Wonderful camera

I inherited a Canon AE-1 Program from my grandfather, who was its original owner. I believe that he may have purchased it around 1981, but I'm not sure.

This is such a good 35mm film camera that not enough can be said about it. If you know how to operate a 35mm camera, its controls are largely intuitive - or easily become so through a short practice period. It has a light meter, the readings of which you can see through the viewfinder. You can set the camera to be fully automatic (to take pictures at the aperture and speed according to the light meter) or to be manual. It's the most fun on the manual setting, of course, and you can easily use the light meter readings as a base from which to set your aperture and speed.

Despite its age, I have only had one minor problem with the Canon AE-1. When attempting to press the winder down into the film canister after loading a new roll of film, the winder became stuck at a very slight angle. Only when I went back and re-loaded the film, slowly and carefully, did the problem get fixed. I have not had this problem again. I imagine it was either a fluke, or a problem due to age.

Batteries for this camera are still available. I find them either at my local Rite Aid drugstore or at Radio Shack. It's good to replace the battery about once per year to make sure that the light meter readings remain valid.

In an age of light plastic-body cameras, this one is heavy for its size. This is because the body is primarily made of metal. It would make a good weapon in a pinch.

Overall, this is a wonderful camera and a creative delight to use.