A small piece regarding the Canon “A” series camera range. Development and technological advancement.
As i seem to be purchasing a number of the old “A” type camera bodies for repair, I have now decided to add the full range of “A” type cameras to my collection. I’m a tad biased as I have used Canon cameras right from the very start of my photographic education, in fact the first one i used was an A1 variant. I’ve put together the following piece to explain why these cameras were so popular, and to highlight their technological advancement along the way, the technology that influenced other manufacturers to up their game and give the consumer just what they wanted out of a camera, options and greater control.
My Canon A1
The Canon A-series of 35mm SLR cameras, produced from the mid-1970s through to the early 1980s, represents one of the most influential periods in Canon’s film-camera history. It began with the groundbreaking Canon AE-1 in 1976, a camera that reshaped the industry by integrating a microprocessor – the first mass-market SLR to do so. This innovation allowed Canon to simplify mechanical complexity and reduce manufacturing costs whilst offering features previously found only in higher-end professional bodies. The AE-1’s shutter-priority auto-exposure, bright viewfinder, and strong reliability made it both approachable for beginners and capable enough for enthusiasts, turning it into one of the best-selling SLRs of all time.
My AE-1
Canon quickly expanded the lineup to address different types of photographers and to test new electronics-driven features. The AT-1 provided a more affordable, all-manual alternative, whilst the AV-1 (1979) offered aperture-priority automation, catering to photographers who preferred creative control over depth of field. The flagship A-1 (1978) pushed the boundaries even further – it became the world’s first SLR to offer full programmed auto-exposure, alongside shutter priority, aperture priority, and manual modes. This versatility foreshadowed the automation and electronic sophistication that would dominate future camera generations.
My AV-1
In the early 1980s, Canon introduced the AE-1 Program, refining the original AE-1 with a more advanced program mode and improved ergonomics. The final notable entry, the AL-1, included an innovative Focus Assist system that used contrast-detection indicators to help users achieve sharp focus – an early technological step toward the autofocus systems that would soon reshape the industry.
Collectively, the Canon A-series brought electronic control, affordability, and ease of use into the mainstream, playing a key role in shifting photography toward the automated, electronically driven era. Decades later, these cameras remain admired for their durability, classic design, and the satisfying, hands-on shooting experience they continue to provide.
At the time of writing, i have in my possession three of the six variants that were produced, and presently I am scouring the sales platforms to acquire suitable candidates for the remaining parts of this collection, to work on. I will update via this site as and when i have another one of this series to feature in a post. My current collection consists of the cameras below marked with an asterisk:
My current cameras in the “A” range marked with an asterisk
I would like to obtain a special mount for this series of cameras so i can display them as a collective sample of this wonderful range. They will all of course, all be fully usable, not museum pieces.
Here I have another basic, entry level camera made by Canon. Produced around 1999? this camera is probably around 26 years old. These cameras don’t have the traditional identification number printed within the film spool holder that the older cameras had, hence the precise manufacturing date is difficult to confirm.
Canon EOS 3000
This is a camera passed onto me by a good friend and professional photographer, Jon, as can be seen in this post: Cameras…i need more!
Here’s a little information about this camera:
The EOS 3000 is an autofocus SLR for 35mm film introduced by Canon in 1999. It was sold as the EOS 88 in Asia. (It was not sold in the US.) The pentamirror viewfinder and manually-activated popup flash helped keep this a lower-cost model; but a full range of autoexposure modes were included, including off-the-film flash exposure setting. Film transport is motorized and the camera requires two 3-volt CR123 lithium batteries to operate.
A compact, lightweight, low-priced SLR camera. Successor to the EOS5000, but with greatly expanded basic functions. The camera incorporates the Mode Dial and most other basic features of the EOS Kiss/EOS REBEL XS/EOS500 and includes six-zone evaluative metering linked to three focusing points. In addition, the flash is linked to the measurement point so that during shooting the flash out-put level is constantly adjusted for optimum exposure control. For reasons of cost, the flash unit is manual pop-up/retractable head type. The EOS3000 is compatible with system accessories for the Kiss and New Kiss. The high-quality design has a feel of genuine elegance.
Canon/ Camera-wiki.org
This camera was pitched at a low cost to attract people into photography, and to encourage those who were just hobbyists to upgrade to something more than the traditional point and shoots/disposables available at the time.
There is not a lot wrong with this camera as far as I can see, let’s have a look and do some tests.
Assessment:
It has a grip that’s starting to develop the sticky issue so that will need cleaning. The mirror and prism are dusty and will need a cleaning.
Sticky grip and dusty internals
Overall the condition is very good, again this was a training camera, and seems to have had a quite low usage, as there is no scratches or marks. And only one dink as such. That dink happens to be the right hand strap holder that has been bent down to a point where the rear case does not open completely, it restricts its full movement.
Strap holder bent, restricting door opening
Door doesn’t open fully
Top and bottom of camera look fine, no bleed on the LCD screen that is always a good sign
No screen bleed Bottom clean
Battery chamber is clean and there is no contamination. This camera takes two 3v Lithium CR123A batteries. Let’s put two in to see if we have any life.
Clean chamberBatteries installed
With the batteries installed we have a good display on the screen with no pixelation and it’s nice and clear. I install a roll of test film to see what happens. This camera winds the whole film onto the take up spool and winds back one exposure at a time. The take up when the door is closed works perfectly.
All lights up fineFilm ready to load24 exposures loaded on to the take up spool
I then operate the shutter, to fire off the 14 exposures, all viewfinder indicators are good, with my 28-90 EF lens attached it focuses well and fires well. When the last exposure has been taken the film rewinds as expected with no issues. In reality the camera is working very well with no internal issues.
Repair:
First the dirty stuff. Let’s get that goo off of the sticky grip. I use my IPA and lint free cloth method that I posted about in a previous post here: Sticky, Rubber camera grips. This one is actually worse than I thought and has taken four applications to remove the deterioration on the grip. It feels a lot more pleasant though now that it is done.
