Canon F-1
Encyclopedia
The Canon F-1 is a 35 mm
single-lens reflex camera
produced by Canon
of Japan
from March 1971 until 1976's introduction of the mildly updated F-1n, while in 1981 a New F-1
was launched. The new Canon FD
lens mount
was introduced along with the F-1, but the previous Canon FL
-mount lenses were also compatible, although without open-aperture metering. The Canon F-1 was clearly placed as a solid competitor to the Nikon F
and Nikon F2
line of single lens reflex cameras by Nikon
.
The F-1 was Canon's first truly professional-grade SLR system, supporting a huge variety of accessories and interchangeable parts
so it could be adapted for different uses and preferences.
In 1972 Canon launched a Highspeed model with a fixed pellicle mirror
that allowed the user to see the subject at all times. Equipped with a motor drive the camera was able to shoot up to 9 frame per second, the highest speed of any motor driven camera at the time.
A special commemorative model of the F-1 was offered for the 1976 Montreal Olympics
. It was identical to the regular F-1 but for the Olympic emblem
on the front upper left of the body. Canon also manufactured and sold commemorative 55 mm and (much harder to find) 58 mm lens caps with the 1976 Montreal Olympics for their norrmal lenses in production at the time.
For the 1980 Winter Olympics
in Lake Placid
, a Special version of the F-1 with the engraved Lake Placid Olympic logo was offered. Special Lake Placid 52 mm lens caps were also made.
In 1978 a military model called "ODF-1" (olive drab) with an all-over olive green finishing was presented.
Canon, being the official sponsor of the World Cup, made 1978 55 mm lens caps and 1982 52 mm lens caps commemorating the 1978 and 1982 World Cup events.
The number of focusing screens was also expanded from four to nine.
In 1980 Canon introduced "Laser Matte" focusing screens identified by an "L" in a circle on the screen's label. These Laser Matte screens were noticeablly brighter than the earlier screens, and they were continued with the New F-1.
was removable (interchangeable with four other viewfinders); The focusing screen could be changed out with 4 (later 9) types; the mirror could be locked up to allow deep seated lenses or for high magnification work, the back was interchangeable with a data and bulk film back (250 exposures), The bottom plate was removable and there were 4 Motor Drives and / or Power Winders that could be used (one was a special order 9 frames per second high speed motor drive); three different flash couplers allowed a wide variety of flashes; the eyepiece could take threaded diopter adjustment lenses, magnifiers or angle finders; and the lens collection numbered over 50 FD (and a few special purpose) lenses from 7.5 mm fisheye to 1200 mm super telephoto
, and included the world's fastest 300 mm at the time (the 300 mm F2.8L) and the world's fastest 400 mm lens (the New FD 400 mm F2.8L) both of which incorporated special fluorite and ultra low dispersion glass elements for superb optical quality at the widest lens opening.
The camera shipped with a standard pentaprism finder, called an "eye level finder" by Canon.
Other finders available included a waist level finder, Speed Finder, Booster T finder, and Servo EE finder.
The waist level finder was patterned after the design of waist level finders common on medium format cameras. It had a pop-up hood to shield the focusing screen from stray light, as well as a magnifier to help with critical focusing. The waist level finder did not allow the metering information to be seen.
The Speed Finder was unique to Canon. The speed finder had a unique arrangement of prisms which allowed the entire finder image to be viewed from 60 millimeters away. In addition, the speed finder was arranged in such a way that it could be viewed in either the eye level or waist level position. The speed finder was suggested for use when wearing goggles or anything else that could prevent the user from placing the eyepiece right up to their eye. The Speed finder allowed full metering.
The Booster T Finder and Servo EE Finder were both essentially variations on the standard eye level finder. The Booster T Finder contained an ultra-sensitive metering cell which could read as low as EV −3.5. Just like the metering range was shifted towards the dark side, this finder also shift the shutter speeds the camera provided towards the long end. Instead of the normal range (1 s – 1/2000 s), the Booster T Finder gave 60 s – 1/60 s. The shutter speed dial on the finder locked on to the camera's normal shutter dial and drove it through a coupling pin for the standard range of 1 s – 1/60 s. The finder also had a trigger button, which went through the finder down to the normal trigger button. When the Booster's shutter speed dial was turned further, towards longer times, the camera's dial stopped at the B(ulb) setting, and the finder kept the trigger button pressed for the duration of the exposure. The mechanics of this connection also resulted in the oddity that there was no 2 s setting, but 4, 3 and 1 seconds.
