canon ae-1 repair

[vicopico]

hello guys, i just recently started analog photography with my dads canon ae1 program. it is incredible! i now got a canon ae1 for myself. i noticed that the battery drains out in very little time. and the stop-down mechanism is broken. when i shoot with any lens it will always shoot wide open. i know it is not a lens issue. is there a way i could fix the camera ?

 

[colin wells]

How about if you take the lens off A

 

[vicopico]

i obviously did. i tried different lenses to know that the problem is not on the lenses.

 

[shutterfinger]

Fast battery drain says there is a short or the on/off switch is stuck on or the meter is staying on constantly.
Download the repair manual https://www.manualslib.com/manual/704000/Canon-Ae-1.html
The aperture stop down may or may not be related to the electronics problem.
It will likely be less expensive to buy a working body.
Dead Link Removed

 

[AgX]

...and the stop-down mechanism is broken. when i shoot with any lens it will always shoot wide open. i know it is not a lens issue. is there a way i could fix the camera ?

This may sound foolish, but I learned by experience that ione can't imagine oneself what one is able to do wrong..
So, you may have arrested the stop-down button, next to the lens, then changed lenses without releasing that button. In such case neither the automatic diaphragm nor manual stop down would work.

I got one sample of an AE-1 where the accessory metering button was stuck in the switch-closed state by a tiny grain of sand, thus discharging the battery. Of course then in the display one would see the meter activated.

 

[John Koehrer]

Will the lens stop down manually? the blades could be oily. Using the stop down button should stop Or, of it's down.or when it's off of the camera check it manually.
Keep in mind there are FD and FDn lenses, The older ones you need to rotate the breech lock so the lens thinks it's mounted. With the FDn the inner
part has to rotate. There's a locking pin near the edge of the mount, use a small screwdriver or other pointy thing to disengage it.

 

[rrusso]

Don't know if it would be worth it, but here's a retired factory authorized Canon repair tech in Florida:

www.slr35.com

 

[AgX]

Keep in mind there are FD and FDn lenses, The older ones you need to rotate the breech lock so the lens thinks it's mounted. With the FDn the inner part has to rotate. There's a locking pin near the edge of the mount, use a small screwdriver or other pointy thing to disengage it.

The breech-lock ring has no other function than fastening the mount. It just acts like a nut.
With the FDnew lenses it is the outer port thats rotates.
I do not see the idea behind loosing that locking pin. It only serves to orientate the mount correctly, to make the actuators match, and to keep the barrel from turning while fastening the mount.