I have the AE1 Program Model and I have found it to be sturdy and a well built camera. It has been with me to Hong Kong, Singapore, India and Japan as well as several rolls of my kids growing up! Great pictures! This is the camera to learn photography on, program mode feature and manual feature as well. Great beginner to intermediate camera. Tons of used lens and accessories on E-bay!

Some are known to develop the infamous Canon Squeak. This is a shutter lubrication problem that if let go can lead to shutter failure. It can be fixed if caught and repaired before it does damage. No TTL metering for the flash. So you have to learn how to use a manual flash or get the dedicated flashes that fit these models. I use the Vivitar 283 and do it manually with little learning curve your flash pics will be top notch!

This camera turns out great photos! It is a pleasure to learn on and will carry you into an intermediate photographer in no time! But when it comes to turning pro get a Canon F1n. All of your lens that you have for AE 1 work on the F1n!

Customer Service

Never had a problem with mine!

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AE 1 - Canon F1n

best SLR ever made

none

My parents bought the AE-1 when it was brand new (20+ years). I was fortunate enough to be gifted with it when I began photography, and it reamains the only camera I use . There's no surprise that it still remains the most sold SLR ever made. It's durable, well designed, and easy to use...for a manual camera. I highly recommend this to anyone begining photography. I find it especially useful that the only automatic feature it has is auto exposure: this speeds the process of taking a picture, while still giving you control. This is more for a person wanting to learn photography. Not a casual snapshoter who may be happier with a newer, automatic SLR.

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Canon Rebel

this camera is very well built(has a metal body),
not that hard to use(i have to AE-1 Program),and
takes great photos

not great with motion photography,It also takes a while to get correct focus and depth of field giving a reason why its not good with takes pictures with high speed action

you can't beat a deal like this, very affordable but can take pictures like those top advanced camera's but you are limited a little, but what the heck, it's a 20 year old camera! great to learn on!

Customer Service

-

Similar Products Used:

None

Lasts forever,just needed a battery and that is it.

none

I bought this camera a few years out of high school graduation,so around 1982-83, and this camera just keeps making great pictures. It has a F1:4 lens, and a third party cheapie power film winder with self timer and remote trigger. I use a Vivitar multi angle flash. I am a lousy photo bug,but this Canon just doesn't let me down. I have done airshows, and car expos' with this camera, and other assorted events and the AE-1 kept my memories just right. I first got the itch for a Canon from my uncles' old FTb. Yeah, guess you figure how old I am huh?? Finding lenses for this new is not that easy anymore,so used is the way I guess. I want a digital camera, so it looks like this camera will stay the way it is, and that is not a bad thing considering it will continue give me memories I can keep and share for years to come. V.C.

Customer Service

n/a

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just this one,never needed anything else

Very durable with metal cover
Very simple handle. I need only 20 minutes to learn using this.
Very cheap
Deep of field preview

25 years old camera :)

I bought this one at $75 including a FD 50mm f1.4 and it delivers very good quality photos. This one is excellent for beginner to understand basic photography.

Customer Service

Great! Canon Japan still has spare parts for this camera and some FD lenses!

Similar Products Used:

Canon AE-1 Program

Simplicity, Durability and a pleasure to use

Very Little

The Idiots at Canon should be scorned for ever for ceasing it's FD Production. Cameras like the AE 1 are Bullet proof and Produce very fine images. the quality of finish is very good much better than the EOS cameras. The only major weakness is a lack of acesseries and a slow flash sync but these things are unimportant to me personally. The AE 1 is a classic camera that will keep on working when the plastic fantastics burn out.

Customer Service

Not needed

Similar Products Used:

Many Canons, Nikons and Hasselblads

Ease of use
Bright / contasty veiw finder
Excellent optics
Solid

slow flash sync

Bought this camera at a pawn shop along with a canon 80-200 f:4 lens. What a steal! AF will spoil you if you use it properly, but with this camera, I don't miss AF one bit. The field is so bright that quick focusing is a breeze. I also use 50mm 1.4 and a 28mm 2.8 lens and am more than satisfied with the results. The EOS 3 is far above this camera, but for some reason, I find the AE-1 in my hands more often ... not just for fun ... but for client shoots. If the meter would read in low light situations, I'm afraid all my other equipment would just gather dust.

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Rebel G
Canon FP
EOS 3

Very reliable classical camera. Simple to operate. Takes excellent photos because of great optics and mechanics.

None, if to take photos only from static objekts. Minor disadvantages: weight, battery door is difficult to close, film loading needs a little experience. Needs approximately 1 minte regulation before every photo - if film static objects then it's no problem.

I got my camera 3 years ago and have made approximately 4000 photos. Takes very excellent photos in every cases. I have program mode AE1 but I prefer to use manual mode to give better results suitable for weather, light etc conditions.

Customer Service

has not needed

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none

It is so easy to use and it produces great shots

Not one.

I bought this camera for $2, sort of by accident, at a church bazaar. A month later I used it for a shot that ran in a large DC newspaper. It's that sort of camera. I was used to using the T90 for newspaper assignments, but having the AE1 around is second nature now. The meter is generally very reliable, and the FD lenses offer great quality. The fact that it is all manual doesn't make a difference; it's just too easy to use. I love this camera.

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Canon T90

It provides me with a good base from which to learn "real" photography, not how to get all the automatic settings activated. I actual learn what f/stops and exposure are for.

It is a tad on the heavy side and I have found some shops that were reluctant to work on it for reasons unknown to me.

A solid camera from a solid company. One of the best cameras to learn how to take photos.

Customer Service

Pretty good. I called Canon to see if I could get a manual for the camera since it was a hand-me down from my father. The obliged but I did have to pay $5 or $10 for it.

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Pentax K100: I feel the same way about this camera. It really helps in learning how to take photos, not how to use a ca