Shooting a Budget 35mm Camera - Canon A-1 Review

[@RotchildFrancoisJr]

Ok WHERE are these magical thrift stores!?? 😂

[@cardoggs7861]

Honestly. The only cameras I ever find are crappy vivitars.

[@justanotherdude4168]

I found a toy one for $5 once. It was like an actual toy, all plastic and shaky asf

[@jhoang861]

went to goodwill yesterday and bought a macro lens. not the best but not bad either. Needed a macro to shoot wedding rings and now I don’t have to go out and pay $$. I got mine for $3 and a great camera bad for $5 🤗 Just make it a routine to go to the thrift stores or pawn shops every week. You bound to find something once in a while. I also found a working twin lens camera a few years back.

[@danieldijo]

Rotchild literally luck. I found contax t2 for $5.00 at a thrift store

[@jhoang861]

Daniel Dijo Nice 👍

[@ioegreer]

welcome to the 35mm club my man. this was great!

[@juangperez8210]

Who is Joe??

[@paulcit0]

@@juangperez8210 joe mama

[@alextorres2836]

@@juangperez8210 idk

[@jevonsmith7776]

This town is like a hidden gem. Theres so many cool little spots here to take photos/explore

[@arttafil6792]

Willem, The Canon A-1 was the most complete, professional, electronic camera that Canon ever made!!! They promoted the AE-1 and AE-1 Program. This camera did everything the others did and a whole lot more!! It was a complete system camera including data backs, 250 shot rool back, winders, 5 FPS motor drives and ALL of the excellent lens lineup! Its the only camera you would ever need!

[@createdbynemanja3431]

Canon a1 was prosumer camera,canon F1 was most complete profesional camera of that era

[@dennyrulos7370]

That'd be the F1, the A1 is semi professional

[@KodakBoy]

When a “budget camera” is your most valuable and prized camera in your collection 😂😭 I love my A-1 but it turns itself into a brick when I take out the battery

[@JeffSmudde]

Then don’t take out the battery. I’m here all night, folks.

[@ajg8600]

Get a canon FTb ql. No battery needed.

[@MrGrungydude]

@@JeffSmudde beat me to it 😂

[@Thejohnventura]

I Hate Photographers good thing you can buy batteries for it everywhere

[@eeawnn]

Spend a little more for the F1 :D

[@quenequelucas5665]

You should put the data of each photo you show, for example: Portra 400, f8, 1.500. It would be very usefull to the people that are just getting started like me! Love your videos keep the great work!!

[@PeehBarboza]

PLEASE

[@estefanycariatide616]

Queneque Lucas Also I would love to know how you expose, so that info would help a lot

[@jhoang861]

just practice metering different times of the day and situation with a digital camera or hand held meter and write it down so you can see the pattern. That’s how we learned in photography school.

[@tomdivasion7724]

That would be very cool if possible

[@ruffprophetproductions]

Cafe du monde this is KZbin man nobody gonna do that! /s

[@matchat86]

Willem, the Canon A-1 was originally a semi professional camera when it was released. Definitely not a budget option. The AE-1 was the cheaper amateur enthusiast option. The AE-1 commands higher prices now simply because it has been over hyped and is frequently recommended as a beginners camera.

[@hahaahah7214]

Unfortunately nowadays the AE 1 has some flex issues (the crammed circuit board that’s at the top) while the A1 doesn’t have that problem to my knowledge. Plus the AE 1 uses a finicky plastic piece for both the ISO and the shutter speed selector which you either change the film ISO with or break

[@theren8311]

​​​@@hahaahah7214 Not me with an AE-1 that's existed and used since the 80s. My father used it and handed it down to me.. Maybe you just need to take better care of things?The only problem it has is dirt in the creases. Pretty sure some of that dirt is older than me.

[@hahaahah7214]

@@theren8311 the flex breaking is an issue no matter how good you take care of it, just will it happen is left to rng. Not a bad camera per se but its also not super reliable, seen a couple with the aperture set mechanism failed too. Good for you if you have one working tho, they are great lil cameras when they work!

[@dennyrulos7370]

Yeah the pricing on film cameras make no sense at all. The Pentax K1000 is crazy expensive because it's a 'barebones starter camera'. But any other completely bare mechanical SLR is 5 times cheaper...

[@Carl_G_Jung]

​@@dennyrulos7370the prices for Leica M6/M7 are even worst lol...

