Is the Canon Sure Shot Wp-1 Good for Photography

The Canon Certain Shot A1 is a indicate-and-shoot 35mm film camera which beginning debuted in 1994. It's a friendly, cute and simple-to-use photographic camera, with a good lens and some interesting features not plant in typical point-and-shoots of its era, most obvious of which is its ability to operate underwater to depths as keen every bit 15 feet.

I love underwater cameras. I love them fifty-fifty though I live where the bounding main is as well cold for sane human use for ten months of the year and despite the fact that I tin can't swim very well. There's just something interesting, maybe even romantic, almost a photographic camera that tin can operate as well underwater equally it can in open up air. Like the Tudor Blackness Bay dive picket that mostly sits on my nightstand or the Zeiss binoculars that stay meticulously dustless on my role desk, underwater cameras are among the purpose-congenital gizmos that I dream of using to their full potential, yet never do. Notwithstanding – I dearest them.

And I love this underwater camera, the one that I've spent the past few weeks shooting, just the aforementioned. It'due south a fun, dead simple camera that makes great pictures (fifty-fifty if I'chiliad besides cowardly to use it in the ocean).

Let's Dive Into That Spec Canvas

• Camera Blazon – Waterproof, fully automated 35mm pic camera
• Paradigm area – 24 x 36mm (full frame)
• Underwater Depth – 5 meter (xvi feet)
• Lens – Catechism 32mm f/3.five
• Autofocus System – AiAF (Smart AF) system (fixed focus underwater)
• Shooting Range – 0.45 meters (one.5 feet) to infinity on country; 1 to iii meters (iii.iii to 9.9 feet) underwater; underwater macro mode 0.45 meters to 1 meter (1.5 to 3.3 feet)
• Shutter – Electromagnetically-driven program shutter
• Viewfinder – 0.42x magnification Albada-type finder with frame-lines, parallax correction frame-lines, and AF indicator
• Motion-picture show Winding and Rewinding – Automatic
• Frame Counter – Counts up and down during winding and rewinding
• Film Check – Window on pic door
• Self-Timer – x second filibuster
• Metering Range (at ISO 100) – Wink Motorcar and Flash On modes 1/60 f/3.5-i/250 f/22 (EV9.5-17); Flash Off style ii seconds f/3.v-1/250 f/22 (EV3-17)
• Motion-picture show Speed – ISO 25-3200 DX-coded picture show.
• Flash – Congenital-in flash, automatic fashion; 0.45-3.4 meters at ISO 100; recycle time approx. 4 seconds
• Battery – One 3V lithium battery (CR123) good for aprox. 18 rolls of film
• Buoyancy – Floats in water
• Dimensions – 133 ten 88 10 53 mm (five.25 ten 3.48 x 2.11 inches)
• Weight – 300 grams (10.half-dozen oz.)

Shooting the Sure Shot A1

This whole segment defies elaboration. But I'll elaborate. Because it'south my job.

The Catechism Sure Shot A1 is, as I've already written, dead unproblematic to use. Though it can also be said that users who read the manual volition go more out of this camera than will someone who just picks it upward and starts firing. Sure, at that place's only one dial and information technology's only got five settings (four, if nosotros don't count "OFF"), but knowing when and how to use these settings volition make at to the lowest degree a little of a difference.

The start pace to using the photographic camera is to load the film. This is done in the usual fashion, but unusually we should recollect to check the film door'southward rubber seal for errant sand particles or other debris. Brassy readers should pause and reverberate, and not take this alarm lightly. The photographic camera's manual states in no uncertain terms that even a single grain of sand or one strand of hair can render these all-important seals useless, resulting in a flooded and ruined camera. The manual also makes sure to mention, undoubtedly to avoid warranty claims resulting from user mistake, that a broken camera caused past a flooded motion-picture show compartment simply "cannot be repaired."

