The Canon AE-1 program was first introduced in 1981 as the successor to the Canon AE-1, which was launched five years earlier. Users of the Canon AE-1 wanted the mode that set both the shutter speed and aperture automatically, this mode is called the program AE mode and was featured in the Canon A-1.

The focusing screen on the AE-1 Program is brighter than any previous focusing screen on any Canon manual focus camera. This allows the user to focus easier with “slow” lenses.  The focusing screen design is the same as is used in the top-of-the-line Canon F-1.

The Canon Power Winder A enabling virtually all A series models to photograph continuously at a film advance rate of two frames per second.

Operations:

• The camera has been tested and works fine.
• Light metering: works ok, but its accuracy is unknown.
• Shutter: works as is should.

Visual appearance:

• There is a dent on the side of the transport handle.
• There is also a small dent on the rewind handle.