New purchase on the horizon...

[myo]

I have been a Canon user ever since my father let me dittle with his

AE-1 in the middle '80s -I am in possession of that same AE-1 now and

it is working great.

 

I purchased an elanII a few years ago and it is working fine for me

in spite of a short trip off of a very high cliff 1.5 years ago -

repairs required, of course.

 

I am thinking of getting another body right now to be my primary and

to keep my elanII as my backup. I am comfortable with the elanII -

although I seem to have a moment of clarity regarding a CF or a mode

every couple of weeks- but I am unhappy with the partial metering

(~10% is too big) and would like something a little more weather

proof (the elanII has been too near too many spilled glasses of

various beverages in recent months).

 

Naturally, after reading much on photo.net and elsewhere, I am

looking at the EOS-3. I'd like some advice, however, and here are my

questions:

 

1. Is the rev'ing of products on the Canon lines cyclical in nature

and, if so, is the cycle coming back around to the EOS-3 soon? It

seems, to me at least, that we'd be getting close to changes in the

EOS-3 (/real/ data imprinting on the neg, please!) and if that is the

case, I'd like to hold off on my purchase...how often are cameras

changed by Canon? Speculation welcome...

 

2. How do people feel about retail/web-store purchases for camera

equipment versus eBay or photo.net classifieds? Is the warranty a

factor? In many of the lense reviews I have read quite a bit about

people returning glass because of problems...does this happen much

with retail cameras too? US vs. grey market thoughts?

 

3. For the advanced amatuer, is there any reason to go higher in the

Canon world and make a play for the 1v? I am thinking that, in the

future, I would probably pick one of those up to replace my elanII

and become my primary body...but that would be way in the future...is

there anything compelling in the 1v and over the EOS-3 that people

love about the 1v which I should know about?

 

Any other advice for a nervous purchaser nearing his hour of truth

would be much appretiated.

 

Thanks everyone.

 

-mjn

[Ken Katz]

(1) IMHO (and I could be completely wrong) I would not expect a new generation of high end film bodies from Canon, when they can sell new DSLRs to those same users, every two years, at $2K+ a pop. Also, if they introduce an EOS 3n, it would certainly be more expensive than the current retail price of the current body.

 

(2) New, with USA warranty from B&H (web order through photo.net site). When Canon offers a $75 rebate, the all in cost is less than $800.

 

(3) I Only use the 3, ElanII and D60. The 1v I played with was more solid and more refined, and will probably represent the pinnacle of AF pro film bodies. It's your wallet.

[jay_.]

Coming from Nikon F5's and F100's I was unimpressed with the plasticky Canon bodies like the A2, EOS 3 and even the 1N. The 1V is more my cup of tea. It is also quieter by far than the 1N. With more and more 1V-shooting pros switching to digital, I'd look for a minty used one. That said, I'm happy with the D60 which is based physically on the Elan 7--of course I much prefer the 1V user interface and AF setup, but there's no way I'll spend $4000 on a 1D or (gulp, choke, gasp) $7500 on a 1Ds no matter how great it's supposed to be.

[isaac sibson]

1) Don't bank on it. The EOS 3 is still extremely capable and there's nothing that they can easily improve on it right now. Its predecessor (the EOS 5) ran for over 9 years, whilst the EOS 3 has only racked up 4 so far. Pro and semi-pro models turn over much slower than consumer models. Since the introduction of their AF systems, Nikon have had 2 pro models (F4, F5) and Canon 3 (EOS 1, 1N, 1V). In contrast, how many low-end models have there been? With canon there have been: EOS 750/850, 1000/F, 1000N/FN, 500, 500N, 300 and now 300V. 7 generations of low-end models in the same time-span as 3 generations of pro model.

 

3) The 1V is as impervious as SLRs come without getting into Nikonos underwater cameras. It is more solid than the EOS 3, although the 3 is not in danger of falling apart. Weather sealing on the 1V is way above the 3 which is equal to the 1N. The 1V also offers data imprinting and data recording (downloadable by the special data cable). The 1V is smoother and quieter (compare a lexus to a mitsubishi and you'll get the idea), but both do effectively the same for the most part.

[citizensmith1664875108]

1. Other topics have discussed new high end film cameras. A replacement to the 3 is much less likely and if so would incorporate features developed for the digitals rather than the other way round. It certainly doesn't look like anything new is to be expected soon.

 

2. I always go with B&H. You do pay a little for their reputation but it is just a little and you can do a lot worse. Ebay or similar can save you money but it is a gamble. Gray market is fine as Canon USA do honor foreign warranties.

 

3. I think you are right on already, get the 3 now, and then wait and see if you eventually reach its limits. Then get a digital SLR becuase its two years later and the prices have come down a lot.

 

All I need to figure out is how to persuade family members that when I say film on my christmas list I don't mean Kodak MAX bought from the local Albertsons. Now thats a purchasing problem. :)

[jay_horton]

While I think the 1V is worth every penny of it's lofty price tag, I would not recommned springing for it unless you already have every single top quality lens you will need.

 

Don't be one of those geeks with a two-thousand dollar body and a hundred-dollar zoom lens. You know the ones I mean, you can see them leaving any Ritz camera most every day.

 

I bought two 3's from B&H for $ 599 each as, ' Factory Refurbs.' This was when the 3's were $ 1,100 each new. One had a hinky film transport right out of the box and was promptly replaced under warranty.