Canon New F1 review and how to buy one well

F1n review, January 2023

Introduction

The New Canon F1 (often referred to as the F1N, but not by Canon: they just called it the F1) was produced from 1981 to about 1992. Aside from possibly the T90 of 1996, it represented the pinnacle of the Canon manual focus system. It replaced the earlier first 1970s F1 model and was a major statement by Canon in encouraging many professionals and serious photographers in moving away from the previously dominant Nikon system. Today, 40 years or more down the line, the camera represents a potentially superb buy for the 35mm analog enthusiast wanting to use Canon, the camera at this point being generally more robust and less problematic than its contemporary A1, AE1s and the like.

The F1n was a full system camera, with a range of accessories and interchangeable components that were expected at the time of a ‘professional’ camera. There were various metering viewfinders, multiple focusing screens, a winder and a motor drive, data backs, bulk film backs, external battery packs and an extensive flash system and wireless controllers. Like Nikon at the time, Canon moved away from a fully mechanical camera. The F1n was a manual shutter device from 1/60 to 1/2000 but was electronically controlled at longer speeds. It has a vertical running, metal shutter that is notoriously strong and long lived. Flash sync is a rather slow 1/90. The 32 interchangeable focusing screens that were available (yes, 32!) gave not only a wide choice of focusing screen aids, but also a choice of centre weighted average, 12% partial and spot metering in most iterations.

In its basic form, the camera was a traditional design with a simple, very over-engineered construction. With the common AE Finder FN, the camera was an aperture priority device that also allowed metered manual and stop-down metering. The less common Eye Level Finder FN simply gives metered manual, both finders using a swinging needle readout in the excellent near 100% field of view viewfinder. With the AE Finder, attaching a winder or motordrive, the camera acquires shutter priority too and a new shutter speed readout scale appears in the viewfinder.

The design and layout of the camera is intentionally very conventional for what is basically a late 1970s product. That is what professionals wanted. The top plate has the film advance lever, rewind crank, ISO setting (ISO 6 to 6400) and shutter speed dial all where you would expect them. The metal shutter release button takes a central screw thread cable release. The commonest viewfinder prisms have a hot shoe connector (no faffing around with adaptors or covering up the rewind crank like Nikons of the time!).  With a stated body only weight of 795 grams (c.1.5 lbs), you know that you are carrying it on your shoulder but it is reassuring chunky and stable in use.

By the early 80s, Canon’s FD lens system more than matched Nikon’s system. One of the key advantages of using the F1N then - and now - is that you have access to that superb system. Today there are still 100,000s, possibly millions, of these lenses still in use and available to buy. The F1N can use the ‘new’ FD lenses of the late 70s onwards, or the older, slightly bulkier FD lenses with the silver breech lock ring the date from the old F1 era. It can also use the FL lenses from the 1960s but these require stop down metering with no aperture coupling. Very few FL lenses come up for sale these days and invariably there is a better FD era alternative anyway.

The F1N in use

Using the camera today is a reassuring nostalgia trip in conservative, old-school photography. The camera is a beautiful piece of metal engineering. Anyone who has used a traditional film SLR of that era will find it a natural, intuitive experience.

If you are buying one today (see below), you’ll most likely have the AE Finder version, which will give you a camera with a choice of manual or aperture priority. Turn the lens off its ‘A’ setting on the aperture ring, set the camera to A on the shutter speed dial and then the camera selects the appropriate shutter speed for the aperture you have selected. Depth of field preview is available using the slide on the side of the lens mount. Turn the camera speed dial off A and select a shutter speed, and you have metered manual. Add the AE Winder or AE Motordrive, turn the lens to ‘A’ and then select a shutter speed on the shutter speed dial, and you then have a shutter priority automatic camera.

In terms of flash, the camera will work automatically with any A, G or T series speedlite (though not the more advanced flash system of the 299T of the T-90). The flash system is non-TTL – very 1970s in design, but it works well enough. Of course, there is a separate flash sync socket for other external flash attachments. The Metz system of that era also works very well with the F1N – e.g. the 45CL.

The shutter release is precise but not very ‘soft touch’ and the shutter fires and the mirror lifts with noticeable ‘thwack’. The handling is certainly not T90 in terms of ergonomics but the F1N’s chunky, boxy profile is favored by many users. The F1N is capable of huge amounts of exposures per day, like a fine German motor car on the freeway, it just drives – more than able to survive the relatively light use I am sure most film enthusiasts of the 21^st Century are likely to throw at it.