The dirt from this grip can be seen on the cloth. Each black blob is one application
The issue with the strap lug restricting the door movement. Quite simply, a gentle movement with a pair of pliers was all that was required. Gently does it as these parts are brittle and easily broken. Don’t over do it, give up when it looks right.
A little gentle coaxing was all that was required
I’ve checked the film pressure pad and this is fine, there are no sharp ridges and the light seals are good. I don’t expect them to be bad as in theory they are not that old, they are in a good healthy condition.
I have cleaned the prism and the mirror with a swab and they are now fine. Using a B setting I have opened the mirror and curtain and used some compressed air to clean throughout. A brush blower was used with the curtain closed to clean around the film spool area and back plate. A quick final blow of the mirror and the aperture is then sealed with a cap to insure no further dirt and dust gets into the internal parts of the camera.
The final action is to use some cockpit polish to finish off the exterior of the camera.
Result:
I’ve cleaned the exterior and used some ceramic cockpit polish to finish it off, I must admit it’s looking very good.
Cleaned up lovely
Looking just gorgeous
Here I have yet another nice little camera packed with features that will make a great camera for someone to learn the basics of traditional photography with. However, it’s remaining in my collection for the while.
It’s yet another camera that I need to test, another one that needs to have a film put through it for its final test, however I am 100% confident of it’s capabilities and the fact that it operates just fine and all its settings, buttons and controls are doing exactly what they should. When I do get to put a film through, I will link to it here.
Another successful restoration and return to use of another old camera that had been put to one side. Not that this one really required a lot of attention, just a bit of servicing and tlc.
Thanks for passing by. It’s always very much appreciated
Cleaning, repair and maintenance of an old Canon EOS 30 35mm SLR
I’m calling this camera my EOS Dirty, it really is suffering a bad case of the sticky rubber syndrome that was widely experienced on cameras of this era, where the Vulcanised rubber used in its construction, had a falling out with its own internal polymers, and they then decided to part company. Creating a sticky mess. This camera is currently 25 years old, originally manufactured in the year 2000.
A lovely lump of a camera
My hand, simply after handling this camera for no more than a minute.
That said, it’s a lovely camera with a lot of features, this was pretty much one of the last 35mm cameras that Canon produced, and they threw a lot of R&D into these units prior to producing its “D” Digital offering, hence it was packed with lots of pre “D” technology. It has “Eye” control, the Eye Control focusing feature makes selective focusing quicker for many. It uses IR to detect eye movements to determine focusing areas. Up to 5 eye presets can be stored for different users. I wonder if that still works?
This dirty sticky pup, needs some heavy cleaning
Here is some information, about this camera:
The EOS 30 (or Elan 7 / Elan 7e / EOS 7 / EOS 33 in different global markets) is a Canon autofocus 35mm SLR camera that uses the Canon EF lens mount. The camera was introduced in 2000.
There are three main auto focusing modes. Automatic, manual selection focusing, and Eye Control (EOS 30, EOS Elan 7E). It was given the 7 name because it has 7 auto focus points in manual selection mode. The Eye Control focusing feature makes selective focusing quicker for many. It uses IR to detect eye movements to determine focusing areas. Up to 5 eye presets can be stored for different users. Some users with corrective lenses may experience problems using this feature. The shutter speed ranges from 30 sec. to 1/4000 sec. in 1/2-stop increments with bulb. X-sync at 1/125 sec.
Metering modes use a TTL max. aperture metering with a 35-zone silicon photocell. The included modes are evaluative, partial and center-weighted averaging metering. The measurement range is from 1 to 20 EV (at 20-degree with 50mm f/1.4 lens, at ISO 100). The ISO can be set automatically with DX-coded film at ISO 25 to 5000. Exposure compensation can be adjusted from +/-2 stops in 1/2-steps.
Exposure modes available include Program mode, shutter priority, aperture priority, Depth-of-field, Auto, scene modes with (Portrait, Landscape, Close-up, Sports, Night Scene), manual exposure and bulb mode. Flash exposure includes modes for E-TTL, A-TTL and TTL program flash modes. The motor drive is capable of up to 4 fps. The finder has dioptre adjustments built-in with settings from -2.5 to +0.5 dpt. Two CR123A batteries power the camera.
If equipped, the QD (Quartz Date) / Date back require the use of one CR2025 coin type battery. Imprint display modes include M/D/Y, D/M/Y, Y/M/D, D/H/M and off. The last date the unit can imprint is Dec. 31, 2019
Camera wiki.org
Assessment:
As stated in the sections above, the biggest problem with this camera is its stickiness, and to be honest that is not really a problem. I have cleaned many of these in the past and this one will be no different. Here’s a post I wrote a while back about sticky camera bodies: Sticky, Rubber camera grips
This really does feel like a lot of camera. You can see the digital “thought” that the development guys introduced into this camera in preparation for the arrival of its “Digital” brothers and sisters, I’m going to have to do a bit more reading up on its full operation and capabilities. This camera is in very good condition, no dinks, dents and very few scuffs, all doors are functional and when a battery is installed (a 2CR5 – 6v lithium) everything lights up, and appears to do what it should. I will check this thoroughly though later.
The horrendously sticky areasRear Mode dialScreen
The battery chamber is clear of any contamination, and looks nice, the mirror will need cleaning and the area within it will need a blow through, the shutter curtain seems to be working well at this stage. I will test it more after the clean.
Clean battery barrel Dusty mirror and curtain chamber
So. Let’s get on with the repair and maintenance.
Repair:
I’ve started the clean of the rubber and it is filthy. The amount of black that came off on the first clean has required me to get another cloth as it really is that bad. Another two applications and the cloth is a lot cleaner, it has removed a massive amount of goo and dirt and feels a lot better to the touch, and my hands are staying clean and that’s a good sign. I will give a final clean with the car cockpit polish that should finish it off nicely.
