Canon AV-1 Review
Canon AV-1, black, shown with a Canon FD 50mm f/1.4
The Canon AV-1 Started It All
Hit rewind to 1983 and picture me with my nose glued to the display window of our local camera shop. I was in high school and worked part-time after school at a small grocery store and had put enough aside for my first SLR, the Canon AV-1.
I am sure I stopped by the camera shop many times before making the plunge. ‘83 was our final year of high school and the first travel challenge with the Canon AV-1 was a school trip to Vienna.
My friend Ole, a Nikon shooter, used a Nikon FE2 and together we sold prints, at cost, to our fellow students after returning to Denmark.
Canon AV-1 with an FD 50mm f/1.4. Top view of the camera with ISO dial on the left, mode dial on the right, film advance lever, shutter button, and frame counter.
Canon AV-1 and My First Trip to Canada
My first-ever trip to Canada was a five-week adventure in the summer of ‘84. The Canon AV-1 came along and I mostly shot slides. Almost 30 years later I copied some of these slides with a Canon 5D Mark III, a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS macro lens, and I was really happy with the results.
I used the Canon FD 50mm f/1.8 lens at the time and also purchased a Tamron 24mm f/2.8 that summer at Stan C Reade Photo in London, Ontario. Below are four slides from 1984.
As far as I recall I used the AV-1 for about a year or two before I sold it and switched to a Contax MD137.
Buying a Canon AV-1 on eBay
The thought of going back to the camera that started it all was enticing and something that had been on my mind for a long time. Back to the roots sort of thing. Rarely, if ever, would I see a Canon AV-1 on our local Vancouver buy and sell but I knew that I could probably find one on eBay.
I have always had apprehension about eBay or should I say intimidation. The thought of bidding or buying from total strangers without first having hands-on experience with the camera just wasn’t appealing to me.
After doing research on eBay and poking around looking for different cameras for a while I decided to give it shot.
Canon AV-1 is shown with an FD 50mm f/1.4. The battery compartment, which also functions well as a small grip, is seen here on the front of the camera.
Canon AV-1 From Japan
From other users of eBay, I learned that Japan is the place to go for used cameras. It certainly appears to be where the biggest supply is. I searched many listings and found a few mint cameras and picked one with a very accurate description down to the tiniest detail.
I originally set out to find an FD 50mm f/1.8 which I had in ‘83 but found it somewhat difficult to scout out a decent-looking copy and although the FD 50mm f/1.4 version was more expensive I found a reasonably priced mint copy that included an original Canon UV filter and lens hood.
I paid $90.00 for the Canon AV-1 and $125.00 for the FD 50mm f/1.4 lens, shipping included from Japan. You can find them for less if you are willing to compromise on the condition.
Canon AV-1, rear / film compartment
Canon AV-1 History
The Canon AV-1 was released in May of 1979 in order to meet market expectations, especially in the US, for an aperture-priority camera. The popular AE-1 from Canon had only shutter-priority mode and some preferred the aperture-priority mode, AV.
Since this was my first camera, this was how I learned to shoot, and to this day aperture priority is my primary go-to shooting mode.
Canon AV-1 Specs
The Canon AV-1 came in black or silver. My first ‘83 copy was black and although I like silver also, my “new” AV-1 had to be black as well.
The body weight is 17.2 oz., 490 g. Shutter speeds are bulb and 2 seconds to 1/1000 second, electronically controlled. The matte screen viewfinder is very clear and better than the Nikon EM I recently re-purchased and reviewed.
Viewfinder magnification is 0.87x with 92% coverage with a split-screen focusing aid. The exposure meter needle is on the right. The ISO dial goes from 25-1600 ISO. You will need either a 4G-13 6V mercury oxide or 4LR44 alkaline battery to operate the camera.
First Impressions of the Canon AV-1 After 37 Years
The FD 50mm f/1.4 arrived after a few short days and I ordered a K&F Concept FD to FX adapter so that I could try the lens on my Fujifilm X-Pro2.
The initial impressions of the lens were phenomenal. It has butter-smooth focusing, solid build quality, and is in absolutely mint condition. It was almost surreal handling such an old lens while it appeared almost as new.
The camera arrived much later, after about 5-6 weeks but initial impressions were equally good. I couldn’t believe how good a shape it was in and was tickled pink to have the AV-1 again.