[@lutemake3]

I shot an A-1 in the 1980's, and still regret selling my original A-1 when I went to college. Every time I've picked up an A-1 (since 1980), the image in the viewfinder makes me feel like I'm breathing in a breath of fresh, cool morning air. It makes me stop, think, and enjoy the process

[@johntheurer2265]

The canon a-1 has a “whine” when you fire the shutter after it gets old. A little lubrication to the gears and it shuts right up, makes a much better shooting experience

[@Barzyz01]

fact! in time it will have an effect on the shutter speed. My old AE1P did that and after a while I saw over exposures from the slowed down shutter.

[@dan_s_higginson]

I was going to say this. It’s easy enough to do.

[@klement1337]

#healyourA1

[@johntheurer2265]

Alex Vazquez it’s super easy, as I seem to remember you just have to pull off the bottom plate and put some generic lube in there

[@Grenzbereich_eu]

How to fix “Keuchhusten” ;-) kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2HIcpWDpp6barM

[@grainydaysss]

Yea man that camera is A1 steak sauce for sure

[@davidjohansson4315]

wow

[@jonahbock6605]

steak

[@justinalexander5012]

The shutter squeal is music to my ears.

[@ChairmanZhongXiNa]

*sneeze*

[@abraxamovic]

🤦🏻‍♂️

[@aaronmoiche330]

Literally the only worthwhile review of the canon A-1 on KZbin

[@chrismorenomccarthy8487]

I wish these videos lasted an hour. They are so satisfying and relaxing

[@mattdayphoto]

Love this, man. I'm all for more photos being made in day to day life.

[@noahdommaschk]

I CANNOT believe the production quality on your videos! Super awesome photos but the animations and editing is so good and so smooth. It makes the videos look super casual, not overly serious or pretentious, which is exactly the vibe you get when you go out and randomly shoot film. Just awesome keep it up.

[@theharveydean]

I honestly love coming back to these videos just for the combination of music and approachable style in photography. Big fan right here.

[@samhardy2479]

Great job young Eggleston. The pics of the autos and the laundromat where very good. The light is everything. Good eye. I really enjoyed this.

[@johnsciara9418]

I purchased the Canon A1 new back around 1983. It was my first interchangeable lens camera. It was one step above the AE-1. I recently purchased used the Canon Rebel "S" camera, because that camera uses the EF mount so my good lenses will work on a film camera.

[@its_eli1889]

A Canon A-1 at that condition is not cheap online.

[@jhoang861]

uh it’s pretty cheap compared to the original price back in the days when it cost above $625!! 😂 Nowadays I see it under $200! And that’s with a lens!

[@igssilva]

@@jhoang861 A brand new Canon A1 with 1.8 / 50 lens was $ 339 in 1982, according to the ads on Popular Photography magazine.

[@stillchromatic]

@@igssilva With adjusted inflation it's still pretty up there!

[@quietriot10000]

@@jhoang861 That is true but you can get more modern slr film cameras with a lens or 2 from 20-50€.

[@dflf]

Especially an all black body that clean. They usually show a lot of brassing

[@KhalidahEmiola]

This is so dope! I lived in beacon for the last 23 years, and this made me fall even more in love with our little town! Thanks for stopping by!

[@FaridaaKarim14]

The shot at 5:32 with the OPEN shadow on the wall WOW

[@ShotaAM]

So thrilled to see you upload a video about the Canon A-1! It's my first and only film camera currently and I'm having such a blast taking pictures. Mainly trying and failing taking dancing pictures in low light. Inspired to go and take pictures of flats and other random city stuff after watching this! My photos usually suck for these subjects.

[@AeroSixWJ]

Wow... it’s so easy to fall in love with the colors and grades of these pictures. I feel like these pics were taken many many years ago. I kinda want a camera like this.

[@angelicaramirez9674]

Your work and videos ease my anxiety. Quite literally helping me just breathe. Thank you for sharing everything with us

[@p-milli1949]

For some reason you're the only person on KZbin I trust to tell me about film

[@BryanBirks]

My girlfriend asked me what I wanted to watch on this Sunday and she expected Netflix or Hulu and I said “Willem.” She was confused.

[@CMCSenior]

Enjoyed your video on the A-1 Canon. Back in the 70’s I started out with the AE-1 and eventually moved up to the A-1. Sold it when I moved to digital, but bought another one which I still own and use. Thanks for the memories!

