Canon A-1 - Manual (Page 54)

Numerals and Characters Composing
Digital Readout in Viewfinder
Up to the first four digits from the left in
the digital readout show shutter speed data
ranging from 1/1000 sec. to 30 sec. All
speeds from 1/2 sec. and faster will be
displayed as a whole number as they are on
the AT dial so that an indicated shutter
speed of 500 in the digital readout stands for
a shutter speed of 1/500 sec. All speeds from
1 sec. and slower will be displayed as a
whole number followed by a second mark
( ") so that an indicated shutter speed of 8 "
in the digital readout stands for a real
shutter speed of 8 sec. When you are in
aperture priority AE and the camera is
calculating the shutter speed, it is possible
for intermediate shutter speeds that are not
on the AT dial to show up in the viewfinder.
In this case, you may see such shutter speeds
as 750 (1/750 sec.) or 0" 7 (0.7 sec.)
displayed in the viewfinder. It is impossible
to set the AT dial to an intermediate shutter
speed.
The next two digits following the first four
from the left for shutter speed data are
reserved for aperture data. The possible
apertures to be displayed in the digital
readout range from f/1.2 to f/32 even
though the minimum aperture it is possible
to set on the AT dial is only f/22. The
aperture data in the digital readout is dis-
played in 1/2 f/stop increments, giving nu-
merical values standing for the dots on the
aperture scale of the AT dial. An indicated
aperture of 9.5, for instance, in the view-
finder stands for the dot between f/8 and
f/11 on the AT dial aperture scale. These
half f/stops are approximations which are
not always exactly halfway between the full
f/stops.
Although both shutter speed and aperture
are indicated in the viewfinder in each 1/2
step increment, they are actually controlled
by the camera steplessly for greatest possible
precision.
There are other possible displays, including
M, buLb, F, bu F, and a flashing EEEE EE.
“M” is the last digit on the right in the
digital readout. It appears when the camera
is not set for AE control. “F” or “bu F”
supplements or replaces the shutter speed
data in the digital readout when the camera
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4 sec.W 1/4 sec.W
1/750 sec.W 0.7 sec.W
f/9.5W