Happy SUNday! – new, in my camera shop.

May 24, 2026May 24, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Lots of new items in my Etsy camera shop this week. Take a look. http://www.ccstudio2380.com.

Canon gear direct from my collection. Many are hard-to-find items in mint condition.

Visit http://www.ccstudio2380.com for more.

I’m also listing my rare Canon T70 U.S. Navy 35mm SLR film camera.

1985 U.S. Navy Canon T70 set. One of the best.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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Comments are always welcome; I’ve learned a great deal from reader feedback. As always, thanks for stopping by. While there, visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com (CC Design Studios, hosted on Etsy). – Chris Whelan

Please respect that all content, including photos and text, is this blog’s property and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris, Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris. Copyright © 2015-2026 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

Friday Fotos! – Early 1971 Canon Ad

May 8, 2026May 8, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Here is an early Canon advertisement for its F-1 (and others).

In the United States, Bell & Howell was the distributor for Canon products.

The Canon F-1 was first released in the US in March 1971. Some cameras were produced as early as September 1970 to meet the release date. If you find an F-1 with a very low serial number (less than 1000), it could have been made in 1970. The internal date code would carry a ‘K’ as its first letter (K=1970).

My earliest F-1 is from mid-1971.

A complete, early, original Canon F-1 set.

The F-1’s serial numbers started at 100001. Mine was number 2,597.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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Happy SUNday!

May 3, 2026May 3, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Some of the items I have in my Etsy Camera Shop and On Sale! Visit http://www.ccstudio2380.com.

See something you like? I accept offers.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/ccphotographyai

Facebook CC Photography of Amelia

Flickr Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

wordless wednesday

April 29, 2026April 29, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

wordless wednesday

April 22, 2026April 22, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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Finally!

April 16, 2026April 16, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

After more than a decade of searching, I found a boxed set.

Canon’s only non-black F-1. This very special, limited-edition set was made only for the Japanese domestic market in 1978, and around 3,000 were produced (likely fewer). How many survive today in mint new condition?

Flawless surfaces, just as it left the factory.

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Early Canon F-1

April 8, 2026April 8, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

My early F-1, July 1971, with a matching July 1971 50mm f1.4 lens and a November 1971 instruction book (PUB. NO. 5366G). These very early books are almost harder to find than the cameras.
What’s interesting about this camera is that the serial number is less than 3,000, but the date stamp inside reads L712C, indicating July 1971. I have an August 1971 camera, and its SN is just shy of 20,000. My guess is that, for whatever reason, this body sat around long after its serial number was issued. The ‘C’ after the date stamp may tell the story that we’ll never know.

If you’re a Canon F-1 fan and a collector, you can’t go wrong with these first edition F-1s.

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New arrivals in my camera shop this week.

April 3, 2026April 3, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Hi all! Lots of new items in my Etsy Camera Shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com.

I have hundreds (maybe thousands) of neat items in my extensive collection. Contact me if there’s something you’re looking for. I may have it!

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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Canon F-1 from 1976

April 2, 2026April 2, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Happy to say that my most recent F-1 purchase from Japan did not disappoint. It’s hard to imagine a camera from January 1976 can still be this nice.

I see these early F-1s as little bits of Canon art – few cameras can match the design, elegance, and toughness of these gems.

The Canon patch was included with a bunch of early 1970s Canon brochures. I believe it was made at the same time the F-1 was released.

My 1978 limited edition Canon F-1 in OD paint. Only 3,000 (or fewer) were made and only for the Japanese domestic market.

I believe the seller undervalued his camera by quite a bit. He did describe it as *Top Mint*, which is accurate. It’s unfortunate that more sellers don’t realize that when you call a camera mint, this is it.

It’s one of the best 35mm SLR cameras ever made.

Brochure from the late 1970, just before the F-1’s March 1971 release.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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Wow, what a rare Canon!

March 31, 2026March 31, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I never knew this existed.
The Canon EF in a commemorative edition for the 1976 Montreal Olympics. It was never offered for sale, and only a few were built for Canon’s own use. Photo: Joseph DeLora.