Canon AE-1

A Canon AE-1 with its 50mm f/1.8 lens, still wearing a lens cap marked for the Montreal 1976 Olympics, the year the camera came out. Canon introduced it in April 1976, and it became the SLR that turned a generation of hobbyists into photographers. Inside, its functions were controlled centrally by a microcomputer, which let Canon cut parts and automate assembly. The result was a camera with high-end features at a low price, and it set the template for the electronic, plastic-and-metal SLRs of the late 1970s and 1980s. Thousands survive, so it is an easy first film SLR today; just listen for the well-known Canon squeal before you buy.