Q&A for How to Use a Canon A 1 35mm Camera

Scrub the negative terminal gently with a flat-head screwdriver until it is clean.

The battery is not chargeable, so you have to replace it. The battery lasts anywhere from 6-18 months depending on usage so you don´t need to replace it often.

The first few exposures on the film are "blank," so that when you load your film you are not wrecking any possible exposures by doing it in open light. When you put your film in and close the back, you would usually take a photo and wind it so that you can get past those blank exposures. The A-1 does this automatically.

You can buy it on eBay. Unfortunately it's not cheap anymore, and it's hard to get hold of good quality film. Bulk packs are your best bet. Each film type is different, so do a little research into the film "numbers," i.e. 100, 200, 400, etc., and the different colors they produce until you find one that works for you.

Just under the A-1 banner there is a little door. Make sure to remove the grip (if you have one).

That depends on the camera's make and model. This thread is about the Canon A-1, which is a 35 mm camera. 35 mm DLC (daylight loadable cartridge) is the most common type of film, and you can choose to use a wide variety of black and white or color films, including both print (negative) and slide films. 35 mm film should be available from any camera store, most drugstores or superstores, and online from Amazon and other retailers. Other types of film, like APS-C, disc, and 110, are much harder to find, and you may have difficulty getting them processed.

Is your camera unlocked and the selector next to the wind lever positioned at "A"? You cannot check the battery power if "L" is selected and the camera is locked.