Buying and things to look out for

Any F1N you buy today will be at least 30 years old and probably older. Some have had heavy use in their early life. Thus, whether you buy online or from a specialist store, buy from someone who knows about the cameras and can give you an honest appraisal:

·         Many F1N bodies have brassing, this is normal and not necessarily a problem.

·         Look out for significant dents in the body – could be signs of a hard life or abuse!

·         Light seals and mirror box damping foam may need replacing.

·         Pay a lot of attention to the shutter. Are the blinds clean and free of damage? Using a fresh battery, with the camera back open and the lens off, check shutter functioning and mirror return and check all speeds.

·         Check that the camera stops down the lens reliably in automatic modes

·         The meters are generally reliable and minor errors can be adjusted via the ISO scale but check for consistent operation and benchmark against an independent meter known to be accurate and reliable

·         Check prism securing latches and check that the meter prism head detaches easily and look for signs of damage to the glass and / or focusing screen. After 40 years you can’t expect perfection, of course. Some badly stored F1n bodies can have mold on the glass parts: use a bright light and a hand lens to check

·         Electrical faults are relatively rare but not unknown. Clearly, new spare parts are non-existent but a good technician can usually service a F1N as it is a straightforward, robust design.

·         I previously bought two cheap, non-functioning / partially working F1N bodies for potential cannibalization for spare parts, though thankfully have not had to use them yet.

On the whole, the F1N tends to be a better purchase at this time than the A1, AE1, etc. These are lovely cameras too (and lighter and more compact), but tend to go wrong and suffer from old age more than the F1n, which of course, was built to a much higher standard.

In conclusion, we should probably say that the F1N was always the camera that Canon threatened to make and finally did at the end of the 1970s. In all honesty, aside from the Nikon’s early use of TTL flash metering, it was a superior camera to the contemporary Nikon F3 and in old age, generally more likely to work well. If you buy an F1N in good, working condition, a service / CLA from a technician will probably mean that the camera will be good for the next couple of decades. And, of course, store in dry conditions and exercise the shutter regularly.

Nice writeup.  One correction, the F-1N had a horizontally traveling focal plane shutter, not vertical as you state (second paragraph).

Thanks for pointing out my error. I realised that I had three Word versions of this review and for some reason posted the earlier version that had that error. I think I am right in saying that the first vertical travel shutter Canon had was on the T-90, which thus enabled 1/250 flash sync, etc.

1 hour ago, gwhitegeog said:

Thanks for pointing out my error. I realised that I had three Word versions of this review and for some reason posted the earlier version that had that error. I think I am right in saying that the first vertical travel shutter Canon had was on the T-90, which thus enabled 1/250 flash sync, etc.

The Canon EF which came out in 1974 had a vertically running Copal Square shutter.  I believe that was the first.  

Yes, you are right - good memory! Though it still had a slow flash sync but better than most? 1/125 if I recall

I just checked - the next camera after that was the T-50 and I assume T-70 too

1 hour ago, gwhitegeog said:

Yes, you are right - good memory! Though it still had a slow flash sync but better than most? 1/125 if I recall

Yep, 1/125th.  At the time, that was the fastest flash synch speed you could get with a focal plane shutter.  The Copal Square was used on Nikkormats, and a Konica model if I remember correctly.  

It is a great camera, for sure a much better buy today than the AE-1 or A-1 for film shooting with the excellent FD lenses. As gwhitegeog noted, while more popular and more available, the "A" series has not held up as well thru the decades: many are afflicted with common issues. Since some of the top Canon technicians in North America have recently retired or passed away, its a good idea to avoid models known to need tricky or specialist repairs/part sources. The New F1 (usually) survives without such issues.

However, just like its competitor the Nikon F3, Canon's New F1 does not lack for questionable design choices. Both companies should really have known better by the time they got around to their electronic pro bodies, yet somehow both managed to blow right past common sense into the weeds of sheer "WTH?" in a few key respects.

