great camera I really like

I was slightly disappointed when I heard the Canon squeal, but I had sort of expected it at a camera of this age, and had already made preparations to remedy this myself. Once the mirror lockup mechanism had been re-lubed I popped in a roll of film, went outside and took some shots. After an hour at the local drugstore I could see that there was a small light leak where the original light seals had turned into a black goo, but overall the shutter speeds were still accurate, and the lens was as sharp as the day it was made. After replacing the light seals I ended up with a camera that rekindled my love for film, and has now had a good 40, 50 rolls of film put through it. I couldn't be happier, and have since added a couple of additional FD lenses to compliment this great body.

The camera handles ISO speeds from 25 through 3200, and functions as a shutter-priority camera if the lens aperture dial is turned to "A" (set the shutter speed on the camera and the camera will automatically choose the aperture based on the meter's readings.) It's easy to load, the advance lever is smooth, and the 50mm lens is a great lens to get your feet wet with if you're interested in dipping your feet in the film photography pool. A highly recommended camera for anyone looking for a great entry-level 35mm film camera.

There are two things to look out for when buying an AE-1, and I touched on them above: The infamous "Canon squeal" is a loud squeaking noise that is being generated by the SLR's mirror mechanism. To put it simply, it needs lubrication, and there are instructions on how to do this online (if you can read German), but if the thought of poking the inside of your brand new eBay purchase with a thin hypodermic and a syringe of sewing machine oil makes you break out in a cold sweat most camera technicians can carry this operation out for under $100, as well as give it a good cleaning and checking of the shutter speeds, commonly known as a CLA (clean, lube, adjust).
The second thing you should investigate is the condition of the light seals. This is a film camera, and film is light-sensitive, so if the back of your camera lets in light your shots could very easily be ruined. The seals Canon used on these cameras will have turned to sludge after 30 years, so you're better off replacing them right from the get-go. A fellow named Interslice offers easy to use replacement light seal kits here on eBay for around $10, I replaced my AE-1's seals with one of his kits, and it's a very simple operation, as in "if I can do it so can you".