I'm using this Canon 1N RS with a f/1.2 85mm lens. Incredible B&W shots in low light. What a great find for creative photography!

No real weaknesses, it pretty heavy but all the good Canon stuff is.

Professional quality. Both mechanical and image quality are very high. Weather sealing for those who play it rough and solid construction for those concerned about second hand camera reliability. Another advantage is the AA batteries, easy to find and you can use rechargeables as well.

Of course you have a price to paid in terms of weight, but compared to the other pro SLR and DSLR flagships with simular characteristicsthe Canon 1N RS is not alone in this catagory. Yet with it's large size and weight it balances well in my hands with a 24-70 2.8 L lens.

The slight light loss due to the fixed mirror is not appearant to me, and is overshadowed by the performance of this camera.

The real draw backto me is, if you can call it a drawback, is the speed at which you go thorugh a roll of 36 exposures. During the rewind and film swap time I find certain images flying by, so I may end up buying another RS in the future to lower the risk of missing those shots.

Nice camera. It has the best of both worlds the rangefinder and the SLR. With 10fps, no mirror black out or slapping, and a 100% viewfinder I do not miss a shot. Fast and accurate AF and high fps enables me to capture the D-moment and then some.

If you are like me and you have found that every camera you use takes a slightly different kind of picture. It is hard to describe why, yet it is true for me. This holds ture for this camera as well. The RS allows me to explore more interesting aspects of photography that I did not realize existed before. It allows me to explore my subject and capture those once in a lifetime images, that in the past escaped me.

So if you liked the ideas that come out over time on camera like; zoom lenses, auto exposure, built-in light meters, motor drives, auto focus lenses, spot metering, depth of field preview, you will be at home with the improvements found on the Canon 1N RS camera.

It is just to bad that Canon elected not to come out with a DSLR version, that digital camera would then have the best of both worlds once again, and allow for real time image viewing on a LCD (historgrams etc.) and movies to captured as well on a DLSR, while allowing the end user a wide range of lenses.

Ending this review I want to mention value. When I purchased the camera off ebay for 600, May 2006 and now they are going for about 375, June 2006 which makes them a great value if you have a lot of EF lenses or if you cannot afford a FF DSLR right now. If you want one of the best SLR film cameras out there this is good time to buy one.

Customer Service

None

Similar Products Used:

F-1n, T-90, EOS RT

For those of us who hate shutter lag, as found in some current DSLRs, the Canon 1N RS is a breath of fresh air with only 6ms of lag, next to impossible to imagine until you hold this camera in your hands. It makes the best manual 35mm rangefinders look slow by comparison.

No viewfinder blackout is another attribute normally found on randgefinder that has escaped SLRs since their inception. That is until now. A few SLRs in the past have used the same idea and have over come the viewfinder black out, but at a cost of some other attribute or significant weight increase, but not the Canon 1N RS. This camera gives you 100% of the view finder and there is no black out, and there is no mirror vibration to be concerned about when using long telephotos. This also has improved my hand held panning shots dramatically since I can see movement, framing, and steady the camera better ever before.

The only other camera that I own that comes close is the Canon RT. But these two cameras are worlds apart in every respect. With one exception the RT to me is quieter.

Its' not digital. If there were a Canon sealed, digital full frame SLR camera that could push 10 fps, have a RAW 36 frame buffer, with a fixed mirror and cost only $600 I would buy instead over the Canon 1N RS. But how much would I have to paid to get something that is even close to the Canon 1N RS in the digital world?

Every camera has its faults or short comings and this one is no exception. The fact the motor drive battery unit is not dectable is a shortcoming, but was a design trade off to get the performance.

While I would normally mention the weight and physical size I don't think this is a true negative since my EOS-3 and battery pack clock in a close second. Also the current Canon flagships look and feel like the Canon 1N RS camera.

The mirror is the strenght and weakness of the Canon 1N RS. The benefits come at a light loss. Much like using a polarizer filter comes with a liight loss cost for the benefit of getting better images so does the Canon 1N RS. But the light loss of the fixed mirror is far less than a polarizer and far more benficial in my opinion.

After all I can still use a polarizer on the Canon 1N RS, but will miss certain perfect moment shots with anything less than a Canon 1N RS camera in my hand. For those of you who shot with Leica rangefinders you know which shots I am talking about.

Speaking only for myself I love rangefinders and SLRs. But each has its weakeness and strenghts and no one camera offered something wilth all the attributes I was looking for including low price until now.

Behold the black beauty Canon 1N RS camera, professional built, and with the advantages of a good rangefinder and SLR. 100% viewfinder with no black out and no parallax errors, accurate and fast autofocusing, blazing 10 frames per second which is fast even by today's standards, capable of manual focusing during firing, and with a small shutter lag of 6 ms, again fast by today's standards for both rangefinders and DSLRs. Now take into account price, while I paid top dollar the Canon 1N RS continues to fall in price and is far below the $600 I paid just a few months ago. To me this represents a great value for those who seek the right tool for the subjects they are shooting.

Customer Service

None on all my Canon gear has required service except the T-90 over the last 35 years. The T-90 was in the shop three times due to heavy use as a candid wedding camera and using high energy AA batteries it was not designed to take. All my Canon gear continues to work today as they did the first day I bought them. With that track record I know the Canon 1N RS will be no exception.

