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Canon EXEE

The Canon EXEE is a 35mm SLR camera introduced by Canon in 1969 and produced until 1972. The camera has a couple of distinct features, including an electronically-regulated shutter priority exposure mode, hence the "EE" or "Electric Eye" in the camera's name. This allows the user to set the shutter speed of their choice and the camera will pick the correct aperture for proper exposure. While the camera does not allow the changing of the entire lens, you could change out the front optic for one of four choices: 35mm, 50mm, 95mm, and 125mm. These lenses are cheaper than traditional lenses, since they did not include the rear optic stack or focusing helical. The only other notable feature on these cameras is the self-timer; otherwise, they are relatively simple, but robust cameras.

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Canon EXEE

A big part of our job here at Blue Moon Camera is learning. You could therefore say that another big part of our job is not sharing what we know, but rather what we have learned. We are constantly presented with cameras that are new to us, we constantly meet photographers who know their individual cameras more intimately than we do, we routinely get to see new creative ideas expressed as photographic images. These kinds of constant reminders help to keep us mentally flexible, encourage us to remain curious and willing to learn, and keep us humble. There is no better cure to thinking you know everything than being shown that you actually don’t know the half of it.⁠

All of what you read here are things we have learned, not things we know. The distinction is subtle, but we think it is one of the things so many of you like about the work we do here: you like learning too.⁠

So, while it is a challenge to get an unfamiliar camera like the Canon EXEE in at the shop, it is a welcomed challenge. We take it as an opportunity to expand our film world horizons just a bit farther and we are happy you like to join us for that adventure.⁠

This camera came about in 1969. It is an early example of shutter priority exposure. The Canon EXEE has a mechanical shutter but an electronically-controlled aperture that is set via a dial on the camera body. Even though it appears to have a non-interchangeable lens, this too is not quite correct. The camera has an interchangeable front optic, similar to that of the Kodak Retina IIIC. You can remove the front optic stack, leaving behind the rear stack and focusing helical. You can then swap it between a 35mm, 50mm, 95mm or 125mm. One big advantage to this was that these auxiliary optics were less than half the price of buying a full lens. The big disadvantage is the constraints that a fixed group of rear optics put on the possibilities for the front optics.⁠

One other quick tidbit. "EE" stands for "Electric Eye," a mechanism for using light to trigger a device. In 1936, a certain physicist received a patent to apply this technology to cameras in order to regulate exposure. That physicist? It was Albert Einstein.

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Blue Moon Camera and Machine llc

sales@bluemooncamera.com
(503) 978-0333
(503) 978-0370
8417 North Lombard Street
Portland, OR 97203

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Canon EXEE

Canon EXEE

Blue Moon Camera and Machine llc