It is widely considered the camera that changed the entire photographic industry. While cameras like the Pentax K1000 are beloved for their purely mechanical simplicity, the AE-1 is legendary for doing the exact opposite: bringing the microprocessor to the masses.

Before the AE-1, cameras were essentially complex mechanical clocks relying on gears, springs, and levers. The AE-1 was the first 35mm SLR to be controlled by an internal microprocessor. This electronic brain allowed the camera to perform complex exposure calculations almost instantly, making high-end photography accessible to total beginners.

Because of its electronic brain, the AE-1 offered Shutter-Priority auto-exposure. You selected the shutter speed you wanted (for instance, a fast speed to freeze action or a slow speed to blur a waterfall), and the camera’s CPU would automatically adjust the lens aperture to ensure a perfectly exposed negative.

You just set the lens to “A” (Auto), picked your shutter speed, and fired away. It took the anxiety out of the exposure triangle for millions of amateur photographers.