[Canon] F-1 High Speed Motor Drive Camera | February 1972
F-1 High Speed Motor Drive Camera
The F-1’s rigid, durable body and fixed pellicle mirror boasted the world’s fastest continuous shooting speed at the time.
With a shutter speed ranging from 1/60 sec. to 1/1000 sec., the camera could finish a roll of 36-exposure film in 4 sec. at 9 frames per sec. Since the camera was designed for high-speed continuous shooting, an exposure meter was omitted along with the self-timer. The lens aperture also had to be stopped down manually with a lever on the camera. The camera targeted professional and press photographers covering the Munich Summer Olympics.
- Type: 35mm focal-plane shutter SLR camera
- Picture Size: 24 x 36 mm
- Normal Lens: Canon FD 55mm f/1.2 SSC, FD 50mm f/1.4 SSC
- Lens Mount: FD mount
- Shutter: Four-axis, horizontal-travel, focal-plane shutter with metal curtains. 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000 sec. No self-timer.
- Flash Sync: None
- Viewfinder: Interchangeable eye-level pentaprism. 0.77x magnification and 97% coverage. Microprism rangefinder at the center of the fresnel matte screen (Type A). Eight other interchangeable focusing screens available. (The fixed, semi-silvered mirror is coated with 20/1000mm ultra-thin, vapor-deposited Mylar film.)
- Metering & Exposure Control: None. Aperture is set manually with the camera’s stop-down lever.
- Film Loading & Advance: Camera back with safety latch and slotted take-up spool. Auto film advance with motor. Selectable film advance speeds (approx.): 9 fps, 7 fps, and 4 fps.
- Power Source: Twenty size-AA batteries and an external power pack connected to the camera with a cord. With a fresh set of batteries, the camera can shoot 30 rolls of 36-exposure film.
- Frame Counter: Counts down manually. Stops automatically at 0.
- Dimensions & Weight: 147 x 149 x 43 mm, 1,180 g (External power pack without batteries weighs 630 g)