[@randallstewart175]

Not sure what his definition of "budget camera" might be. When it was first introduced, it was the most sophisticated camera on the planet, and carried a price to match. Years ago, when a friend wanted to get into photography, I bought him an A-1 because it gave him the option for use from fully manual to fully automatic. Also, I didn't want him borrowing my Nikon lenses.

[@thiagobnla]

Hey, about the noise: look for Canon Squeak. Is the mechanism that moves the mirror up and down. It's actually super easy to fix. just a drop of machine oil in a specific part under the bottom plate and done. Mine was actually affecting the shutter speed because the mirror wouldn't move in the right speed.

[@oliverbryant1]

The cafe photo you show first is probably the best photograph I've ever seen.

[@SamuelElkinsPhoto]

Beautiful colors in all of these 🤞🏼 great video as always!

[@hazelnutadventures8335]

That's it. After months of quarantine, I'm taking my unused AE-1 Program outside. 😭 So glad I found your channel! You're an inspiration now.

[@ellimest]

Did you actually do it?

[@jamiehoy3616]

Love my canon A-1 i’ve been shooting with it for years! It’s an easy starter camera & I use it to take photos for all my film photography videos!

[@friesewiese]

Came across this video like a week ago and I've been binge watching your content all day since. Really love your content, your vibe, your work and everything about what you do!

[@EliBeaversonVisuals]

Super chill dude and just fun to watch! That little town looked like a good spot for some unique photos!

[@gemini-soyuz]

Just love that shadow light play it's really nice

[@kanecain1981]

Just got one! Oiled the shutter with a single drop of gun oil, got rid of the shutter whine. Got mine for $43!

[@Beng177]

I am slowly making a collection of all the canon cameras from this series and I have to say the Canon A-1 is my favourite to take photos on!

[@trevorsowers]

I think the A1 is the best of the A series. My favourite FD body is the New F1 though

[@culleng.1653]

love this one Will. the vibe is laid back and reminiscent of your early vids. really dig the fact you produced it all yourself. thanks man.

[@juliogonzalez7773]

aside from the themes in your videos and cameras and what not, your color grading on your actual reviews is just calming to my eyes, keep doing the good things, you don't need to share a video of your "LUT", keep it unique

[@Lastman737]

I can't make excuses because now you're using the same camera I have. Okay I need to up my game. I always thought it was my gear.

[@tomtom9889]

nope not at all, the Canon A-1 is a beautiful camera. very competent enough to take amazing photos.

[@bobbygreen9106]

I got stuck on the "its my gear" thing and I gotta say, gear means nothing. Stepped up to an A7iii after using a D3400 for years and my D3400 shots are arguably better and I had more fun using it.

[@leegray1393]

My grandma lives in Beacon. Watching this brought back a lot of memories

[@twelv7visuals]

Love that retro ambience it gives the shots.... just picked an A1 up so looking at it's capabilities.... cheers dude.

[@RonnyKohlmann]

Great review. I love my A1 as well. I'd recommend getting the 50 1.4. Its cheap and very good. Personally I got the 35f2 (radioactive), 50f1.4 and 135f2.8 and can recommend all of them. What I really like about the A1 is that you are able to adapt other lenses and still shoot Aperture Priority in Stopped Down mode.

[@seanc8054]

also the shutter noise is from the gears being dry, you have to undo these tiny screws pull the face plate off and jam a needle with a bend in it blindly into a corner and hope you dont drown the thing with oil, after that you put it back together and it's good to go (unless you drown it in oil and then it's prolly bad) i dunno anything about cameras, i have the A-1 but i dunno where to get a lens for it or how to find one that fits on it, or what kind to get theres a million lenseseses that show up when i do a search

[@WesleyVerhoevePhotography]

CLASSIC. The camera I learned on as a wee tot

[@shadowvenger20]

Love these shots! But that photo inside the pizza shop at 5:32 has to be my favourite in this set.

[@fernandoguerrero5333]

Sounds like your A1 has "Shutter Squeal." Mine had it too. Sent it for CLA recently. I'm the original owner (bought my A1 new in 1984!) It's just been in hibernation for 24 years! It's a beautiful camera :)

[@TimeAllen]

finally a youtube photographer with decent taste in music

[@DougHall65]

Nice work. The A-1 is the camera that seduced me into a deep love of photography, many years ago. (I delivered the local newspaper in my town for over two years to buy it, paying about $660 Canadian dollars for the body w the 50 mm 1.8 lens).

[@benmcdonald7468]

Secret American at 3:40!! Great song choice, awesome video as well really enjoy your take on film shooting.

