Which is better Canon AE1 or Nikon FE?

[AgX]

The AE-1 waz a milestone but it's mostly plastic.

Not at all.

The body of the AE-1 is made of a cast-metal frame.
The only plastic parts are the top cap and the tiny, unimportant cover around the lens mount.

A camera I advise any starter to begin with.


The issues I have seen at AE-1's all were not related to the top cap.
But I would not advise to bring this camara to the beach.

 

[ToddB]

Thanks for all the chime ins on this.. The option of using Lieca lenses is exciting. I had no idea that would jive.

Todd

 

[AgX]

The Canon FD-mount even allows more possibilities for mounting lenses with different mount, as it is one of the shortest built mounts (only surpased by Konica and Miranda SLR's).

 

[John Koehrer]

everyone is born a Canon person;only the great can overcome it.

Or finally learn better....................P

 

[ntenny]

The Canon FD-mount even allows more possibilities for mounting lenses with different mount, as it is one of the shortest built mounts (only surpased by Konica and Miranda SLR's).

Do you get auto-aperture and/or full-aperture metering with any of the adapters? I've got a little lens problem and it'd be great to let my AE-1 enable it.

-NT

 

[vsyrek1945]

Do you get auto-aperture and/or full-aperture metering with any of the adapters? I've got a little lens problem and it'd be great to let my AE-1 enable it.

-NT

Nope.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

I have never been a Nikon fan, but I think the match needle metering of the FE is the nicest of any manual camera. Easy to use and looks good. I was never fond of the "window" aperture display though. It is difficult to see at times.

 

[AgX]

Do you get auto-aperture and/or full-aperture metering with any of the [FD-Mount] adapters? I've got a little lens problem and it'd be great to let my AE-1 enable it.

There are M42-Adapters (or could be modified) that enable the auto-aperture to function. But then there would be no auto-exposure function.
But with all mountable lenses you could use stepped-down auto-exposure.

 

[vsyrek1945]

I like the FE better because it's aperture preferred. I'm not a fan of shutter priority. Of course you can shoot manual on both cameras so pick whichever you prefer.

I find shooting a Shutter Priority automatic camera in manual a chore; not so with an Aperture Priority automatic. The twin needles in the viewfinder scale make exposure comp easy when desired.

My first 35mm SLR was a Canon FTb; I added an AE-1 eleven years later, switched to EOS in the mid-90s, and later wound up with OM, K-mount and Nikkormat outfits when my case of GAS kicked in. I recently re-assembled a Canon FD set, and my preferred camera for it is an AT-1 (mine doesn't squeak). If Canon had designed the FTb to use a silver oxide battery, it would have been my choice instead.

My Nikkormats (an FT2 with Jumpy Needle Syndrome and a pair of ELs, one of which had a Nikomat nameplate) have been replaced by FM/FE/FA bodies (there's an FM2 and an FE2 in the mix), and I'm finding I prefer the FE or FE2 more than the FMs or FA in daylight shooting because of the viewfinder scale. The FM2, with its LED (+) and (-) viewfinder exposure indicators and flash ready signal gets the nod in dimly lit situations. Oh, yeah - since I have a few non-AI Nikkor and third-party lenses, I picked up an EL (with nicer cosmetics than either of the two I sold off last year), also because of the twin-needle viewfinder shutter speed display.

Honorable mention K-mount cameras with twin-needle viewfinder shutter speed scales: Aperture Priority auto Pentax K2 and Ricoh XR-2/XR-2s/Sears KS Auto, and metered-manual only with flash ready viewfinder signal and Copal Square mechanical shutter Ricoh XR-1/XR-1s (aka Sears KS1000).

 

[dynachrome]

I don't have any AE-1 or AE-1 Program cameras but I do have an A-1. I also have three FEs. The FE is more solidly made but when it comes to cameras it isn't the thickness of the body that keeps a camera going so much as it is is the strength of the parts inside. The original AE-1 does not have interchangeable focusing screens. Using one with a slower lens is not very convenient. With the FE you can substitute a plain matte or grid screen. The FE's higher flash synch speed has been mentioned. In the last few days I have used a Konica FT-1 and a Minolta X-700 so I agree that if you want to see how the two cameras work, get both of them. From what I have seen, the AE-1 was designed for an amateur while the FE was designed for a more advanced amateur.

 

[StoneNYC]

There does seem to be a lot of misinformation about Canon here.

First off.... Leica mount adapter made by canon...

Aperture priority is stupid on older models, they only usually go to 1/1000 so you only have 5 stops before you have to worry about camera shake issues...



Whereas shutter priority on older film models let's you choose the best shutter action for the situation (sports, or if you want semi-blur, vs a still photo where you don't need as much but the subject is closer etc etc etc). While still having a 7 stop (or more) range to play with.



Finally, non-full-manual mode is almost always futile anyway with older models and meters aren't that great and you're working slow so why do you need the camera to do your job anyway? It's not that hard to adjust exposure.

Also... The camera is most certainly NOT mostly plastic... Very much metal...




Just the back is plastic.



but even the interior is metal with black paint.



Mine was bought new just around 1981 or so, and later given to me at 12 or so, and I've shot with it for 20 years, and I've never EVER had to give it a CLA and now that it's about 30 years old, has the mirror started to stick when taking vertical shots (this only affects the return of the mirror and not the image itself.

That's pretty good quality...

My only complaint is the more obscure battery it takes,



but then the Mamiya 7 takes the same battery so it works out ok for me since I have both.

Nikon DOES have an advantage as the lens mount hasn't changed much, but the change canon made to the electronic mount certainly gave them an advantage for a very long time in terms of auto focus capabilities.

