SOMEBODY ... Please convince me!

A while back I asked about which Canon film camera was compatible to a 10D. I mentioned that I would use it as a back up and that I could use my lenses with. Got a lot of great replies and really started me drooling for a "NON-digital" camera (can't believe I said that ) I really can't justify another 10D or even a dRebel.

Now I've selected a Canon Elan 7NE (New model, just hitting the stores??) ... BUT ... I need someone to kick me in the butt to press the enter key when I order it.

Any of you avid photographers shoot digital and film? I've convinced myself that it would be fun using the wide variety of film available as well as getting slides and real B&W. My thinking is my 10D will still be the work horse and special shots will also be taken with the 7NE.

BTW ... I still have my old Minolta X-700 and it works fine. Problem is, the few times I have brought it along, I hate to bring it because then I either carry only a small lens or I would have to carry lenses for BOTH cameras.

Anyway ... long term goal is to enter some art shows, sell some prints and see where this hobby takes me. No plan on quiting my day job (actually evening job ... gives me daylight to shoot!) but really want to get the most out of my effort, without the expense of the "pro" cameras.

By the way ... I ask here because for the most part, you folks are great at helping spend others money (sounds like you don't mind spending your own either) ...

Thanks!

I still use Velvia in my Canon film camera. I can get one hell of a lot more information out of a scanned 35mm slide than I can from my Canon digital.

Often, I shoot the digital until I stumble onto something really really good. Then I get out the film camera, move the lenses over, and shoot film.

---Bob Gross---

Hi John,

Go on press the order key! I, too, use a Canon film SLR to support my 10D, as Bob says, to get the benefit of slide film such as Velvia and to overcome the weakness of D-SLR's - wide-angle lenses. My 17-40L in the EOS 5 gives me true 17mm at the widest end as opposed to the 10D which gives me (virtually) 28mm at the same point.

Then there's the vibrancy of Cibachrome prints! Wow!

Enough said?

Cheers,
Barry

E-TTL II
Revised focus system
Proven track record
Eye-control
You need it
You want it
You crave it
You don't have to eat this month (or next)

If cost is a really big factor, you can probably get the earlier Elan 7 for considerably less money.

I have the EOS 3 as my backup camera when I need pro quality features.

Mike

Do not waste your money on an Elan 7 it's a total piece of junk, I should know I've got one. The metering is poor, no spot, slow AF, the only saving grace is I have a few canon lens. I am comparing my Elan 7NE to my previous Minolta 700si which I miss quite a bit, the 700si was a lot better camera. What I would do is buy a Minolta Dynax/Maxum 7 it's a lot more camera for the money, and there will be a digital 7 out in a couple of months.

If you want to go canon (I went with them bacause I wanted to go digital and Minolta didn't have one at the time) and you want a film body you would be nuts to go for the 7 especially when the price of Eos 3 and good second hand Eos 1nRS are at an all time low. I wish I hadn't bought the Eos 7 and had shelled out a little extra and purchased the Eos 3.

Piece of junk? Why do you come to a Canon forum if you are going to insult Canon products and the people that choose them? Isn't there a Minolta forum somewhere? This isn't the first time you've done this.

The Elan 7 series is a step or two above my Elan II as far as refinements and it is a fine camera.

Minolta is junk - get over it.

I love buying used gear from other photographers that sell it because it's a "bad camera". THe reason being that all the good pictures are still in the camera

Elan II is a fine camera - and I've gotten a few tears with chromes that came out of it. I bought it a month after it came out (just like i did with 10D), and have been using it for 35mm since. I've even shot IR with it - all it does is fog the perforated section of film - the actual frame is not damaged.

the motor drive is not as fast as in Elan 7, but unless you're shooting sports there's no need for anything quicker than 1 fps. the only feature that i missed was a PC terminal - easily solved with a set of radioslaves (and no wires too).

eos 3 is a viable alternative given current state of pricing though, and if you can afford one, by all means get an eos 3 over elan.

Yes.

Very true! Three good reasons!

And that's another great one!
(But I'm still glad I bought a 300D, too!)

