Canon new F1 question

[Joel_L]

Hi,

I have an F1 I just got, very nice condition. Everything works but I notice something I can't find a reference to. The film advance lever can be pushed towards the camera body. It has a very tactile click to it and springs back out. It seems like it is supposed to be a switch for something. I can't find any function for that in the manual.

Anyone know what that is about?

Thanks

 

[Ben Hutcherson]

I'm not aware of any function this serves other than letting you "lock" the release to the body when not in use, and having it stand proud for ready access when using. On most cameras of other makes that "click" like this, as you probably know, this is used for meter on/off, but as you also probably know this is handled by the collar around the shutter release on the New F-1.

All of my New F-1s, including the ones I had serviced by Ken Oikawa, do this.

 

[Joel_L]

Yes, the lever can be out about 30 degrees for fast access. then does push towards the body and has a position it stays. It's from that position that in can push further towards the body with a noticeable click. It might just be overrun from the levers normal parked position. Just odd cause it does feel like a switch. my Mamiya 1000DTL does that.

I will not worry about it.

 

[beemermark]

Mine does it. Ensure the film advance lever is locked to the body and doesn't snack on your clothing when released to the 30 deg position away from the body. That's my 2 cents.

 

[Ben Hutcherson]

BTW, the original F1 has some "dead space" offset to allow you to get your thumb behind the lever and ready. In fact one of the 13 improvements of the "improved F-1"(often called the F-1n in collector/user parlance) was increasing this I believe from 15º to 30º. Don't hold me to those exact numbers but it was one of the changes.

The New F-1(F-1N) added the lock to hold it to the offset position-there again it doesn't DO anything even though it feels like you're turning something on and off.

The Nikon F2 is probably my most used 35mm SLR these days(or at least manual focus one) and the offset is used for meter on/off on it(and a lot of other Nikon cameras). Comparing them side by side a little earlier today, it takes a LOT more force to click the F-1 in and out than it does the F2...(but then the New F-1 really is its own beast, and is more a competitor to the F3 than the F2...)

 

[Joel_L]

I did put a roll through the camera yesterday, turned out fine. A nice camera to add to my collection.

 

[Ben Hutcherson]

I did put a roll through the camera yesterday, turned out fine. A nice camera to add to my collection.

I love the New F-1. I've sold off a lot of my better FD mount gear, but kept my LA Olympic one(I actually have a somewhat uncommon version with the plain prism-the Olympic F1s aren't hard to find, but the vast majority of them have the AE prism).

I still have an F-1(revised) also, although the meter in mine is now dead and I should send it off to be fixed. The New F-1 is a better camera in almost every way, but the original has a certain refinement that the New F-1 lost. Even though I'm now a Nikon guy, I appreciate that too that the F-1 has a very capable meter built into the body and doesn't need an appendage to meter like the F2. I also prefer the match needle meter of the F-1 to the center-the-needle that Nikon used, although the main F2s I use have the 3 LED meters(F2sb and F2AS).

I still have my A-1, my first FTb, both F-1s, a T90, and a scattering of lenses. I've picked up some others over the years(I'm looking an an AT-1 I bought a year or two ago as I type this, a very much under-appreciated camera but maybe my favorite of the whole A series) including the ugly duckling T80 with a full set of AF lenses. Most of my FD gear was bought in the 2005-2007 range, and it's crazy for me to think that I'm approaching having been a "custodian" of a lot of it for half its life. I thought of them as old cameras when I was buying them...

 

[loccdor]

I have an F-1, and like it, but find it to be a little heavy for its form factor and feature set. With FD lenses, I've found myself using the T90 more often. And when going the route of a full manual SLR, I prefer the much lighter Spotmatic, at least when using a small lens.

I'm usually hand-metering with the F-1, although the built-in does work.

 

[1957ExaktaVarexIIa]

I must admit that I adore the weight of my New F-1s' bodies . They feel rock solid to me. Last night I was just out on the bicycle to take some winter pics with one of them. Maybe because I grew up with an Exakta Varex I have always loved heavy-metal cameras...