Found an AV1 in a charity shop for £25 labeled “body not working” and it sprung to life with the right battery. I’m now digging into film photography for the first time ever and I’m loving it. Can’t wait to get a good collection of FD lenses and see what I can create.
The Canon AV1 was my first SLR back in 1981 and I loved it! It was a fantastic beginners camera, so two years later, I part exchanged my AV1 for the legendary Canon A1, the worlds first full function SLR which was and still is an awesome camera. Oh by the way, you can compensate the exposure by pushing up or down using the ISO dial on the AV1 (ASA was the old name for ISO).
Riding the ISO dial to influence shutter speed is a great tip... I understand the theory and will try it out next time I have an appropriate shot to take! Really great video...
Picked up one of these in Tokyo the other day as my first film camera. Thank you so much for this guide, it has helped me a lot so far! About to see if I got anything on my first roll of film tomorrow, hopefully.
Thanks that was a great video, My step dad recently gave me a box of his old camera gear, which included an AV1 and a T90, I've been wanting to play with film for a while (my own camera is a 550D) so planning to see if I can refurb the AV-1 and get it working again.
Great videos, David, better than reading a manual, really thank you for that. Bought an AV-1 yesterday and I can't wait to shoot my first roll of film with it. Just to add about the battery that in case someone cannot find a PX28 6V one, it can also operate with 5 LR44 1,5V coin batteries, which are widely available. I could not find a PX28 myself, so LR44 is a nice alternative.
That's an interesting observation. May have to do with the assembly as this had a different mirror than any of the other A-series cameras. But I'm not sure as I don't know what the mechanism looks like.
Interesting video, I'm a newbie to photography I bought my first DSLR camera, a Canon 1300D 10 weeks ago now I've just bought an AV-1 so looking forward to seeing what I can do with that.
I would like to use some deliberately grainy B&W film stock but can only find 400iso (not grainy enough) or 3200iso (too fast for the camera). Can you suggest how I might do this without resorting to digital editing?
Try Ilford Dents 3200, which is honestly a 1250 ISO film, exposed at 400 and pull processed a couple stops. Check the Massive Development Chart beforehand for developing times with the chemistry that you have access to.
I can't hide my personal bias for Pentax, but swapping an MZ50 for an AV-1 would always be a good decision in any circumstance. The AV-1 is a good daily shooter, too.
Sounds like you're buying it in person? Bring a PX28 battery with you. Don't give the seller an excuse not to let you test it. Check that it functions like the one in this video. Also check the lens. If the lens is all black (some Canon lenses have a silver ring at the back), then the aperture will partially close when you remove it from the camera. If it does not, the lens is faulty. With silver-ring lenses, the aperture does not close when you remove it. For silver-ring lenses, check that the aperture is clean with DoF preview. Make sure that the lens is clean. Hold it up to a light and check for spots or spider-web-looking things (that's fungus and is a problem) in the lens. Also make sure that the operation of the lens and camera buttons are all smooth.
Thank you! The T90 is on my list but I don't have one in hand right now to use. I'll get to it at some point, however. I get a few requests for it every year.
@@DavidHancock I actually have one leftover T90 lying around here (which works, just has a control wheel which does not register every click, probably needs a bit of contact spray). Tell me if you want it :-)
I have my dad's camera, he passed away about 22 years ago and I managed to get his equipment. I however never really did anything with it. I am now looking into where I should keep it or sell it for a newer camera. I personally have no experience at all with this camera or it's lenses as I started with throw away camera's and then directly to DSLR's. I don't even know if I even can get the film for it or for that matter if it's possible to digitalize the film. I would like to have some serious suggestions, tips and what might be best to do.
You can get the film for it. Any 35mm will work. If you get color film, a lab can scan it. If you get slide or black and white film, I have a video on DSLR digitization that shows how to use your DSLR to get images from film that are better than scanners provide. If you're considering selling it, you can expect around $50-80 for it on eBay.
@@DavidHancock I am from the Netherlands, I did check locally and it's around 70-140 Euro depending on condition so far I could figure out. But I wish to try to shoot with it first. Thanks for your response, much appreciated!
My question is how im gonna adjust my shutter speed? Lets says that the needle is on 1000 but i want shutter speed 30. How im gonna adjust it? did the camera says that the image needs 1000 shutter speed or u can adjust any shutter speed? Im so confuse
Thank you 🙏 Just bought my Canon AV-1 at an antique boutique and now I can’t wait to buy some roll of films and try it out. However, it needs a good clean before I can start playing around. Any tips for cleaning an old buddy like this?
Thank you! Yes, for cleaning grab some cotton swabs and 91% rubbing alcohol. That will do it for the camera body and viewfinder glass. For the lens glass and mirror get some lens cleaning solution (preferably in a spray bottle) and some lens tissues. These are both specific to camera optics and glasses wipes will likely scratch your lens and mirror. I have a video showing how to clean lenses (I don't have the link on me right now) and for the mirror bunch up a lens tissue and wet the frayed end. Then run that over the mirror. Repeat with a dry tissue to remove the fluid. Don't use much pressure when cleaning the glass bits.
Thank you! And yes, it should. Check it against a light in your room. If you set the shutter speed to "A" and the aperture to f/16 and then to f/1.8 (I assume you have the 50mm lens) then the shutter speeds should be WAY different.