Looks beautiful after a proper clean
I’ve cleaned the mirror and prism above using a swab and the effect is instantaneous, there was a lot of dust here. Opening the curtain in a “B” setting I gave the whole interior a good blast with compressed air that has left the chamber as free of dust and contaminants as I can get it. With the curtain back down, a bulb blower and brush is all that was needed to complete the task. A lens mount cover is now in place to prevent anymore dirt getting in.
Transport tested
I’ve put in one of my old test films to check the camera’s function, and it’s transport & rewind, and I’m pleased to say this works just fine. At a shutter speed of 4000 I’ve never heard such a sweet sounding camera. This really feels like a lovely camera that I can’t wait to take out and run a film through.
All functions and options tested via the display screen
Going through the function screen, there are no bad pixels and all options are available. I have tested the eye control function and programmed my own profile into the camera, it does seem to be working, it might be a little hit and miss, I programmed it very quickly so maybe I just have to read up on it more, just to tweak its use as such.
All rear sub menus working, and buttons operable
All sub menus on the rear of the camera are operable and all buttons and dials are doing what they should. This camera is ready to go, and is in a perfect working order.
Result:
She’s a beauty
Canon EOS 30
This camera was probably discarded to one side when the sticky grip problem started to rear its ugly head. It really is a shame that this happens, it’s such a simple problem to eradicate. This is an absolutely superb camera and packed with technology that would eventually have gone on to be incorporated into the soon to appear professional digital offerings from Canon. For 35mm photography this was a perfect swan song, 35mm photography had peaked with this range of cameras and Canon had perfectly produced cameras that in effect had pushed this theme of photography to its highest level. It was the best of the rest at the time.
This camera deserves some respect, it feels superb in the hand, looks good, sounds terrific and performs exceptionally well. There will always be the haters out there, there always will be. But as you will have gathered, I don’t really report badly of any of my cameras as I truly love them all. They are superb items of modern and semi modern technology that have captured history. They just deserve to be preserved and protected and most of all enjoyed.
I will shortly be posting some pictures from this camera that can be found here:
Thank you for passing by, as always it is very much appreciated.
A sympathetic restoration of a 70s classic camera.
This is a Canon AE1 that was produced around May 1977. I know this because of the date code within the spool area where the film sits. Seeing these units were produced between 1976 – 1984 this particular unit is quite an early one. It is currently 48 years old and looking very good.
Canon AE-1
This camera is part of a batch of cameras recently received from a good friend of mine Jon, who has been in the photography business for more years than he cares to remember… it’s a big number and that’s all I’m saying. I did discuss his very kind donation here: Cameras…i need more!
How did you date this camera?
Surprisingly quite easy. There is a number on most Canon cameras externally, and contrary to belief this is not the ID number, the id number we require is inside the camera, printed in the film spool bay in a very dark ink. You have to position it in the light to view it properly.
ID number in film barrelThe ID number
The number can consist of 4 or more digits. In my case the number is R519. If you go to this site by a guy called Bob Atkinson he has a chart here that explains how to source the date of your Canon Camera or lens: Bob Atkins Photography- Date codes
So using Bobs code the letter “R” refers to the year of manufacture and in this case represents 1977 or 2003 (the dates were recycled when they reached the end of the alphabet) seeing this camera’s production run was between 1976 – 1984, “R” in this case represents 1977. The next two digits represent the month of manufacture, and occasionally in months 1-9 the preceding zero was omitted. In my case considering the number 51 does not represent a Month, the zero was omitted in my case therefore making the month of manufacture “05” hence month 5 – May. So this unit was more than likely produced in May 1977. Occasionally there would be a final letter such as an “F” that would represent the factory it was made in. “F “ would have been the factory in Fukushima. See, that’s how I dated this unit. Check Bob’s site out and date your Canon equipment.
Anyway, here’s a little history about this superb little camera:
The Canon AE-1 is a 35 mm single-lens reflex (SLR) film camera for use with interchangeable lenses, manufactured by Canon Camera K. K. (today Canon Incorporated) in Japan from April 1976 to 1984. It uses an electromagnetically controlled, horizontal cloth focal plane shutter, with a speed range of 2 to 1/1000 second plus Bulb and flashX-sync of 1/60 second. The camera body is 87 mm tall, 141 mm wide, and 48 mm deep; it weighs 590 g. Most are silver, with black grip and chrome trim, but some are black with chrome trim.
Its name refers to the fact that it is an electronic camera using aperture control for automatic exposure. The AE-1 is the first SLR containing a digital integrated circuit, which allowed Canon to integrate more functionality while making the camera smaller.Both the digitally-controlled automatic exposure and the small size helped to make the camera a success: backed by a major advertising campaign, the AE-1 sold over 5.7 million units, which made it an unprecedented success in the SLR market.
Wikipedia
So there is a lot of them about, but it’s rarer now to find one in a good condition. I think I have one that is in a good condition, has very slight signs of ageing (Patina) and shouldn’t take too much effort to get it working again.
Let’s have a closer look at my inherited camera.
Assessment:
It’s been in storage within a foam lined metal box for a few years and this appears to have assisted in maintaining its overall good quality. There are a few slight signs of wear that are present as you would expect with a camera that has been well used but cared for, but there are no major dinks or signs of bits being broken. It has been loved.
Curtain clean and smoothSilver worn, nice patinaJust a bit dusty Just needs a good clean
Looking at the shell all the buttons are doing what they should, it’s a bit dusty and grubby and looking through the viewfinder you can see a lot of dust in the view, but I believe this is just dust on the mirror, or at least I hope so.
The camera has attached to it a Canon power winder “A” and this does not work, it has serious corrosion that I suspect that has gone behind the contacts and will need dismantling, cleaning and rebuilding. I will cover this activity in a separate post, whilst this one covers the camera and is a separate activity.
