Cutting Bored Vintage Cameras

Need a budget AE-1?

The Canon AV-1 often gets overlooked, but taking it out to find some snow monkeys in Japan proved just how good this budget-friendly body really is.

We teamed up with Gelatin Labs to bring these winter frames to life. While the AE-1 gets all the hype and currently fetches around $150 to $200+ on eBay, the AV-1 usually sells for a fraction of that—typically averaging between $40 and $70 for the body, or $80 to $120 paired with a clean 50mm lens.

Fun facts about this setup:

The “V” in AV-1 stands for Aperture Value. Unlike the shutter-priority AE-1, the AV-1 operates strictly as an aperture-priority camera. You pick your desired aperture/depth of field, and the camera automatically selects the correct shutter speed.

It was released in 1979 as a simpler, more accessible option in the A-series line. Because it handles exposure calculation automatically, it acts like a glorified point-and-shoot with access to Canon’s entire, legendary line of FD mount glass.

These frames were shot on Yes!Star Supreme 400 speed film sourced in Japan, then developed and scanned using Hi-C Gelform by Gelatin Labs.

Have you ever shot on an AV-1, or are you strictly an AE-1 loyalist? Let us know in the comments below.

Film: Yes!Star Supreme 400
Scanned: Hi-C Gelform
Lab: @gelatinlabs

#canonav1 #filmphotography #gelatinlabs #cuttingboredcameras #snowmonkeys