Canon AE-1

The AE-1 was a single lens reflex (SLR) 35-millimeter film camera with a focal plane shutter and an electronically controlled Automatic Exposure (AE) shutter-priority system, manufactured by the Canon Corporation of Japan in 1976.

This camera has an FD lens mount and can accept any of the zoom lenses in the FD series. It requires a 6 V battery type 4LR44 or 4AG13. Without sufficient power or a battery, this camera will not operate at all and the shutter and winder will appear stuck. Usually owners assume a jammed shutter when all it requires is a new battery. This camera was very similar to the AE-1 Program, which became available five years later, and provided a "Program" mode where the internal microcomputer automatically set the shutter speed and aperture. This left the photographer with only the mundane tasks of focusing and pressing the shutter release button.

The AE-1 was one of the first cameras to employ microprocessor technology, which provided a high degree of automation. It had a central processing unit (CPU), which computed, judged, controlled, and displayed information. The electronics incorporated LSI technology, together with operational amplifiers, an analogue to digital converter, and digital logic circuitry. All this technology made the camera simple to use, because a shutter-priority system simply means that you set the appropriate shutter speed for the film, and the camera will automatically select the aperture size according to the light conditions.

A shutter priority camera is good for capturing subject motion, achievable by using slower shutter speeds, which blurs the image in the direction of motion, giving the effect of movement. This is probably why it was the official 35-millimeter camera of the 1980 Olympic winter games and extremely successful.

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