About this one
TEST DATA. A 1983 Canon AE-1 Program with the standard FD 50mm f/1.8, in black. The camera that taught a generation to shoot manual, and the one most people mean when they say they want to learn film.
TEST DATA. Shooting 35mm, in full manual, aperture priority or program. It needs one 4LR44 battery for the meter and the shutter, so no battery means no camera — worth knowing before it arrives.
The lens on it is the one to learn with. Everything else in the FD range fits.
TEST DATA. Almost every AE-1 of this age squeals when the shutter fires — dried lubricant in the mirror mechanism. It is the single most common fault and most sellers do not mention it.
This one is silent, and it was fired fifty times to be sure.
Condition
How it looks
TEST DATA. Brassing on the edges of the top plate and around the strap lugs, which is normal on a black body and shows it was used. The leatherette is complete and not lifting. Viewfinder clean.
How it works
TEST DATA. Shutter accurate at every speed from 2s to 1/1000. Meter reads correctly against a reference. Program and aperture priority both work. No squeal. The lens focuses smoothly, aperture blades dry, glass clear.
Checked by Unseend in September 2026, before it was photographed and again before it is packed. Every photograph on this page is of this exact piece.