I understand your explanation of tricking the camera into halving the lights levels to get a successful double exposure, but can you give me an example of WHY you might take a double exposure? I understand it's a creative thing, but I can't quite conceptualise an example!
A few reasons come to mind. The earliest is just creative expression. On a technical note, of your wanted to show process in a single photo, that would be a reason. Or if you wanted to increase visual interest say by photographing a building at sunset then again on the same frame after dark with the lights on.
Hey David Got myself a Av-1 all seemed good until i mounted a lens that should be working, Canon fd 50mm f1.4.(also tried with the canon fd 50mm f.18 lens) I get the same exposure times on all f stops from 1.4 to 22. If i open the back with out a film and use bulb mode I can see the aperture blades move when I change the aperture on the lens. So that seems to be working. Is there a fix or should I just get a new AV-1? Best regards and keep up the good work with your videos. They are really good.
Thank you and they should be different. Here are a couple of things to check. 1- Try it outside and see if that has an effect. 2- Make sure you're past frame 1. I forget if this camera is smart enough to only use 1/60th from start to 1 or not; some are. 3- If you're set to "A" and the camera only fires at 1/60th there could be an issue with the dial not engaging or the electronics. In either case, if the testing above shows that the shutter speeds are always the same then the camera would need a repair.
@@DavidHancock Thank you for your reply and help. The camera seems to still be using f1.4 all the time, tried all your tips. Guess I will have to buy another one. Not the end of the world, they are cheap and I really like the form factor of the camera and its really light. Best regards
@@sptnk87 the camera will only use the aperture set on the lens. If you use A mode on the lens then the camera won't work properly. If you set the lens aperture to 22 and the camera to bulb does the aperture close down to 22 or stay open? If the latter, the problem is that the lens has oily aperture blades, not anything with the camera.
@@DavidHancock Found out what the problem was, the lever on the right hand side if you look at the mirror from the front. That lever is missing, think the one that controls the aperture.
Hi David, i recently picked up an av1 but it only fires as timer mode no matter which mode dial is set to. Do you know what has happened? Thank you so much.
I do and the news isn't good. That indicates either a failed electronic board which can't be fixed or a faulty control switch which might be fixable. A professional would need to evaluate it to figure out which.
@@DavidHancock got it. I checked mode switch after removed top cover and seems already on contacts. So my guess is the issues from the electronic board as you mentioned. Thank you for the fast response
Hi there, I've picked up an AV-1 recently and for the life of me I cannot get the advance lever to move. Everything else works fine, battery is in and functional, hold is off but the lever won't turn. Any suggestions?
The advance won't go until the shutter is tripped. Make sure that the camera is in "S" mode and then try the shutter. If it doesn't fire and then release the advance lever, let me know.
@@DavidHancock Not sure that you mean by "S" mode? I've got it set on "A" and followed along you video, pause it at 3:18 and double checked all my controls and at looks identical.
@@theodoremorgan993 That was a typo. I meant A mode. Sorry about not catching that. It sounds like it should be working. At this point I'd suggest asking the Fix Old Cameras channel. They'll have a better chance of figuring it out than I will. I'm a bit stumped as to why it's not working.
Hi David, thanks for the informative video. Two questions, what is the function of the A following the aperture settings on the lens? And how is that setting applicable to the AV 1? Happy snapping!
Thank you! On the AV-1 the lens "A" does nothing and should not be used. I think it will make all of your shots be stopped down to the maximum extent, but I could be wrong. The lens "A" is for cameras with shutter priority (like the AE-1), program shooting, or both (like the AE-1 Program and A-1).
Not expecting you to know just thought I'd ask in case. Put a new battery in this and the meter is 250, Advancement leaver won't budge. Don't want to force it. Any ideas?
Have you triggered the shutter? Three camera won't advance until the shutter fires. If yes, if this is a new camera, does it have film on it that needs to be rewound?
@@MatthewBurn Got it. The electronics are dead. It's not common on these but I've seen it twice. If it works in bulb mode, that's further confirmation that the camera died.
If you're pulling up far enough on the film rewind post and the door isn't popping open then it probably got jammed. If you just bought it and had it shipped, that's not too uncommon if it took a hard hit in shipping. So what you'll do is while lifting the rewind post work at the edge of the camera on the side with the rewind post where the back should open and try to pry it while lifting. That should get it to pop open.
