Canon F-1

The Canon F-1 is a 35 mm single-lens reflex camera produced by Canon of Japan from March 1971 until 1976's introduction of the mildly updated F-1n. Production of this revision to the F-1 continued until the end of 1981 at which time the F-1 was superseded by the New F-1 which was launched earlier in 1981. The new Canon FD lens mount was introduced along with the F-1, but the previous Canon FL-mount lenses were also compatible, although without open-aperture metering. Older R- series lenses could also be used with some limitations. The Canon F-1 was clearly placed as a solid competitor to the Nikon F and Nikon F2 line of single lens reflex cameras by Nikon.

The F-1 was Canon's first truly professional-grade SLR system, supporting a huge variety of accessories and interchangeable parts so it could be adapted for different uses and preferences.

In 1972 Canon launched a Highspeed model with a fixed pellicle mirror that allowed the user to see the subject at all times. Equipped with a motor drive the camera was able to shoot up to 9 frames per second, the highest speed of any motor driven camera at the time.