The winder looks goodInside tells a different storyOld batteriesSerious corrosion
Anyway back to the camera. The wind lever seems to be locked, it can’t be cocked. The shutter doesn’t fire but there does seem to be movement in the exposure meter in the viewfinder but it seems erratic, not quite as it should be. I have a feeling and in fact I’m quite confident it is an electrical issue, as with the Canon A1, a bad power source would render the entire camera useless.
Repair:
With my suspicions about the electrical element on this camera the first thing I did was to do a battery check in the camera. This camera has one cell in it, mounted on the front face just to the right hand side of the lens in a small chamber. It is a 6v lithium battery. I suspect this one has been in place many years.
Battery check button
To check the battery power you look through the viewfinder at the light meter to the right of your field of view and depress the little black button on the top left of the viewfinder on top of the camera.
This. Battery is dead
As you can see above, when you push the little battery check button the needle on the exposure meter moves. It may settle, it may move about, but the battery should be indicating below the 5.6 level to prove it has life, this battery is indicating dead. Let’s confirm that on an external battery checker for confirmation.
Yep. It’s dead
And I think that confirms things for us that this old battery is dead. Fortunately I have plenty of replacements available so I just put a new one in to see what happens.
New battery
The new battery is in place and now you can see the indication has dipped well below 5.6 indicating a healthy battery supply. I push the shutter button and it fires perfectly. Power has been restored.
The lens on this camera is pretty much the stock issue FD 50mm. I have removed it and exposed it to high lighting levels to see if there are any imperfections and I’m pleased to say there are none. No Mould or fungus build up, I must admit my friend who passed this on to me has stored it perfectly. Apart from a little dust build up, I was able to use a lens cloth on both the lens and mirror and the issue was sorted in minutes, not that it was ever an issue really.
View through backAnd front
I’ve used a dummy film and the carriage works fine, the lens apertures all react smoothly, and the shutter speed’s respond as they should. There is no shutter scream or lag, and everything seems just right. After spending a good few hours going through the instruction manual and checking all its functions I am happy it is doing just what it should. It is very rare to find such a good condition of camera that requires very little maintenance. It’s a credit to the previous owner.
This is a sympathetic restoration. I’m leaving it looking as it is. I’m not fixing something that isn’t broken, and I will attend to it with lubrication and maintenance as and when it is needed. I will very soon run a roll of film through and see just what comes back as a result. I have a number of films here that are now 20 years out of date so there could be some interesting results.
Result:
A beautiful camera
Stunningly beautiful
The camera has cleaned up beautifully after a good deep clean and polish. I have a superb little example of a well loved and well used retro superstar of the late 70s. In perfect working order and ready once again to be used for what it was designed for. Taking great photographs.
As stated I’m going to run a film through and I will post the results on here whenever I get the time to do so. See the test results here: 20yr old Kodak Gold
My plan is to have this displayed in a case in my workroom alongside my Canon A1 when I have completed its repair. I took up photography in the period of time that these cameras were produced, and they hold great memories and sentimentality for me. They come from a time when cameras had style and innovation, before they all started to look the same, quality and style, it’s what’s missing today.
For someone like me that loves old cameras, I think these are superb and will always hold a place in my heart.
Thank you for passing by, it’s always very much appreciated.
It’s a colloquial term for a flat thin lens assembly that started to emerge from the 60s through to the 80’s, commonly seen in compact SLR cameras of the time. This then developed into a body cap lens, an extreme type of pancake lens that is designed to both protect the camera internals as a body cap normally would, yet still allow the user to take photos. These lenses are manual focus only and generally have no more than a couple of optical lens elements, no image correcting elements, a very-slow fixed aperture, an extremely thin focusing ring (if any at all), and a retractable lens element cover. Due to this compromise in design, body-cap lenses generally suffer from numerous image quality issues such as heavy vignetting and poor image sharpness.
Recently there has been a resurgence in this type of lens culminating in the one that seems extremely popular at this time, a cookie lens.
Cookie lens
It’s not hard to see why it is named so, it looks like a big Oreo cookie, it even looks as if it has the cream between the two biscuit pieces. These current ones are sold as being recycled from old disposable cameras. Original pancake lenses can cost many hundreds of pounds, however these ones are classed as disposable, and are priced at around £30 to £40GBP, being sold by a company called Retropia. But hold it! Don’t waste your money on that one, as they can be purchased for at least half that price from Ali Express of Temu, just make sure you shop around. By looking at the reviews £30 can still be a bit of a hefty outlay for what is basically a cheapo lens out of a disposable camera set in a cookie shaped piece of plastic.
One guys in depth review of the “Cookie” lens
These lenses have risen in popularity, as the new mirror less cameras have become more accessible. This lens allows these cameras to be used as a straight forward point and shoot camera, no focussing or metering. achieving that retro disposable camera look, but in much more modern equipment. It’s a fun item and for an outlay of around £13GBP, which is what I paid for mine, it’s not too big an outlay to do some experimenting with, and if it turns out to be a load of old bilge, then it’s no real loss. Reviews are mixed, but in general it seems people are having fun, and that’s what photography should be.
I’m waiting for mine to arrive, and when it does I shall post some photos below to see how I’ve got on with it. Oh, and I now have a suitable camera to use with this lens and that can be found here Sony A7II Mirrorless camera.
The lens has arrivedLens installed
It’s such a simple thing. It turns a complex camera into a quite basic point and shoot disposable, lomography type of camera. Perfect for street photography and just everyday randomness, yep kind of like you’d now find on your mobile phone. However this is more fun and you actually have a camera into your hand, Perfect.
The lens is 32mm, and the CCD in the camera is full 35mm so there is a kind of small vignette around the edges of each shot, but that just adds to the basic rawness of the lens. it’s a bit of fun.