The double exposure operation will physically put two images onto a single negative, something like this: thedarkroom.com/double-exposure-a-guide-to-creating-double-exposures-on-film/ Bracketing is a different operation performed to ensure proper exposure. So let's say that your AV-1 will take a photo and that the correct exposure is 1/125th of a second at f/5.6. That will allow a certain number of photons to reach the film. That's the basic principle. If you adjusted the camera to 1/60th at f/8 or 1/250th at f/4, then basically the same number of photons would reach the film and your three images would all look generally alike in terms of how dense the negatives are (there would be differences in depth of field, but that's beyond the scope of this reply.) So let's say that your proper exposure is 1/125th at f/5.6 and you were to take a series of three images -- 1/250th, 1/125th, and 1/60th, all at f/5.6 Then on your negative strip you'd see a series of three images, one that is a bit clearer (thinner, lighter, multiple terms exist) than the next one, which looks like a good image, and then the third would be much thicker (darker, denser) than the middle image. That's bracketing. It's very useful in complex situations where lighting can cause light meters to mis-read. It's also really good for seeing how exposure affects film when you're learning. So to bracket with your ISO dial, let's assume you're using 400 ISO film. Let's also do a five-exposure bracket because that will REALLY show you what's going on. Take a photo with the ISO dial set to 1600, then one at 800, 400, 200, and 100. You can also do the same process by setting the EV compensation dial to -2, -1, 0, +1, and +2 in that order (100 ISO is +2 stops from 400 ISO, that's how those two sets of numbers relate.) Then when you get your film out of the tank you'll see a set of five images from very thin to very dark. Let me know if that helps.
Hey David and thanks for your videos on this AV 1! I just got one yesterday for christmas, and the only thing I don't understand is that on mine there's a constant red light on the self timer indicator. When I push on the shutter release darken but it's still there. When I use the timer it winks normally but it's still there after. Dead battery? Any Ideas?
I've taken many photos with this camera and they often end up dark. Now that I'm learning DSLRs and understand more about exposure triangles, I'm confused as to why this camera would have been shooting dark if shutter is automatic. Before I thought maybe I was guessing the aperture wrong, but the only thing I can guess is maybe it was reaching the red bars on the light meter? I may try the ISO exposure compensation but feeling a bit nervous about that. Any tips on avoiding dark images would be great!
@@christinahajjar7520 Got it. Curious. I was hoping for the other one as it's a simpler answer. 😃 Okay, so dark photos of course mean underexposure. So without film in the camera let's try a few things. Set the ISO/ASA to 400 and the aperture to f/2. Point the lens at a light inside your room. Repeat that with the lens set to f/16. The shutter speed should be much different (and sound different). Then set the aperture to f/2 again and look at the lens while the 'photo' is taken. The lens should not stop down to a small opening (like it does at f/16.) If that works properly, then the camera's functions are probably fine and the most likely issue is a settings issue. If that's the case, just make sure that you don't change the film ISO/ASA mid-roll and that you set it to the film's speed (e.g., 400.) One last thing to check is the light meter. With that, set the ISO/ASA to 400 and the lens to f/16. Then on a sunny day with the sun to your back take a meter reading of something like a sidewalk, tree, or grass not in the shade. The shutter speed should be indicated to be approximately 1/400th. If the meter reading of anywhere from 1/200 to 1/800, your meter is probably fine.
Before the lever moves, the shutter will need to be fired. So to check, do you have a good battery in the camera (which is required for the shutter to fire) and have you triggered the shutter? Also, the lever won't move if you've used an entire roll of film. So check the film rewind knob. If it spins freely then there's no film. If you spin it the direction of the arrow and it won't move then there is film that needs to be rewound first. Let me know if that fixes it or not.
Wonderful manual video! My Av-1 will arrive today, and I'm so happy to find your video on this model just in perfect time. May I ask what the dead frame is? Is that because of the double exposure, so we have to sacrifice the next frame?
Thank you. So the dead frame is a blank frame after a double exposure (only.) The camera doesn't re-engage all the gearing instantly when advancing after multiple exposure shots. So that means it might only advance the frame part of the way. That would lead to your multiple exposure overlapping your next shot. So if you give multiple exposures a go, then the dead frame prevents your next image from ruining your multiple exposure.
Hi David, I'm finding that when I push the shutter in to test the shutter speed, at almost every f stop it's hitting the top red bar and nothing below. Does this mean there's somehow light getting into the camera where it shouldn't?
@@DavidHancock I think it's actually just me being silly. I was testing without any film loaded into the camera, so I think that's why. It was with every combination of F stop and ISO that it was happening.
I got the user manual online & when lens aperture is set to A, camera defaults to smallest aperture, i.e. f/22. So nightmare. Thought you'd like to know.
😉 i got One of these for free, i saw a guy that where throwing stuff away Our in a dumpster and I Saw he was about to thow this canon av1 in ...and I stoped him and asked him if i could have it if he was going to throw it out any way and he said YES sure he did not want it any more he only wantet digital cameras. So I ran a film through the camera and the picktures are great 😉👍 so im happy
I don't understand how this camera's meter knows when aperture is manually selected. I can only imagine this was the only A body that forced the aperture to close down upon attachment to whatever the ring was set to, making focusing at small apertures "interesting" (and an ironic throwback to the early SLRs that similarly could not be composed wide open? Even the A-1's aperture priority mode only works when you set aperture with the top dial, not the lens ring. Same with AE-1 Program, and that was 2 years later than the AV-1.
So cameras after the late sixties included open-aperture metering. This basically means that the camera know how to meter without closing the aperture. Basically, to make that work the camera needs a few data points: 1- the film speed (which you enter when you load the film) 2- the aperture that the lens is set to (which the camera learns because all cameras like this have a linkage from the lens to camera that communicates that setting) 3- the lens' maximum aperture (which the lenses communicate to the camera by, typically, a pin or similar connection that adjusts a lever in the camera to tell it the maximum aperture) and 4- the available light (which the camera knows because it comes in through the lens.) The camera then knows that the film is 100 ISO, the lens' maximum aperture is f/1.4, and the lens is currently set to f/2.8. With the light coming in through the lens, at f/1.4 the proper shutter speed might be 1/500th but because the camera knows that the lens will stop down to f/2.8 (two stops) when the photo is taken then it compensates the meter reading to 1/125th to add the needed light for the smaller aperture.
