Canon EOS 5?

I had digital camera as my first photographic equipment. I wish to try

the film cameras too. In a second hand shop I found a EOS 5 for a

really nice price. What you are think? Is it a good choiche for the

film cameras? What should I check in case I go to buy this one?

I plan to buy a 300D soon. I am afraid the lens will be not compatible

but who knows. The EOS 5 looks like really old modell :)

Thank you for the opinions.

First, there is a good review of the EOS 5 in the equipment section here. Second, the

300D and the EOS 5 will share lenses just fine (they're both EOS :). Third, the EOS 5 is

a really old model, I think it was originally build in 1989 or and discontinued around

1999. And Fourth, the EOS 5 is an awesome camera. I've had one for almost four

years now and it's seen nearly a thousand rolls of film and is still working great. It's

quiet for an SLR, very quiet. I'm currently looking for a new second body (my second

body now is an Elan II) and I'm still torn between another 5 and a 3. For the right price

I'd buy it in a heart beat.

Hmmmm, personally, I don't think the EOS 5 would be my first choice if I where in your position. Although I like the EOS 5 (I owned one until recently) it's quite different from the 300D, and that's not just because the 300D is a digital camera. There are also many other important differences:

The EOS 5 was introduced in 1992, so the design is more than 10 years old. But, it is also a semi-professional camera which offers many advanced feautures (spot meter, mirror lock up, high sensitivity AF sensor, user selectable metering modes and AF-modes, etc).

The EOS 300D seems to be based on the EOS 300/300v film camera. These models are aimed at beginners and amateurs. The don't offer the advanced features the EOS 5 does. But they are very modern, with the latest AF- and metering sensors. So, the EOS 5 is VERY different from the EOS 300, and even more so from the digital 300D. You are comparing an old, semi professional film camera with a modern, amateur digital camera.

About you other question: all lenses that fit the EOS 5 will also fit the EOS 300D. No problem there. But one more thing to consider is the EOS 300D "crop-factor". A given lens on the EOS 5 will give you a wider picture than if you would use the same lens on the 300D. So if you would buy a 100 mm lens, which is a very nice portret lens on the EOS 5, it would become a 160 mm lens on your EOS 300D, which I would no longer consider a portret lens.

 

My advice would be to gather some more inforation on the camera's you are condsidering befor you make a decission. Hope this helps...

 

Bart

My father and I both shoot A2s, mine is an A2, his is an A2e. If you didn't know already, the A2, A2e, and EOS 5 are all the same except for minor differences. The EOS 5 and A2e have eye control and the A2 does not.

 

They are all excellent cameras, and, as previously mentioned, are extremely quiet. They have many high end features that are hard to find on non-pro cameras now, like a PC socket, MLU, 1/200 flash sync, and near-infrared AF assist.

 

One of the only known defects to the design, which was released in November of 1992, is the control dial on the top of the camera. There are plastic pins inside which are known to break and render the wheel nonfunctional. This seems to be a hit or miss problem, with some cameras lasting months before having a problem, and some never having it at all. Mine is now around four years old and I am yet to have any trouble of any kind with it.

 

Overall, an excellent camera.

The kit lens that comes with the Digital Rebel, the 18-55mm, will not fit the A2. All other Eos lenses will fit both.

The A2/A2e/5 is a fine camera with a lot of useful features. Just ask the seller about

the command dial, and whether it's been replaced yet. The camera is about 10 years

old in design, but they continued to make them until a few years ago.

 

But the previous posters are right, the EF-S lens with the 300D will not work on any

EOS film cameras :( ...But you're going to replace the 18-55 kit lens anyways, right? In

that case, every Canon EF lens will work with the EOS 5* (* - I beleive there are some

issues with IS lenses...)

The EOS 5 is an excellent body. The only problem (apart from the potential command dial problem, which can be fixed) is that if you become accustomed to it you will find a 300D lacking in features and will hanker after a much more expensive digital body. If you want to limit the budgetary impact of digital lust later, you should look at the EOS 300V (Rebel Ti) instead - it's really the film version of the 300D, so you'd have no trouble making the switch. But you could be seduced enough by the EOS 5 to postpone your digital lust until you can afford a digital body that begins to come close to what the EOS 5 has to offer.

Thank you for the answers all of them was really helpful. At first I really happy with the professionalism of the EOS 5. Since I can not afford to buy a professional digital camera(yet) but willing to learn the photography. Reading your answers I decided to go to get this piece tomorrow :)

As far as I know currently only one EF-S lens is out but the similar one is sold with the body.