Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://www.joe-chan.com/manuals Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://www.joe-chan.com/manuals INTRODUCTION Congratulations! You are now the owner of the most exciting and advanced camera on the market. Canon has good reason to have unbounded confidence and pride in the A-1. Embodied in this camera are the qualities of the finest SLR cameras and into it went the most sophisticated electronics technology available in the world today. Incorporating at least 20 novel technologies never before used in a camera, your A-1 is capable of operating in five distinct AE modes­all with an incredibly high degree of precision, reliability and ease of operation. A simple flick of a single switch will put you in any one of the AE modes. Simple manual operation is also possible. With its many AE functions, the A-1 is not only the perfect tool in the hands of a professional but easy enough to operate even for novices. Even the A-1's system accessories are integrated into its pulse-controlled, digital computer system so that you can enjoy AE flash and motorized AE photography. In the A-1, Canon finally offers you a multifunctional AE camera that actually gives you more creative freedom through more control. You will find that your A-1 has many unusual features. For the fullest understanding of and benefit from your A-1, please read this instruction booklet carefully as you familiarize yourself with the camera. For the convenience of nonexperts, we have included as many photographic hints and facts as space allowed. We at Canon hope your new A-1 will open to you a whole new world of photography, whether as profession or avocation. ­2­ Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://www.joe-chan.com/manuals Focusing Index Mark with Depth-of-Field Scale Mount Positioning Point Exposure Preview Switch Exposure Memory Switch Stop-Down Lever Viewfinder Display Lever PC Socket Battery Check Button AT Dial Guard AT Dial ASA Lock Button Exposure Compensation Scale ASA Film Speed Scale Film Rewind Knob with Crank Exposure Compensation Lock Button Film Plane Indicator Frame Counter Accessory Shoe Automatic Flash Contacts Flash Synchronization Contact Main Switch Battery Check/ Self-timer LED Multiple Exposure Lever Shutter Release Button (with Cable Release Socket) AE Mode Selector AE Mode Window Focusing Ring "A" Mark AE Lock Pin Aperture Ring Battery Chamber Cover/Finger Grip Positioning Pin For Action Grip Mounting Socket for Action Grip Fold out both front and back nomenclature pages for easy reference while reading the instructions Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://www.joe-chan.com/manuals TABLE OF CONTENTS Main Features ............................................................ 5 Pictorial Outline for General Use of the Camera ................................................................ 8 Setting the Camera for the Five AE Modes and Manual Override ................................... 10 Preliminary Preparations ......................................... 12 Handling the Lens ................................................... 13 NORMAL PROCEDURES ................................... 18 Loading the Battery ................................................. 19 Checking the Battery ............................................... 20 Film Advance and Shutter Release .......................... 22 Holding the Camera ................................................. 25 Loading the Film ..................................................... 26 Setting the ASA Film Speed .................................... 28 The Basics of Exposure ........................................... 30 AE Photography ...................................................... 32 Setting the Lens for AE Photography ...................... 33 AE Mode Selector ................................................... 34 AT Dial ................................................................... 35 Shutter Speed Scale on the AT Dial ........................ 36 Aperture Scale on the AT Dial ................................ 37 Shutter Priority vs. Aperture Priority ..................................................... 40 Programmed AE ...................................................... 45 Meter and AE Coupling Ranges .............................. 46 Metering at Low Light Levels ................................. 47 Viewfinder ............................................................... 49 Viewing and Focusing ............................................. 49 Optional Viewing Aids ............................................ 50 Previewing the Exposure ......................................... 52 Cancelling the Viewfinder Display .......................... 53 Numerals and Characters Composing Digital Readout in Viewfinder ................................. Incorrect Exposure Warnings ................................... Double-Check Before Shooting ............................... Shutter Release ........................................................ Rewinding the Film .................................................. Frame Counter ......................................................... SPECIALIZED PROCEDURES .......................... Stopped-down AE Photography ............................... Manual Override ...................................................... Self-Timer ................................................................ Exposure Compensation .......................................... Multiple Exposures .................................................. Film Plane Indicator ................................................. Distance Scale .......................................................... Infrared Index Mark ................................................. Checking the Depth of Field .................................... Lens Signal Coupling ............................................... Unusable Lenses ...................................................... Automatic Diaphragm Control ................................. Manual Diaphragm Control ..................................... Flash Photography with the A-1 ............................... Motorized Film Winding ......................................... Data Back A ............................................................. Various Accessories for Close-ups and Photomacrography ................................................... Proper Care of the Camera ....................................... Using the Camera in Extremely Cold Conditions ................................................................ 