SLR – Jonathan Gazeley

The mystery of the Canon A/L switch

Since the 1960s, Canon SLRs have had their power switch confusingly labelled as A and L. This has persisted through many different generations of camera and confused beginners through the ages. But what do the letters A and L stand for? Why not use On and Off, or a red dot and a white dot,Continue reading “The mystery of the Canon A/L switch”

Canon EOS 300V

Released 2002

Canon T80

Released 1985 The T80 was Canon’s first fully autofocus camera, using some electrical contacts on the existing FD manual focus mount. It was not a commercial success but it did pave the way for the new EOS series of cameras.

Canon T70

Released 1984

The Canon A family

I didn’t mean to be a collector – I really didn’t. I was given a Canon AE-1 Program by my uncle in 2009 and I started using it. I loved it and I fell firmly into film photography with both feet. I’ve bought various cameras since but I have always had a rule that IContinue reading “The Canon A family”

Canon AL-1

Released 1982 At a glance Lens Canon FD mount Film 135 Focus SLR split screen & microprism Meter CdS with Av and Tv

Canon AT-1

Released 1976 The AT-1 is the only one of Canon’s A-series that does not have automatic exposure. It’s a nice SLR but I mostly bought it to get a step closer to owning all of the A-series. Now I just need the AL-1! At a glance Lens Canon FD mount Film 135 Focus SLR split screenContinue reading “Canon AT-1”

Canon AV-1

Released 1979 The AV-1 is quite similar to the other Canon A-series SLRs of its time but distinguishes itself from the others by offering aperture-priority rather than shutter-priority. At a glance Lens Canon FD mount Film 135 Focus SLR split screen & microprism Meter CdS with aperture priority

Canon EOS 5

Released 1992 I don’t have any particular interest in autofocus cameras but they are sometimes useful as they can use most DSLR lenses. I got this EOS 5 for a bargain price as an upgrade to my EOS 300. The autofocus on the EOS 5 is older than the EOS 300 but everything else aboutContinue reading “Canon EOS 5”

Canon AE-1

Released 1976 I try to only buy cameras that do something different to ones I already have. Given that I already have an AE-1 Program and an A-1, this AE-1 offers no advantages. However, I got it for a bargain price! At a glance Lens Canon FD mount Film 135 Focus SLR split screen &Continue reading “Canon AE-1”