EOS 3 to EOS 1V worth it or not?

[ernie_tangalakis]

Is it worth buying a used 1V and selling my EOS 3? Is the upgrade big

enough to justify doing this?

[digitmstr]

ONLY if you need the extra weather sealing (the EOS3 has the same level of sealing as the older EOS 1n) and tougher body.

[alfred_maragh]

I agree with the previous response regarding weatherproofing. I, too, think that that is the clearest justification. Since switching completely to digital, my views on film cameras have changed radically. A simple film Rebel seems more than enough to me now. Before, the minimum would be and EOS 5, or at worst the Elan series. Now, any film SLR seem OK as they all do the same thing: take pictures of film. Once you have a good lens, which ever film camera you use, once the same film is being used the result will be the same. I now chase the features of the newer digital SLR's as they are not all the same.

[will_perlis]

There's also a slight increase in viewfinder coverage shown in the specs. I never noticed the difference when I had both the -3 and -1v on hand.

 

Check out the Personal Functions on the 1v. If the ability to tweak those doesn't arouse your technolust and you don't need the weatherproofing, stick with the EOS-3.

[davidrwilliams]

The 1V also has a facility for recording shooting data (provided you also have the required cable and software for downloading), a built-in diopter adjustment on the viewfinder, and a more substantial and robust feel, but at the expense of noticably higher weight.

 

The 1V will also shoot up to 10 frames per second with the PB-E2 booster and nicad pack.

[PuppyDigs]

I'd miss ECF, so the 1V never looked too inviting. If you need more than 7FPS and an

eyepiece blind I suppose the 1V is worth it. Otherwise it comes down to splitting

hairs.

[bill_goldman]

My opinion is that if you do not use or would not miss the ECF feature on your EOS-3, the EOS-1v is preferable for all of the reasons given by the various respondents and more.

[john_jovic]

If you need 1/250th flash sync, 10 frame per second and 100% viewfinder coverage then it is worth it, otherwise no. I need(ed) all three of the above so I have a couple of 1v's.

 

JJ

[steve_dunn2]

<p>Why do you want to upgrade? When you're using your 3, what feature is it missing which would make your life easier? Unless you can put your finger on at least one 1V feature which the 3 is missing and which would have an actual impact on your photography, the answer is no, you should not upgrade.</p>

 

<p>If there are some 1V features which would truly benefit you, then the question is whether the benefit is enough to justify the cost. But let's figure out first if there's any reason to consider an upgrade in the first place.</p>

[dglickstein]

I was planning to post the same exact question. I've been thinking of upgrading my EOS3 to 1V but was holding out because I was praying Canon would release another pro-film body like Nikon did with the F6. But that seems remote.

 

Let us know what you decide to do, I'd be interested.

 

dG

[pbizarro]

It seems obvious, but only you know if the extra features of the 1V are worth it to you.

 

Overall, the 1V just "feels" better, and the shutter sound is much "nicer". Subjective? You bet.

[x]

The 3 I had was a total turkey so my view will be tainted by the bad 3 experience. Its metering was too much influenced towards underexposure and the autofocussing got it wrong with the USM lenses too often. Also it seemed far more prone to film flatness problems than any other EOS body I'd used. The 1v has:

 

- excellent accurate metering including fine spot

 

- a brilliantly clear viewfinder with the standard screen so that you can probably see when the focussing is "off"

 

- 10 fps with the optional booster although you might not need this. It does make autobracketing fast if you choose to vary the shutter speed.

 

- built-in data recording (basically most of the EXIF stuff you take for granted in a digi SLR) although you need the optional software to read the results

 

- more solid construction

 

If you can get a good price on the 1v it may be worth it. I found the 1v to be a much more satisfying camera to use and my results were consistently good.

[rog21]

As a couple of others have said, if you use/like the Eye Controlled Focus feature, you should stick with the 3. <br><br>

If you think you can live without it, here is a simple test. Move the ECF dial to 0 (off) and shoot your next roll that way. It will focus exactly the same way the 1V would (in other words, where the camera thinks it should focus).<br><br>

Personally, I could not live with that. The EOS-3 was the camera that allowed me to move to autofocus comfortably, I can focus on what <b>I want to focus on</b> instead of whatever the closest object within the focus point pattern is...<br><br>

I shoot sports, motorcycle road racing and water-skiing mostly. I came from a Canon F1 with motor drive (5fps) to the EOS-3 which is capable of 4.5 fps, 6fps with the PB-E2 and batteries or 7fps with the PB-E2 and nicad pack. I have never felt the need to even get the nicad pack, much less for 10fps in the 1V. I do have and recommend the PB-E2 as it makes the handling of the camera much better (especially in vertical format shots since it has duplicate controls).

<br><br>

As for a subjective opinion, I handled both cameras in a shop before purchase and didn't "feel" a significant difference. The shutter sound is different between the two, but to me not a consideration. If for some reason I needed a very quiet shutter, I would not choose either camera, I'd get an Elan 7E.<br><br>

I've had my EOS-3 for just over 2 years and several thousand exposures. I still think I made the right choice for me.