The Servo EE Finder added shutter priority automatic exposure to the F-1. A servo mechanism in the finder drove the aperture lever on the lens, stopping it down to the correct value. This finder used the same coupling pin on the shutter speed dial as the Booster T Finder did, to sync the finder's shutter speed setting with the camera. It required a cord connected battery magazine (8AAs) or the Motor Drive MF and a special power cord.
In 1972 Canon made a special Modification of the F-1 called the "High Speed Motor Drive Camera". It had a fixed pellicle (semi transparent) mirror, the motor drive motors were a permanent attachment (the camera's wind lever was removed – making it impossible to use without the motor drive) and was powered by 20 AA batteries! Maximum speed was 9 frame/s – the fastest available at the time. Its use at the 1972 Olympics in Japan produced fantastic sequential shots that were previously impossible to achieve.
In 1973, Canon introduced the Motor Drive MF. The Motor Drive MF had its batteries (10 AAs) in a vertical grip that mounted to the front left (looking from the front). It had a maximum rate of 3.5 frame/s and was much better suited to action / sports photography, especially when paired with the Speed Finder or Servo EE finder. A special cord allowed th Servo EE finder to draw its power from the Motor drive MF – thus making a much more compact setup than the original Motor Drive unit. The Motor Drive MF did not have a built in intervalometer, but the Interval Timer L (and later the Interval Timer TM-1 (Quartz) could be plugged into the remote control socket as could remote switches and a wireless contol unit, the Wireless Controller LC-1. Tthese all allowed either remote and / or unattended use of the camera.
Later, Canon introduced the Power Winder F, a 2 frame/s power winder with a grip for ease of use. It used 4 AA batteries in the same battery magazine that the Canon A-series Power Winder A used. The Power winder F could use most of the remote switches that also fit the Motor Drive MF. The only two accessories that it could not use were the Interval Timer L and the Remote Switch 60-MF. While not as fast, The Power Winder F was smaller and lighter than the Motor Drive MF.
Unlike many other professional level cameras of the early 1970s, the F-1 required no modification or special custom fitting to attach the motor drives, one simply removed the bottom plate and screwed the motor drive in place.
Canon announced and produced manuals for a high power handle mounted ("pototao masher") flash designated SpeedLight 500A. This was also to use the CATS equipment It appears in some Canon publications, and there are user instructions for it, however most people have never actually seen a SpeedLight 500A.
Fow low ambient light photography without flash, Canon provided the Finder Illuminator F which slid over the same flash contacts at the flash couplers. It contained a small battery powwered light to light up the metering window.
Later, Canon introduced the Flash Coupler F, which fastened over the Eye Level Finder, making the camera look like more like one with a fixed viewfinder and hot shoe. This flash coupler, obviously could not be used with any other viewfinder, and did not have the electronics that the L model had, but it was more compact and the newer A-series flashes which had auto flash capabilities had now superseded the old SpeedLite 133D.
135 film
The term 135 was introduced by Kodak in 1934 as a designation for cartridge film wide, specifically for still photography. It quickly grew in popularity, surpassing 120 film by the late 1960s to become the most popular photographic film format...
single-lens reflex camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
produced by Canon
Canon Inc.
is a Japanese multinational corporation that specialises in the manufacture of imaging and optical products, including cameras, camcorders, photocopiers, steppers and computer printers. Its headquarters are located in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan.-Origins:...
of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
from March 1971 until 1976's introduction of the mildly updated F-1n, while in 1981 a New F-1
Canon New F-1
The Canon New F-1 replaced the F-1n as Canon's top-of-the-line 35mm single-lens reflex camera in 1981. Like the earlier models, the New F-1 takes FD-mount lenses. Although no date has ever been confirmed, it is thought that the last New F-1 was made in 1992...
was launched. The new Canon FD
Canon FD
The Canon FD lens mount is a physical standard for connecting a photographic lens to a single-lens reflex camera body. The standard was developed by Canon of Japan and was introduced in March 1971 with the Canon F-1 camera. It was the primary Canon SLR lens mounting system until 1987 when the...
lens mount
Lens mount
A lens mount is an interface — mechanical and often also electrical — between a photographic camera body and a lens. It is confined to cameras where the body allows interchangeable lenses, most usually the single lens reflex type or any movie camera of 16 mm or higher gauge...
was introduced along with the F-1, but the previous Canon FL
Canon FL
Canon FL refers to a lens mount standard for 35mm single-lens reflex cameras from Canon. It was introduced in April 1964 with the Canon FX camera, replacing the previous Canon R mount. It was in turn replaced in 1971 by the Canon FD lens mount...
