CANON F-ICamera Type: 35-mm SLRNormal Lens: 50-mm Canon FD I / 1 .4

Shutter: Focalplane,l-'l /2,OOO sec, BViewfinden Eye-level pentaprism with central microprism,

groundglass collar, fresnel covering fieldExposure Meter: Through-lens CdS, full-aperture semi-spot system,

ASA range 25-2,OOOFlash Synchronization: PC terminal, contacts for match-needle electronic

flash operation with Canon CAT unitsFilm Loading: Conventional, via swingopen back

Film Transport Single- or multi-stroke thumb advanceFilm Gounten Additive, automatic reset

Other Featurer: Self-timer, mirror lock, meter off-range signal,double-exposure provision, battery check, shutterspeeds visible in finder, removable back

Weight 2.6|b.Dimensions: W.it/tin.,H.3'/t in., D.4%c in.

Accessories: Lenses from 7.5-mm fish-eye to 1,200-mm tele,interchangeable viewscreens and heads, EE servoand Booster T, motor drive, 250-frame back

Price: $537.90, w,/case, strap, flash coupler, eyecup, hoodDistributor: Bell & Howell Photo Sales Co., 7100 McCormick Rd.,

Chicago,lll. 60645

FIELD CHECKThe Canon F-l camera is the keystone of an extensive 35-mmSLR system. Accessories designed simultaneously with the cam-era body include motor drive, 25O-exposure back, through-the-lens meter with servo mechanism to set the correct f-stop auto-matically, through-the-lens booster meter that both measures andtimes exposures to 6O sec, and a large roster of lenses, finders,and other accessories. But the basic success of the system willdepend on the workhorse camera rather than the accessory carthitched behind it.

The F-l is a full-frame 35-mm SLR with a focal-plane shutterwith speeds from I to I/2,OOO sec, plus B. It accepts a new seriesof Canon FD lenses that permit full-aperture readings with athrough-the-lens, selective-area meter of the match-needle type.Older Canon FL and R lenses can be mounted. FL lenses affordstopped-down metering and automatic diaphragming; R lenses,stopped-down metering and manual diaphragm operation. Full-apertur metering range claimed with ASA 100 film is EV 2.5(f/1.2 at l/4 sec) to EV 19 (f/16 at l/2,m sec). The standardviewfinder is a removable pentaprism. The standard focusingscreen is similar to the non-interchangeable screen of the CanonFT QL-a groundglass screen with central microprism spot. Aslightly darkened central 8xl2-mm rectangle indicates the arearead by the through-the-lens meter. To the right of the screen is atransilluminated meter read-out with meter needle, aperture nee-dle, fixed index for stop-down metering and battery check, and anumerical read-out indicating the shutter speed in use. Field ofview is 97Vo of the actual picture area, and affords a minificationof .77X with a 50-mm lens at infinity. Flash synchronizationrange is l/125-l/2,000 and l/3O or under with FP bulbs, t/6O orunder with electronic flash.

To load the camera, you open the hinged back by pulling up onthe rewind crank. This cannot be done without simultaneouslydepressing a "safety" button at the base of the rewind. Springpressure pops the back free of the latched position. The filmrt2

leader is attached to a multi-toothed take-up spool. The rewindshaft completely clears the cassette chamber, allowing the cas-sette to be dropped into the chamber. It is possible to open andload the camera with one hand.

All of the basic camera controls not associated with the lenscan be operated with the fingers of the right hand without remov-ing the camera from your eye. Film is advanced with a ratchetedthumb wind that permits a single 180' stroke or several shorterstrokes. Unfortunately, this lever rides close to the camera body(10 to 15) and does not allow the photographer the security ofkeeping the entire ball of his thumb against it between shots.

The index finger falls naturally on the shutter release, and withlittle movement can reach and turn the heavily milled shutterspeed dial. The middle finger falls on a large lever on the front ofthe camera that stops down the lens for depth-of-field preview orstop-down metering. A locking collar at its base can be set tomaintain the stop-down mode; it also serves as the mirror lock.