Angles in the living room
Garden pub
Rusty chair
Across the kitchen early morning
Above are a small selection of some of the scenes around home, taken quite randomly and all I have done in the post process is added some vintage presets. The light has been so poor lately that to be honest this already added to the vintage effect. If we see any sun I suspect the results would be very similar to the hazy 70s effect that the disposables always managed to achieve. Don’t expect too much from these lenses, they are just fun to experiment with, and that’s just what photography should be. Fun.
This lot is being sold for PARTS / REPAIRS, it is currently NOT in a working condition
Olympus Trip 35 w/ D. Zuiko 40mm F/2.8 Lens & Original Lens Cap
EBay
Olympus trip 35
I brought this item along with a Canon A1 as a job lot. The full detail of what was in the auction and how it progressed can be found here: Not the lottery, but for me – just as good
The page regarding the repair of the A1 can be found here: (Still in draft – coming soon)
Meanwhile here is a little history about the Olympus trip:
The Olympus Trip 35 is a 35mmcompact camera, manufactured by Olympus. It was introduced in 1967 and discontinued, after a lengthy production run, in 1984. The Trip name is a reference to its intended market—people who wanted a compact, functional camera for holidays. During the 1970s, it was the subject of an advertising campaign that featured popular British photographer David Bailey. Over ten million units were sold.
The Trip 35 was a point and shoot model with a 40 mm ƒ/2.8 lens, solar-powered selenium light meter, and just two shutter speeds. In ‘A’ mode, the camera operates as a Program automatic, choosing either 1/40 s or 1/200 s. The camera could also sync with flash, and has a range of aperture settings, from ƒ/2.8 to ƒ/22. In flash sync mode, the shutter is set at 1/40 s. Apart from a simple four-position zone focus system, and an ISO setting from 25 to 400,[2]the camera has no other photographic controls. The camera has a Prontor-Compur sync connector and a hot shoe. Its lens was a coated Zuiko 40 mm ƒ/2.8, with four elements in three groups.
The camera has an ISO range of 25–400, as films faster than 400 were uncommon at the time and delivered reduced image quality. 25 speed allowed the use of Kodachrome, while 400 speed allowed use of Kodak Tri-X and similar fast materials under low light. Earlier models, from the first few years of production, have a maximum ISO speed of 200.
The use of a selenium photocell to select the shutter speeds and aperture let novices use the camera as a “point & shoot”. No batteries are needed to power the camera.
The lack of more than two shutter speeds was not a problem. At 1/200 s and ƒ/22 with 400-speed film, the camera could deliver correct exposure in full sunlight, while at 1/40 s and ƒ/2.8, correct exposure could be obtained under bright fluorescent light, without a flash.
Wikipedia
And who could ever forget the series of star studded television adverts, featuring the photographer David Bailey, put together to promote this camera.
David Bailey
I never really got to use one, I admired one from a distance instead. My brother in law, Jim had one around about the mid to late 70s and he took some fantastic snaps with it. I wasn’t into photography at that time as I was still more interested in LEGO and Tonka trucks. However he did let me try it a couple of times, it really was that easy to use.
I’m not really sure what the problem is with this one, as the listing was not really clear on its issues. I just really wish sellers would just take a few seconds to describe the problems, it really could be an instant decision for the buyer – is it repairable or not? I’ll just have to wait until it’s arrived, and then i can do an assessment of its condition.
Assessment:
Well, it’s arrived and cosmetically it looks fine. However, zoom in a tad and the issues become apparent. It’s been dropped at some time, the lens has a little bit of wobble and you can see the outer ring of the lens has an obvious dent in it.
Drop damage
It does wind so that’s a bonus. The exposure button works and it clicks as it should, and the old selenium exposure meter appears to be responding, the red flag appears in low light and thus the exposure button will not depress. This is good.
Exposure indicator in viewfinder
When you half press the exposure button you would expect to see the relevant shutter leaf aperture close down, to the corresponding f- stop reading, this occasionally happens. If you move the lens barrel slightly it does have an effect, but it looks as if there is also some contamination on one of the shutter leafs, all of this is probably as a result of that tumble that has occurred sometime in the past.
Obvious lens wobble
I will definitely have to remove the whole lens housing from the camera to see if I can do anything regarding that wobble. This is going to be quite some task, and I’m not confident I will succeed, but who knows.
Let’s attempt to get inside.
Repair:
To get into the lens there are three tiny screws on the inner turret bezel that have to be removed that sit around the edge of it. This then pulls out and the lens optics can then be unscrewed.
Here are then two more screws that allow you to remove the selenium light sensor. Below this are three brass screws that hold the body to the lens. One of these screws were loose, hence the wobbly lens, this must have occurred when it was dropped.
Removing the sensorThe three brass body screws
I’ve pretty much had a cleanup here, applied a tiny drop of camera grease to the ring mechanisms, and tightened all these screws, and now the turret is nice and tight. I’ve just given the shutter blades a wipe with a soft brush and that is all it really needs. I’ve reassessed the camera, and tested its operation and it’s all good, working just as expected.
Result:
The dent in the ring remains as it’s causing no issues and is a subtle reminder of its past. The lens issue and its movement has been repaired and this in turn has cured the issue with the sticky aperture blades.
I haven’t touched the inner workings in the top of the camera such as the light metering, as it’s working fine and what’s the point in fixing what’s not damaged?
All repaired and looking good
I’ve still to run a film through it, and this will be done shortly as I have quite a backlog of film cameras to be tested. As soon as I have photos available I will link through this posting.
Really pleased with how this has gone, a nice easy fix but I can’t believe just how small those screws are around the lens bezel. I need my eyes testing that’s for sure.
Thanks for passing by, as always it’s very much appreciated.
Not one to give up on a project I have looked at a suitable donor camera and believe I have found one as detailed below. Only difference is that I had to buy two cameras as they came as a bundle. Not a problem as I can always do a separate post on the other one, the two have cost me a total of £15:00GBP bartered down from the original price of £30:00GBP. A bargain! So let’s just call it £7:50GBP per camera.
