Canon AE-1 Manual page 16

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The "B" setting is for long exposures. At the "B" setting, the shutter remains open while the

shutter button is depressed and closes when it is not depressed. See page 48 for more details

concerning long exposures. To set the shutter speed, rotate the dial in either direction until the

desired number clicks into place next to the white index mark. An in-between shutter speed

cannot be set on the dial.

Rotated between "B" and "1000".

Brightness

Outdoor

Mid-summer Beach Snow-covered

Mountains

a) Selecting the Shutter Speed Shutter speed is determined in accordance with the brightness

of the scene and the speed with which the main subject is moving. You can use the above

table as a general guide to help you select an appropriate shutter speed when using a standard

50mm lens. For indoor photography, with no special illumination, choose 1/30 of a second

and 1/60 of a second in a brightly lit room.

For out door photography, select 1/125 second when cloudy and 1/250

second in sunshine. To take pictures in particularly bright sunshine such

as at a beach in midsummer or in snow-covered mountains, use shutter

speeds of 1/500 sec. or 1/1000 sec.

The above mentioned shutter speeds apply when using a standard 50mm lens, but it is

necessary to choose faster shutter speeds when using lenses of longer focal lengths because

they are more difficult to hold steady. It is generally said that the shutter speed figure should

be greater than 1 divided by the focal length of the lens in order to obtain sharp images. For

example, when using a 200mm telephoto lens, shutter speed. should be faster than 1/200

second, therefore the shutter speed in this particular case should be set at 1/250 sec. Image

blur can also arise if the camera is not properly held.

b) Reading the Exposure This camera incorporates a magnetic release system using an

electromagnetic switch to effectively perform instantaneous light metering. The shutter

release button activates light metering and exposure in succession and practically

simultaneously. This is a two-step shutter button. The exposure can be confirmed by the meter

Indoor

Shutter Speed

(Seconds)

1/30 sec to 1/60 sec

1/125 sec to 1/1000 sec

1/500 sec to 1/1000