Skip to content
Film Road Trip
  • Where the road has taken us…
  • Cameras
  • Lenses
  • Film
  • Articles
  • Zines
  • Awards
  • What’s in my Bag?
  • Get Social
  • Licensing
  • Contact Me
    • Privacy Policy
  • Zines

Camera Upgrade: Canon EOS 1v

Posted on March 30, 2018May 3, 2025 by Wendy

Lately, I’ve been back to shooting film, shooting both digital and film cameras on our recent trips to Anguilla, Antigua, and Barbuda.  Along for the journey were several film cameras, including the Canon EOS 1v.  The 1v was Canon’s last professional 35mm SLR camera, with a magnesium alloy body and weather sealing throughout.  At 10 frames per second, it was a favorite of sports shooters for years.  It is a solidly built camera, and fits perfectly in my hand like the later DSLRs that Canon produced.  I have the HS version, which includes a detachable power booster, however given the bulk, I leave that behind.

Canon EOS1v

The beauty of traveling with the Canon EOS 1v is that it uses all the same lenses as the current line of Canon DSLRs with the EF mount.  To shoot film, I’m really only adding the size of the body and the rolls of film to my camera bag.

Canon 1v, Portra 400
Canon 1v, Portra 400

When looking to purchase your EOS 1v, try to avoid purchasing one with a high film roll count.  On the right side of the camera is a little door which you can open.  Inside is a button labeled “M.Fn.”  Press it and on the LCD screen on the top of the camera you will see a three-digit number which is the roll count.  This number is also imprinted on the film leader when the film is loaded.  Given that it’s only three digits, it will presumably reset at 1000, so you should also examine the total picture and the source from whom you are buying to assess its overall condition.

Portra 400 35mm
Canon 1v, Portra 400

The camera was originally packaged with a proprietary Canon cable and Canon’s ES-E1 software, which allowed you to download your shooting data.  I tried for a while to locate the software and cable with no success.  Even if you could get your hands on the software, good luck getting it to work on current operating systems.  However, it appears someone with far greater technical knowledge than I has figured out a solution.  The folks at Meta35 offer a cable and software system for the 1v, along with some other Nikon and Minolta film cameras, allowing you to access the metadata and write the data to your scanned images.  I’ll be giving the Meta35 system a look and report back! [UPDATE: Check out our review here: Meta35 Review ]

Canon 1v, Portra 400
Canon 1v, Portra 400

While some may ignore film photography given the ease associated with digital, it’s very easy for me to see the difference now, and appreciate the beauty that film captures.  Keep shooting!

NOTE: Originally published on August 31, 2015 on our sister site, My Irie Time.

I buy my film at B&H!

Get Spare Cards and Readers Steady up your Shots Get a Tripod Protect your Gear Get Bags and Cases Dont forget that Lens Select a Spare Camera Check out all of the Photo Gear youll need.

SaveSave

SaveSave

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...
Posted in CamerasTagged analog photography, Canon 1v, Canon 1v HS, Canon EOS 1v, film photography, Meta35, metadata

Post navigation

#FilmRoadTrip – Nevis
Meta 35: Metadata from film cameras

Search Film Road Trip

NATJA Member

SATW Member

We earn advertising fees and commissions for referrals and sales of a variety of products and services seen on this site. Click for more info on our Affiliate Programs  and our Privacy Policy.

Explore

  • Where the road has taken us…
  • Cameras
  • Lenses
  • Film
  • Articles
  • Zines
  • Awards
  • What’s in my Bag?
  • Get Social
  • Licensing
  • Contact Me
    • Privacy Policy
  • Zines

Recent Posts

  • Packing for Travel: How Many Cameras Should I Take? May 21, 2025
  • Welcome 2025! January 25, 2025
  • Sunday Afternoon at Garvey’s Sunshine Shack, Rendezvous Bay, Anguilla May 18, 2024
  • Aurora Anguilla, Rendezvous Bay, Anguilla April 13, 2024
  • Goleta Lemon Festival, Goleta, California March 16, 2024
  • How Does Expired Fuji Pro 400H Look Now? Fuji 400H (expired) compared to Kodak Ektar 100 January 27, 2024
  • Santa Barbara, California January 26, 2024
  • Lomography Turquoise (2022) December 27, 2022
  • A Digital Camera that a Film Photographer Can Love: Fujifilm GFX 50R June 30, 2022
  • Colors of Old San Juan June 16, 2022
  • San Juan National Historic Site, Puerto Rico June 14, 2022
  • Casa Bacardí, Cataño, Puerto Rico June 12, 2022
  • Processing E-6 Color Slide Film with your Sous Vide March 20, 2022
  • 30th Annual NATJA Awards March 3, 2022
  • Grenada January 13, 2022

Archives

Film Road Trip
(c) 2006-2025 Wendy G. Gunderson
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d