The controls on the 50-mm f/1.4 lens on the test camera weretypical of those on the majority of lenses designed for the F-1.The focusing ring is covered with a deeply embossed rubber col-lar. The diaphragm ring is milled and equipped with click full-and half-stops. The focusing direction, with the camera held toyour eye, is clockwise as you move from infinity to close-up. Iinclude this information because I am not alone in my feelingthat if you use the cameras of more than one manufacturer, it is adefirnite plus when some of the habit patterns you have estab-lished on your oldest camera can be applied to your newest one.

Five interchangeable viewfinders and four interchangeable fo-cusing screens are available for the F- l. In addition to the stan-dard pentaprism, the servo finder, and the booster finder, there isa speed finder with longer-than-normal eye relief that rotates foreye-level or waist-level work, and a folding hood for waist-levelwork. In addition to the microprism screen, there are also a split-

continued on page 129

aFIELD CHECK: CANON from P. 112image focusing wedge backed with agroundglass, and full groundglass screenswith and without a grid pattern. An angle-hnder, eyecup, critical magnifier, and cor-rection lenses are also available.

Light for the finder's transilluminatedmeter read-out enters the camera througha small, translucent top panel. The read-out is illegible if no light can reach the topof the camera, as when taking stage pic-tures from a darkened audience area. Atpresent, Canon does not make an accesso-ry illuminator for the built-in meter.

Seventeen Canon FD lenses permit full-aperture metering. Pins at the rear of eachlens signal the maximum aperture of thelens to the metering system. Once the filmspeed (25-2,000) is set, it is only necessaryto center a needle coupled to the shutterspeed within a circular follower coupled tothe diaphragm. Meter coupling is effectiveat all shutter speeds at E.I. 25, but eachdoubling of film speed eliminates a lowshutter speed. With a film speed of 50, themeter is coupled within a range of l/2 tol/2,WO sec. At E.I 400, it functions withshutter speeds of l/15 to l/2,04O sec. Ared signal appears in the viewfinder read-out when an uncoupled speed is set. Withthe standard f/l.4lens, the low-light sensi-tivity of the meter is l/15 sec at f/1.4 witha film speed of E.L 400.

Other lenses can be used with the meterin a stop-down mode. When the stop-downlever of the F-l is actuated, the circularfollower disappears from the read-out andthe meter needle is matched to an indexmark by changing shutter speed or dia-phragm setting. No other adjustment isnecessary to the metering system. Thestop-down lever can be locked in place forcontinuous monitoring of the light level.Metering in the stop-down mode requiresthat the lens be stopped down to f/2.8 orbeyond.

A significant sampling of modern expo-sure meters will show considerable varia-tion in recommended exposure for a givenfilm speed and subject. Within reason, themanufacturer is free to set up his meter ina way that he thinks will give you the bestpictures. If our test camera is an accurateindication of Canon's thinking, they wouldhave you meter the significant highlightsor bright flesh tones with critical color re-versal materials-if you set your meter atthe recommended ASA speed of the film.This is an intelligent attitude toward theconsistent production of good transparen-cies, but when the meter is used to inte-grate a variety of brightness values, it canlead to overexposure. When I used the Ca-non F-l's meter as an averaging meter, justpointing it at the important subject andmatching the needles, I got what I felt tobe my best transparencies when Koda-chrome II was rated at E.I. 50. Similar ad-justments were made with other films.Once these adjustments were made-andeffective film speed tests should be madewith all meters that you have not used be-

fore-the F-l gave consistently acceptableresults under a variety of conditions.

Even discounting the F-1's extensive lineof accessories, I believe it is obvious that itcan compete with any of the other prestigeSLRs. It is impossible to evaluate the me-chanical quality of any camera in a shortfield test, but all the controls workedsmoothly and positively. I was particularlyimpressed with the smoothness of the filmadvance, the gentleness of the shutter re-lease, and the almost total absence of anyfeeling attributable to the rising mirror. Iwas equally impressed with a design thatplaced all the major controls under my fin-gertips while I held the camera firmly inshooting position.