One time the door is close, the camera automatically detects the pic's ISO via DX coding and auto-advances the movie to the commencement frame. From hither, we're in classic point-and-shoot territory. For the majority of users and use cases, pointing and shooting will piece of work just fine. Some effectively points, however, be.

The camera'southward handy manner dial features a Flash Off mode, Wink On mode, Red Eye Reduction Automatic mode, and Underwater Macro Zone Focus mode. These modes all operate as would be expected by veteran Camera-likers™. Newcomers should remember the post-obit Pro-tips™:

Use Flash On way whenever shooting underwater, or when seeking to soften shadows on subjects in bright low-cal (see my examples of my daughter's portrait at the beach). Wink Off should be used in low light situations (this fashion will force the camera to brand a long exposure), or in places where flash photography is prohibited (will I accept this camera to Disney Globe? Probably). Red Middle Reduction Motorcar mode is the standard shooting mode in which the camera does all of the work – most people volition use this setting exclusively. And the Underwater Macro manner is for shooting fishies whenever they swim between 1.5 and 3.iii feet abroad from your face.

There's besides a self-timer!

In practical use, setting the camera to Auto nearly always makes a perfect photo. About 75% of the shots in this review were made with the camera set up to Automobile (am I Ken Rockwell at present?). The camera'south exposure system works not bad, fifty-fifty in challenging lighting situations such as when a subject field is heavily backlit by something big and bright, like The Sun. At times when my lensman brain says "those shadows are too harsh" a quick motion picture of the switch solves the problem past forcing a fill up flash. When I notice that the lite is dim and kill the flash, pictures look skilful too (though a fleck softer from the subdued light and longer exposure).

The autofocus system, which Canon called AiAF (Smart focus), works amazingly well. When shooting on dry land, subjects non centered in the frame are withal nigh always focused upon accurately. For the trickiest of shots, where the bailiwick is on the farthermost edge of the frame, information technology's possible to use the archetype focus and recompose technique. Place the AF patch over your bailiwick, half-printing the shutter release button to lock focus, recompose and shoot with a full printing of the button. Easy and fast.

My lensman brain is helped forth in its picture-taking via some simple projected lines and lights in the viewfinder. The outer frames bespeak the camera's image area, and the smaller frame indicates the parallax corrected frame when shooting in macro way. The center dot is the AF focusing patch – put this on your bailiwick and half-press the shutter button. A light-green light on the right-hand side of the VF gives more info – a solid greenish LED indicates that focus has been achieved and that all is well. If the green light does not illuminate, focus has not been achieved and you are probable too close to your subject field. A rapidly flashing light warns of photographic camera shake (considering we're taking a slightly long exposure) and we should try to hold things as steady as possible or employ a tripod.

And that essentially covers how to use this photographic camera on state. Read the manual, employ fresh motion-picture show, and your photos volition be properly focused and properly exposed a better-than-average 95% of the time.

When shooting underwater, things are a trivial more complicated. To commencement, the Car fashion should not exist used, because the Red Middle Reduction characteristic volition lead to longer exposures than is necessary. When shooting under the waves use Wink On manner in pools and when the water is relatively clear, or Macro mode when subjects are within the appropriate distance. If there's excessive particulate in the h2o, your photos will likely turn out terrible in any mode, just the manual suggests using Flash Off.

The Canon Sure Shot A1's autofocus system also functions differently underwater than it does on land. Here the AiAF system automatically deactivates and the photographic camera converts to a fixed focus organisation. When underwater, any field of study at distances between 3.3 and 9 anxiety will be in focus. But this calculation is not so unproblematic, since the refractive index of water is approximately 1.33 times greater than that of air. For this reason, underwater subjects will appear about 25% closer than they actually are, and this should be factored when shooting.

Image Quality

I used this photographic camera in my puddle, in a park, and at the embankment. I made a bunch of good photos. A skilful lensman could probably make great photos.

