Canon F-1

The Canon F-1 is a professional 35 mm single-lens reflex camera manufactured by Canon of Japan, unveiled in September 1970 at Photokina and commercially released in March 1971, designed to compete with the Nikon F and F2.

Featuring a titanium foil shutter, FD mount, and modular system, it became a benchmark for professional photographers and was Canon's first professional SLR. It was sold from March 1971 until the end of 1981, at which point it had been superseded by the New F-1 launched earlier that year. The Canon FD lens mount was introduced along with the F-1, but the previous Canon FL-mount lenses and older R- series lenses were also compatible with the camera with some limitations. The Canon F-1 was marketed as a competitor to the Nikon F and Nikon F2 single lens reflex cameras by Nikon.

The F-1 was Canon's first successful professional-grade SLR system, supporting a huge variety of accessories and interchangeable parts so it could be adapted for different uses and preferences. Their earlier professional Canonflex of 1959 had failed due to a premature introduction—before professional accessories were ready.

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 nine frames per second—the highest speed of any motor driven camera at the time.