I first handled the F-l when Time maga-zine sent me out on an assignment on a dayI had left my cameras at home. Cameraoperation was logical enough that I wasable to forget that I was using a cameraand several lenses that were strangers tome. For example, I had never used a cam-era with a breech-lock lens mount. Imatched red dots. The locking ring tight-ened in the same direction as the woodscrews, stove bolts, jar tops, gas-tank cov-ers, film cans, and even off-on knobs onradios that had established my habit pat-terns when I was young. Soon I was chang-ing lenses with no conscious thought. Basicpicture-taking with the F-l demanded nounique or unusual procedures, and I fin-ished the day without missing the instruc-tion manual.

Every camera manufacturer must sweata lot when he decides what through-the-lens metering system he will put into hisSLR. They all work remarkably well; it'sjust that some work better for certain pho-tographers. Meters that read all of the pic-ture area produce an amazingly high yieldwhen their suggestions are followed blind-ly. This is especially true when they"weight" the center of the picture areawhere most photographers place that partof the subject most important to them. In-deed, this is the very system that Canonuses in its Servo EE meter, which will of-ten be used to set the exposure of an un-manned, remote-controlled camera. Suchmeters fall down when they are faced withimportant subjects against contrastingbackgrounds or in any situation in whichthe average brightness of the entire pictureis not typical of the brightness of the im-portant part of the picture. Intelligent pho-tographers simply walk close with suchcameras and meter the important part ofthe subject. Hence the development of theselective-area meter, or, as Canon callstheirs, "the semi-spot" or "Perfect TTLMetering System." Reading a limited area(indicated in the F-l by an 8xl2-mm rec-tangle in the center of the viewing screen)eliminates much of the walking necessaryto get one or more close-up readings of im-portant parts of the subject. The smallerthe "selected area" of any meter system,the more it has to be used with intelligence.

continued on page 133

dCANON F-I continued from page 129A true spot meter could concentrate on abrightness value that was in no way typicalof the average value of the important sub-ject. Canon's selected area is large enoughso that when used in the see-set-and-shootmanner it integrates the values of a largeenough, centrally-located area that youstand a pretty good chance of coming upwith a good exposure. And no photogra-pher has time to do much more when facedwith a good grab shot. At the same time,the area is small enough and suffrcientlywell defined to allow more leisurely meter-ing with a high degree of accuracy and cre-ativity.

Because the F-l is one of the most recentcamera designs, it embodies many featuresproven desirable on earlier Canons andother cameras. Some are simply a greatconvenience: the swing-open back, theratchet film wind, extensive use of heavy-duty bayonet mounts for lens hoods thatstore in a reversed position, built-in hoodsfor longer lenses, a shutter lock, a hot-shoeattachment. (A tip: Several cameras, the F-I included, have hot-shoe attachments thatclip over the rewind knob. At first glancethey are useless; you can't rewind the filmwhen they are in place. Don't attach themto the camera. Leave them attached toyour accessory-shoe flash.)

Some features are more than a conve-nience to me. The advantage of the SLR isits viewing system. Its weakness is its ina-bility to handle certain focusing problems.The microprism in the center of a mattescreen with full-frame focusing potentialkeeps the viewing screen relatively unclut-tered at the same time it helps you focus.In many situations, however, the opticalwedge gives the eye greater-and neces-sary- assistance in evaluating accurate fo-cus. Slow lenses, extreme close-up situa-tions, and lenses with manual diaphragmscan cause microprisms and wedges toblack out. Viewing and focusing are bothdifficult when you can't use the center ofthe screen. I find a plain groundglass im-perative at this point. And with lenses witha sufficient maximum aperture andlor fo-cal length to insure accurate focusing, theplain screen is always a viewing pleasure.There is no truly universal viewing screen,and viewing is the name of the SLR game.The greater the variety of the situationsyou work in and the greater the variety ofthe lenses you use, the more you need in-terchangeable viewing screens.

There is a hidden advantage to the F-1.As stated, you can mount the vast range ofFD, FL, and R lenses without modifica-tion. The Canon film-to-flange distance isa relatively short one. Canon makes adapt-ers for Exakta and Pentax-type lenses. (ABell & Howell spokesman has told me thatadapters for Nikon lenses, formerly availa-ble, are no longer in production.) But thisdoes give you an indication of what a goodrepairman could build. Naturally, theseadapters would leave you with manual dia-phragm operation. The efficiency with

which the F-l can move to stop-down me-tering becomes especially attractive at thispoint. So does the l/2,OOO-sec top speed.The wider taking apertures that this fastshutter speed permits may allow signifi-cantly more effrcient focusing and meter-ing in the stop-down mode.