What the listing stated:
mamiya shutter button is stuck. red light on the right comes on. some external corrosion pictured
ricoh no power at all
EBay
The two cameras
Assessment:
The Mamiya is in quite a poor state, and is the Time Memory version that differs very slightly from the version I originally worked on, it’s essentially the same camera as the Mamiya M, but with an added quartz dating mechanism for imprinting time and date information on the film. This model was the last 35mm camera Mamiya produced before focusing solely on medium format. However the back seems to be a bit rusty whereas mine is in excellent condition, so I will be using a mix of the two units to make the one good one.
Repair:
The Mamiya looks good cosmetically until you open the rear and see the rust around the door, not a problem as I won’t be using this part of the camera. The red light does not come on at all and the shutter button is stuck, that’s for sure. The whole camera is dead.
Let’s get into it.
Once opened all looks ok so I decide to have a search around with the multimeter checking the basic operation. Am I getting 3 volts at the top of the battery barrel? No I’m not. It appears that one of the traces on the positive side of the power input board has lost continuity. For some reason the traces has been damaged, this could be either from corrosion or rubbing on something. The area affected is in the photo with the red ring around it.
The board top rightArea of no continuity
I’ve fixed this immediately using some solder to bridge the gap, I have checked continuity and all seems ok. I put some batteries in and the motor squeals like a banshee and then stops. You can hear the screaming motor below in the short video from its first screaming session through to its proper 80s sounding drone.
The screaming motor through to its repair
I don’t think this motor has run for years and it does not run consistently. I have sprayed it with some contact cleaner and let it soak. I have left it overnight and checked the operation in the morning and it seems to have improved.
I’ve used the original fascia, rear door, focussing beam and flash capacitor from the first failed unit, and apart from a few bits of soldering, plenty of contact cleaner and some silicone grease, I’ve revitalised a failing motor and it is now working as it should. I forgot to mention I used some graphite on the shutter leafs to “lubricate” them. All optics cleaned and camera has been tested without film and is working just fine.
View finder indications are good with light meter operational, motor rewind works, flash and exposure is fine, and the motor advances as well.
Result:
I’m really pleased with this little camera and am pleased I didn’t give up on it. It’s taken two broken cameras to make one good one, and I have a good few spare parts left over to be used at a later date.
Re assembly taking place
The unit looks so smart, the only real issue is the battery door that is notoriously flimsy and lots of references to its poor design can be found on line. A temporary way around this is just to put some tape across it to keep it closed.
That flimsy battery door
Beyond that issue, the camera is a really good looking unit that has cleaned up really well.
The completed camera
I can’t wait to run some film through it to see how it performs. I have a few cameras like this to test so I’m looking for some decent priced film to use, as i do need quite a bit.
As soon as I have some photographs availability I will link to this post accordingly.
Many thanks for following the repair, it’s always very much appreciated.
I’ve been after a couple of cameras for quite a while now that hold a great deal of sentimental meaning to me. This will become apparent when i publish the individual posts for them, but for now i just want to share the result of an auction i participated in on the 31st July 2025.
A Canon A1 and an Olympus trip
Today I’ve probably made the best purchase off of an auction site that I have ever made previous. I’ve been following a number of Canon A1s lately and they have all been going in the £120+GBP bracket, some even higher than that. Today I have lost out on two that sold for £93 for a damaged body and one for £121 that was just a body but of a much better quality. This particular auction I was watching was for an untested duo of cameras, a Canon A1 as well as an Olympus Trip 35mm. The Olympus alone normally commands the high £80GBP range and both of these were in this particular auction. I was just watching as this was going to sky rocket in my opinion, two good cameras from a respected seller who I have used before. Two minutes from the auction end, bidding was sat at £39GBP and I thought that any second now the price was going to go crazy, especially in the last 30 seconds. I put in a max bid of £55GBP for the lot, as I pretty much knew it would sail past that amount and go for a price in the £150-£200 price range. I hit the bid button with 20 seconds left on the auction….
You have won – congratulations!
I thought you’re having a laugh, no way. And then it came up with the winning bid being £39:00GBP no one else was bidding, crazy.
The A1 camera consists of the body, a winder, an FD 50 1:1.8 lens, a camera manual as well as a lens manual.
Postage was the grand total of £4:99 so my total for these two cameras was £43:99GBP. That is nuts, and to say I’m pleased about this is the understatement of the century. I have two of the cameras I wish for the most, and I have just landed the bargain of the day, I was in the right place at the right time. Wow. It’s unusual to catch other auction bidders sleeping, it will probably never happen again for me, it’s a very rare occurrence. Two cameras of this magnitude for £22:00GBP each! That’s unheard of.
I don’t know for what reason they are not working, as they both appear to be quite tidy examples. I have used this seller before and the posting above could also be worded such as to imply that the units may well not have been tested. But, that’s what this site is about, repairing old cameras and getting them working again. There’s no fun in talking about a good functional camera, that’s boring. We want the meat and potatoes as they say, we want to see things being fixed, or broken further….you never know with me.
Thanks for sharing my excitement at this purchase. It will all make sense once i’ve assessed the cameras and carried out any repairs.
Thank you for passing by. It’s always appreciated.
Anyone who has had an 80s/90s/00s camera through their hands would have experienced this at some point. During this time period many if not all camera manufacturers went through the phase of putting rubber hand grips on their cameras. Aesthetically pleasing, and ensuring a good grip of your new “Expensive” toy. I guess, they thought they had got it right. But as with all these good ideas they often come back and bite you right on the bum at a later date.
My particularly sticky Nikon D70
Ok there were probably no recalls regarding this issue, it’s just affected the price of these goods on the second hand after market, and more than likely a perfectly good unit has most probably gone to landfill for no other reason than “Feeling sticky”
Let’s look into the reasons why this occurs.
