A while ago, I discovered my first-ever film SLR camera, a Canon AE-1, that had been gathering dust in the attic. As I reported in a piece I wrote a few weeks back, I couldn’t ever see myself using it again, and so it was going to go straight back into the attic.
I was wrong. It’s still on my desk.
I still can’t see myself ever using it again. I’m not about to invest in rolls of film, and, frankly, the idea of being limited to a paltry 36 exposures and then not actually being able to see any of the photos I’ve taken until several days later (and at considerable expense) gives me the heebie jeebies. No, the reason it’s still on my desk is because I just like looking at it.
It is, quite simply, a stunning piece of design: a proper metal chassis with a leatherette grip, a beautifully stylized Canon logo, and all the mechanical levers and dials that suggest an object with a function, even if it isn't going to be used for its intended function again.
So on my desk it will remain, nestled between my mug full of pens and Chewbacca Bop-It (which I hardly ever use either, although the hip flask is a different story). I'll occasionally glance over at it, and I may even pick it up and absent-mindedly have a little twiddle with those delightful dials before putting it back down again.
Yes, my Canon AE-1 may be little more than a paperweight these days. But it's a very nice paperweight.
Film may not be for me, but if you're a fan of all things analog, don't miss our guides to the best film cameras and the best 35mm films to put in them. And while the Canon AE-1 ceased production many years ago, there are still plenty available secondhand.
