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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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.

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wordless wednesday

May 6, 2026May 6, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

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

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

Facebook CC Photography of Amelia

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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

Happy SUNday!

April 26, 2026April 26, 2026Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Onion blossoms.

I use my ever-present Samsung Galaxy S8+.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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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.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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Canon’s best compact 35mm SLR.

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

Carol’s new Canon AE-1, Japan 1978

Many photographers may disagree with my comment that the AE-1 was Canon’s best compact 35mm SLR. It was, at the time it was released, a hyper-popular camera and broke numerous sales records for the industry and made Canon a boatload of money. Some might say the A-1 was the best, but it was a bit more expensive, and although it was much more capable, it may have been too smart for casual users.