The accessories available for the F-l arestaggering; many are unique. In all proba-bility, every photographer will find onethat is genuinely useful to him. I like therotating speed finder because I can set theCanon F-l almost anywhere on a portable,table-top tripod and still view the picture. Imay have no immediate use for the greatmajority of accessories, but it is reassuringto know that they are there if I ever doneed them.

The Canon F-l is not the Panaceaflexthat so many photographers quest after.Nothing is. It is an up-to-date SLR thatcan hold its own with the other prestigeSLRs. It is backed up by an extensive ac-cessory system that puts it in a categoryshared by only a few of these SLRs. And itis competitively priced. If you are lookingfor such a camera, it is a welcome additionto the cameras that deserve your atten-tion--Bill Pierce

BRITISH PHOTOS from page82mer Sykes, Nick Hedges, and Mark Ed-wards, represent a sampling of the excitingvisual awareness that is rekindled in Brit-ain. With time, we might even call it great.

Although he is only 22, and workingprofessionally for just over a year, HomerSykes is utilizing his camera to preservecertain aspects of British life that are beinglost in the shuffle of change. This way ofliving is important to him as an English-man, and he is working at also making itimportant to others through his lmages.His coverage ranges from an old-fashionedchurch fair to a rainy day in Brighton,Britain's answer to our own Atlantic City.Sykes, today, is very much like the BillBrandt of the 30s, but only in terms of sub-jects; his treatment is as Sykes sees and re-sponds to it, wholly his own.

He studied photography for three yearsat a photographic school, but chose toleave that sort of commercial camera workto others. In fact, he has little enthusiasmfor the stiff academic manner in whichphotography is taught and practiced inBritain. Proof is found in the way heworks-without a light meter, for exam-ple. He feels that his using Leicas ratherthan SLRs is better suited to his photo-graphic approach to the life surroundinghim.

As might be expected, his enthusiasmfor his kind of photography is amplihedwhen he sees the beginnings of a new atti-tude towards photography; even if evi-denced by the modest stirrings aroundLondon-new photographic galleries,shows, and the emergence of serious pho-tographic magazines. While there are

continued on page 136

o

INSTRUMENT READOUTS (Lens glossary on Page 123)

---- PRE.TORTURE

-

POST-TORTUREsLow (+)

FAST (-) EXTREMETEMPERATU RETEST

AVERAGE O/o ERROR'I 151 1251 /500

CAMERA: CANON F-1 NO. 112452

SHUTTER PERFORMANCE:

Suggested ANSI (tormerly ASA) shulter accuracyshaded area. Higher speeds have more tolerance.

SHUTTER SPEEO15 30 60 125 250 500 1000 2000

standards are shown

LENS: sO-MM CANON FD ti1.4 NO. 48523

LENS PERFORMANCE:t,5.6ooooo It,4t/2-8

-

t/2l/1.4*

CENTER '/r OUT 2/t OUT FAR EDGE

Dimensiong (on camera, oo focut): O.D. 2.6 in., L. 2 in.Weighl:13.5 oz.Flltor Size: 55 mm (1.D. front threads)Mln. Focus (closest working dislance):13.5 in.Field Size:.6.4x9.7 in.Focal Length: Marked: 50 mm Measured: 51.5 mmf-number: Marked: l./,1.4 Measured: l/1.47Transmission: 83o/o

Star Test: Centering was perfect. There was almost no lateral chromaticand just a small amount of longitudinal chromatic aberration. The slightamount of undercorrected spherical aberration caused the tiny focus shiftof 0.02 mm, an amount small enough to be ignored for all practical purpos-es. There was no astigmatism at all, clear across the field. Coma proved tobe the major cause of off-axis flare, requiring I / 4 to snuff it out completelyat the near edge and f/5.6 at the far edge. Vignetting ceased by t/3.5,and the distortion was of the barrel (negative) type.Contrast Test: Flare from both spherical aberration and coma held downthe wide open readings, but the values are considered good for the wideaperture of I / 1 .4. The leap upwards of central performance at t / 2 showsthe effect of choking off the spherical aberration. One more stop down, att/2.8, brings the central 2/3 of the field impressively close to the opti-mum. Going lo f / 4 causes the far edge to clean up considerably, and for allpractical purposes this can be considered the optimum aperture. The final,weak traces of coma are erased completely at the far edge by going tof /5.6, which coaxes the last little bit of performance from the lens.