The Nikon F3 was nearly perfect for most Nikon users, except for having the all-time, hands down, absolute worst meter display ever put into a camera (there are some that equal it for lack of context and usability, but none can touch it for poor visibility and insultingly poor manual mode). The F3 TTL flash metering was half baked compared to the Minolta/Olympus concept it borrowed from, as well as all followup Nikon AE cameras. The otherwise remarkably rugged F3 has an unexpected Achilles Heel hidden in its rewind knob/flash shoe/ISO/Exposure Comp assembly: if a pro wore two F3s around their neck, and they banged against each other hard enough in that spot, the camera could be rendered toast until repaired.

The Canon New F1 avoids several of the Nikon F3 goofs: far better finder display, more rugged meter mechanics, more mechanical backup shutter speeds, potential for easy addition of sports-oriented shutter priority AE feature by simply mounting a winder/motor.

OTOH, you have the mystifying decision to not include the aperture-priority AE finder as standard: instead Canon offered both a manual meter prism/body combo and a AE prism/body combo. This was confusing enough when sold new, today you have to be extra careful shopping the second hand market if you want to use aperture-priority AE mode.

While aperture priority AE mode is built into every New F1 body, the ability to display the AE shutter readings is limited to the AE-spec prism. You can set the camera to AE shutter mode with the manual prism mounted and it will work properly for AE exposure, but you won't see the shutter speed the camera is setting (the AE finder includes additional scales for aperture priority AE). IOW, the only practical AE mode (with full meter display) you can get from a "plain prism" New F1 is shutter priority, and then only by attaching a winder or motor.

So if you want the most compact lightweight  F1 AE configuration, look for the flatter-top AE prism with telltale frosted illumination strip along the top front edge, and coupling arm for the shutter knob on the left side. The smaller non-AE prism has a standard pointy prism roof when viewed head on.

Another "gotcha" to keep in mind: the nifty choice of metering patterns was a clumsy, extra-cost option when new, and remains so decades later on the second hand market. The meter pattern is dependent on the focus screen you put in the camera: it isn't built into the body controls, so changing patterns on the fly while shooting uninterrupted isn't possible.

If you want a New F1 with spot, selective, or center-average pattern you'll need to check with the seller for what screen is in the body. If it isn't what you want, you'll need to scour eBay for an optional screen with the combination of meter pattern and focusing aids you prefer.

As a rule of thumb, New F1 bodies with the non-AE prism typically came with the selective-area meter pattern (comparable to the Nikon F3 but narrower and more definite). Bodies sold new with the AE prism often (but not always) came with the averaging pattern installed. All these years later, theres no telling what may be installed in any random New F1: more than likely its selective, but ask the seller to be sure.

BTW, while shopping for New F1, consider splurging to pick up the original "old" F1 (or F1n) as a companion for it. The original F1 was a masterpiece of mechanical design, meant to blow the Nikon F out of the water. The fit/finish/feel is incredible, and it may have the most perfectly engineered meter mechanics ever created for a manual exposure camera (selective pattern only, needs a battery adapter to use modern batteries). Just as every Nikon fan should handle an F or F2 at some point to experience the brand's peak build quality, every Canon FD enthusiast should absolutely audition an original F1. 

11 hours ago, orsetto said:

It is a great camera, for sure a much better buy today than the AE-1 or A-1 for film shooting with the excellent FD lenses.

 

Thank you for that very informative post.  Most helpful.

Good points, Orsetto. Thanks for some great insights. With all this talk of New F1s recently, I went to check mine. I recently put a roll of E6 through it and it was all good. I checked the mechanical `back up` speeds yesterday and found a problem. With a battery fitted, the shutter functions perfectly across the whole speed range and each speed operating accurate and reliable as expected. With the battery out, the higher mechanical speeds 1/2000 to about 1/60 work as expected, as does B, with a slightly firmer mechanical push. But 1/30 to 1 second all seem to fire at between 1/60 and 1/90 (whereas that should work mechanically at the given speed). I am not sure why this is and I am not an expert on the actual workings of the electro-mechnical shutter. But this needs looking at, but not urgently, as I might use it twice a year and always with a battery. My excellent technician in Lisbon specializes in Nikon and can´t really work on the New F1 (other than to clean it, which I can do). I fear I will struggle to find someone in Portugal. I have one good company in London I can use, but that will have to wait for my next trip to the UK.

