How to Remove a Canon AE-1 Canon 50 mm Lens Safely

Learning how to properly remove a Canon AE-1 lens, especially its Canon 50 mm lens, is a crucial skill every photographer with such a camera should know. This step-by-step guide will help you to safely remove and handle your lens, ensuring minimal risk of damage to both your camera and the lens.

Steps for Removing a Canon 50 mm Lens on a Canon AE-1 Camera

Before attempting to remove your Canon 50 mm lens, make sure the camera is turned off. This prevents any electrical issues and ensures you handle the camera and lens carefully.

Step 1: Locate the Lens Release Button

The lens release button is typically located near the lens mount on the camera body. On the Canon AE-1, it is a small button that is designed to unlock the lens from the camera body.

Step 2: Press the Lens Release Button

Press and hold the lens release button. This action will unlock the lens, making it easier to remove it from the camera.

Step 3: Rotate the Lens

While holding the lens release button, turn the lens counterclockwise until it stops. You should feel the lens disengage from the mount. Be careful not to apply too much force, as this could damage the lens or camera.

Step 4: Remove the Lens

Gently pull the lens away from the camera body to remove it completely. If the lens does not come off easily, double-check that the lens release button is pressed and that the lens is turned in the correct direction.

Step 5: Store the Lens Safely

Store your lens in a protective case or cover the front element with a lens cap to prevent dust and scratches. This is particularly important to ensure your lens remains in excellent condition for future use.

Understanding Lens Mount Types for Canon AE-1

The oldest FD mount lenses have a silver ring at the base of the lens that is rotated to attach or remove the lens. For lenses with this silver ring, when facing the camera, rotate the ring counterclockwise to the left to remove it. Conversely, rotate clockwise to the right to attach it.

For the newer FD lenses, there is no need for a separate ring. Instead, you turn the entire lens to attach or remove the lens. When facing the camera, there will be a squarish silver button at about 4 o'clock at the base of the lens. Press the button and hold it while rotating the lens counterclockwise to remove it. To attach it, line up the red dot at 12 o'clock on the camera with the red dot at the base of the lens and rotate clockwise until it clicks.

Technical Insights: Canon FD Lens Mount

The Canon FD lens mount is different from most SLR camera lenses. Most SLR lenses, such as Minolta and Nikon, use a bayonet mount. With these lenses, you place them on the camera in a particular orientation and then rotate the entire lens within the mount on the camera until it locks in place. The Canon FD mount, however, uses a breech lock system in which the main lens mechanism does not rotate. Instead, there is a locking mechanism that rotates to lock the lens in place. This system might be a bit slower, but it doesn’t require springs to hold the lens firmly in place.

First-generation Canon FD lenses might have a knurled chrome ring at the rear end of the lens barrel next to the camera body. To remove this type of lens, rotate the chrome ring counterclockwise when looking into the lens. It will be snug at first but will loosen up once you budge it. After turning part of a rotation, the lens will suddenly come free of the camera, so be ready for this to happen.

Later FD lenses were redesigned so that you used the outer part of the lens barrel to tighten the lens instead of having a separate ring. This means you may have encountered a first-generation design if the lens does not come off easily using the outer part of the lens barrel.