Canon AE-1 Program SLR gets a digital retrofit
By Donald Melanson 
posted April 29th 2010 5:16PM
posted April 29th 2010 5:16PM
A classic SLR film camera gutted and given a digital upgrade -- blasphemy? Maybe, but there's no denying that this mod by Diego Monge is plenty impressive. He started out with a Canon AE-1 Program SLR, and apparently simply stuffed the guts of a compact digital camera of some sort inside, resulting in what he calls the AE-1 Program Digital -- a 9-megapixel camera complete with image stabilization, a functional flash, and 4GB of memory (non-removable, it seems). Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any details on the build process, let alone a how-to, but you can at least get a glimpse of it in action in the video after the break.
K pointless...
So i can clearly see the digital camera body surrounding the screen. looks like he put a case on a point and shoot then connected the capture button. so in effect, he made a pocket point and shoot camera non pocket compatible.
You seriously need a how-to for this? Cut a P&S sized hole into an old camera and shove your camera in there. This is hardly a retrofit. Prepare to be amazed when I retrofit the internals of my 10D into an AE1.
Unless it's a 35mm sensor, there's absolutely NO point.
Of course non of u are gonna find this interesting; you don't have that canonnite blood running through you. This was on canonrumors.com and the response to it was very different from their readers and readers of engadget.
@Sa12utobi
I own 3 canon dslrs. Try and tell me I don't have Canonnite blood running through me. Try it.
@Sa12utobi
I've got three Canon manual focus SLRs which I still love
and use, one of them being the AE-1p. I do not own a DSLR,
and do not plan to buy one anytime soon.
The way this mod was done is not of interest to me. If they
took just the sensor and stuck it in the body, leaving it as
capable interchangeable lens, manual focus, semi-auto-
exposure camera, I would find interesting.
@acoward I completely agree... This is just relocation of a few buttons, and gutting out an amazing piece of machinery.
@Sa12utobi shoving a digital P&S up the @$$ of an AE-1p and call it a retrofit is just bad taste and execution. now dont get me wrong, if canon could do this properly, i'd most likely buy it in a heartbeat. its just this kind of half-@$$ery is not very intelligent.
@utjeffc
That's right. Cuz u only own "D"slrs ;)
@utjeffc You don't have any cannon blood running through you.. ok there I tried it. Happy now?
I find it a little distasteful to just shove a P&S into one of the best selling SLRs of all time (if not the best selling).
Actually gutting the P&S and transplanting the electronics inside the AE-1, I could understand. This, however, is disrespectful.
That is a defiled AE-1. There's no excuse for this kind of behavior.
This post got me excited for a little while. I would love
to see a digital back for the old Canon FD manual focus
bodies. There were even rumors a while back that
someone was working an such a beast.
However, this is more of a "case mod" than anything else.
Very disappointing. As someone else said, they just shoved
a P&S into the AE-1p. It does not look as it even supports
FD interchangable lenses (follow the link -- Canon never made
a 10mm lens in the FD mount) and it looks like a P&S lens
shoved inside an FD barrel.
Damn, I thought Canon had brought out a retro SLR for a while then, until I sorted my eyesight out and read the description.
I wish they would, especially if it used FD lenses.
Wow... Pathetic... This reminds me I need to get my ae-1p tuned up... Anyone know of a good camera shop?
Canon FINALLY gets in-body Image Stabilization ;-)
It's quite obvious, as others have said, that they basically tore apart a point & shoot and wrapped the AE-1 around it. Cute, but hardly a technological marvel.
My guess is that the 50mm lens has had the glass removed so that the original P&S lens can simply look through the hole. Note that you never see the front of the lens without the lens cap on.
@mikefulton I agree - it's cute, fun mod. No one ever intended to be omg digital AE-1 reborn!
@mikefulton
In the source link you can see a picture from the front with the lens cap removed. Except, wait for it, the lens is completely in shadow. You can't see anything inside.
You got it right on the money, the guy gutted a lens.
this makes me cry :( what if all the (technological) wonders of the past were gutted and retrofitted with crapgadgets of the present?
I have an AE-1. Never used it. Was a hand me down from my Uncle. However I have it sitting as a monument to photography in my room. :)
@Zdrummond
You should, it is truly a superb camera. I had tons of fun with mine before it broke (then I bought an A1, which is even better... best camera I've ever used, if a bit temperamental - things tend to get ugly when the silver oxide battery wears out)
@Zdrummond My father has an AE-1. Used it for photography class in high school. A lot of great memories. I don't know if it still works, we haven't used it since the 90's. We removed the batteries and put it in storage. If there is a possibility that a Minolta X-700 can get a kit like this then I'm all for it. I have a X-700 and this kit would be great. I don't bother with the film/digital debate. I like digital and it seems to be around the same quality for film, provided it is a very good sensor and good optics. Let alone digital is convenient.
Unless there is some sort of grounglass inside to focus the 35mm lens on, putting a compact inside a 35mm cam is a bad joke. All you get with an original 50mm Cannon is a super telelens on the P+S. Take any of the 10x zoom P+S cam's their "280mm" is actually closer to a 50mm in real mm. So whats the point, unless you drop in a real 35mm sensor like noot said its not just uncool but stupid.
This is one incredibly lame mods. You are all absolutely correct, the guy cut a hole in an AE-1, connected the shutter release and done.
Notice how there's no picturs of the lens on this camera? It's because there is a POS point and shoot lens inside that barrel.
OK, so the guy worked hard, but this is just bad.