Which EOS *FILM* Camera Would You Buy? (or Keep)

<p>I am genuinely curious how others would make their decisions on this topic. So, if you would, allow yourself to be transported back in time a decade or maybe even two and tell us which EOS film camera you like the best.</p>

<p>I'm asking this question for a couple of reasons. Yes, I still shoot film, which is reason 1. And reason 2 is because I'm seriously considering adding one more EOS film camera to my collection. Currently I own an Elan IIe with the big battery grip and I have been happy with it. I mean it does just about everything I'd want or need a film camera to do, except its autofocus system is rather primitive. So, I'm thinking about replacing it with a more advanced version, pretty much just for this reason.</p>

<p>So which would you get? An EOS 1n? 1v? EOS 3? Something more anachronistic, perhaps? And why would you choose it?</p>

<p>I think the best ever was the EOS 1v, with the EOS 3 close behind.<br>

JD</p>

<p>JD, that seems to be the prevailing view from what I've been able to unearth so far. But I'm always curious how others feel on a topic, and why.</p>

 

<p>"Best" depends on your needs. I bought a new EOS 3 in 1998 and hated it: heavy as a brick, loud as an electric drill and didn't focus well with slow zooms. On the other hand, I loved the Elan 7E: lightweight, petite, quiet and focused well with F4 and 5.6 zoom. As a consequence, the Elan 7E got carried all around the world while my brick 'o EOS 3 languished in the cupboard.</p>

<p>My favorite film camera was my EOS 3 with battery grip. (or motor drive... whatever they called it back then) It has an autofocus system that still rivals some of todays DSLR's IMO. and ECF which you don't see anymore. I no longer shoot film, but still have this body sitting around. I suppose I will sell it someday, but some sentimental value to it. This was my workhorse camera for many years and never let me down. Going even further back I also had a soft spot for the A1 as well. </p>

<p>Agree 100% with Pup Face. Been shooting EOS since '94. It seems like I've had them all at one time or other. The one, and only one, film EOS camera I have kept is the 7e. Want a fast track to mirrorless? Sport around with 1V or 3 and a few lenses for a few long nature hikes...that'll learn ya.Wonderful machines, no doubt. They drove me back to rangefinder cameras.</p>

<p>Another vote for the EOS 3 (<a href="/canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00WyuM">link</a>), although any of the EOS 1 series up to the last are also good shooters (e.g., the first one: <a href="/canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00WvBD">link</a>).</p>

<p>I did a whole series of reports here on the mainline EOS film cameras from the EOS 650 to the 1, so I've got some basis for comparison.</p>

I've got an EOS 1v and it's nothing short of a work of art. It's actually still supported by CPS too. I've also got an EOS-1,

which is very good, but a lot noiser than the 1v. I also have a Russian rangefinder, but it's just for a small project.

Those Canons are keepers, the only other film camera I'd look at would be a Pentax K1000.

My 2p

<p>Puppy hit it on the nose. For white water rafting get the EOS 3 for every day shooting the Elan 7.</p>

<p>My favourite is the EOS 30V because it's light, small and quiet.<br>

My second favourite is the EOS 1V because it's solid and high performance.<br>

My third favourite is the EOS IX because it's cute.</p>

<p>Henry</p>

<p>EOS5 with eye controlled focus and settable DOF just by focusing and clicking</p>

<p>EOS 1V is the best- especially without the motor wind (i have two 1 is set up as the HS with the big motor - I rarely use this one). The 3 is good - but you have the eye focus system which you either like or hate. The other EOS film body I really like is the 1NRS - not as good as the 1V but with the pellicle mirror.</p>

<p>I was originally a Minolta MD shooter who semi-reluctantly got into the Maxxum system around the year 2000. I waited for a while when DSLRs first came within my ability to buy, but Minolta never came out with one, so I began researching alternatives. I first bought a Canon Elan 7NE to see if I'd like Canon ergonomics. Good camera initially, but it froze up on me after a couple months. Canon repaired it under warranty. I liked what I had seen enough to buy a Canon 10D from KEH. Good camera but they sent me a nearly depleted battery, so I mentioned it to them and they sent me a new replacement for free. Kudos to them, then. :) </p>

<p>I went "all-in" with Canon when I bought the 20D, brand new. I still have and use that camera. I paid $1500 for the darn thing and I'll be damned if I'll sell it for a hundred bucks. :)</p>

<p>So, over the years, I've acquired other Canon DSLRs as well as the usual "better" film bodies. I own the 1V, the 3, Elan 7NE, 1N, and I even had the original EOS-1 body for a while. I have a couple Elan II bodies. The better bodies are simply wonderful machines. The last acquisition phase I went through, a few years ago, saw me corner the market on cheap plastic Rebel bodies. Why? Well, because they are pretty decent cameras for what they are. Slightly more upscale, the K2 and T2 are also decent performers. What really sets the Rebels apart, nowadays, is their price. They typically go for $10-15 body only on eBay. For that price you can buy five or six. :) Despite being mostly plastic many have held up well for their age. My Rebel G, for instance, still looks and works like new. There's often a simple explanation for this - these cameras were sold by store like Walmart and many people bought them, used them for a dozen rolls, and never touched them again.</p>

