Non-Digital EOS Body

[Honestman]

I Have just ordered a D30 for Christmas (4 days to go!!!!!!) and want to change my old Minolta Film gear for a canon film body to share my D30 lenses etc with should the need arise to take film/slide shots.

I have a Minolta 800si. What i need to know is what should I be looking at as a body? I don't want a really simple point and shoot but no need to top-of-the-range either.

I have looked at EOS 100 and EOS 50e - are these reasonable choices? Will my 550 Ex work ok with either of these.

Sorry this is not a digital question but I know there are people out there who will know the answers.

regards

Tim

[Canuck]

honestman wrote:
I Have just ordered a D30 for Christmas (4 days to go!!!!!!) and want to change my old Minolta Film gear for a canon film body to share my D30 lenses etc with should the need arise to take film/slide shots.

I have a Minolta 800si. What i need to know is what should I be looking at as a body? I don't want a really simple point and shoot but no need to top-of-the-range either.

I have looked at EOS 100 and EOS 50e - are these reasonable choices? Will my 550 Ex work ok with either of these.

Sorry this is not a digital question but I know there are people out there who will know the answers.

regards

Tim

Hi Tim,
I can't speak for the EOS 100, but...
The EOS 50E (or Elan II E in the US) is a good camera. I used it for almost 3 1/2 years before going digital. It is anywhere from a point and shoot to a fully manual camera and anywhere in between. The major difference I noticed between the 10D and 50E is the lack of vertical grip on the 50E which is great and changes the centre of gravity, making the 10D much easier to handle. It is nothing too serious, unless you plan to shoot portrait shots a lot. I was shooting portrait in the Samaria Gorge and believe me, after that day my wrist was killing me. I was wishing I had the 10D a million times over. I was also shooting w/ the really cheap ($70) Sigma 28-80 f3.5-5.6. I have since made that lens redundant. I now use the 2 lenses in the signature and am keen to get the Canon 24-70mm F2.8L sometime early next year. MY best advice is go to a camera shop and handle both cameras and see which one you like the feel of more. They are both EOS cameras, so in that sense you can't go wrong. The other bit about the 50E is that it has eye controlled focus that you can have up to 3 custom settings and it works based on where you look. This is a rather cool feature that the D30/D60/10D don't have. The 50E has only the 7 boxes in the viewfinder, as opposed to the 7 that the 10D has which are 5 across, and one above and one below the other 5 across. You can however choose focus point on the 10D with one of the buttons. It is somewhatmore fiddly at first, but like all things it isn't too hard to get used to.

[Fisher]

Tim,
I have both the Elan II and the Elan 7 along with my digital rebel. My canon lenses and my sigma promaster lenses work well with my new digital rebel. Just to give you an idea of what a used canon body might cost you I have attached two links for you to see.

E-bay
Elan II (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2972051741&category=15235)

Elan 7 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2972732236&category=15235)

Canon Market Place
Market Place (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=21855)


I am hoping that once I get use to my new digital cammera I won't be using my Elan's. They are however excellent cameras and did everything I needed of them and would be a good companion to your digital camera.

[Honestman]

Thanks for that - the Elan looks just the thing as far as a film body back up - thanks again

[Tom W]

I second the notion that the Canon Elan II is a fine camera. I bought mine used from KEH.com with the intent of upgrading to Digital at the right moment. I'm getting itchy to make the move, so that moment is probably only 2-3 months away.

Anyway, I will be keeping my Elan when I do go digital though. It doesn't hurt to have a backup that shares lenses.

[deztoys]

I have a couple A2 (E) bodies that I've kept around for film. I noticed on eBay they are pretty cheap to pickup used (

[cowman345]

For that matter, anyone know where i can pick up a used elan 7 or 7e body only for less than 200 bucks?

-dave-

[Tom W]

deztoys wrote:
I have a couple A2 (E) bodies that I've kept around for film. I noticed on eBay they are pretty cheap to pickup used (

I could be wrong here, but I believe that the A2 was one notch above the Elan series at the time. I'm not sure, however, how a newer Elan would compare to the A2.

[Ballen Photo]

Tom W wrote:
deztoys wrote:
I have a couple A2 (E) bodies that I've kept around for film. I noticed on eBay they are pretty cheap to pickup used (

I could be wrong here, but I believe that the A2 was one notch above the Elan series at the time. I'm not sure, however, how a newer Elan would compare to the A2.

The A2 and A2e were right between the EOS1 and the Elan II on the Canon Totem Pole, however the Elan II bested the A2 in a couple respects like focus speed, and the Elan IIe worked in either horizontal or verticle position with the eye control, where the A2e only worked in horizontal. The A2 maintained a higher pricetag though as witnessed by my bank acount. I had an A2, A2e, and and Elan IIe.
IMHO, the Elan II will serve you very well, as will an A2. If you opt for the A2, make sure it doesn't have a problem with the command dial. The command dial breaking on the A2/A2e was a well known problem and design flaw that would render your camera useless.
BTW, the 550EX works fully with the Elan II, but functions are limited on the A2
...........Bruce

[cowman345]

How does the IIe compare with the 7e?

-dave-

[Ballen Photo]

cowman345 wrote:
How does the IIe compare with the 7e?

-dave-

Dave, I dont have hands on experience with the 7e, but it is meant to be an improvement on the Elan IIe. All the reports I've heard from owners of the 7e were good, and if I didn't already have the Elan IIe, I would have bought one if I were in the market for a film camera.
..........Bruce

[ahmadof]

An older body that has served me very well is a EOS 620
very cheap out there and nearly in destructible. I am not sure how it compares feature wise with the elan, but a very good option in my opninion

[Stever]

Honestman.

I have the opposite problem. I have two film bodies and one digital body. The film bodies are Elan IIE and EOS 50 both with verticle grips - I think Canon's number is BP50 - that allows use of AA batteries. One is for sale. Buyers choice! If interested contact: rodneys@magma.ca.

Cheers for Christmas and all the best for the New Year to all forum readers and writers.

Stever