-mount lenses were also compatible, although without open-aperture metering. The Canon F-1 was clearly placed as a solid competitor to the Nikon F
Nikon F
The Nikon F camera, introduced in 1959, was Nikon's first SLR camera. It was one of the most advanced cameras of its day. Although most of its concepts had already been introduced elsewhere, it was the first camera to combine them all in one camera. It was produced until October 1973 and was...
and Nikon F2
Nikon F2
The Nikon F2 is a professional level, interchangeable lens, 35 mm film, single-lens reflex camera. It was manufactured by the Japanese optics company Nippon Kogaku K. K. in Japan from September 1971 to June 1980...
line of single lens reflex cameras by Nikon
Nikon
, also known as just Nikon, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and imaging. Its products include cameras, binoculars, microscopes, measurement instruments, and the steppers used in the photolithography steps of semiconductor fabrication, of which...
.
The F-1 was Canon's first truly professional-grade SLR system, supporting a huge variety of accessories and interchangeable parts
Interchangeable parts
Interchangeable parts are parts that are, for practical purposes, identical. They are made to specifications that ensure that they are so nearly identical that they will fit into any device of the same type. One such part can freely replace another, without any custom fitting...
so it could be adapted for different uses and preferences.
In 1972 Canon launched a Highspeed model with a fixed pellicle mirror
Pellicle mirror
right|thumb|The pellicle mirror of the [[Canon EOS RT]]A pellicle mirror is an ultra-thin, ultra-lightweight semi-transparent mirror employed in the light path of an optical instrument, splitting the light beam into two separate beams, both of reduced light intensity...
that allowed the user to see the subject at all times. Equipped with a motor drive the camera was able to shoot up to 9 frame per second, the highest speed of any motor driven camera at the time.
A special commemorative model of the F-1 was offered for the 1976 Montreal Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
. It was identical to the regular F-1 but for the Olympic emblem
Olympic emblem
Each Olympic Games has its own Olympic emblem, which is a design integrating the Olympic rings with one or more distinctive elements. They are created and proposed by the Organising Committee of the Olympic Games or the National Olympic Committee of the host country...
on the front upper left of the body. Canon also manufactured and sold commemorative 55 mm and (much harder to find) 58 mm lens caps with the 1976 Montreal Olympics for their norrmal lenses in production at the time.
For the 1980 Winter Olympics
1980 Winter Olympics
The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, was a multi-sport event which was celebrated from 13 February through 24 February 1980 in Lake Placid, New York, United States of America. This was the second time the Upstate New York village hosted the Games, after 1932...
in Lake Placid
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
, a Special version of the F-1 with the engraved Lake Placid Olympic logo was offered. Special Lake Placid 52 mm lens caps were also made.
In 1978 a military model called "ODF-1" (olive drab) with an all-over olive green finishing was presented.
Canon, being the official sponsor of the World Cup, made 1978 55 mm lens caps and 1982 52 mm lens caps commemorating the 1978 and 1982 World Cup events.
Revisions
In 1976, the camera was revised slightly. This revised version is sometimes called the F-1n (not to be confused with the 1981 New F-1). All told 13 improvements were made. These changes were:- Change the standard focusing screen from the A style (microprism only) to E style (split image with microprism ring).
- Widen the film advance lever offset from 15 degrees to 30 degrees.
- Decrease the winding stroke from 180 degrees to 139 degrees.
- Increase the maximum ASA from 2000 to 3200.
- Added a plastic tip to the advance lever.
- Changed the mirror to transmit more blue light, thus making the image brighter.
- Added a detent to the rewind crank to allow it to stay put when pulled out.
- Added the capability to take a screw-in type PC sync socket.
- Spring load the battery check position of the power switch.
- Increase the size of the shutter release cup.
- Added a soft rubber ring around the eyepiece.
- Added a film reminder holder to the camera back.
