Very simple and served its purpose.

As per www.columbusdrywallpros.com, The only downside that is not subjective is the weight. It is heavy.

And I've had that camera through the wringer, including a jump from airplanes. It's a great camera. read more

Slow on sudden action.

For a beginner like me, it is a very solid, dependable, natural-feel, Interchangeable viewfinder, focusing screen, back, winder. Easy to use and our roofing contractor really like it too.

Slow on sudden action.

Love this amazing information. Data Sovereignty

None so far

It’s taken me a couple of days to understand the functions of this camera (I’m a beginner) but I would highly recommend you look and read through the manual for free on the web. I will be using this at handyman portland Oregon, It’s amazing once you understand how the camera should work!

However, that doesn't mean this thing is perfect.

This is a working horse. I have use this F1N from 1984 and it is built to last. I always work manual mode and set both shutter speed and aperature manual with spotmetering. I used it all the time for our abattage arbre jobs.

1/90 sec flash sync speed. (I want 1/250). No exposure lock in auto mode. Excellent product for every photographer who want a great camera. Pitty, Canon not producing this F1N anymore.

Build quality, simplicity

weight

I'm coming into this review from a modern viewpoint. All the basic strengths of this camera have been covered elsewhere. All the pro features which were needed at the time of its introduction are really now obsolete so what we are left with in this day an age is an extremely well made, beautifully balanced, simple mechanical camera with a wide range of reasonably available lenses.
I had a New F1 but did not quite like the balance of it compared to the original, so I did a swap. Both cameras are beautifully made handle very well and are very robust. This doe not come cheap. Everything you would want the F1 to do the Ft and Ftb's can do as well, the F1 is just more refined. If you want a film camera to survive just about anything on a budget they would be my recommendations..... but there is no getting away from it, for the pure tactile pleasure and pride of ownership the F1 models are up there with the best.
I only have 2 quibbles:-
I do not particularly like the meter display were the aperture and the shutter speed needles both move. I would prefer a simple +/- display
I would prefer a separate MLU lever as per the Ft rather than the combined self timer/dof/mlu of all the other Canon f
models.
But as I say these are quibbles and subjective.
The only downside that is not subjective is the weight. It is heavy. This does not bother me if I going out with a view to take a specific photo, but for a walk around camera I choose something lighter,

Similar Products Used:

Canon Ftb, EF, Ft QL, Nikon F3,F4,FA, FM2, Pentax KM,MX,KX, Minolta XE1, Fujica St801

Built like a tank.

Weighs as much as a tank.

Best manual focus camera ever build, period! g out and buy one now!

Customer Service

It never failed me.

Similar Products Used:

Almost every other manual focus SLR ever made. The F-1 is the best.

As other reviewers have stated, this camera is rugged; I have never needed any type of service. It is heavy; it is almost manual-everything; it is not forgiving for photographers' mistakes, but it takes the best 35 mm pictures.

For one focused more on the art of photography rather than one focused on who has the most gadgets, there are no weaknesses

The Canon F-1 was my first SLR, purchased in 1981. It has been a mainstay through 26 years of traveling through Europe and the United States, and has survived tinkering by 3 children and curious pets. I can honestly say that this camera has taught me the mechanics of photography, and that all other cameras that came after it, including the digitals, had slight disappointments in comparison to the F-1.

I use mainly the 50mm f1.4 lens, a Spiratone Portdragon portrait lens, and a Spiratone 500mm Minitel Catadioptric lens. In the past I used an 80-300 mm Vivitar zoom lens but the quality wasn't there.

Now my daughter is using the F-1 in her high school photography class. I had missed how well black and white prints from this camera came out, even the night shots on the bulb setting. Needless to say the instructor is green with envy, as I am sure this is the best camera in the class!

Customer Service

Never needed. May have to use E-bay for parts. BTW the service manual is available on line: http://www.canonfd.com/f1repair/f1repair.pdf and the PX-625 battery is also available from online stores.

Similar Products Used:

Canon AL-1

Solid, dependable, natural-feel, Interchangable vieuwfinder, focusing screen, back, winder.

Slow on sudden action, but it's an allover manual camera! And for a manual camera pretty fast.

I'm using the 2nd improved version of the old F1. This is truly a great camera! It took me a week or 3 to get used to it. It feels so natural, and the meter works really good on my Velvia slides! No more over- or underexposure, just what I want. Really solid and heavy. Quiet shutter and mirror lock-up. And it looks really nice! Only the batteries for the lightmeter are expensive, special mecury replacement batteries. But that says nothing about the camera itself.

Similar Products Used:

Canon A1 Canon EF Canon AE-1 Olympus C3000Z Praktica TL Ricoh 35 ZF