Thank you for the response. I'd forgotten about all the levers and pins on FD lenses. I did once briefly borrow an FL lens for the FTb I used to have, and remembered having to stop down with it to meter. Canon truly had several missed and glaring opportunities here. I'm referring to how Av mode on the A-1 requires aperture be set with a top dial, not the lens ring. And how the AE-1 Program's meter reads the same no matter where a lens's ring is set, which is to say the AE-1P indicates where it _would_ adjust aperture to, if the lens was set to Auto.
Could anyone help me plz? The shutter speed is always 2 seconds on automatic. No matter the time of day, amount of light, the aperture or whatever, it’s always 2 seconds. Is the camera broke or is there anything I can do?
David Hancock yeah it is. The shutter speed changes on different modes, with bulb it works and with the flash mode it works and the shutter speed is 1/60 as the flicker thing in the viewfinder shows. It’s only with the automatic mode it stays at 2 seconds at all times, the ticker thing also moves to 2 seconds
Watching you open the back without telling us how to is irking me like mad. I’m sat here wanting to throw a camera at a wall. Why did I move from digital. Such a tool.
Just lift up the film rewind knob. The back should pop right open. If it doesn't, the film door is jammed and you'll need to try and pull it open while lifting the rewind knob,
@@DavidHancock dang man you respond quick, this video was made 3 years ago and you still responded thank you 🙏. You sure do keep your word, keep up the good work, hope you blow up some day. You deserve it God bless you and keep you bro 😎
Found an AV1 in a charity shop for £25 labeled “body not working” and it sprung to life with the right battery. I’m now digging into film photography for the first time ever and I’m loving it. Can’t wait to get a good collection of FD lenses and see what I can create.
Fantastic! That's a great find.
It really is. Going to develop my first four rolls this month myself too 😎 like a proper photographer
I just (today) inherited my late grandpa's AV1 without manual, so this was very helpful. Thanks!
That's a nice camera to inherit. These can take really nice photos. And getting to shoot with family cameras is always a joy.
Go get some good shots. Make him proud!
Same, I got mine this weekend from my mom , it was also my grandfathers , thats also what led me to this video, hopefully you got some good shots 👍
We all live the same life
The Canon AV1 was my first SLR back in 1981 and I loved it! It was a fantastic beginners camera, so two years later, I part exchanged my AV1 for the legendary Canon A1, the worlds first full function SLR which was and still is an awesome camera.
Oh by the way, you can compensate the exposure by pushing up or down using the ISO dial on the AV1 (ASA was the old name for ISO).
Thank you! The A-1 is an incredible camera, no doubt. One of my two favorite Canon cameras.
One of the best cameras from the late '70's!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a great user camera for sure with a nice design.
Riding the ISO dial to influence shutter speed is a great tip... I understand the theory and will try it out next time I have an appropriate shot to take! Really great video...
Thank you!
Picked up one of these in Tokyo the other day as my first film camera. Thank you so much for this guide, it has helped me a lot so far! About to see if I got anything on my first roll of film tomorrow, hopefully.
Nice! I hope it turns out well.
Thanks that was a great video, My step dad recently gave me a box of his old camera gear, which included an AV1 and a T90, I've been wanting to play with film for a while (my own camera is a 550D) so planning to see if I can refurb the AV-1 and get it working again.
Thank you!
Great videos, David, better than reading a manual, really thank you for that. Bought an AV-1 yesterday and I can't wait to shoot my first roll of film with it. Just to add about the battery that in case someone cannot find a PX28 6V one, it can also operate with 5 LR44 1,5V coin batteries, which are widely available. I could not find a PX28 myself, so LR44 is a nice alternative.
Huh. I'd have thought five of those would be too much for the battery chamber.
This is a game changer thank you! Loved the tips on double exposures at 14:00 ,but did I miss using the self timer function?
@@noahxkahlil thank you! I usually cover the self timer in video 1 because it's a pretty quick thing.
Ive noticed the mirror in the AV1 is 'bouncier' than the other A models. I wonder if this is a bug or a feature.
That's an interesting observation. May have to do with the assembly as this had a different mirror than any of the other A-series cameras. But I'm not sure as I don't know what the mechanism looks like.
Interesting video, I'm a newbie to photography I bought my first DSLR camera, a Canon 1300D 10 weeks ago now I've just bought an AV-1 so looking forward to seeing what I can do with that.
Thank you and very nice!
I just bought this camera used for 12 bucks. Not sure yet if everything is working but im stoked to find out!
Nice! That's an amazing deal if it works.
David Hancock Gonna find out in the next few days!
Did it work? :O
I would like to use some deliberately grainy B&W film stock but can only find 400iso (not grainy enough) or 3200iso (too fast for the camera). Can you suggest how I might do this without resorting to digital editing?