It is funny how time can erase memory but I did not recall this camera to be as solidly constructed. The camera and lens combination weighs 28.6 oz / 810 g, including the lens hood, filter, and strap.
Handling the Canon AV-1
The camera/lens weight/size ratio feels pretty near perfect to me. The FD 50mm 1.4 is well-balanced on the camera and looks very cool with the wide f/1.4 opening. Lots of glass for a small lens.
The aperture rings on FD lenses are somewhat jerky and not as smooth as you would experience with cameras today. The good news; it’s not easily bumped out of position and is adjustable in half-stop increments.
The shutter curtains on the AV-1 are made of cloth and yet the shutter sounds almost metallic and you may agree after listening to the short sound clip above. Although made from hard plastic, buttons, and dials feel pretty solid.
Canon AV-1 in Action
Immediately I was impressed with the viewfinder of the Canon AV-1. Admittedly I am an advocate for modern EVFs (electronic viewfinders). They are so good these days and you have all the information clearly laid out including handy tools such as a histogram, f-stop, shutter speed, etc.
An EVF, however, is smaller and while it is very nice to be able to estimate your exposure by simply looking at how dark or bright your viewfinder is, it is still not as big or realistic as an old-fashioned SLR matte screen viewfinder. It feels like a larger window to the world, to what you are shooting.
Canon AV-1 and Ilford HP5 Plus
The first roll I ran through the Canon AV-1 was a black and white Ilford HP5 Plus. I wanted to use the same film I had used for my Nikon EM review I did a few weeks earlier to see if there was any meaningful difference.
You cannot shoot with manual exposure on the AV-1 but you have a couple of workarounds. You can override the film speed on the ISO dial.
It works just like an exposure compensation dial. Just make sure you return it to the proper ISO after you have exposed your frame. For shorter shutter speeds increase your ISO speed or for longer shutter speeds pick a lower ISO.
The Canon AV-1 also has a ‘quick exposure override’ button that adjusts your exposure time by a stop and a half (overexposure, typically for backlit topics like a portrait).
The button is located next to the lens barrel on the camera and is easy to access with your left thumb holding the camera. I have used this a few times already.
Canon AV-1 and Kodak Pro Image 100
My second roll through the AV-1 was a color-negative film from Kodak, the Pro Image 100. This film yields slightly desaturated colors and I spent more than the usual amount of time with Negative Lab Pro and Lightroom to tweak the images to my liking.
Canon AV-1 vs. Nikon EM
In a quick comparison to the Nikon EM, I prefer the Canon AV-1 due to the fact the camera fits my hands better. Add to this the Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 which has a wider focusing ring giving you a better overall grip.
There are however reasons I also like the Nikon EM, such as the shutter sound, looks, and the ability to shoot without a battery if need be.
The Nikon EM is on the small side of what I prefer. For the two rolls of Ilford HP5 Plus, I put through each camera there is little difference.
It would come down to how the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 Series E compares to the Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 and I am not sure that I have a favorite yet. Each lens renders nicely in its own way.
Canon AV-1 showing the mode dial, film advance lever, film counter, shutter button, and FD 50mm f/1.4 lens
Canon AV-1 Conclusion After Two Rolls
Two rolls are really not enough to draw final conclusions. I look forward to shooting the Canon AV-1 throughout the year, in different seasons, and when the weather improves somewhat. We get a lot of rain here in Vancouver in December and January.
With that said, I am happy that I have a Canon AV-1 again and I will be keeping this one for good. As I dig deeper into film photography I look forward to trying out more film stock from Fujifilm. At the moment my local shop and B&H are sold out waiting for new stock to arrive.
Update:
I used the Canon AV-1 in an article where I compare the Fujifilm Neopan Acros II black and white negative film to the Fujifilm film simulation. You can find the article here:
The Canon AV-1 with a Canon FD 28mm f/2.8
Canon Film SLR and FD Lens Reivews
Canon AV-1
Canon New FD 28mm f/2.8
Canon New FD 35mm f/2
Canon New FD 50mm f/1.4
Canon New FD 50mm f/1.8
The negatives in this post were copied using a Fujifilm X-Pro2, an AF Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D lens, and Skier Sunray Copybox 3. RAW files were imported to Lightroom and I used the Negative Lab Pro plugin to convert the files.
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