- Simplify multiple exposure procedure.
The number of focusing screens was also expanded from four to nine.
In 1980 Canon introduced "Laser Matte" focusing screens identified by an "L" in a circle on the screen's label. These Laser Matte screens were noticeablly brighter than the earlier screens, and they were continued with the New F-1.
Accessories
The Canon F-1 had one of the largest set of accessories of any 35mm SLR ever produced. The viewfinderViewfinder
In photography, a viewfinder is what the photographer looks through to compose, and in many cases to focus, the picture. Most viewfinders are separate, and suffer parallax, while the single-lens reflex camera lets the viewfinder use the main optical system. Viewfinders are used in many cameras of...
was removable (interchangeable with four other viewfinders); The focusing screen could be changed out with 4 (later 9) types; the mirror could be locked up to allow deep seated lenses or for high magnification work, the back was interchangeable with a data and bulk film back (250 exposures), The bottom plate was removable and there were 4 Motor Drives and / or Power Winders that could be used (one was a special order 9 frames per second high speed motor drive); three different flash couplers allowed a wide variety of flashes; the eyepiece could take threaded diopter adjustment lenses, magnifiers or angle finders; and the lens collection numbered over 50 FD (and a few special purpose) lenses from 7.5 mm fisheye to 1200 mm super telephoto
Canon FL 1200mm lens
The Canon FL 1200mm f/11 was a super-telephoto lens marketed by Japanese optical manufacturer Canon in June 1972. It was the longest super-telephoto lens in the Canon FL system. Canon did not release an equivalent lens for the Canon FD mount, so it remained the company's longest SLR telephoto lens...
, and included the world's fastest 300 mm at the time (the 300 mm F2.8L) and the world's fastest 400 mm lens (the New FD 400 mm F2.8L) both of which incorporated special fluorite and ultra low dispersion glass elements for superb optical quality at the widest lens opening.
Viewfinders
Like most professional 35 mm cameras of the 1970s, the F-1 had interchangeable viewfinders. To remove the viewfinder, one depressed the two small buttons at the rear sides of the finder, and slid the finder toward the back of the camera (or depress one button on the bottom of the Speed Finder).The camera shipped with a standard pentaprism finder, called an "eye level finder" by Canon.
Other finders available included a waist level finder, Speed Finder, Booster T finder, and Servo EE finder.
The waist level finder was patterned after the design of waist level finders common on medium format cameras. It had a pop-up hood to shield the focusing screen from stray light, as well as a magnifier to help with critical focusing. The waist level finder did not allow the metering information to be seen.
The Speed Finder was unique to Canon. The speed finder had a unique arrangement of prisms which allowed the entire finder image to be viewed from 60 millimeters away. In addition, the speed finder was arranged in such a way that it could be viewed in either the eye level or waist level position. The speed finder was suggested for use when wearing goggles or anything else that could prevent the user from placing the eyepiece right up to their eye. The Speed finder allowed full metering.
The Booster T Finder and Servo EE Finder were both essentially variations on the standard eye level finder. The Booster T Finder contained an ultra-sensitive metering cell which could read as low as EV −3.5. Just like the metering range was shifted towards the dark side, this finder also shift the shutter speeds the camera provided towards the long end. Instead of the normal range (1 s – 1/2000 s), the Booster T Finder gave 60 s – 1/60 s. The shutter speed dial on the finder locked on to the camera's normal shutter dial and drove it through a coupling pin for the standard range of 1 s – 1/60 s. The finder also had a trigger button, which went through the finder down to the normal trigger button. When the Booster's shutter speed dial was turned further, towards longer times, the camera's dial stopped at the B(ulb) setting, and the finder kept the trigger button pressed for the duration of the exposure. The mechanics of this connection also resulted in the oddity that there was no 2 s setting, but 4, 3 and 1 seconds.
The Servo EE Finder added shutter priority automatic exposure to the F-1. A servo mechanism in the finder drove the aperture lever on the lens, stopping it down to the correct value. This finder used the same coupling pin on the shutter speed dial as the Booster T Finder did, to sync the finder's shutter speed setting with the camera. It required a cord connected battery magazine (8AAs) or the Motor Drive MF and a special power cord.