It’s pretty much down to a process called Vulcanisation. Vulcanisation is a chemical process that hardens rubber by cross-linking polymer chains, making it more durable and elastic. This process, often using sulfur, heat, and other additives, transforms natural or synthetic rubber into a material with improved properties like resistance to heat, cold, and deformation.
However after many years, the process begins to break down, this causes the rubber to become sticky and in some cases the rubber just breaks down causing traces of rubber dust all over the place. Add to that the normal oils from fingers and palms and the stickiness then becomes highly noticeable, and makes for a very unpleasant experience.
We can’t stop the progress of the degradation, we can however do something about the sticky state, maintain good quality and make the use of the item as pleasurable an experience, just as it was when first purchased. Many believe the stickiness is down to the way the item is stored, and it not being used on a regular basis, as there is plenty of evidence out there of similar aged cameras not suffering from the issue at all, as they are used daily, namely by professional types where these cameras are tools of their trade.
It involves some work, and patience. I am writing this post as I have 8 cameras that i am currently working on, all Nikon D70/D70S and they all have this problem, and they date from 2004.
A load of very sticky Nikons
I use a process that you will easily find on line, the most simple process and it involves using a substance called Isopropyl Alcohol, my one is 99% pure, (also known as rubbing alcohol) I don’t think the purity of 99% is essential but i use it as i have plenty of it around, what with all the circuit board work i do, and the cleaning they also require.
Some people have had results just using a dry cloth and no chemicals, patiently rubbing and rubbing, some for a few hours at a time, until all the mess is removed. If that’s the way you wish to go then fine, i haven’t got the time for all that, i’ll be talking you through the way i do it below, with a chemical.
My technique is simple, lint free cloth and some cotton buds are all that i use, along with a tissue wipe (Such as armoral, or a car cockpit cleaner solution with a dry cloth) and a cocktail stick to finish. The reason for the wipe will become clear at the end.
My Guinea pig for today is a Nikon D70 I have requiring repair. It is a particularly “Sticky” individual and will be a good candidate on how to deal with this sticky situation. This is the process I use on all my equipment that has rubber such as this as part of its structure. It’s worked for me for many years, some people say that it will need doing again after a short while, that’s never been the case for me, and there are a number of documented cases on line where six years after this treatment has been done, there is no repeat of the initial problem. The rubber remains good.
Using a small amount of IPA on a lint free cloth gently wipe the area of concern and you will see the stickiness start to lift, it looks like a glue.
A glue type deposit Gently wipe The dirt is soon lifted
Make your way around the whole camera paying particular attention to those really sticky areas. The IPA evaporates really quickly so you get to see results really quickly. If after one try the stickiness remains then try another application. A good indicator is that when you use a fresh part of the cloth, you see less dirt come off with each application. When you put an application on and come away with a clean cloth, your job is done.
The cotton buds for the cornersSecond application The dirty cloth and cotton buds
The cotton buds are used for getting into those inaccessible crevices you can’t get into with the cloth. As before as they stay cleaner and pick up less dirt your work is done. All this cleaning and moving about of dirt sometimes transfers the dirt into creases and joins between the rubber and the camera body, this is what the cocktail stick is for, to get into those small gaps and scoop the dirt and debris out. Complete with a final application of IPA in this area and the dirty work is now done.
Now earlier I mentioned about using Amorall wipes or a car cockpit cleaner. Sometimes this process can dull rubber, as you have just removed the layer that was providing the gleaming glory back in the day. You can’t have it all your own way but a good quality interior dashboard cockpit cleaner really does add some shine and life to that old camera and really does do a good job of restoring it. I use Auto Glym interior shampoo on a lint free cloth and apply this by gently applying all over the exterior of the camera. It is now exceptionally clean. A quick rub over with a dry cloth once this is dried and what more can I say? This is a different camera, looks stunning and has lost all trace of stickiness and dirt. Now it has that extra layer of protection as well, it’s now a pleasure to behold.
The finishing touch.
This little task probably took just over 20 minutes to achieve and gives so much satisfaction to me as you can see a cameras appearance change in front of your very eyes, and anyone can do it. No camera deserves to go to landfill just because it has this sticky exterior, it’s simple to do and can revitalise an old and much loved camera.
The finished item – stickiness now a thing of the past
I hope this has helped with dealing with the stickiness issue, if you ever experience it. I have even heard reports that a good quality window cleaner can also give similar results, but I’ve never tried it, so there really is no excuse if you have a camera in your ownership needing similar attention.
Mamiya M point and shoot camera. It’s in fantastic original condition and is cosmetically excellent with original case and lens cap included. The lens appears to be bright and clear from the front. HOWEVER…when batteries are inserted the shutter does not fire and I suspect it is jammed somewhere. The lights come on and it goes “click” but the aperture does not open, nor does the film winding do anything. For spares or repairs only, I’m sure somebody with the know how could get it up and running again. Priced super low as I want it shifted and can’t bring myself to bin it! No returns please
EBay
A well made 80s point and shoot 35mm camera
Here’s a little bit about it:
The Mamiya M is a 35mm autofocus compact from 1982. It has a boxy plastic shape, with a fixed Mamiya Sekor 38mm f/2.8 lens. The lens is four elements in three groups. Exposure is fully automatic, based on the film speed, where the ISO is selected via a dial around the lens. Film speed available is 25 – 800 ISO.
The metering cell is located just under the lens, but within the lens ring. This allows for the metering to take into account any 46mm filter screwed onto the lens. That is assuming it is not a graduated filter. Fastest shutter speed is 1/500thsecond with the slowest at 1/8th. The camera is always on, except when fitted with a specially designed lens cap, which triggers the off state. There is a strategically placed switch it pushes against on the right side of the lens. Most of these caps are lost, including mine.
