Canon F-1 (Original) Film Camera Review

Canon’s F-1 was the company’s last purely mechanical SLR design.

It’s hefty, but with that heft comes reliability and durability meant for professional applications of the time, which ranged from taking pictures in -30℃/0℉ cold to the 90% humidity of a jungle to the extreme heat of the desert. These cameras can withstand being dropped (but don’t).

Even the prolonged wear looks good on the F-1. My copy is over fifty years old; its black enamel paint has some chips and rub marks, which reveal the dull golden glow of a solid brass body. I love this look.

In this review, I’ll briefly explain why this is Canon’s last purely mechanical camera, compare the F-1 to F-1n and F-1 New (all different cameras to some degree), and go over my experience shooting it on a hectic trip across Canada.

I’ll also attempt to answer a question that seems to be coming up often: is the Canon F-1 a good camera for beginners? In this review: A brief history of the F-1 and Canon’s FD lens mount. Canon F-1 vs. F-1n vs. F-1 New. Technical specifications. Build quality. Canon F-1 in use: design and ergonomics. Is F-1 a good camera for beginners? Canon FD lenses. How much does a Canon F-1 cost, and where to find one. Support this blog & get premium features with GOLD memberships!

A brief history of the F-1 and Canon’s FD lens mount.

The F-1 was introduced in 1971 and soon became Canon’s first meaningful competitor to Nikon’s popular “F” premium SLR line. With it, Canon launched the FD mount, which remained a standard for 16 years.

Canon invested a lot of money and years of research into this new camera, with the objective of making it the best SLR possible. The F-1 was designed to dethrone Nikon’s de facto F lineup, which was used by many (if not most) professionals at the time.

Canon’s new camera was promised to outlast 100,000 shutter fires, remain functional at temperatures ranging from -30 to 60℃ (0 to 148℉), and 90% humidity. Meanwhile, the new FD lens mount opened up a relatively affordable (in today’s second-hand market) world of 68 lenses between 7.5mm and 800mm with new coatings and connections for shutter priority and even adapted aperture priority modes.

I reviewed a few excellent FD lenses, discussed the various coatings (S.C. vs. S.S.C.), and covered the breech-lock vs. bayonet-style lens designs for the mount.

But the F-1 was also Canon’s last camera to use a purely mechanical shutter timing mechanism. The F-1 New (see below for an explanation of what the “New” stands for) used electronic shutter control for a good portion of the shutter speeds, and consequently, pro-level bodies all had ever-increasing dependence on electronics.

The move towards microchips controlling the camera instead of mechanical gears allowed Canon to save money while adding features. However, that also meant they lost something; all new cameras became dependent on batteries and are nearly impossible to repair.

Canon F-1 vs. F-1n vs. F-1 New.

Canon’s F-1 cameras headlined the company’s product lineup for ten years (1971-1981). The original design was well-planned and executed but Canon introduced some refinements halfway through its life in 1976. The updated version, F-1n, included the following new features:

A new split-screen prism to aid focus. This new modernized system made objects that are out-of-focus easier to correct but has also added a slight obstruction to the view. I prefer the original F-1’s micro prism finder for that reason. However, F-1n’s finder is also brighter, thanks to changes to the lens coatings.

Updated film transport controls. The film advance lever has a shorter stroke (139° instead of the original 180°) and a new plastic tip, which I feel detracts from the all-metal aesthetic of the camera body, though it’s still well-made.

Electronics updates: the light meter in the F-1n can now work with ISO 3200 films, and the screw-in PC flash sync port was added. Also, the battery check button got a little easier to use.

Other updates include a rubber ring around the eyepiece, a film reminder holder on the back of the camera (also not my favourite update as it detracted from the clean design), and simplified multiple exposures.

The F-1 New is a heavily modified F-1 design that introduced many new electronics, materials, and user features that essentially make it a completely different camera. It was introduced in 1981 as a successor to the F-1n (I know, confusing).

Technical specifications.

Canon F-1 is a fully mechanical 35mm film SLR with a built-in TTL match-needle light metering system. It takes a Wein MRB625 Zing-Air Battery. The meter works with film speeds between 25 and 2000 ISO (with half-stops).

The camera comes with an interchangeable prism viewfinder that produces 0.8x magnification on a 50mm lens and has excellent eye relief¹ for eyeglass wearers (it has 97% coverage). The standard finder can be replaced with an optional Canon Speed Finer (for even greater relief), a Waist-Level Finder, or a Servo EE Finder, which will make the F-1 a shutter-priority camera.

F-1 uses a focal-plane shutter with a top speed of 1/2000s, flash sync at 1/60s and the slowest speeds being 1s and Bulb.

This camera weighs 845g/30oz and measures 146mm × 104mm × 54mm (5.8” × 4.1” × 2.1”) without a lens but with the stock finder mounted.

The 10-second self-timer control on the front face of the camera doubles as a DOF preview when the top lever is pushed towards the lens. Mirror lock-up (for ultra-long exposures) is done with the same control by pushing the top lever towards the lens and then pulling the bottom lever towards the “M.”

¹ — Eye relief means the distance at which you can keep the camera from your face while still seeing the complete viewfinder image. If you wear glasses, you may want more eye relief.

Build quality.