Try Ilford Dents 3200, which is honestly a 1250 ISO film, exposed at 400 and pull processed a couple stops. Check the Massive Development Chart beforehand for developing times with the chemistry that you have access to.
@@DavidHancock Thank you. I'll try that!
Bought this camera as a cheap replacement for my now broken Pentax mz50.
Thanks for the videos very helpful, can’t wait to take this around Europe. :)
I can't hide my personal bias for Pentax, but swapping an MZ50 for an AV-1 would always be a good decision in any circumstance. The AV-1 is a good daily shooter, too.
planning to buy a used AV1 what and all things should I check before buying it? I think probably seller won't have batteries in it
Sounds like you're buying it in person? Bring a PX28 battery with you. Don't give the seller an excuse not to let you test it. Check that it functions like the one in this video. Also check the lens. If the lens is all black (some Canon lenses have a silver ring at the back), then the aperture will partially close when you remove it from the camera. If it does not, the lens is faulty. With silver-ring lenses, the aperture does not close when you remove it. For silver-ring lenses, check that the aperture is clean with DoF preview. Make sure that the lens is clean. Hold it up to a light and check for spots or spider-web-looking things (that's fungus and is a problem) in the lens. Also make sure that the operation of the lens and camera buttons are all smooth.
thank you brother@@DavidHancock
My AV-1 arrived today, please correct me if I'm wrong I have 2 lenses a 50mm and a 35-70mm. So when the camera is loaded with film can a swap, lenses?
That's correct, you can.
@@DavidHancock Many thanks.
Detailed and interesting video, thanks!
Would love to see something like this for the T90.
Thank you!
The T90 is on my list but I don't have one in hand right now to use. I'll get to it at some point, however. I get a few requests for it every year.
@@DavidHancock I actually have one leftover T90 lying around here (which works, just has a control wheel which does not register every click, probably needs a bit of contact spray). Tell me if you want it :-)
@@DavidHancock hellooo can you give me your email. I have trouble with my Av-1
@@bryanotero123 I'm very bad about checking my email. The best way to reach me for camera questions is to add a new comment to a video.
Great tutorial. Thanks David!!
Thank you!
So cool, i'm just about to buy one and didn't know about the double exposure trick! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
I have my dad's camera, he passed away about 22 years ago and I managed to get his equipment. I however never really did anything with it. I am now looking into where I should keep it or sell it for a newer camera. I personally have no experience at all with this camera or it's lenses as I started with throw away camera's and then directly to DSLR's. I don't even know if I even can get the film for it or for that matter if it's possible to digitalize the film. I would like to have some serious suggestions, tips and what might be best to do.
You can get the film for it. Any 35mm will work. If you get color film, a lab can scan it. If you get slide or black and white film, I have a video on DSLR digitization that shows how to use your DSLR to get images from film that are better than scanners provide. If you're considering selling it, you can expect around $50-80 for it on eBay.
@@DavidHancock I am from the Netherlands, I did check locally and it's around 70-140 Euro depending on condition so far I could figure out. But I wish to try to shoot with it first. Thanks for your response, much appreciated!
It would be nice if you said what battery it takes
Good catch. PX28.
My question is how im gonna adjust my shutter speed? Lets says that the needle is on 1000 but i want shutter speed 30. How im gonna adjust it? did the camera says that the image needs 1000 shutter speed or u can adjust any shutter speed? Im so confuse
There should be an entire section in this video about just that. The links in the video description should help you get there.
Thank you 🙏 Just bought my Canon AV-1 at an antique boutique and now I can’t wait to buy some roll of films and try it out.
However, it needs a good clean before I can start playing around. Any tips for cleaning an old buddy like this?
Thank you! Yes, for cleaning grab some cotton swabs and 91% rubbing alcohol. That will do it for the camera body and viewfinder glass. For the lens glass and mirror get some lens cleaning solution (preferably in a spray bottle) and some lens tissues. These are both specific to camera optics and glasses wipes will likely scratch your lens and mirror. I have a video showing how to clean lenses (I don't have the link on me right now) and for the mirror bunch up a lens tissue and wet the frayed end. Then run that over the mirror. Repeat with a dry tissue to remove the fluid. Don't use much pressure when cleaning the glass bits.
@@DavidHancock Thanks - greatly appreciated this.
Thank you for the video, so much useful info here! When I change the aperture, should the light meter be changing also?
Thank you! And yes, it should. Check it against a light in your room. If you set the shutter speed to "A" and the aperture to f/16 and then to f/1.8 (I assume you have the 50mm lens) then the shutter speeds should be WAY different.
I understand your explanation of tricking the camera into halving the lights levels to get a successful double exposure, but can you give me an example of WHY you might take a double exposure? I understand it's a creative thing, but I can't quite conceptualise an example!
A few reasons come to mind. The earliest is just creative expression. On a technical note, of your wanted to show process in a single photo, that would be a reason. Or if you wanted to increase visual interest say by photographing a building at sunset then again on the same frame after dark with the lights on.
Hey David
Got myself a Av-1 all seemed good until i mounted a lens that should be working, Canon fd 50mm f1.4.(also tried with the canon fd 50mm f.18 lens)
I get the same exposure times on all f stops from 1.4 to 22.
If i open the back with out a film and use bulb mode I can see the aperture blades move when I change the aperture on the lens. So that seems to be working.