Mechanical: Complex beyond most other SLR lenses, the additional mech-anisms add to the relatively heavy focusing mount (a smoothy). Neverthe-less, in design, materials, workmanship. and finish, my opinion is that it'sflawless.-No r man Gold berg

METER SPECIFICATIONS:

MISCELLANEOUS DATA:FUNCTION PRE-TORTURE POST-TORTURE

(r(rGTJ,J

trot!(5FzUJ()crt!o-

605040

607080

FoEs>t-- E6Hoa

t.rJ

2=IIJ

-J(JoO

JLENS TEST GLOSSARYSTAR TEST: The image of a point of light is examinedwith a microscope. The deviation of the image from theideal indicates the nature and extent of the aberrations.The test is partly subjective.ELECTRONIC BENCH TEST: Contrast levels are com-pared electronically between the image of a coarse andfine slit, and the result is expressed as a percentage. Thetest is completely objective.ABERRATIONS: A lens can be flawlessly manufactured,yet still exhibit residual aberrations. ln many cases, cer-tain aberrations are permitted by the designer in order toreduce or eliminate other aberrations that are felt to bemore harmful to image quality.SPHERICAL ABERRATIQN: Causes a shift in focus asthe lens is stopped down.LONGITUDINAL CHROMATIC ABERRATION: A shiftin focus with the color of light. Not improved by stoppingthe lens down.LATERAL CHROMATIC ABERRATION: A variation inmagnification with color. Not improved by stopping thelens down.ASTIGMATISM: Causes lines radial to the optical axis,and lines perpendicular to these to focus in two differentplanes. lmproved by stopping down.CURVATURE OF FIELD: The inability to bring all pointson a flat object to focus on a flat plane. Not improved bystopping dovin.COMA: Comet or tear-drop-shaped imags of off-axispoints. lmproved by stopping down.DISTORTION: Causes image of window frame to bowout (barrel typel or in (pincushion typel, but does not influ-ence sharpness. Not improved by stopping down.VIGNETTING: Causes underexposure at the corners ofthe film. lmproved by stopping down.FLARE: Causes a loss in contrast. lmproved by stoppingdown, depending on the source.OPTIMUM APERTURE: That point beyond which no fur-ther improvement in image contrast can be noted.MANUFACTURING DEFECTS: Some manulacturing de-fects give rise to lens faults. A decentered element, forexample, will defeat the designer's intentions. O

STRIPDOWN from pase I I3side, while another adjustable stop (thisone having a rubber face) at the oppositeside prevents mirror twist and flutter asthe mirror comes to rest. On the specimenexamined, the rubber stop was out of ad-justment and was ineffective, but the ad-justment is accessible without dismantlingthe camera. A short nudge with a specialspanner required is all it would need.

The cross-coupling between the dia-phragm, shutter, and film speed controls tothe meter is done mechanically, through asystem of cams and levers-all nicely ad-justable. Typical throughout the camera isthe practice of providing a roller on the tipof those levers that bear against cams. Thisassures low friction and long life. As onseveral prior Canon SLRs, the strap lugshave stainless steel bushings to combatwear. Focusing integrity is well providedfor by the three-point spring loading of theinterchangeable viewscreens, thus insuringconsistent seating. Film-plane integrity isaided by the excellent film cassette stabiliz-ing means and the large-area pressureplate. In addition, the film track itself fea-tures long, beautifully finished guide rails.The camera's "throat" is well baffledagainst camera-induced flare.Conclusion: Certainly one of the fewagainst which the many will be com-pared.-Norman Goldberg OJANUARY 1972