Canon AE-1

That's it, I have my AE-1!
It is not very shiny (and even, I cleaned it!), I had to replace the cover of the battery housing by a "remade" one, the lens is "mushroomed". But it works.

I do not know if it is possible to find some sales statistics, but I am convinced that in its time this camera has largely crushed the competition. An "urban legend" ran, as it was unreliable, because there were many more after sales returns on this camera than on those of the competition. Of course, if you sell ten boxes when your competitor sells one... And it is part of the first generations that do not work without battery, so if you count the returns because the battery is empty...

The vast majority of the first automatic SLRs were in "aperture priority" mode. Canon on his side had chosen the difficulty, by betting on a "shutter priority" camera, more difficult to conceive since it is necessary to be able to control the diaphragm of the lens. The manufacturer had planned this for a long time since the FD lenses that equipped the FTb were already compatible with this system.

Horizontal textile curtain shutter, electronically controlled, from 2s to 1/1000s and B. Operates in automatic when the lens diaphragm ring is on "A", in manual in the other positions. A needle indicates in the viewfinder the diaphragm selected by the automation, a red M flashes if the diaphragm is in manual mode. Electronic selftimer, depth of dield tester (or for actual opening measurement with non-FD lenses). Backlight button. Motorisable.