<p>Best value, price-performance wise? Get a K2. Kinda like a mini Minolta Maxxum 7. And FWIW, Minolta did eventually come out with a DSLR, but by then I was a Canon man. The race often does go to the swift, or at least the first to market.</p>

<p>I have the Elan 7. Light, excellent and cheap.</p>

<p>I like the ECF feature of the 3, but prefer the 1V in every other respect. They are the only EOS film bodies I have used. (I plan on shooting some Ektar 100 with the 1V this spring).</p>

<p>Well, there have been a few new posts since I finished the below message. I'd forgotten about the EOS 5 -- guess I should at least have a look at its specs. A lot of fans of the 1v, I notice. I'm not surprised by this, it being Canon's last flagship film camera. I might yet buy one some day when I have a bit more money to spend. Interestingly enough, almost every 1v I found on eBay was an HS model. I really don't need the extra speed or the weight -- or the cost, far as that goes. Oh well, here are my latest thoughts on the subject.</p>

<p>I'm often bewildered by specs, and when I'm getting serious about something, I'll usually write down the ones that matter in such a way that they are easily compared.</p>

<p>Honestly, I'd been thinking seriously about the EOS 3 over the 1v because I just didn't think I needed all the robustness of the 1v. But now, another one has entered the picture, thanks to Henry. He mentions as his favorite the 30V, which I didn't recognize, so I googled it and turned up a camera meant for the North American market that I was also not familiar with: the Elan 7NE, which is an update of the 7E, a camera I'm somewhat familiar with, but one I wasn't really interested in. And the 7NE is the same as the 30V -- both are eye controlled focus models, a feature I actually like, and which I use on my IIe. I found a listing for it at the Canon Museum. It's known as the 7NE, 7N, 7s, 30V and 33V, depending on what part of the world you live in. But only the 7NE and the 30V have eye-controlled focus. This camera was introduced in 2004, six years after the EOS 3, probably one of the last EOS film SLRs, if not the last one. Yet the EOS 3 still has some sophistication that the 7xx doesn't -- like its 45 point AF. I've assembled some specs to compare, so I thought I'd share them, see what you think. Well, hell, this forum software doesn't support columns, so I'll have to use a different approach. The following comparisons are between the 7NE/30V and the EOS 3.</p>

<p><strong>Release Date:</strong> EOS 7NE: April 2004, EOS 3: November, 1998.<br /> <strong>AF Speed, one shot:</strong> EOS 7NE -- fastest 1-shot performance in class. EOS 3: ?<br /> <strong>Build Quality:</strong> EOS 7NE: Improved build ergonomics, more exterior metal surfaces, has a real knob on top deck. EOS 3: feels "plasticky".<br /> <strong>Eye-Controlled AF:</strong> EOS 7NE: 7-point AF. 15% faster than EOS 3. EOS 3: 45-point AF. 15% slower than EOS 7NE.<br /> <strong>Frame Rate, Predictive:</strong> EOS 7NE: 4 fps continuous, same as 1v. EOS 3: 4.3 fps continuous, 7 fps continuous with PB-E2.<br /> <strong>Evaluative Metering:</strong> EOS 7NE: 35 zone, linked to focusing points. EOS 3: 21 zone, linked to focusing points.<br /> <strong>Transport:</strong> EOS 7NE: Silent for film changing, otherwise quiet. EOS 3: Silent for film changing, otherwise noisy.</p>

<p>The difference between the two is a mixed bag it seems. The 3 has over twice as many AF focusing points, a frame rate that is more than twice as fast (with the PB-E2, which turns it into a heavyweight, almost the size of the 1v), and more focusing points linked to each evaluative metering zone. But the 7NE is faster for one-shot work, which is usually the way I work, has almost twice as many evaluative metering zones, and has a quieter motor drive, plus it doesn't look or feel plasticky, which seemed to be a wide complaint about the 3. So, putting all this together and ruminating on it for a while, I gotta say that I'm now leaning toward the 7NE. The 7NE is uncommon on eBay compared to the 3, but it seems to sell for about half as much as the 3. Which is interesting, considering that it is more advanced in some ways than the 3 and six years newer. Both support Canon's E-TTL flash mode, which means a digital-compatible flash will work with either.</p>

<p>So does this change your thoughts or opinions at all? Do any of you, besides Henry, have experience with the 7NE/30V? Now that I've had a chance to compare them on paper, I sure wish I could hold each one and test fire it. I'm all about the way a camera looks and feels in my hands.</p>

