Specifications

30.Caring for your Camera As with any precision instrument, proper care and
maintenance involve a few simple rules in addition to common sense. Observing
these few rules will keep your AE-1 PROGRAM in top condition at all times.
1. The best thing you can do for your AE-1 PROGRAM is to use it regularly. In the
event that you must store it for quite a while, first remove it from its case or camera
bag. Remove the battery. Wrap the camera in a clean, soft cloth and place it in a
cool, dry, dust-free place. If you store the body and lens separately, attach both the
body and rear lens caps.
2. Keep the camera and lens out of direct sunlight and away from "hot spots," such
as the trunk, rear window shelf or glove compartment of a car. Do not store the
camera in a laboratory or other such area where chemicals may cause corrosion.
s3. To keep the camera in top condition during prolonged storage, occasionally insert
the battery and take several blank shots to "exercise" the mechanisms. Check the
operation of each part before you use the camera following long storage.
4. Water, spray, excessive humidity, dust and sand are your camera's worst enemies.
Clean it especially well immediately after you use it at the beach.
5. To clean the exterior of the camera body, first blow off dust with a blower brush.
Wipe off smudges with a silicone cloth or chamois leather. if smudges remain on the
eyepiece after using a blower brush, wipe it lightly with lens cleaning tissue which has
been moistened with a couple of drops of lens cleaner.
6. If the lens surfaces are clean, yet the viewfinder appears dusty, the picture will not
be affected by the dust in the viewfinder. If the mirror gets dirty, it will not affect
pictures but it may make viewing difficult. Dust it VERY gently with a blower brush. If
further cleaning is necessary, NEVER do it yourself but take the camera to the nearest
authorized Canon service facility or any qualified service centre.
7. The film chamber needs cleaning from time to time to remove film dust which may
scratch the film. Gently dust it out with a blower brush. Be careful NEVER to press on
the film rails, shutter curtain and pressure plate.
8. To clean the lens surfaces, use only a blower brush, cleaning fluid and tissue
made specially for cleaning camera lenses. Carefully follow the lens' instructions.
Chamois leather or a silicone cloth may be used for wiping smudges off the lens
barrel - NEVER use such cloth on the glass surfaces!
Programmed AE
As with most of the other A Series model, the AE-1 PROGRAM has a Central
Processing Unit (CPU) which functions as the brain of the camera's sophisticated
electronic system. It handles all signal information and issues appropriate commands
for immediate response to any picture-taking situation. And in Programmed AE
mode, it computes two essential functions - the shutter speed and aperture. This
"focus and shoot" feature naturally makes taking pictures a lot easier. You no longer
have to worry about sudden changes in lighting conditions, e.g., when your subject
moves from an extremely bright, sunlit place into shadow.