15 hours ago, orsetto said:

.....BTW, while shopping for New F1, consider splurging to pick up the original "old" F1 (or F1n) as a companion for it. The original F1 was a masterpiece of mechanical design, meant to blow the Nikon F out of the water. The fit/finish/feel is incredible, and it may have the most perfectly engineered meter mechanics ever created for a manual exposure camera (selective pattern only, needs a battery adapter to use modern batteries). Just as every Nikon fan should handle an F or F2 at some point to experience the brand's peak build quality, every Canon FD enthusiast should absolutely audition an original F1. 

Nice writeup.  I absolutely agree with your thoughts on the original F-1.  Being a collector (and user) I just spent a week comparing the Nikon F (with the Photomic FTn meter prism) and the original F-1. 

You can't help be impressed by the Nikon F.  It's a legend, and deservedly so.  But it's also a camera that is lacking in so many ways.  It focuses the wrong way (compared to a Canon or Leica) and the shutter button is awkwardly located on the back on the top plate.  Because Nikon based the F on the SP rangefinder camera, you have to remove the combined back and bottom plate to change film.  Try doing this in the field.  Once you remove the back/bottom plate, where do you put it?  And while dealing with that, you have to drop the film cartridge into its receptacle and hope it doesn’t fall out.  The entire process is unnecessarily difficult and a hassle.  Compare that to the F-1, where you just open the hinged back and drop the film cartridge in.  Easy peasy.

And good luck changing prisms and screens with the Nikon.  You need a pocket knife or something sharp to press in a small button on the back plate, then push in a lever, then pull the prism off.  Changing screens is even harder.  You continue to push in that dreaded button, turn the camera upside down, and shake, hoping the screen falls into your hand or lap.  Much too complex.  With the F-1, to remove a prism, just push in two small buttons and slide the prism off.  Done.  To remove a focusing screen, use a fingernail to pull up on the back edge, and pull the screen out.  Done.  No comparison between the two.  The F-1 is much faster and simpler, and, perhaps more importantly, just as secure.

And then there’s indexing a lens to the meter.  With the Nikon F and Photomic prism, when you change lenses you have to “index” the new lens to the meter (basically your telling the meter what the F-stop range is).  Not hard, but one more unnecessary step.  Compare this to the F-1 where no indexing is required.  Just install the FD lens, and shoot away.

Build quality, I call them even, but while the F-1’s film advance lever requires a longer throw (180 degrees) it’s much smoother than the shorter-throw F.

I’m really not down on the Nikon F, it is a superb camera, but the original F-1 is, to me, better.  Mind you, Nikon addressed many of the issues I mentioned on later F-series cameras (hinged back, auto-indexing), but in 1971, when the F-1 first came out, it was the better than the F.

Yes, agree. I love the Nikon F and I have had it serviced recently including the FTN meter head and they converted it to run on modern 1.5V silver oxide PX625 clone batteries rather than the original 1.35V mercuries. But it has foibles and the ´taking the back off to load a film´is a real PITA. But we are talking about a camera launched 64 years´ago ´- the F dates from 1959, and the F1 is more than 10 years younger, and so a much more up to date design. Canon had some time to design a more modern camera. Overall, I prefer my Canon old F1. But I actually usually think of the old F1 as a more direct competitor with the Nikon F2.

gwhitegeog, it sounds like your Canon New F1 is working perfectly, so no cause to worry. It is normal for the shutter release to feel firmer when the mechanical speeds and mechanical release take over from a dead or missing battery. It is also normal for the slow speeds below 1/60th to become unavailable with a dead or missing battery: like other similar hybrid shutter cameras of the '70s-'80s (Canon EF, Pentax ES, Fujica 901, etc) the New F1  backup mechanical speed governor can only operate at 1/60th and higher. It lacks the additional complex geartrain required for slower speeds below 1/60th, so when the electronics are unpowered slow speeds are limited to whatever you can manage via "B". As with fully mechanical cameras, New F1 fast speeds are achieved by simply varying the slit width between curtains while the shutter travels at a fixed rate.

FWIW, those interested in sturdy, classic-era Canon FD bodies might also check out:

Canon EF (almost as beautifully constructed as the original F=1, but trades fixed prism and no motor drive for built-in AE with ahead-of-its-time silicon cells).

Canon TX (one of the best budget models ever marketed, basically the Pentax K1000 but six years earlier and better made).