54 55 57 58 58 59 60 61 65 66 69 73 75 75 75 76 78 79 80 80 83 89 90 90 95 96 Specifications .......................................... 97 Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://www.joe-chan.com/manuals MAIN FEATURES Quality from the Inside Out The extraordinary qualities of the A-1 start with its design. It is the first camera in the world in which all information, both input and output, is in the form of pulse signals, enabling it to be the first camera with a digital, rather than an analog, computer. It is the first camera to have a Pure-Integrated Injection Logic (Pure-PL), the most advanced type of logic circuitry yet produced by the electronics industry, which is so highly integrated that it is capable of processing many times the information possible with simple IC's. It is also the first camera in the world to have a program unit with programmable logic array (PLA) which makes sure that the camera receives all information and in correct order. In practical terms, all of this complex electronics circuitry boils down to the first camera which is capable of extremely precise and reliable automatic exposure in five different modes but which remains remarkably compact and easy to operate. The use of such advanced technology is not limited to design alone. Building on the special 'production technology system it established with the design of the AE-1, ­5­ Canon has extended its use of computers and automation from automatic production of the main parts to at least partial automation in all facets of production including processing, assembly and inspection. In this contribution to a new system of camera manufacture, Canon is able to offer greater precision at less expense. Other benefits deriving from the design concept of the A-1 include greatly improved stability against great temperature changes and remarkably improved meter response. The A-1 will set AE exposure only a split second before shutter release. Despite all of this electronic circuitry which would reasonably require a great deal of power, the A-1 requires only one small battery which normally lasts about one year. Every part of the A-1, from its sequence circuitry, where the power is sequentially switched on and off, to its Pure-I2 L and combination magnet, is designed to conserve power. Five AE Modes and Manual Override Besides five AE modes which cover all forms of photography, easy override of the A-1's Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://www.joe-chan.com/manuals AE functions is also possible. Shutter priority AE is especially useful in action photography, aperture priority AE in still photography. The programmed AE mode, in which the camera controls both aperture and shutter speed for correct exposure, is good for general use and is the easiest mode for beginners. These three AE modes along with exclusive flash AE, are performed with an FD lens set at "A" for all the benefits of full aperture metering. Stopped-down AE, in which the shutter speed is automatically set, allows automatic exposure with non-FD lenses and accessories and is a big advantage in close-ups and photomicrography. And since all AE inputs have been consolidated into the AE mode selector and the AT dial, the operation of only these two controls suffices to set the camera for any one of the five AE modes. For complete control for exposure correction or special effects, manual operation is a simple matter of moving the FD lens aperture ring from the "A" mark while the shutter speed is set on the AT dial. The A-1 will even provide you with an exposure readout as a basis for your exposure adjustment. Exposure Compensation Along with the wide selection of AE modes, the A-1 has two controls for wide-range exposure compensation. These are the exposure compensation dial for stepped exposure correction between ±2 f/stops and an exposure memory switch for temporary correction. For special techniques such as low- and high-key shots, contre-jour photography, multiple exposures and flash photography, you pros will find quick response in the A-1. Even in AE, you have complete control over the image results. Field-of-view-only Viewfinder This viewfinder is one of the A-1's most unusual features. In the classic sense of the word, this bright viewfinder shows only the field of view for easiest focusing and composing. Using any one of three ways to take an exposure preview, you will activate a compact LED digital readout which clearly conveys shutter speed, aperture, flash and manual operation signals, a bulb indication, improper exposure warnings and a malfunction warning. The viewfinder readout is below and out of the way of the field of view, and the LED's are clearly legible with no need for extra illumination even in very bad light. ­6­ Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://www.joe-chan.com/manuals Wide Metering Range With its extensive film sensitivity range (ASA 6-12800) and 16 shutter speeds (1/1000-30 sec.), the A-1 offers a wide AE metering range from EV18 (f/16, 1/1000 sec.) all the way down to EV-2 (f/1.4, 8 sec.) with ASA 100 film and an f/1.4 speed lens. Provided that you can even focus your subject in the viewfinder in a very dark situation, it is most likely that you will be able to meter it as well, even in an AE mode. This is especially advantageous in such dimly-lit situations as those in night scenes and photomacrography. Other Special Features Add to these features the A-1's single-lever multiple exposure operation and its twointerval self-timer with an LED warning. Switching one small lever before winding the film sets the A-1 for a multiple exposure. The film and even the frame counter remain stationary for unlimited multiple exposures. You can set the self-timer for a time-lag of either two or ten seconds during which an easily visible LED flashes. Flashing frequency increases as a warning prior to shutter release. Finally, seemingly small features, but big advantages in photography, include the A-1's ­7­ detachable action grip, its 120°-stroke film advance lever with a 30 stand-off, its eyepiece shutter and its shutter button lock (main switch). The System Beginning with accessories which are integral parts of the A-1 system, Canon offers the Speedlite 199A and the Motor Drive MA. Either the specified Canon Speedlite 577G, 533G, 199A, 188A, 177A, 155A or 133A can be mounted on the A-1 for AE flash photography ...