[@jmoyet]

Budget 35mm cameras are where the most fun is because you don’t have to be so serious about it unless you want to be and you get more shots per roll vs 120 where you want to plan ahead how you want to expose those 8-12 shots vs 24-36 on 35mm

[@keshavladdha1149]

You are such a likeable person! Super chill vibe.

[@RahimX]

this is not willem because he's not wearing carhartt

[@windyadiyatna7912]

Frank M he's using it under his champion

[@SonnyPeas]

Hey, just wanted to let you know, you brought me back into film with how fun your videos are. Thank you!! 🥰

[@ethankoster4626]

That’s exactly what I love about 35mm, it allows you to capture more everyday images. Freaking rad

[@BraeHunziker]

That photo of the house with the pods container 🙌🏻

[@christianvjgamil6872]

Cheers to more 35mm film photography videos!!!!🙌🙌🙌

[@b-b8704]

I learned on the ae1 and I still use it all the time. Its simple, effective, and the lenses are super affordable since they are outdated

[@lewgoogle5530]

You inspired me to take out my very own A1, purchased new by me maybe 40 years ago, with 35mm F2 and 100mm F2 lenses. It's a beauty for sure.

[@edenbrown6643]

this video is so sweet and helpful for someone who is new to this camera!! thank you!!

[@joemonat2579]

If you liked the build quality and lens performance of your G1 and the SLR style of the A1, it sounds like the Contax S2 is right up your alley.

[@jesusa.7064]

I just got this camera and I am absolutely in love with it! It’s ease of use is fantastic and it’s a super reliable camera... the only thing I hate is that loud shutter sound. But other than that fantastic

[@estefanycariatide616]

Jesus A. Hey man! I have a question, how are you sure that you expose everything right? I’ve read that the light meter that the camera has incorporated is trashy

[@619chrismc]

My personal favorite camera platform. So nice I bought 2 of them just because I like vintage and mint.

[@toho45]

I have a Nikon FE and FM and recently I bought a Canon A-1, I think is one of the sexiest camera of all time!! Still looking so futuristic even today 2024. A semi pro camera only rivalled by Nikon FA I guess. In the 80s I can only dream 😂

[@SpankyOleary]

Love this video, love that you showed the scene before the photo. Thanks for making this dude, I enjoyed watching it.

[@wallyang]

Hey Willem. I have an AE-1 that had the Canon sneeze as well. It's a pretty easy fix to do yourself, I did it two years ago with some oil I had around for my trombone and haven't had issues since.

[@notapplicabl3624]

Seconded ^. My A-1 had the squeal and my shutter speed could not reach over 1/250. Lubed the shutter and mirror gears through the top left screw hole under the face plate with some sewing machine oil. Works great now and totally quiet.

[@kevinpatrickmacnutt]

Yeah mine was pretty easy to resolve. I found it more effective going in under the lens mount (I have fixed three AE-1, an AE-1 Program and an A-1 with this issue), however you can also go in through the bottom. Either way you will need an oiling syringe.

[@thedadglide5665]

Just got gifted an A-1 from my dad. Can’t wait to dive in with film. Great video and now I’m super psyched to go shoot

[@robperez3559]

Love beacon. Right down the road from me. Great photographing up and down the Hudson Valley 👌🏻

[@essjayyell]

Really enjoyed this one. You had some great light to work with on this day.

[@tomfoxmusic]

I love your videos, such beautiful images! thank you for your content

[@charleskoonu]

The "Open" photo is lovely.

[@iTube2772]

I found you since 3 days, seen many videos and have realized one thing. All cameras are kinda same but YOU are awesome at taking pictures.

[@lukasmonradnass7059]

Always love the vibe from your vids

[@darens1926]

Cool. I learned on an AE1p. Sold the whole lot to a student photographer to make way for a Canon 60D lol. Wouldn’t mind trying it again. I find my old 60d with the pancake 40mm is great for a walk around.

[@michaelstots7107]

Love your shots! One thing I dislike, and this is totally personal preference, is when I see modern things in the shot. Like the old house was beautiful, but the pods trailer took away from the shot. Same with the one that had the dodge truck in the street! Some really great lighting and shots!! Thanks for sharing

[@LeagueOfEditz]

How have I not come into this channel before!! Awesome vibes man really enjoyable viewing😃

[@amxr2728]

I just got a Vivitar 530 pz from my thrift shop today for $7 now i'm scouring the internet for knowledge because apparently i have a new hobby and yours is the mostt helpful channel so far!!