Similar Products Used:

Leica M6
Fujica GSW690
Fujica GW690 III
Canon RT
Canon T-90
Canon F-1n
Canon EOS-3 w/7 fps booster

PELLICLE MIRROR !!! Incredible Very good exposure system Speed of light Shutter button Spot metering (3.5%) Very good in low light. Heavy AA batteries Great/strong Body instinctive use Personal program the camera body i was waiting for

8 AA batteries Heavy 2/3's stop less light due to see thru mirror which can be compensated with I wish it could be a be quieter

I went to my favorite Photo dealer called "la Fnac" in France and find out that they had a nice Canon Eos1n RS ( in a mint condition, did not believe it) in the 2nd hand shelf, at that time, i did not think about buying the EOS but ask to have a look at it for the first time. I went back home and search for info and end up on this site which at the end convince me that it was a great camera ( thanks to all of your reviews! ). So i went back to the shop with my EOS 30 and the 28/105 and was able to sell it back for 560 Euros so the EOS1n RS cost me 350 Euros, quite a good deal i think. Since last Thursday, i did already about 2 dozen of rolls. I am not using it as a sport camera (at all), but as a portrait and landscape camera, it is just great to keep being able to see even when u press the shutter button, and that 100% image give you a great oportunity to compose the image the way you want. As u can see i am very happy with this camera so far.

Customer Service

no need yet ( hopefully never ! )

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F4s EOS 3

Managable size. easy handling. durable, rugged body. logical control placement. fast focusing. up to 10fps one-shot, up to 8 fps predictive AF continuos shooting speed. and... PELLICLE MIRROR!!!

pellicle mirror aged focusing system not-so-advanced flash system

Very strong platform. Pretty agile and mighty versatile in every situation you can encounter. There is no mirror that travels, and it makes every shooting sessions so much easier since there is no mirror induced vibration and nothing that hinders your view during the session. Thus the pellicle mirror helps not only those who shoots sports but can also be helpful for portraits, landscapes or products. You name it and this baby handles it all. The only drawbacks you can possibly expect are somewhat aged focusing system and a little bit less advanced flash systems. The second poblem does not really matter to the most of its targeted users, though, since you can always use it in TTL mode instead of E-TTL and manually compensate a little bit.

Customer Service

Not yet tried.

Similar Products Used:

EOS 1V/EOS Elan 7/EOS Elan 7E/EOS D60

Rugged, Dependable, accurate (af and metering). Easier to hold due to the built on booster pack. Quick.

2/3's stop less light due to see thru mirror which can be compensated with. Flash system less advanced than the EOS 3 and 1v but that is easily compensated for with a little tweaking.

After much debate between my wife and I we decided to get a new camera. We couldn't decide between the 1v, EOS 3 or Nikon F100. I took her to a local shop where I had them pull out all three. After much looking the salesman finally pulls out and says "what about this one" after sitting a barely used 1n RS in front of us. Instantly my wife fell in love with it. Easy to hold, easy to switch modes and adjust, and much easier to learn than her previous 35mm. We walked out the door with it that day. After putting 3-4 rolls of film through it I'm definately loving it. First thing we love: No mirror that flips up at the time the picture is taken. It has a fixed see-thru lens. Downside is it needs 2/3's stop more light. With a good lens that goes to 1.8 or 2 that doesn't become so critical. Second thing: Speed. Hit button picture taken. No delay, with a good USM Lens it's even better. Third: Layout. Easy, rugged, dependable. If you are looking for a fast, rugged, easy to use Pro Level camera this is a great deal. If you want more advanced flash control either get the 550EX flash for the 1n RS and switch it to manual or get a EOS 3 or 1v and use the 550ex in e-ttl mode.

Customer Service

Never had to use, too new however her old EOS 10 has gone 10 years without needing service. Approximately 100 rolls a year on it.

Similar Products Used:

EOS 10/10s

Build Performance Pellicle mirror

Pellicle mirror

They were selling these off cheap in the UK for a while, so I bought one. In retrospect, I would have been better off with a secondhand 1N or a new 3, though this is no reflection on the 1N RS, rather on the type of work that I do. I don''t need 10 fps. Still, I do love this camera. It is reliable, durable and gives confidence. It has not let me down in anyway yet. My one concern is the pellicle mirror. Were it ever to get damaged or dirty, it would need cleaning at a Canon service centre, which won''t be cheap.

Pellicle mirror, tripod mount, vertical shutter button...

When used in 30°f or below,and you do the Battery Check, it says its low, but once it gets warmed up, it gets back to nomal. 2/3 stop light loss

This camera is awesome. I took it up to Yosemite over Thanksgiving vacation. It has ultra fast Af. It fits perfectly in the hand. It has a strong tripod mount. I really like the vertical shutter button. It is built like a tank. get one while you still can.

Customer Service

none needed

Similar Products Used:

Rebel 2000, elan 7

- Strong body
- Pellicle mirror very helpfull especially for moving subjects like rodents etc....
- Perfect metering.

A bit heavy but I got used to it.

The best camera I ever used. For all conditions and all situations this camera is unbeatable.

Customer Service

Not needed yet.

Similar Products Used:

Eos 50E
Eos 3
Eos 1N

the EOS1N RS is built like a tank.
I've used this camera in many situations over the last two years its real time operation is awesome. It captures the decisive moment its time lag is only 6 milliseconds. When you shoot subjects that depend on the decisive moment this is the business.
The pellicle mirror is brilliant despite two thirds light loss. Flash photography preview of shadows in the studio. Let's face face it, the nikon F5 is technologically more advanced but it doesn't deliver the same number of salable transparencies. For camera that is 6 years old it easily hold it's own. The evaluative metering system is second to none, linked spot metering quick and easy to use.

Tripod bush

This camera pays my rent, it feels beautiful in the hand it's well thought out, its not cluttered in any way. But it's a camera for experts with a capital E. IT AIN'T NO TOY.

Customer Service

Never needed it.

Similar Products Used:

RTSIII
R4,R5,R6,R7
F4s,F4,F5
EOS1, EOS1N, EOS1V