Canon FTBn (Canon's answer to the Nikkormat and Minolta SRT series: not one of my personal favorites but was very popular in its day).

Hi - yes, I have one of the EFs in very good condition. Minor issue is it taking PX625 1.35 volt cells (x2 - one for the hybrid shutter and one for the meter). But I use 1.35 v zinc-air Wein cells to get round that. I am due to put a roll of film through it soon but regular checks seems to indicate that it is al good still. My model is 1975 I recall.

8 hours ago, orsetto said:

gwhitegeog, it sounds like your Canon New F1 is working perfectly, so no cause to worry. It is normal for the shutter release to feel firmer when the mechanical speeds and mechanical release take over from a dead or missing battery. It is also normal for the slow speeds below 1/60th to become unavailable with a dead or missing battery: like other similar hybrid shutter cameras of the '70s-'80s (Canon EF, Pentax ES, Fujica 901, etc) the New F1  backup mechanical speed governor can only operate at 1/60th and higher. It lacks the additional complex geartrain required for slower speeds below 1/60th, so when the electronics are unpowered slow speeds are limited to whatever you can manage via "B". As with fully mechanical cameras, New F1 fast speeds are achieved by simply varying the slit width between curtains while the shutter travels at a fixed rate.

Hi Orsetto,

Thanks for that, I didn´t know that about the New F1 shutter. TBH, I had never used it before in that ´mechanical` mode. When I was using the camera heavily in mid-late 80s - early 90s as a pro, doing weddings and portrait commissions and travel / stock photography, etc I only ever used it in normal mode, and always carried two spare batteries, not that I ever needed them I recall. That body was one I bought new in 1983 and sold probably about 1995. My current body was one I bought online about 12 years ago. Having never really explored the issue before, I always thought (as the books say!) that the mechanical speeds worked from 1/2 to 1/2000 + B when you remove the battery. Well, after using Canon cameras for over 50 years, you can still learn new things! Gary

Oops, I goofed a little in my post re mechanical backup shutter speeds! The corrected info is:

The Canon New F1, like similar designs Pentax ES, Pentax LX, and Fujica 901, has mechanical backup shutter speeds ranging from top speed down to whatever X flash sync speed is marked on the shutter knob + B.  So I was wrong to say 1/60th is the slowest available New F1 mechanical speed: it is actually the X sync speed of 1/90th. Probably makes no difference in actual exposure, but if you set the knob to 1/60th or lower be aware it will fire at X 1/90th.

Every time this topic comes up I also forget the amazing Canon EF was an outlier among early hybrid electromechanical shutter cameras: being primarily a manual shutter camera with shutter priority AE lenses, the EF shutter did not require electronic control so wasn't made fully electronic (so for such discussion purposes isn't in the same hybrid shutter grouping). The Canon EF shutter is a 95% mechanical Copal Square module (as in Nikon's Nikkormat FT series and Konica T3), needing no battery from 1/2 sec thru 1/1000th. The EF shutter only uses battery power for its (unique in 1973) extended slow speeds of 1 sec thru 30 full secs.

Bit of add'l camera lore: Canon equipped the EF with these extended electronic-timed slow speeds to take advantage of its (then-uncommon) super low light metering range. At the time of EF introduction, the only other cameras with TTL meter range down to EV -2 were the Nikon F2S, Leicaflex SL2, and Leica M5 rangefinder. The Canon EF bettered those competitors by using cutting-edge, more reliable/consistent silicon blue cells vs their old-school CdS. The Leicas went off market fairly quickly, and Nikon did not update the F2S with silicon blue cells until 1976 (F2SB) and 1977 (F2AS). So Canon had a near exclusive in silicon blue for a few years with their EF: I think the only other early-'70s silicon blue cameras were the niche Fuji M42 screw mount range (ST701, 801, 901).

4 hours ago, orsetto said:

Oops, I goofed a little in my post re mechanical backup shutter speeds! The corrected info is:

The Canon New F1, like similar designs Pentax ES, Pentax LX, and Fujica 901, has mechanical backup shutter speeds ranging from top speed down to whatever X flash sync speed is marked on the shutter knob + B.  So I was wrong to say 1/60th is the slowest available New F1 mechanical speed: it is actually the X sync speed of 1/90th. Probably makes no difference in actual exposure, but if you set the knob to 1/60th or lower be aware it will fire at X 1/90th.