[@grgprincipe]

Yay to the canon squeek! Nice vid Willem.

[@hannahcroft7708]

God Willem’s videos are so relaxing

[@Zrinko_Maloseja]

Lol, there's a red Yugo in the back at 2:48. Cheers from ex Yugoslavia, dude ;)

[@mileschun143]

Awesome work Willem. My favorite thing to do with my A-1 is put some Takumar primes on with an m42-FD adapter. Still lets you shoot in aperture priority and you get the legendary optics of takumar glass with the great metering and utilitarian feel of the A-1.

[@graham_white]

that definitely sounds like something I need to try.

[@monvia88]

My great-aunt and uncle gave me their old A-1 and it’s a gem. It still has a battery in it that says “Made in West Germany.” The battery still works.

[@jjjtvatbp]

Wow, i have Canon A1 with full kit, Rewinder, external flash.... and it was just sitting on my old drawer for decades.... I got it from my grandpa... now u gave me d hunger to try again my Canon A1 35mm... eheheh thanks for this great video.

[@jocelynt.maxwell999]

And yet again, I find myself laughing spilling just a touch of tea on myself while I watch your videos! I just recently purchased a Minolta x-7a, and have been having so much fun with it! Can't wait to explore different kinds of film speeds. Great video, Willem!

[@michaelbruchas6663]

I got my AE-1 Program from a retired high school band director. His wife used it for shooting band concerts. They never used the 50mm lens - always a 35mm for shooting the band en masse. Was given another beat-up AE-1. It works, too. Saw an A-1 at a decent price and might buy it. Was gifted a Canon FTb before getting the AE-1’s but the meter was fried.

[@helloimedden]

I’ve had this camera with a 50mm 1.8 for over a year now. It’s a great camera to carry around for fun. It’s a tank.

[@NewMacFan]

The cuffing noise comes from the mirror dampening mechanism that releases the mirror back down. I fixed that on my A-1 by applying a small drop of oil into the gear box. This happens when after all these years the original lubricants used for the plastic gears gets a little sticky or even hardens.

[@phigrecon]

finally, someone that loads film the smart way, LEFT TO RIGHT GUYS not right to left and then waste two shots with the back opened and another two with the back closed hahahah

[@danielbarrientos4529]

amazing video as usual, good job willem!

[@deleteitmatt]

i'm from beacon! it is really crazy to see you come and take pictures here. hope you enjoyed your time, its a beautiful time of year to visit!!

[@davidjohansson4315]

Loved this video, man. Classic Willem vibe, and really appreciate the abstract theme of a laid back review/vlog. Been shooting the A-1 with a 50mm F1.4 for the last ten years and definitely been experiencing the same thing when shooting at low aperture values - my dog sneeze shutter squeak is about thrice the noise of yours, so it might actually be messing with the shutter speed/camera shake in my case. Anyway, this camera is so great and a real tank. Budget or not, you can always count on getting that old school full frame style from this sucker. PEACE.

[@abraxamovic]

Fixing that squeak is really simple, just search KZbin for canon a1 squeak fix, you don’t need any paranormal skills or fancy tools to do it.

[@tcartproductions]

By far my favorite camera out of my fleet!

[@B1GDaddYJOe]

Really enjoyed this nice 1 on 1 walk with willem catching some light rays :)

[@chermaedubonnei3992]

I own a A-1 Canon..along with several other 35mm digital camera's non film type...& i find i enjoy the film A-1 better...stay with it my friend

[@jackkendall4037]

Super sick editing Willem

[@GoldtriggerDude]

I got one in 1979. I took tons of great pictures with it. Retired it after digital cameras came into being. I had it on display on a shelf at home (along with my AE-1 Program) and recently decided to mess around with it. The thing is built like a friggin tank. It still works (So does the AE-1P). All I needed to do was buy a battery. Amazing engineering by Canon at the time. Quality lasts!

[@mirrorgrain5476]

I just ordered my A-1. stoked to take her shooting.

[@chacecampbell2697]

Love your videos so much dude. You really make the storytelling and flow look effortless, like your whole channel is the cinematic embodiment of 'oddly satisfying.' Like Peaceful Cuisine but for photography :).

[@SeanKD_Photos]

Just bought an A1 and was watching this video, I was pretty surprised to see my town in the video, Beacon NY, you even got a shot of my house in the video lol