Is there a fix or should I just get a new AV-1?
Best regards and keep up the good work with your videos. They are really good.
Thank you and they should be different. Here are a couple of things to check.
1- Try it outside and see if that has an effect.
2- Make sure you're past frame 1. I forget if this camera is smart enough to only use 1/60th from start to 1 or not; some are.
3- If you're set to "A" and the camera only fires at 1/60th there could be an issue with the dial not engaging or the electronics. In either case, if the testing above shows that the shutter speeds are always the same then the camera would need a repair.
@@DavidHancock Thank you for your reply and help.
The camera seems to still be using f1.4 all the time, tried all your tips. Guess I will have to buy another one. Not the end of the world, they are cheap and I really like the form factor of the camera and its really light.
Best regards
@@sptnk87 the camera will only use the aperture set on the lens. If you use A mode on the lens then the camera won't work properly. If you set the lens aperture to 22 and the camera to bulb does the aperture close down to 22 or stay open? If the latter, the problem is that the lens has oily aperture blades, not anything with the camera.
@@DavidHancock Found out what the problem was, the lever on the right hand side if you look at the mirror from the front. That lever is missing, think the one that controls the aperture.
Hi David, i recently picked up an av1 but it only fires as timer mode no matter which mode dial is set to. Do you know what has happened? Thank you so much.
I do and the news isn't good. That indicates either a failed electronic board which can't be fixed or a faulty control switch which might be fixable. A professional would need to evaluate it to figure out which.
@@DavidHancock got it. I checked mode switch after removed top cover and seems already on contacts. So my guess is the issues from the electronic board as you mentioned. Thank you for the fast response
Sorry typo. The switch seems alright:)
Great videos! can you tell me what type of battery do you use for this camera?
Thank you. It uses a PX28, which you can get at any pharmacy.
Hi there, I've picked up an AV-1 recently and for the life of me I cannot get the advance lever to move. Everything else works fine, battery is in and functional, hold is off but the lever won't turn. Any suggestions?
The advance won't go until the shutter is tripped. Make sure that the camera is in "S" mode and then try the shutter. If it doesn't fire and then release the advance lever, let me know.
@@DavidHancock Not sure that you mean by "S" mode? I've got it set on "A" and followed along you video, pause it at 3:18 and double checked all my controls and at looks identical.
@@theodoremorgan993 That was a typo. I meant A mode. Sorry about not catching that. It sounds like it should be working. At this point I'd suggest asking the Fix Old Cameras channel. They'll have a better chance of figuring it out than I will. I'm a bit stumped as to why it's not working.
@@DavidHancock Thanks for your help, I appreciate it and I'll see what they have to say :)
Hi David, thanks for the informative video. Two questions, what is the function of the A following the aperture settings on the lens? And how is that setting applicable to the AV 1? Happy snapping!
Thank you! On the AV-1 the lens "A" does nothing and should not be used. I think it will make all of your shots be stopped down to the maximum extent, but I could be wrong. The lens "A" is for cameras with shutter priority (like the AE-1), program shooting, or both (like the AE-1 Program and A-1).
David Hancock, that makes sense. Looking forward to more from your channel.
Can I use bulb mode and expose it for 30 seconds?
Yes
how do you remove the top cover? I have some dust and fungus in my viewfinder that i would really like to clean. pls help
That's a question for the Fix Old Cameras channel. That's no small task.
Not expecting you to know just thought I'd ask in case. Put a new battery in this and the meter is 250, Advancement leaver won't budge. Don't want to force it. Any ideas?
Have you triggered the shutter? Three camera won't advance until the shutter fires. If yes, if this is a new camera, does it have film on it that needs to be rewound?
@@DavidHancock can't trigger the shutter and there's no film in it, the camera is 40 years old 🤣
@@MatthewBurn Got it. The electronics are dead. It's not common on these but I've seen it twice. If it works in bulb mode, that's further confirmation that the camera died.
@@DavidHancock Okay gonna have to look for something new I guess, Thank you though, really helpful video!
Hi, I have a question. I have this same camera, but for the life of me I cannot open the film chamber. I feel like I've tried everything.
If you're pulling up far enough on the film rewind post and the door isn't popping open then it probably got jammed. If you just bought it and had it shipped, that's not too uncommon if it took a hard hit in shipping. So what you'll do is while lifting the rewind post work at the edge of the camera on the side with the rewind post where the back should open and try to pry it while lifting. That should get it to pop open.
@@DavidHancock Thank you so so much!!!
Hello I have a question, can I transfer photos of AV-1 into my computer?
When you have the film developed have the lab scan the negatives for for.
What if i just use colorplus 200 on this camera should I stay at 200 iso or i can cranked up to 400?
Keep it at 200.
@@DavidHancock but if i use 500 iso film can i shoot it on 200 or 300?
Is the double exposure a bracket photo ? my photography teacher said to do the same thing with the ISO dial .
The double exposure operation will physically put two images onto a single negative, something like this: thedarkroom.com/double-exposure-a-guide-to-creating-double-exposures-on-film/
Bracketing is a different operation performed to ensure proper exposure. So let's say that your AV-1 will take a photo and that the correct exposure is 1/125th of a second at f/5.6. That will allow a certain number of photons to reach the film. That's the basic principle. If you adjusted the camera to 1/60th at f/8 or 1/250th at f/4, then basically the same number of photons would reach the film and your three images would all look generally alike in terms of how dense the negatives are (there would be differences in depth of field, but that's beyond the scope of this reply.)