You can use many MORE adapters on canon cameras than any other camera including Nikon because canon lenses rear element is much closer to the film plane, so the added adapter distances of other mounts and lenses won't interfere with the mirror operation, something that Nikon has issues with in adapting for other lens brands.

Both are GREAT camera companies, and it will all come down to feel, and where you want to go, but I wanted to clear Canon's name a bit, they make an excellent product.

 

[StoneNYC]

Oh yea, plus canon lenses have less CA and less light falloff at the edges... Especially during this timeframe.

And they actually turn the RIGHT way and mount the RIGHT way...

They also mount more easily, even Nikon shooters have told me that part.

Nikon has better flashes.

 

[AgX]

Also... The camera is most certainly NOT mostly plastic... Very much metal...

View attachment 87888

As I said above, the complete to cap and that "vest" around the lens mount, bearing the Canon name, are plastic. Though galvanized.

 

[StoneNYC]

As I said above, the complete to cap and that "vest" around the lens mount, bearing the Canon name, are plastic. Though galvanized.

The body is metal, so the outer jacket is plastic but it's still a very sturdy metal body.

 

[frank]

Ae1 is like the Big Mac of burgers. Millions sold.

 

[StoneNYC]

Ae1 is like the Big Mac of burgers. Millions sold.

And there's a reason...

 

[frank]

Why have so many Big Macs been sold? Is it because it is an excellent quality hamburger?

 

[AgX]

The AE-1 is one of the few cases where I don't mind going with the stream.

Back then the price/content ratio was one important factor in deciding on that camera.

 

[ntenny]

I would definitely rather have a used AE-1 than a used Big Mac.

-NT

 

[StoneNYC]

I would definitely rather have a used AE-1 than a used Big Mac.

-NT

Hahaha OMG this literally had me burst out laughing!!

 

[MattKing]

On the battery issue:

All the Mamiya manual focus medium format cameras/finders that require a battery use the same size battery.

As do a bunch of electronic dog collars .

So I would venture that the battery situation for an AE-1 is way better than for a lot of other cameras - particularly digital ones!

 

[StoneNYC]

On the battery issue:

All the Mamiya manual focus medium format cameras/finders that require a battery use the same size battery.

As do a bunch of electronic dog collars .

So I would venture that the battery situation for an AE-1 is way better than for a lot of other cameras - particularly digital ones!

Very true! The battery door on the other hand... Haha, mine actually is ok, just super glued, they have cheap aftermarket ones, it's canon AE-1's only flaw.

 

[Alan Gales]

Aperture priority is stupid on older models, they only usually go to 1/1000 so you only have 5 stops before you have to worry about camera shake issues...

View attachment 87886

Whereas shutter priority on older film models let's you choose the best shutter action for the situation (sports, or if you want semi-blur, vs a still photo where you don't need as much but the subject is closer etc etc etc). While still having a 7 stop (or more) range to play with.

With aperture priority you can adjust the aperture up and down with your left hand while still cradling the lens and without taking your eye away from the viewfinder. Your right hand remains ready to press the shutter release. If you need a faster shutter speed just open up the aperture and your shutter speed will increase.

With shutter priority you have to take your right hand out of position to adjust the shutter speed dial on top of the camera unless you own an Olympus.


I remember a good friend of mine buying a Nikon FE2 right when they came out. Fine camera but I didn't understand the 1/4000 of a second maximum shutter speed. Perfectly useless with the Kodachrome 25 that I used to shoot! Also the fastest speed color film back then was the old version of 400 ASA print film. It was so grainy that you only shot it if you had to. There wasn't any 200 back then so most people shot 100 ASA when they wanted color print film. Notice that I say ASA and not ISO. It hadn't changed just yet.

 

[trythis]

In the aperture vs shutter priority discussion:
I find that I would rather be able to control the depth of field in my photographs. Aperture priority has the benefit of keeping the depth of field the same even when the light changes too rapidly for me to compensate by changing shutter speeds as I would need to with an Ae-1.

I suppose if I was focused on maintaining a shutter speed for blur/no blur, and didnt care about the effects of focal depth in compositions, I would want the canon. The A-1 solves that problem even with its fiddly ergonomics. Mine needs a CLA due to inconsistent shutter speeds.

 

[StoneNYC]

With aperture priority you can adjust the aperture up and down with your left hand while still cradling the lens and without taking your eye away from the viewfinder. Your right hand remains ready to press the shutter release. If you need a faster shutter speed just open up the aperture and your shutter speed will increase.

With shutter priority you have to take your right hand out of position to adjust the shutter speed dial on top of the camera unless you own an Olympus.


I remember a good friend of mine buying a Nikon FE2 right when they came out. Fine camera but I didn't understand the 1/4000 of a second maximum shutter speed. Perfectly useless with the Kodachrome 25 that I used to shoot! Also the fastest speed color film back then was the old version of 400 ASA print film. It was so grainy that you only shot it if you had to. There wasn't any 200 back then so most people shot 100 ASA when they wanted color print film. Notice that I say ASA and not ISO. It hadn't changed just yet.

I suppose it's all in how you shoot. I really mostly use full manual mode all the time, but is usually start with... Well what subject am I working with...? Is it moving, or still? Do I want it to move or blur? And then decide what kind of depth I would like to play with, then balance those and begin shooting, I don't really mess with the shutter speed once I've decided what I want, and stick to mostly 1/60 or 1/125 or 1/250 for almost any circumstance. But during the shoot I usually stick to the chosen shutter speed.

But that's me...

Everyone is different, the OP will have to decide what they want.

They can also choose another camera with both options... Canon or Nikon or Minolta or Pentax... All great affordable cameras...