Canon EOS 1

The Canon EOS 1 is a camera from Canon. It is a single lens reflex camera for professional photographers of the EOS series. It was introduced by Canon in 1989 and was a gamechanger for the professional segment of the Japanese company. Five years later, a revised version of the camera followed with the Canon EOS 1N, which differs mainly in details.

The original price for the body alone was 189,000 yen (around 1550 euros).

The Canon EOS 1 comes with interchangeable lenses. The EF bayonet was used for this. The focusing of the lens is done by a built-in autofocus system. The AF sensor is four times more sensitive than the sensor of the EOS 650, the first EOS camera, and can even focus in -1 EV. The EOS-1’s cross-shaped sensor is used to focus on horizontally oriented objects.

The Canon EOS 1 has a built-in light meter. This is designed for an ISO range from 6 to 6400. The film speed can be read out via the DX code. However, only ISO values from 25 to 5000 can be used. The correct exposure is measured through the lens. There are various metering modes (including spot metering).

Exposure modes are available: Shutter Speed Priority, Aperture Priority, and Depth-of-field Auto (camera selects appropriate aperture to focus on the area between two points). Aperture and shutter speed are automatically set by the camera in program mode.

The aperture and shutter speed can also be freely selected in manual mode, the camera will also show its recommendation for the correct settings.

With the multiple exposure function it is possible to take up to 9 pictures on top of each other. The camera comes with a bulb mode where the shutter remains open for the time the shutter release button is pressed. An external flash can be fired via the built-in hot shoe or PC flash. The flash sync speed is 1/250 second.

The dimensions of the miniature camera are 16.1 x 10.7 x 7.2 cm. It weighs 890 grams, which is quite an impressive weight, which goes hand in hand with its stability and robustness.

Power is supplied by a 6V 2CR5 battery (eBay / Amazon*), which, according to the manufacturer, is usually sufficient for about 75 rolls of 24 pictures each.

Films for the Canon EOS 1

Which films are required for the Canon EOS 1? You have to buy 35mm films for the camera. 35mm films are still produced and are developed without problems in most photo labs. A recommendation for color photos is Kodak Portra 160*, but if you want to stay monochrome, Ilford Delta 100* is not bad.

The color film is developed in the C-41 process. C-41 films can be developed by most photo labs.

The film is automatically transported by the camera to the next frame. The speed is 2.5 frames per second. If you want to rewind the film in the middle of the roll, this is possible with the EOS 1. If you do not use this function, the film is automatically rewound into the cartridge at the end of the roll.

You can only buy the Canon EOS 1 in used condition. The costs for the Canon EOS 1 differ depending on the accessories and the condition. The value of a copy is normally in the three-digit euro range, as it is a professional camera that is in great demand.