So let's say that your proper exposure is 1/125th at f/5.6 and you were to take a series of three images -- 1/250th, 1/125th, and 1/60th, all at f/5.6 Then on your negative strip you'd see a series of three images, one that is a bit clearer (thinner, lighter, multiple terms exist) than the next one, which looks like a good image, and then the third would be much thicker (darker, denser) than the middle image. That's bracketing. It's very useful in complex situations where lighting can cause light meters to mis-read. It's also really good for seeing how exposure affects film when you're learning.
So to bracket with your ISO dial, let's assume you're using 400 ISO film. Let's also do a five-exposure bracket because that will REALLY show you what's going on. Take a photo with the ISO dial set to 1600, then one at 800, 400, 200, and 100. You can also do the same process by setting the EV compensation dial to -2, -1, 0, +1, and +2 in that order (100 ISO is +2 stops from 400 ISO, that's how those two sets of numbers relate.) Then when you get your film out of the tank you'll see a set of five images from very thin to very dark. Let me know if that helps.
Thank you, really great video !
Thank you!
Hey David and thanks for your videos on this AV 1! I just got one yesterday for christmas, and the only thing I don't understand is that on mine there's a constant red light on the self timer indicator. When I push on the shutter release darken but it's still there. When I use the timer it winks normally but it's still there after. Dead battery? Any Ideas?
Well, that's a new one on me. Have you changed batteries to see if there's any difference in behavior?
Here there 😊 Did you find a solution? I have the same problem.
Complimented with the Canon FD 35mm f2 floating elements lens, it was a real joy to use with slide film. Excelled at hyperfocal.
That would be a really neat commination to use.
Hi, can you link the film that you prefer with this camera?
Any 35mm film will work. If you're just starting out in film try an inexpensive option like UltraFine, Kentmere, or Foma.
Thank you for the useful information.
Thank you!
Loved this!
Thank you!
I've taken many photos with this camera and they often end up dark. Now that I'm learning DSLRs and understand more about exposure triangles, I'm confused as to why this camera would have been shooting dark if shutter is automatic. Before I thought maybe I was guessing the aperture wrong, but the only thing I can guess is maybe it was reaching the red bars on the light meter? I may try the ISO exposure compensation but feeling a bit nervous about that. Any tips on avoiding dark images would be great!
Do you mean that the negatives are dark or that the final images are dark? Those are two very different problems.
@@DavidHancock the photos end up dark.
@@christinahajjar7520 Got it. Curious. I was hoping for the other one as it's a simpler answer. 😃
Okay, so dark photos of course mean underexposure. So without film in the camera let's try a few things. Set the ISO/ASA to 400 and the aperture to f/2. Point the lens at a light inside your room. Repeat that with the lens set to f/16. The shutter speed should be much different (and sound different).
Then set the aperture to f/2 again and look at the lens while the 'photo' is taken. The lens should not stop down to a small opening (like it does at f/16.)
If that works properly, then the camera's functions are probably fine and the most likely issue is a settings issue. If that's the case, just make sure that you don't change the film ISO/ASA mid-roll and that you set it to the film's speed (e.g., 400.)
One last thing to check is the light meter. With that, set the ISO/ASA to 400 and the lens to f/16. Then on a sunny day with the sun to your back take a meter reading of something like a sidewalk, tree, or grass not in the shade. The shutter speed should be indicated to be approximately 1/400th. If the meter reading of anywhere from 1/200 to 1/800, your meter is probably fine.
Wasn't expecting this one.
I try to keep excitement here.
hi this is probably a dumb question but i can't move the lever for the frame counter, what do i do?
i hope you answer
Before the lever moves, the shutter will need to be fired. So to check, do you have a good battery in the camera (which is required for the shutter to fire) and have you triggered the shutter?
Also, the lever won't move if you've used an entire roll of film. So check the film rewind knob. If it spins freely then there's no film. If you spin it the direction of the arrow and it won't move then there is film that needs to be rewound first.
Let me know if that fixes it or not.
Wonderful manual video! My Av-1 will arrive today, and I'm so happy to find your video on this model just in perfect time. May I ask what the dead frame is? Is that because of the double exposure, so we have to sacrifice the next frame?
Thank you. So the dead frame is a blank frame after a double exposure (only.) The camera doesn't re-engage all the gearing instantly when advancing after multiple exposure shots. So that means it might only advance the frame part of the way. That would lead to your multiple exposure overlapping your next shot. So if you give multiple exposures a go, then the dead frame prevents your next image from ruining your multiple exposure.
@@DavidHancock oh, I get it. So it's for preventing the overlapping frame. :D
@@HermiLazyycat Exactly, yes!
I need help! I don’t understand why the silver button on the lens is stuck, I tried to put the lens back on but, it won’t stick.
When you try to align it, are you aligning the red dot on the lens with the red dot on the camera?
@@DavidHancock yes, but the blade won’t let me stick twist the lens.