Tom the Eos 7ne is junk, it compares badly to Nikon F80 and Minolta Dynax 7. I know this because I own one, I wish I didn't but I've got it now so have to make the best of it. Tom have you ever used a Minolta 7 Dynax? Maybe you should read some of it's reviews it's an amazing camera and way better than the Eos 7.

I would seriously not recommend the Eos 7, as I said the Eos 3 and second hand Eos 1n & 1v are becoming cheaper and are a far better buy than the 7. I have not read any really good reviews on the Eos 7.

However I do love my 3 L lens, they are excellent and I can't wait to get my hands on the 10D replacement, which my wife has said I'm allowed to buy. Digital is why I bought canon in the first place, I just went for good glass first.

I'm not blind to the fact that other manufacturers make camera's every bit as good as and in some cases better than Canon do. As we all know Nikon's flash system is far better than Canon's, just like Canons IS is better than Nikons. Minolta has the best metering. Leica makes the best glass. It's just how it is.

Some people go about life with blinkers on and miss out on better equipment due to often missplaced brand loyalty.

Thanks for your thoughts, Mthorpe. However I must take your reply with a grain of salt. I have only read two reviews on the 7n/7ne and both raved on how well the 7n/7ne has advanced since the 7. The 7NE being new, I also found it difficult to find those reviews.

Both reviews make mention of how fast the AF is, even compared to Nikon, Minolta and also the Elan 7.

Wondering how long you have had your 7NE? I have only recently seen it become available for sale ... am I mistaken?

Anyway, thanks for your input but as I had mentioned ... this camera would be an addition to my 10D. Something to give me a little more of an option. As others have mentioned, it will be fun trying the wide variety of films available as well as being able to use my 17-40 L as a wide angle lens (not so wide on the 10D )

As to your recomendations ... a quick check tells me the EOS 3 is 2.5X the price of the 7NE. The 1v is 5X and the 1vhs is 6X. A little much for a 2nd camera and going with another brand camera is not what I seek as that would still mean another set of lenses.

It's not about brand loyalty with me. It finding a very well made product, such as Canon and making the most out of it. I'll be the 1st to complain if it doesn't do as I have read and reviews are untrue.

Having said that, I ordered the 7NE earlier this evening and expect nothing less than an excellent film camera, which both reviews have said it is. Perhaps it doesn't fit your need? I suspect it will fit mine, but I will let you know.

Thanks for the reply!

Well since you ordered it you had better get the BP300 battery grip as it eats batteries and AA's are a whole lot cheaper and easier to find than CR123A's.

I've had mine for about 2 months. I got it just after it was released in Japan.

The reason I responded like I did is that your choice of words were something of an insult. Its one thing to say that you would prefer a certain camera over another and list the reasons why, but its another thing to use the blunt, harsh wording that you did to express your opinion. There are people here that use the Elan 7 series and its predecessors with no troubles - myself included.

As for trying the Minolta - I'm sure its a fine camera, but I have absolutely no reason to buy one, as I'm satisfied with what I have.

Well, its better than E-TTL I, but we really don't know if its better than E-TTL II yet. "Far better" might be stretching it, but I suppose it depends on your requirements.

And some day, I hope to buy a lens with IS.

Well, I do wish Canon would put spot metering on the consumer-grade SLR's, but its not an absolute must-have. I'm not sure I'd call that a superiority issue as much as a bad choice issue.

Now Leica glass - from what I've seen, it is very nice. Images that are almost surreal in their clarity. I handled an older Leica and was impressed with the image quality. But, I think it would be a mistake to say that all Leica lenses are better than their competitor's similar offerings.

Its not about brand loyalty - its about hurling around insults of people's chosen camera. Its also about a perception on the part of many that you seem to find it a chore to actually have to admit that you are using a Canon rather than your much superior Minolta gear. In other words, whether you mean it or not, you carry a certain snobbery about yourself on occasion.

Sometimes, its not what you say so much as how you say it.

I think you're being a little over sensitive, I don't believe I was harsh in my view of the Eos 7. If you find this insulting your really need to get a grip it's a camera for christs sake.

It would probably be a good idea at this point for the two of you to agree that you just don't agree and let it go at that. Neither of you appear to like what the other one is saying or how he is saying it, so for the rest of us, move on to another topic-----please!.

Sheesh!