Canon F-1 is an exceptionally well-built camera. It was meant to last in all kinds of weather conditions. The only thing it can’t handle is being submerged in water.

Many of these cameras have outlived their original owners.

Canon F-1s look even better after decades of extensive use. The black enamel paint, as tough as it may be, eventually wears and reveals a dull yellow glow of the metal underneath. This type of wear is often sought-after (I certainly enjoy the look of it). It’s called brassing.

No matter the age, everything on this camera feels solid. All the components fit perfectly together as if F-1s were laser-cut out of stone. But statues can’t take photos, and they shatter when dropped, whereas F-1 is a precise instrument that can take serious abuse before giving up.

The only component that left me wishing it was executed better was the light meter. Not because I needed it (I used the Sunny 16 rule 100% of the time). It’s just that the shutter display and the match-needle strip in the finder are so good-looking I wish I could use them more often or at all. The system relies on an outdated battery and, in many cases, is not working at all.

Oh well, an app with a spot meter or a good eye for the light is more accurate anyway.

Canon F-1 in use: design and ergonomics.

Canon F-1 is not a light camera. Even the smallest FD lens weighs and protrudes enough from the body that I had to think twice about taking it with me on my recent trip.

I flew across Canada on the cheapest flight possible, which had strict guidelines for how small a cabin bag should be and no extra personal items were allowed (alternatively, a $75+ fee). To make it work, I had no choice but to cram my F-1 with the 24mm lens into my hoodie pocket — and it fit! There was a huge bulge in my garment, but the camera stayed put.

Despite its size, the F-1 is a relatively quick camera. On my trip, I was able to catch all the action I was hoping to get with no worse results than with many of my point-and-shoots. The camera’s controls are all placed in the best possible spots, and there aren’t many of them either, which made operating the F-1 a breeze.

All the basic functions are plain, accessible, and easy to understand on F-1s. The film is fairly easy to load, the shutter dial is in the right place, and the viewfinder is very comfortable. The only features that I discovered later were the DOF preview (see: “technical specifications”) and the mirror lock-up.

One ergonomic issue with this camera is the lack of an appropriate hand grip. The fingers of my right hand have little space and sometimes push the timer lever in slightly when I hold the camera one-handedly. However, you can find a very nice wooden hand grip for your F-1 on Etsy or a 3D-printed plastic one in various places online.

Is F-1 a good camera for beginners?

Yes.

Modern photography, including film photography, is taught and learned differently today than it used to be decades ago. You can pick a point-and-shoot, stick to it, and create impeccable images without having to learn about exposure or focus control. But knowing how to shoot fully manual film cameras can still enrich how both beginners and proficient photographers use and think of these incredible tools.

Canon F-1 is precise, sturdy, and easy to use. It used to sell for a lot of money, but today it’s reasonably affordable, costing on average about $300 (depending on condition). Better yet, it’s compatible with a ton of excellent, affordable Canon FD lenses that can open up all sorts of angles and use cases.

Canon F-1 may not be the best camera for toddlers. With the lens, it weighs over 1kg/2lb and you’ll need to learn how to use a light meter (it’s actually very easy).

For everyone else, Canon F-1 is an excellent beginner film camera. In fact, this may be the only camera you’ll ever need; it certainly can and is used on professional photoshoots.

Canon FD lenses.

Canon’s FD lenses evolved over the sixteen-plus years of production. They were made to fit a respectable range of bodies, with the F-1 being the most expensive and classics like AE-1 costing significantly less than the competition. As such, they had to be both affordable and well-made.

The early lens series used a breech-lock system that worked by placing the lens on the body and then rotating a silver ring clockwise to lock it. These lenses looked a little dated but had more metal components.

Later versions, like the pictured Canon FD 24mm 1:2.8 lens, had more plastic components but had a more familiar bayonet-style mount (when you place the lens on the body by matching the red dots and then twist the entire lens clockwise until you hear a click).

Canon FD lenses may not feel as solid as the ten or hundred times more expensive Leica lenses, but they are all very good. Regardless of the materials used, the lenses and coatings always perform very well and are suitable for any job you’d like them for. Of course, there are also rare FD lenses that still cost an arm and a leg — if you’re looking for something special (like the $80,000 Canon 24mm FD 1.4 aspherical).

The only type of lens missing from the FD lineup is a pancake lens, i.e., a lens that’s very thin and doesn’t protrude significantly from the camera’s body. However, a pancake lens makes the most sense for compact cameras like the Olympus PEN FV and its 1:2.8 E.Zuiko Auto-S. The F-1, on the other hand, is a different type of camera (it’s full-frame, for one) — and it was never meant to fit in a pocket.

Despite that, I was still able to bring it on a plane and on every walk around the cities of Montréal and Toronto during the dog days of Canadian summer. No special camera bag or backpack — just a wrist strap.

How much does a Canon F-1 cost, and where to find one.

As of fall 2024, Canon F-1 bodies go for about $300, depending on condition. These cameras aren’t rare; they’re easy to find on eBay and elsewhere — but you should read the entire listing and verify that the camera you’re getting is working. If this is your first time buying a vintage film camera or you’d like to up your game, check out The Vintage Film Camera Buying Guide.

❤ By the way: Please consider making your Canon F-1 camera purchase using this link so that this website may get a small percentage of that sale — at no extra charge for you — thanks!