@@gabrielakaez7330 can you take a photo of the back of the lens and post a link to it as a comment?
Unrelated topic but what are you’re opinions on the new ektachrome
Generally positive. I like Velvia more, but I think E100 has a great color palette and captures detail very well.
Hi David, I'm finding that when I push the shutter in to test the shutter speed, at almost every f stop it's hitting the top red bar and nothing below. Does this mean there's somehow light getting into the camera where it shouldn't?
Hmm. What film speed, aperture, and lighting conditions are you using?
@@DavidHancock I think it's actually just me being silly. I was testing without any film loaded into the camera, so I think that's why. It was with every combination of F stop and ISO that it was happening.
@@DavidHancock also, thanks for this video and the reply, really useful and in-depth!
The Canon T50 is an aperture priority camera
Thank you!
Hey what batteries do we need for this Canon??
PX28. Video 2 shows how you install them.
Do you know how this camera performs when photographing at night?
If you can shoot in bulb mode, meaning long exposures, then it will be fine. You would need a tripod for that, however.
David Hancock Thankyou!
Is it possible to set the aperture to A? I.e. Shutter in A & Aperture in A, for full auto.
I don't think so.
I got the user manual online & when lens aperture is set to A, camera defaults to smallest aperture, i.e. f/22. So nightmare. Thought you'd like to know.
😉 i got One of these for free, i saw a guy that where throwing stuff away Our in a dumpster and I Saw he was about to thow this canon av1 in ...and I stoped him and asked him if i could have it if he was going to throw it out any way and he said YES sure he did not want it any more he only wantet digital cameras.
So I ran a film through the camera and the picktures are great 😉👍 so im happy
That's a fantastic find! Nice work saving that camera from the junk heap.
I don't understand how this camera's meter knows when aperture is manually selected. I can only imagine this was the only A body that forced the aperture to close down upon attachment to whatever the ring was set to, making focusing at small apertures "interesting" (and an ironic throwback to the early SLRs that similarly could not be composed wide open?
Even the A-1's aperture priority mode only works when you set aperture with the top dial, not the lens ring. Same with AE-1 Program, and that was 2 years later than the AV-1.
So cameras after the late sixties included open-aperture metering. This basically means that the camera know how to meter without closing the aperture. Basically, to make that work the camera needs a few data points: 1- the film speed (which you enter when you load the film) 2- the aperture that the lens is set to (which the camera learns because all cameras like this have a linkage from the lens to camera that communicates that setting) 3- the lens' maximum aperture (which the lenses communicate to the camera by, typically, a pin or similar connection that adjusts a lever in the camera to tell it the maximum aperture) and 4- the available light (which the camera knows because it comes in through the lens.) The camera then knows that the film is 100 ISO, the lens' maximum aperture is f/1.4, and the lens is currently set to f/2.8. With the light coming in through the lens, at f/1.4 the proper shutter speed might be 1/500th but because the camera knows that the lens will stop down to f/2.8 (two stops) when the photo is taken then it compensates the meter reading to 1/125th to add the needed light for the smaller aperture.
Thank you for the response. I'd forgotten about all the levers and pins on FD lenses. I did once briefly borrow an FL lens for the FTb I used to have, and remembered having to stop down with it to meter.
Canon truly had several missed and glaring opportunities here. I'm referring to how Av mode on the A-1 requires aperture be set with a top dial, not the lens ring. And how the AE-1 Program's meter reads the same no matter where a lens's ring is set, which is to say the AE-1P indicates where it _would_ adjust aperture to, if the lens was set to Auto.
What film is the best film to use for this camera ?
Any 35mm film will work.
Could anyone help me plz? The shutter speed is always 2 seconds on automatic. No matter the time of day, amount of light, the aperture or whatever, it’s always 2 seconds. Is the camera broke or is there anything I can do?
Is the camera giving you proper meter reasons and taking two-second exposures anyway?
David Hancock yeah it is. The shutter speed changes on different modes, with bulb it works and with the flash mode it works and the shutter speed is 1/60 as the flicker thing in the viewfinder shows. It’s only with the automatic mode it stays at 2 seconds at all times, the ticker thing also moves to 2 seconds
@@rs__thomas That sounds like a bad meter cell giving you false readings. That will need a professional repair.
The clicking key is getting so hard, what can i do
I'm not sure what you mean by the clicking key. Is that the silver lens release button?
“Really light” LOL I just got mine and I thought it was heavy but I don’t usually use DSLRs
:D I also shoot medium-format and 4X5. So weight's definitely relative.
Hi! Great videos! Can I use the lenses from my "old" EOS 400D with this one? Ist it possible to overlap fotos?
Thank you and no. The 400D has an EF mount. This uses an FD mount.
Watching you open the back without telling us how to is irking me like mad. I’m sat here wanting to throw a camera at a wall. Why did I move from digital. Such a tool.
Just lift up the film rewind knob. The back should pop right open. If it doesn't, the film door is jammed and you'll need to try and pull it open while lifting the rewind knob,
Bro you have to send it off 😢
For some repairs, yes.
@@DavidHancock dang man you respond quick, this video was made 3 years ago and you still responded thank you 🙏. You sure do keep your word, keep up the good work, hope you blow up some day. You deserve it God bless you and keep you bro 😎