Upgrading from Rebel 2000: Elan 7N or 7NE?

[mtwhite]

<p>Due to a nice dealer employee discount, I have the chance to get a

brand new Elan 7N or 7NE for a song in April. I've grown frustrated

with the metering system in the 2000, and I'd like to get something

better.

<p>The problem is that I've never used an Elan body with eye control

before. All I've used is a friend's 7, which was a joy to use. I'm

curious how well the eye control really works. The sales brochure

claims it to be the second coming, but I'm wondering what people who

actually have IIE and 7E bodies think about it. If it's not too

useful, I'd rather use the difference in price to pay for a battery

grip. I'm on a bit of a tight budget.

<p>Thoughts?

[doreen_miller]

I have it. It works. It's pretty neat. But I could certainly live without it. The neatest thing about it is being able to tell people that you have it. It sounds more impressive than it is. If you can afford it, get it. If not, use the $$ for the grip.

[mike_p2]

I love eye control (Elan IIE). Works perfectly despite my eye glasses. Unfortunately, my IIE got stolen, so the next camera will be 7NE.

[PuppyDigs]

ECF is merely a single tool in an arsenal of focus options. It is not something you should or can use for all things. However, when you need it, it works really well: much faster than selecting AF sensors manually and is more accurate than auto AF selection (the camera picks the subject for you). ECF is usually not useful for low light (unless you use Speedlite AF assist), macro or most landscapes. However, I love it for candids and portraits in good light. I used to miss a lot of shots fumbling with focus but ECF lets me nail the exact object I desire in a spilt second. I use ECF about 50% of the time. The rest of the time I use the center AF sensor (manually selected) or manual focus.

 

It's good to have the choice, so I'd get the 7NE as it's only a little more money. With so many possibilities, surely you'll find a focus method that fit your style of thinking and photography. If you don't like ECF, you simply turn it off and use another method.

[jimstrutz]

I'm about the same as Puppy. I use it about half the time, but on an Elan IIe. Since ECF on the Elan 7e is faster & more consistent I'd probably use it a little more if I had one. It's a great feature, but sometimes it's not the best feature to use.

[panos_voudouris]

It works great outdoors in bright light. I find the outer left and right points the least reliable and these are the first to fail once you get indoors/gets darker. In general I use it about 50% of the time, depending on the situation. You have to do a lot of calibrations: I did about 50 to cover 3 lenses in 4 lighting conditions, vertical and horizontal and twice each case.

[yoong_khean]

I'm thinking of getting the EOS 30 too but just wondering, is the batt grip neccessary? I dont think i wanna add extra weight to it but just wanna know is it neccessay. Im living on a EOS 300 without the grip and it's ok with me..Just a question, hope u dont mind I bump into this thread.

[Greg M]

The BP-300 battery pack is nice, but has one big thing missing that can be a big pain in the you know where. The dial you'd use to toggle through the various exposures when you use Program exposure shift isn't there, so it make the battery pack inconvenient enough that, although I had one, I very rarely mounted it on my Elan 7. Now I'm using the Digital Rebel. I bought that pack, which has the dial included so it is a much more useful accessory. I still don't always have it mounted as it makes the outfit a little more bulky than I like, but there are times when you need it.

[samusiskin]

I have an Elan II and use ECF most of the time. For me it works very reliably and I love it.

Just wondering, do any other brands of camera have a similar system? Is it a Canon patent?

 

Cheers

 

Sam.

[craig l]

I guess I'm going to be the contrarian (there's one in every group, right?) and disagree with most of the above responses. I didn't pay extra for the ecf, and don't miss it (but maybe I would if I'd tried it.) I've shot for years without it, and it just doesn't seem like that big of a deal to me. That said, I've nothing against it, BUT you are making the choice between ecf and the battery pack / vertical grip. I think that the battery pack / vertical grip is probably the best "bang for the buck" deal I've come across. 1. I'm 6'1" and have fairly large hands; The camera's just too small without it. 2. It's great for portrait orientation. 3. It takes AA batteries! Cheap, available, and "raidable" from my flash if desperate; Try finding the c123a's (or whatever the heck they are) when you're shooting anywhere other than New York City!

[jirka_vejrazka]

<I>I've grown frustrated with the metering system in the 2000, and I'd like to get something better.</I>

<BR><P>

 

Matthew, I do not think that Elan 7N will give you significantly better metering system than the one used in Rebel. If this is the main reason for upgrade, you might be disappointed.

<BR><P>

 

ECF: Personally, I love it and use it for 95% of all shots, but it really depends on your style of taking pictures. As mentioned, if you shoot a lot of macro or landscape, you can easily live without it.

<BR><P>

If you cannot afford BP-300 now, make sure it's your next photo investment, even before any other lens.

[mtwhite]

<p>Sorry, Jirka, I should have been more specific. When I said I was

frustrated with the metering, I meant that I was frustrated with the

way that metering is automatically selected with the exposure modes.

There's no way to use, for an example, evaluative metering in manual.

Also, partial metering can only be selected with a seperate button

for a few seconds at a time, not full-time. I wish I could afford a

Canon body with true spot metering, but that will have to wait for a

few years.

<p>I also know that the grip lacks a dial, but I mostly want it

because I like AA's. For the price of two disposable 123's, I can get

a pack of four NiMH rechargeables. The grip on my Rebel paid for

itself in terms of battery cost within just months. I can't imagine

how I'd get along without one.

[adam3]

I have the 7e, and I thought I'd use ECF more than I do. Actually, I rarely use it. But I like having the option. If I didn't buy it I'd wish I had. It could be kind of "cool", most people are impressed when you tell them about it.

 

I prefer to set the af point manually using the arrows in the back. I can do that just as quickly and I can look anywhere in the screen and focus and not worry about where it is focusing.

 

Would I buy the 7n or 7ne if I could start over again? Probably the 7ne. It DOES work, and I don't like not having the option to use it. I do use it sometimes anyway.

[nshah]

I upgraded from an old Rebel G to the 7E last year.

 

I was excited about the ECF when I got the camera, but I find myself using it very rarely.

There are definitely instances when it would be useful, but I just find myself focusing and

recomposing due to habit.

 

The BP300 grip is, on the other hand, indispensable. Mine hasn't left my camera since the

day I got it. If it's coming down to ECF vs. the grip... I say grip all the way.

 

Good luck!

[rick_helmke]

I'd get the camera and put a battery pack on it later as money allows. I'd rather have two camera bodies than one with a battery pack every time. I just bought a battery grip for an Elan 7 and love it. I only paid about $70 for it from Adorama. I understand as well as anyone budget constraints but I think you will be happier with a pair of bodies. But that's just me.

 

Rick H.

[hyunyu]

If you think you can forego the illuminated LCD and E-TTL II, Adorama is selling the 7E for $299.95.

[anish]

from what i understand, the metering systems on the rebel 2000

and elan 7 are identical. 35 zone evaluative, center weighted

and 9.5% partial center. no difference. i would not upgrade for

that. i have a rebel 2000 also, and the mirror locking feature is

the only reason i would upgrade.

-Anish

[josh_thornton]

I use the eye controlled focus about 95% of the time when I use the camera. I think it is great, really fast, accurate, and handy. I agree with the post about the batter pack's annoyance of not having the dial on it, but overall it is a pretty good camera. If I were to do it over again though, and had a big discount like it sounds you have, i might go for an Eos 3 instead. Honestly I don't think you'll see much benefit from stepping up from a rebel 2000 to an elan 7n. If you get the eye controlled focusing model the main difference is well...the color and the eye controlled focus. hope that helps.

 

Josh