EOS-1 series comparisons

I'm one of those lucky people who has an EOS 5D Mark II on order for a late November delivery. I've pre-ordered and

pre-paid for it, but it's going to cost me only CDN$2500, or just a little over US$2000 at the current exchange rate.

Now that I've finished gloating, I'd like to turn to a question about EOS film bodies.

 

I have an EOS-3 that I'm very happy with and would like to pick up a second high-end film body, this time from the

EOS-1 series. (I usually use two different speeds of film concurrently, hence the need for two bodies). I realize that

an EOS-1 can be had for less than a 1N, which in turn can be had for less than a 1V, but I'd like to hear from

experienced users about the relative merits of the three bodies. I am, of course, inclined towards the 1V. The

question is, should I be?

Hi Mark,

 

Get the 1V don't think about the others, yes they are fine cameras but they are all so cheap now the extra abilities that you get with the 1V make it well well worth it. Just the AF alone is so much better than the 1 and 1N, the PB-E2 takes the 1V to unsurpassed (unless you want to argue about the Nikon F6) level in 35mm film use. I still own two 1VHS's and wouldn't sell them, they are good fun to take out and run some B&W through and just generally have some fun.

 

Take care, Scott.

The 1V has the latest AF (47 or so focus points), similar to the 3; the 1N's AF is a generation behind the 3 and has something like 5 or 7 AF points. The 1 has a single AF point, and can be finicky about what it focuses on. I continue to use FD mount cameras, so manual focusing is not an issue for me.

 

The 1V can do 10 FPS, the others can't. I've never had to shoot that fast, but it sure sounds neat.

 

The 1V has multi-spot metering, the others don't. I used to love the multi-spot metering on the T90, though I haven't used that mode for a while. I've used it a few times on the 1V, but I haven't missed it in the 1N or 1.

 

Canon has improved the weather sealing over the years, a big PLUS for the 1V versus the others.

 

Bottom line, they're all really nice cameras. Technologically, the 1V blows the rest away. Whether you're inclined to actually USE all that technology is up to you.

 

As an alternative, consider a 1N-RS. Pellicle mirror camera with almost no shutter lag time, no viewfinder blackout. A real treat to use.

Take a second and think about why you want a film body if you'll have a 5DII shortly: nostalgia and weird film types. Both reasons say go with the 1V.

 

For nostalgia, it is the apex of what Canon did with film cameras. It's the last of the V8 interceptors.

 

For weird film types, IR film is probably the most interesting for most folks. You can't really do the same thing with the 5DII no matter what kind of Photoshop-Fu you have up your sleeve. For IR film, the 1V can still mark the film leader with a serial number, but it's smart enough to kill the IR-emitting LEDs after marking the leader. The 1 and 1N aren't this smart.

 

Go with the 1V. I love mine.

Ha! Lucky or guinea pig? j/k

 

I'd say wait till you get your 5DII and see how things go. Maybe it till take the place of your second film body? Quick look at eBay looks like the 1V is running 400-600 and the 1n is running under 200. Of course, the 1V is much better but is it worth over twice the price to you? The EOS-3 already has the same AF as the 1V. Do you need that AF system? Just questions to ask yourself.

 

I had the 1n back in the day... picked it over the EOS-3. I loved it... it was great. Couldn't afford the 1V at the time which if funny because now I don't even flinch when I pay over 4 times the old 1V price for a camera body. Well... in this economy, I am flinching a little.

The 1v DON"T have the same AF as the EOS 3, is mutch faster and acurate (both have 45 AF points). All you have to do is to change the mate focus screen, from one to the other, and you will have 2 perfect cameras (don"t forget to change CF 0 also)

Paul, I'm wondering why I should switch focusing screens between the EOS-1V and EOS-3.

 

I went ahead and picked up a 1V, as the preponderance of advisors said I should do, and as I was inclined to do

before I posted the question. Thank you very much for your illuminating responses. I'm looking forward to receiving

what many photographers consider to be the finest SLR ever made.