Every time this topic comes up I also forget the amazing Canon EF was an outlier among early hybrid electromechanical shutter cameras: being primarily a manual shutter camera with shutter priority AE lenses, the EF shutter did not require electronic control so wasn't made fully electronic (so for such discussion purposes isn't in the same hybrid shutter grouping). The Canon EF shutter is a 95% mechanical Copal Square module (as in Nikon's Nikkormat FT series and Konica T3), needing no battery from 1/2 sec thru 1/1000th. The EF shutter only uses battery power for its (unique in 1973) extended slow speeds of 1 sec thru 30 full secs.

Bit of add'l camera lore: Canon equipped the EF with these extended electronic-timed slow speeds to take advantage of its (then-uncommon) super low light metering range. At the time of EF introduction, the only other cameras with TTL meter range down to EV -2 were the Nikon F2S, Leicaflex SL2, and Leica M5 rangefinder. The Canon EF bettered those competitors by using cutting-edge, more reliable/consistent silicon blue cells vs their old-school CdS. The Leicas went off market fairly quickly, and Nikon did not update the F2S with silicon blue cells until 1976 (F2SB) and 1977 (F2AS). So Canon had a near exclusive in silicon blue for a few years with their EF: I think the only other early-'70s silicon blue cameras were the niche Fuji M42 screw mount range (ST701, 801, 901).

That would make sense and concur with my own observations with my camera two days´ago. Anything I set below 1/125 sounded like 1/60, and all speeds below that (1/30, 1/15, etc) sounded the same, so I can accept it was 1/90. I agree with the quality of the EF metering cells. I have two Nikon F2s - one with a DP11 head (old school CdS and match simple needle metering, slow and not that reliable) and a DP3, which latches with the pre-Ai lenses, but also has the silicon cells and a LED +/- viewfinder, much better and more responsive.

On 12/28/2023 at 2:19 AM, gwhitegeog said:

Hi - yes, I have one of the EFs in very good condition. Minor issue is it taking PX625 1.35 volt cells (x2 - one for the hybrid shutter and one for the meter). But I use 1.35 v zinc-air Wein cells to get round that. I am due to put a roll of film through it soon but regular checks seems to indicate that it is al good still. My model is 1975 I recall.

I thought the EF had a voltage regulation circuit enabling it to use modern 1.5v button-cell battery without worry.  Maybe someone can confirm that for me.

Yes, it does. So you can use Zinc-air 1.35v substitutes or the ‘modern’ 1.5v silver oxide PX625 clones. Either will work with no issues. 

I have had quite a lot of experience of this issue over the last few years. Here's a summary:

1. My Nikon F (about 1969) with a FTn meter head - it takes 2 x 1.35V PX625 (in the meter head). When I had it serviced by a classic Nikon specialist technician recently, he adjusted / calibrated the meter so it could work with modern 1.5V PX625s. 

2. My Canon EF (1976) - see above - I use the 1.35V zinc-airs or modern 1.5V PX625's. 

3. My Canon F1 (1975) does not have the voltage regulator. The battery just powers the meter as the camera is mechanical. I use the zinc-air 1.35v cells. 

There are several companies around, like Polar Bear Cameras, selling the LR44 sized 1.35v zinc airs and PX625 adaptors. The zinc-airs give stable output of 1.35v once activated and usually last for a about a year or more and are cheap enough these days (about €12 / £10 for 5 batteries and an adaptor set). Some other companies selling the LR44 / G10 type zinc-airs at 1.4 to 1.45v as 'hearing aid batteries' don't always give a stable output though with 50 year old cameras with old metering circuits, +/- 0.25 volts in unlikely to be a problem but voltage instability is not good for metering accuracy. I have a hand held meter anyway as a check.

NB I guess like many of us, I use the cameras as much as I can but with about 20+ 35mm classic cameras in my collection (Canon, Nikon, Contax), the number if films that go through each body might be just 1-2 per year, so I always remove batteries when the cameras are not being used to prevent leakage issues. I have a spreadsheet where I keep a record of when batteries where changed and if in doubt, I recycle the batteries and fit fresh ones. I keep a good stock of batteries in the refrigerator! 

Gary