Photothinking.com
I don’t know what attracted me to this camera, but the fact the seller just wanted rid of it at a cheap price was a starting point. It was advertised as £4:36 GBP and £2:45 delivery, a total of £6:81GBP. I bartered a bit and got it all in for £5:44GBP so I got it a little bit cheaper, a bargain if you like.
Mamiya has a great reputation for building high quality lenses. They were only in the 35mm autofocus point and shoot sector for a short while before immersing themselves totally into the medium format camera market. This 35mm camera was only in production for about a year or so, even though quite a few were produced, we are looking at the low hundreds of thousands, not the many millions, so the camera itself was not a major mass produced and marketed unit. It is a plastic preformed body unit. Known in polite society back in the day as “A plastic fantastic”.
If a Mamiya camera had a blue ring around the lens, specifically on its other models, it denoted a higher quality lens type, it was never confirmed this was the case with these small autofocus 35mm cameras, though many believe it is still the case. Photo quality with these little units was generally of a very high quality.
Lens caps with these cameras are very rare, this one has one and it is the original, and i suspect (from what I see in the picture) that there may be a small crack on the side of this one, but that is not an issue. This lens cap is integral to this cameras operation, as when it is placed over the lens, it turns off the camera, without it the camera remains live at all times, and would soon lose its power. It is an early power conserving device if you like. The camera looks to be in overall good condition, probably down to being stored in its original case.
You can view a lot more than I could ever tell you, just by watching this review by Mr.50mm that was posted earlier this year.
Excellent recent review
Since reading up a little on these cameras it appears that I may well have bagged a bargain, if it ever works. And I also believe the seller may well again be unaware of the operation of this camera and it may in fact be working just fine? Who knows? I have my suspicions but we will just have to wait until it gets here for assessment.
Below are some sale prices relative to this camera model that are currently selling on EBay, some extremely high prices compared to what I have paid today:
Current selling prices for this model
It’s plastic and so 80’s. And people obviously loved it. I’d like to be able to get this camera working again, and would love to run a roll of film through it to give it a test run. But first I have to assess it and see just what is wrong with it. I have a roll of old film available to test its “faulty” rewind system, and I have all my tools ready to crack it open and get inside, if I have to. So let’s get at it….
Assessment:
It’s arrived and I must say it is in an excellent cosmetic condition, probably down to being kept in its original Mamiya soft case. The lens cap I thought had a crack in, is actually broken, probably beyond reasonable repair, but at the moment that is not important. Let’s put that to one side for now.
Nice condition Lens cover damage
The actual camera is partially alive. When batteries are installed there is a red light that appears on the right rear side of the camera, this is the film transport light and should extinguish when transport is complete. The flash switch sticks a little, and when the flash is clicked into position the distance sensor light on the lens activates however the flash does not charge. The winding system is inoperative and does not auto wind at all. The shutter does not operate, despite the shutter leaves being able to move when gently coaxed.
Shutter not firingTransport light in top right cornerFocus light illuminates on front
There seems to be partial electricity throughout, this could very well be the issue. There just doesn’t seem to be a uniform continuity throughout the camera. This will need to be looked at. Something very weird is going on inside.
Repair:
I’m really annoyed, closer inspection shows there are 6 screws missing and someone has been inside this camera prior to me. Again I think I’ve been stung by the EBay curse of “Spares and repairs- no returns” will I ever learn?
I’ve removed the remaining screws, and had to peel off the rubber grip to access and expose the motor and associated component board in this area. There will need to be a lot of cleaning here before gluing it all back in place.
That glueMotor exposed The grip gently peeled away
I’ve managed to get the flash charging light illuminated, and a current of 214v in the flash confirms that the Flash capacitor is holding a charge and more importantly, receiving a charge from the battery circuit. But I cannot get it to fire. There seems to be an issue with the shutter mechanism and the related electrical circuit in this area. The motor is not working, it’s either dead or not receiving power. I need to look in this area a little more thoroughly.
Front fascia removed
I’ve now removed the front fascia and now have a good view of the overall workings inside the camera.
Flash circuit board- tested okLens and leaf shutter removed
Ive taken out the lens and the leaf shutter, these seem ok and are working freely when operated. To me it looks as if the mechanism that triggers the leaf shutter is either seized or the variable capacitance system located at the top of the camera, that is basically just a needle on a circuit board connected to the focus light, could be at fault, it does not freely move on each camera actuation as it should, and this is not a readily available part.
That faulty part of the board
Misfiring- faulty
It seems the deeper I delve into this camera that I am finding more issues, and I’ve just found two parts that are incorrectly installed that are on a cog system connected to the motor. I’m fighting a losing battle as it appears the person who has been here before has probably added to the issues of this camera in their attempt to fix the original issue.
On top of the missing screws I’ve now found a missing capstan cog related to the leaf mechanism that would help explain a certain lack of movement in areas. The motor is dead, I’ve taken it out and used the bench power supply and it is non responsive. Even after spraying with some contact cleaning fluid and sitting there spinning the axis to get the solution absorbed, there is still no response. It’s totally dead and will require replacement.
Result:
Well. Once again I have been mislead by incorrect descriptions on the auction sites. It’s a shame really as this is a lovely camera and if it had not been tampered with inside, I’d probably be posting a different review today, one that would be more positive. With screws, cams and cogs missing I was pretty much set up to fail here.
Reassembled Back in its case
I’ve reassembled the camera and it is now back in its pouch. The positives are that I have learned a lot about how this camera operates, and just dismantling and reassembling the camera allows you to learn a lot about it, and the technology used during that period in time. All the screws that I removed have gone back into place with none leftover, yet another positive.
So it’s a failure I’m afraid, but it will be kept and either used as spares or I will obtain a suitable donor to get this one up and running, it will not be disposed of in any way. It will be reused. I’ve only paid a small amount for this, it’s worth it for the spares alone.
I have already set up a notification on the auction sites for when another suitable camera becomes available. I will update this post or post a new one that incorporates either the repair of this unit or its use as a spare parts donor, when that time comes.
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