Canon U.S. Navy Lens

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

Canon New F-1 with a Canon U.S. Navy NFD 100mm f2.8 fixed focus and aperture lens. The lens was designed by Canon for use by the Navy as a point-and-shoot option for quick shots from aircraft and from ships’ bridges. Sailor Proof.

To use aperture priority on a New F-1, set the shutter speed to ‘A’ and release the stop-down slide (the chrome thingy with the red line to the left of the lens). The AE Finder will then set the exposure for the shutter speed it selects.
Canon calls it ‘Stopped Down AE.
The camera was made in December 1982, and the lens in September 1987.

Compact point and shoot short telephoto lens that can be used on the Canon New F-1 (pictured), the Canon AV-1, and the Canon A-1.

Canon NFD 100mm f2.8 fixed focus and aperture lens.

Rare Canon NFD 400mm f4.5 U.S. Navy marked long telephoto lens.

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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.

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Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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Facebook CC Photography of Amelia

Flickr Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

wordless wednesday

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

Unique Canon F-1

April 9, 2026April 9, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

A Canon New F-1 (1981 onward) made for the Canadian military.

Its unique outer shell provided protection and a better grip.

I don’t know much about this camera set. Not sure about the red leatherette either. This may be an aftermarket kit and not made by Canon.

For more, here is a link to the seller’s listing. https://www.ebay.com/itm/317595123655

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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.

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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.

Previously unknown Montreal 1976 EF camera.

The F-1 Montreal 1976 was Canon’s first Olympic Games special-edition camera.

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Happy SUNday! – more cameras

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

As I continue to reduce my camera collection, I’ve added these two gems to my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com.

The original Nikon F 35mm SLR film camera was introduced in 1959. Here is my 1969 model.

Introduced in 1971, this is a mid-1973 model of the Canon F-1 35mm SLR film camera.

You can’t ask for a better camera in the Nikon line.

Canon’s top-of-the-line camera for a decade.

Off subject, here is a beautiful picture that a dear friend took along the north coast of Long Island.

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Canon P*rn…

February 27, 2026February 27, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

They could have crossed paths in the past. The F-1 is from August 1971, and the lens’s SN (36594) could have been a late-in-the-run model. Anyway, I have them displayed together ATM.

The <E.P> marks indicate that they were purchased at a U.S. military exchange, likely in Japan.

Canon FL 28mm f3.5 lens with its correct Canon lens hood.

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When it all comes together.

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

My early Canon F-1 set.

Part of the fun of collecting is when all of the bits come together. My Canon F-1 is from 1971, the first year of the F-1 (released in March). The lens is from late 1972 and is affectionally known as a chrome nose (for obvious reasons). The chrome filter is from 1963, but it would have still been the appropriate filter for this later lens. The lens hood is an all-metal model designed for this lens. Even the rear lens cap is correct.

It’s a beautiful lens that Canon described as a super-wide-angle lens back in the day.

Top view with the correct front lens cap.

The beauty of collecting these early Canon F-1s is that they are still very affordable and still plentiful. Because of their popularity, they are easy to have professionally repaired and adjusted by qualified technicians at a reasonable price.

The early F-1. Serial numbers start at 100001, so my F-1 was number 2,597 and was assembled in July 1971.

1971 price list. It wasn’t an inexpensive camera.

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Canon Chrome Nose 28/3.5 Lens

January 23, 2026January 23, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

An early Canon wide-angle lens with its desirable chrome nose.

I enjoy collecting these lenses. They are from the very earliest days of the Canon F-1, and they have a heft to them that’s very reassuring. Lots of brass and glass. The lens weighs 290 grams.