Motor Drives
The originally available Motor Drive was named the "Motor Drive Unit". It was commonly referred to as the Motor Drive MD – because all of the accessories had MD in their suffix, but that was not the official designation. The Motor Drive Unit originally required a corded battery pack (10 AAs) making it unwieldy for field or sports action use. A later battery pack that direct connected to the unit became available. The unit also contained a built intervalometer for delays up to 1 frame per minute. The maxium speed was 3 frames per second.In 1972 Canon made a special Modification of the F-1 called the "High Speed Motor Drive Camera". It had a fixed pellicle (semi transparent) mirror, the motor drive motors were a permanent attachment (the camera's wind lever was removed – making it impossible to use without the motor drive) and was powered by 20 AA batteries! Maximum speed was 9 frame/s – the fastest available at the time. Its use at the 1972 Olympics in Japan produced fantastic sequential shots that were previously impossible to achieve.
In 1973, Canon introduced the Motor Drive MF. The Motor Drive MF had its batteries (10 AAs) in a vertical grip that mounted to the front left (looking from the front). It had a maximum rate of 3.5 frame/s and was much better suited to action / sports photography, especially when paired with the Speed Finder or Servo EE finder. A special cord allowed th Servo EE finder to draw its power from the Motor drive MF – thus making a much more compact setup than the original Motor Drive unit. The Motor Drive MF did not have a built in intervalometer, but the Interval Timer L (and later the Interval Timer TM-1 (Quartz) could be plugged into the remote control socket as could remote switches and a wireless contol unit, the Wireless Controller LC-1. Tthese all allowed either remote and / or unattended use of the camera.
Later, Canon introduced the Power Winder F, a 2 frame/s power winder with a grip for ease of use. It used 4 AA batteries in the same battery magazine that the Canon A-series Power Winder A used. The Power winder F could use most of the remote switches that also fit the Motor Drive MF. The only two accessories that it could not use were the Interval Timer L and the Remote Switch 60-MF. While not as fast, The Power Winder F was smaller and lighter than the Motor Drive MF.
Unlike many other professional level cameras of the early 1970s, the F-1 required no modification or special custom fitting to attach the motor drives, one simply removed the bottom plate and screwed the motor drive in place.
Backs
The F-1's back was removable. A Data Back F (for the original F-1 and F-1n) or Data Back FN (for the New F-1) (which being mechanical is now incapable of putting the current year on a photo) or a bulk film back that could hold 250 exposures could be attached. The Film Chamber 250 could be used alone or with the Motor Drive Unit or Motor Drive MF (the MF's grip had to be removed and coupled via a dedicated cord).Eyepiece
The F-1s eyepiece was threaded and could take a metal (later soft rubber covered) ring, an eyecup or several different diopter adjustment lenses. Th Magnifier R and Angle Finders A2 and B could also be attached to allow critical focusing and / or waist level use (if one didn't want to fit either the Speed Finder or Waist Level Finder).Flash Accessories
With a removable viewfinder, the F-1's flash coupler originally attached atop the rewind crank. Initially, there were two flash couplers, D and L. The D model was a simple x-synch coupler that allowed any non-dedicated manual or auto flash to be used. The Flash Coupler L contained two batteries (now hard to find, one being originally a 1.35v mercuric oxide and the other being the uncommon PX-1 size), one which powered a light to light up the metering window visible in the viewfinder, and the other to work with the original Canon Auto tuning system (CATS). The CATS used a special auto flash, the SpeedLite 133D and Flash auto Rings A, B, A2 and B2 and Canon 50 mm and 35 mm Lenses which signalled through the cords the distance of the subject and the charge level of the flash to allow match needle flash photography.Canon announced and produced manuals for a high power handle mounted ("pototao masher") flash designated SpeedLight 500A. This was also to use the CATS equipment It appears in some Canon publications, and there are user instructions for it, however most people have never actually seen a SpeedLight 500A.
Fow low ambient light photography without flash, Canon provided the Finder Illuminator F which slid over the same flash contacts at the flash couplers. It contained a small battery powwered light to light up the metering window.
Later, Canon introduced the Flash Coupler F, which fastened over the Eye Level Finder, making the camera look like more like one with a fixed viewfinder and hot shoe. This flash coupler, obviously could not be used with any other viewfinder, and did not have the electronics that the L model had, but it was more compact and the newer A-series flashes which had auto flash capabilities had now superseded the old SpeedLite 133D.