The A-1 attracted much press attention when it was released in early 1978, though not all comments were positive. Some professional photographers worried about the long term reliability of its consumer-level mechanical and electronic components under heavy daily use, the relatively slow flash sync and top shutter speeds. Traditionalist photographers complained about an "excess" of automation ruining the art of photography, a criticism that was leveled at all of the newly automated cameras released in the 1980s. However, the automated features appealed to many new amateur photographers on a budget, and the camera saw strong sales.