After working my way well into digital photography and looking for new paths in photography, I decided a few months ago to return to analog/film photography. Since I have always shot Canon - I first started shooting in the 80's with a Canon AE1 - I wanted to have a look at Canon film cameras from yesteryear. I did some research and felt that the A-1 would be what I wanted, as it was new enough that it included a couple of the more modern features I knew I would appreciate, particularly the digital light meter display that would let me know if the image I was about to photograph would be properly exposed. When I received the camera - which cost only a small fraction of what I had paid for my Canon 7D - I was absolutely floored. The camera is jet black, very sleek looking. It was still in its original box, and if someone had told me it had never been used, I would have believed them. No visible marks of usage, let alone defects of any sort, were present. The camera is very light weight and hence easy to bring along most anywhere, also very easy to handle. The controls all make good sense and are ergonomically placed. I loaded my first film with a high level of anticipation and admittedly a little nervousness since the last time I had used a film camera was before I really understood photography, and hence my images back then were often humbling and nothing to write home about. But as soon as I looked through the lens - a Canon 50mm f1.4 amazingly sharp and well kept lens, also a new purchase for less than 100 USD, a fraction of what one pays for new lenses - I could see that this was going to be a wonderful journey back to film photography. The camera has not disappointed me. On the contrary, I am shooting more with it now than with my 7D. Don't get me wrong, I love the practicality of shooting digital. It's hard to mess up digital shots since you can always instantly check the results and make adjustments accordingly. But everyone talks about and sees the difference in film images, myself included. Yes, I can emulate that look with the help of image software, but it is truly exciting having that look straight from the film. I also like being put to the test of getting the shot right in the camera and not relying on re-shooting or software to correct my mistakes. And then there is the economic factor: why pay several hundred dollars every few years to keep up with the insane technology game when you can achieve excellent image results for a fraction of the price and also be able to say that you created the image on your own (manual settings, choice of film, etc.), without making changes on the computer? My gut feeling is that film was and still is a wonderful medium, and I am very much enjoying my return to film photography. Of course I still love my 7D and its ability to capture Full HD video, something I don't want to do without, but I am equally enjoying my A-1 and the other film cameras I have recently purchased. This is good stuff!Read full review
Die Canon A-1 ist eine wirklich legendäre Spiegelreflexkamera. Unverwüstlich. Schwarz. Schwer. Solide. Mit allem, was ein richtiger Mann zum Fotografieren braucht: Zeit-, Blenden- und Programmautomatik. Prozessorgesteuerte Belichtungszeiten von 30 s bis 1/1000 s. Im Gegensatz zu heutigen Digitalknipsen, die mit unzähligen unbrauchbaren Funktionen in unübersichtlichen Menüsystemen glänzen, hat diese Kamera ein paar Drehknöpfe und Schalter, die nur jeweils genau mit einer Funktion belegt sind. Genau so muss es auch sein. Oder haben Sie schon jemals SCN-Motivprogramme wie "Museum" oder "Haustier" benutzt, geschweige denn gewusst, dass Ihre Kamera so etwas hat?