything is. I think you're asking about an attachment port for the absolutely gigantic automatic exposure add-on. If that's it, it's completely obsolete now.

[@DavidStewart-p7b]

Hi! I’ve just bought a copy of a like new F-1 old and I’m having trouble getting the meter to work. I purchased a brass adapter on eBay and 675 batteries and-for whatever reason-the needle still lies at the bottom of the meter. Any idea what’s going on? I’ve checked the positive contacts are in the right place etc. Feeling worried the electronics inside the camera have failed.

[@DavidHancock]

Does anything happen when you try the battery check button?

[@mustufarehman3635]

Could you add a link to the battery adapters? I just purchased this camera and I didn't realize the batteries aren't made anymore.

[@DavidHancock]

I don't have a specific link and just pick them up on eBay whenever I lose most of them.

[@LuckyCvijeta]

How do you use this camera without batteries? I have an F1 and an EF and at the moment I can’t get any of them to work and I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.

[@DavidHancock]

For the F-1, if you have this model F-1 that uses a small battery on the bottom, then it's all mechanical. Following along on this video ought to have it working. If your F-1 takes a battery in the front of it (not the bottom,) I have a separate video on that, the Canon F-1 New, because it's entirely different.

[@stefoboss998]

Hello, would anybody know if the Power winder A work for the Canon f1?

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you and it will not, only the F. The Old F-1 needs to have the base removed for the power winder to be attached and the A will not work that way.

[@stefoboss998]

@@DavidHancock okay thank you for the clarification

[@benoit2900]

Hi David, I got the same setup as you, f1 original plus speed finder, recently bought the camera but am having problems with the light meter, firstly I can get the light sensor needle to move in normal mode but if I do the battery check procedure mode it doesn’t lift up at all, secondly often when I move the aperture circle indicator to line up with the light sensor needle it seems to catch and push it around together making metering difficult, don’t suppose you’ve come across this problem, do you think a light meter service would be the way to go?

[@DavidHancock]

Ooh. I have not run into that. I would guess there's likely some damage to the meter needle -- it sounds like one might be slightly bent -- and that could explain both issues. I would definitely have that serviced and at the same time see if they can mod the electrical circuit for you so that you can use modern batteries, either the bigger ones or a 357 with a brass adapter. That will definitely be worth it in the long run.

[@tallulahmae6990]

Hi I hope you can help with a battery question. I have bought a brass adapter as you showed in the video and my intentions is to buy 675 batteries, however the 675 I find is at 1.4 or 1.45 V. Will they be okay or shall I find 675 batteries with 1.3V which I can't at the moment and there for this question :)

[@DavidHancock]

Yes, that will work. The 675 is slightly over-voltage but not enough to be outside of the film's development latitude. That's the exact solution I use for most cameras that need old mercury batteries.

[@tallulahmae6990]

@@DavidHancock Thank you so much for the fast respons. I will go out and buy the 675.

[@JESUISOLLLY]

Hi David, regarding the light meter - the circle on mine will move up and down relating to aperture, however the line noting shutter speed does not move. Is that a battery issue?

[@JESUISOLLLY]

So actually at 7 minutes, it explains this, as my meter needle is right in the red box at the bottom, which indicates a drained battery according to your description.

[@DavidHancock]

@@JESUISOLLLY that was going to be my first guess. Sounds like a dead battery.

[@JESUISOLLLY]

@@DavidHancock Batteries and brass inserts ordered.. I will keep you posted

[@y2ktube]

Video @ 26:19 "hold down the film rewind button" - NO NEED to hold the rewind button; no "DEAD FRAME" (It POPS UP when the shutter is released; not like most cameras when advanced). The original Canon F-1 (like the competitor System camera Nikon F2) DOES HAVE a true multiple exposure feature (Page 45 of the instruction manual).

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@luillierstephane1463]

I still use mine, but not as often as I'd wish, because the rarity and price of good films.

[@DavidHancock]

Film prices are a bit out of hand.

[@shadowsnlights]

6:35 just to tell us how to put in a new battery???

[@DavidHancock]

Which type of battery are you going to choose? There are multiple options. The wrong one will ruin your photos.

[@mbsevans]

This is NOT an original F-1, this is an F-1n. Furthermore, your previous videos about the “F-1N” is also incorrect, as that camera is the “New F-1”.

[@DavidHancock]

@@mbsevans thank you