<p>Okay, never mind on the 5, it's the same as the A2 and A2E here in the US. A good camera, but a bit long in the tooth now..</p>

<p>Patrick, I can understand your sentiments regarding the Rebels. I bought into the EOS system by buying the first edition Rebel, back in about 1991. I bought the camera with kit lens that had been a dealer's no-box demo for a good price. No pop-up flash, just a bare-bones little AF camera. Actually I bought it for my wife to use. She's not a camera person but she wanted something decent to take pics of our newborn daughter with. It came with the plastic-mount 35-80 kit lens, which was a surprisingly decent little lens (I have published photos I took with that camera and lens combo). The only concession I made to something a bit more higher end was the flash. I bought a 420EZ flash for it, which at the time, was Canon's best flash. A year later or so, I picked up the EF 70-210 f/4 lens for it, then in 1994 I bought a Tamron 24-70 Aspherical zoom for it. And that's where the outfit stayed for a decade and a half. I took a ton of pictures with that little Rebel, and it never let me down. The 420EZ made a great companion for flash photos, too, in all sorts of situations, from daylight fill to pitch black darkness. I finally sold it about five years ago, after I upgraded to an Elan IIe a few years before because I just wasn't using it anymore. Got the princely sum of $20 for it.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I've owned the Elan II, 7, 7N, A2, 1n, and 1V. For me the 1V is easily my 1st choice of any AF camera from any brand. In a word, it's perfect! Mine was often configured as the HS, but changing that to just the 1V is just a matter of taking the booster/motor drive off. The 1V is one of my all-time favorite cameras, film or digital, and it's simply a joy to use. I really like the A2 as well, especially since it was my first AF slr and my first EOS. I bought mine new when they first came out and I still think that camera was ahead of its time. It's still a very nice camera today, 20+ years later. The Elans were all nice, very capable cameras, but they always felt a bit crippled to me, particularly in having only a 1/4000s top speed and larger area partial meter instead of the much smaller area spot of the 1V. They <em>are</em> whisper quiet but I love the ruggedness of the 1V in stark comparison.</p>

<p>Michael, the "plasticky" feel of the EOS 3 is not my impression of the camera. I just compared it to my 5D3 and it is very similar exterior build. (Unless you consider the 5D3 plasticky as well) Both have PB/Battery grip which is always required equipment for me.<br>

If you do consider the EOS 5 (A2E) be warned that this camera was notorious for having the Mode dial break. I have one somewhere that just spins in circles. Other than that it was a great camera.<br>

I forgot about the 10S, always liked that as well. Mine is buried in a closet somewhere!</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Do any of you, besides Henry, have experience with the 7NE/30V?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I have the earlier model (EOS 30/Elan 7) which I bought after reading Puppy Face's excellent review of the 30V/7E: <br>

<a href="https://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/frary/elan7e.htm">Elan 7E Review </a><br>

<a href="https://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/frary/canon_elan7ne.htm">Elan 7NE Review</a> </p>

<p> </p>

<p>I owned a<br>

n Eos-1, 2x 1n and a 1V. I have sold the 1 and the 1n's will go. While i will keep the 1v as it is a superb camera, for film work I do prefer my Fd cameras ( F-1N's , T90 and A1 predominantly)</p>

<p>I'll gladly sell you my Canon A2E for near to nothing. It's in mint condition, just put a new battery in it this summer and it's already had the mode dial fixed.</p>

<p>Elan 7E, for all the reasons already mentioned. Among the older EOS, the Elan IIE or A2E, which are dirt cheap and good values. I'm a Nikonista but the older EOS film cameras are much better values now.</p>

<p>Around 10 years ago when I was considering switching from manual to autofocus I tried the Elan IIE and A2E and was surprised by how well the eye controlled focus worked. I ended up sticking with Nikon because my existing Nikkors were mostly compatible. But the screwdriver focus AF Nikkors are noisy and slow, and you get more camera for the money with the used EOS lineup.</p>

<p>Lex, I agree. I avoided having to decide whether to go wth Nikon or EOS by keeping both systems. :-) I just recently bought my first Nikon AF -- an F4. Now, <em>that's</em> a camera! My EOS system remains rather modest in size, whereas my Nikon system is slowly adding optics and bodies and other bits of gear.</p>

<p>Patrick, I currently own an Elan IIE, so I don't see any reason for getting an A2E. As I recall, though, the A2E is a very good camera. Probably has more metal in it than my Elan IIE does.</p>

<p><strong>I have the EOS3 and I would find it hard topart with it. I alao have the ElanIIe. I like the Elan but i would part with it or maybe convert it to Infrared. I still shoot B&W and have a well complimented Darkroom. I dont get into the darkroom that much but when I do it is usually for days. I have thought of selling off my darkroom equip as age is catching up with me. I have a Canon 60D and love it. Maybe I could trade the darkroom stuff off for a new lens......</strong><br>

<strong>jim<br /></strong></p>