The Canon camera that revolutionized photography, but at what cost? A controversial innovation that divided the industry! The Canon camera, with its unique pellicle mirror, offered an uninterrupted view to photographers, but this groundbreaking feature didn't come without trade-offs.
Professional sports photographers had long struggled with the momentary loss of the image when capturing fast-paced action. Canon's solution in 1965 was to introduce a fixed pellicle mirror, a thin, semi-transparent coating that allowed some light to reach the film while reflecting the rest to the viewfinder. This innovation was first seen in the Canon Pellix, later replaced by the Pellix QL with its improved film loading mechanism.
But here's where it gets tricky. The constant visibility came at a price. With two-thirds of the light diverted, focusing in low-light conditions became a challenge, especially without autofocus. The stop-down metering system further complicated things, reducing the light in the viewfinder when the aperture closed. While it worked well in bright conditions, dim lighting made it harder to capture the perfect shot.
Longer exposure times were another trade-off, as the light diversion resulted in a half-stop loss at the film plane. However, the absence of mirror slap made handheld long exposures more manageable and reduced camera noise.
The Pellix also featured metal foil shutter curtains to prevent sun damage, a lesson learned from the author's own experience with a burnt shutter on a Leica CL. Additionally, it supported deep-seated lenses, like the FLP 38mm f/2.8 Compact, but required fast standard lenses to compensate for the reduced light.
Canon's first TTL spot metering system, though innovative, was already outdated by Topcon's RE Super. The Pellix and its cousin, the F-1, also had an unusual eyepiece shutter to prevent light leaks during exposure.
Canon even created a special high-speed model of the F-1 for the 1972 Olympics, offering a fixed pellicle mirror and impressive nine frames per second. However, this was a limited edition for press photographers, with less than 100 units produced.
Buying a used Pellix requires caution. Any damage to the pellicle mirror affects both the viewfinder and image quality, demanding meticulous lens changes. Replacement mirrors are likely scarce for this 60-year-old model.
Nikon followed suit with limited runs of high-speed versions of their F, F2, and F3 cameras, facing similar issues with pellicle mirrors. Sony's SLT digital cameras in 2010 used a similar fixed pellicle mirror design but suffered the same problems, leading to their discontinuation in 2016.
These cameras represent bold attempts to address a niche issue, but their unique features came with significant challenges. So, was the trade-off worth it? Share your thoughts on this controversial innovation in the comments!