The camera is not limiting, and the lens is quite good. At 32mm, it's a little flake wider than I'm accustomed to, but the viewfinder frame lines are accurate enough and the large, bright VF allows like shooting fish in a barrel limerick with spectacles, sunglasses, and snorkel masks. The passably quick maximum aperture allows for low calorie-free shooting with the right speed flick, and the camera's ability to meter films up to 3200 ISO means we won't be missing out when the sunday starts setting.

My shots take been precipitous and make clean. There's aplenty punch, fantabulous color rendition, and accurate exposure beyond a wide range of films and lighting conditions. Flares and ghosts exercise appear when we're shooting with dominicus glancing off of the camera's forepart. These most probable present as a result of the waterproof roofing that necessarily encapsulates the lens. I don't find these flares to exist egregious. In fact, I savor them. They lend a summertime, cinematic vibe to my shots.

Care and Maintenance

I'd like readers who continue to purchase their own Canon Sure Shot A1 to exist armed with some useful information prior to the shoot. It would be irresponsible of me to send you abroad without this knowledge. If you spend your hard-earned cash on an underwater camera, call up the following simple tips.

Never open the film back when the camera is wet or sandy. Ever wash the photographic camera off in make clean, fresh (not-salt) h2o and dry the camera with a soft cloth prior to opening the film back. If you admittedly must open the film door to swap a roll earlier rinsing the camera, take care to dry out the camera first. But more important than this – ensure that there's absolutely no sand on the camera, paying special attention to the expanse around the latch which opens the film back. This latch in item is very prone to collecting grains of sand, and attempting to open up information technology with even a small amount of sand in the machinery will inevitably seize the plastic latch and break the camera (don't make me tell how I know).

Lastly, don't rinse the camera under running h2o. While this camera can be submerged gently in the bounding main or puddle, information technology is not meant to withstand even a small amount of water pressure level. Tossing the photographic camera into the pool or ocean, or assuasive information technology to sit down nether running tap-water will invariably create a leak. When rinsing the camera it is advised past the transmission (and by me) that it should be gently submerged into a saucepan of water and gently swished most to remove common salt, chlorine, and sand.

Comparisons and Buyer's Guide

As mentioned, I love underwater cameras and I've endemic, shot, and reviewed quite a few – the Nikonos series (literally every model), the Nikon L35AW, the Chinon Splash, the Pentax IQ Zoom ninety WR, the Minolta Weathermatic…

In that pantheon of nifty underwater film-burners, the Canon Sure Shot A1 ranks pretty well. Information technology's a well-made, high-performing, extremely simple-to-use photographic camera that's comparable to other underwater point-and-shoots fabricated by Nikon and Pentax and others. Simply it'southward also sort of difficult to rank.

Its lens is not as good as the Nikon L35AWs, but it's well-nigh indistinguishably close. It's much smaller than the Nikon, and the Pentax 90WR. But the Pentax has a zoom lens. It'south not as durable as the Nikonos, but information technology is much more portable. It's the cutest camera of the bunch, if that counts for anything.

There's no reason to choose the Catechism over any of the other underwater betoken-and-shoot cameras, but there's also no reason to choose the others over the Canon. This conclusion may come downward to brand loyalty, an artful tingle, or a fondness or loathing for white plastic.

Terminal Thoughts

A week earlier I'd shot the Canon Sure Shot A1, I wondered to myself how the experience would stop. My love for underwater cameras and unusual camera blueprint had me hedging that I'd detect a new friend in the Catechism. But I as well knew that if my shots came dorsum nether-exposed, badly focused, or otherwise botched by an inept, old camera, I'd end upward hating it. Luckily, the petty white and red cutie didn't disappoint.

It'southward a nifty lilliputian photographic camera, 1 that makes effortless and cute snapshots of embankment days and aquatic adventures. It can douse 15 feet underwater and still piece of work great. And though I may never find myself firing its flash in front of a full grown leopard shark, you can bet your snorkel I'll have this Catechism Sure Shot A1 with me the next time I'thousand in the pool.

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