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need a battery for my ae-1 canon camera. and what kind of battery?

Here’s a little Vid on how to replace it: Battery Swap: Canon AE-1. The original battery this system had was mercury oxide based which is no longer being made. You’ll need a lithium Ion battery like a 6 volt Duracell X28LB

tl;dr You do not “need” a lithium battery. Alkaline or silver oxide are both cheaper, with silver oxide lasting longer than alkaline but probably not as long as lithium. They each have different voltage discharge characteristics, but luckily the A-series cameras have voltage regulation (which is what makes alkaline OK to use here) so that the shutter works as long as possible and that the meter stays accurate until the camera shuts down. explanation: All Canon A-series models (and New F-1) use the same battery type, specified by Canon as either Alkaline or Silver-Oxide.

  1. 4SR44 or PX28-S, modern silver-oxide replacement 2a) 4LR44, “28”, modern alkaline replacement or 2b) four LR44’s (stacked together) are the same thing as one 4LR44 or “28"
  2. PX28L, “28L”, modern lithium replacement Just be aware that searching for one results in hits for the others, so pay attention to the actual chemistry if you care about that. Depending on the model, the battery is checked by either observing a blinking LED, listening for rapid beeps, or looking at a needle in the viewfinder. Slow-flashing LED or slow beeps mean your battery is about done. On the AT-1, the needle will just keep registering ever lower during the battery check function.