Canon T-70

Essentially a Canon T50 but more versatile with the option of manual exposure control, as well as the fully automated option. Before using the T70 I was a longtime Canon AE1 user, so I found the partial metering and the motordrive a welcomed new feature. This is the body to go for if you cannot afford the T90 (which I have found is a million times better). I cannot really comment on the fully automatic mode because I never used it. Instead, I used the T70 in manual mode using shutter priority and partial metering. I found it performed excellently.

One of the first (if not the first ever) 35mm SLR body to have push button controls instead of switch dials, such as those featured on the earlier Canon AE1. These buttons are easy on the fingers and simple to use. Of course, the main advantage of this body is that it accepts Canon FD lenses and it has to said that it is the quality of the lens that makes the camera and not the body. The fact that the body accepts AA batteries is convenient, not to mention cheaper and more commonly available than most other camera batteries. The body is not very heavy and sits nicely in the hands, so handling is fine.

For all of its convenience, the 0.7 fps motordrive is slow and decidedly conspicuous.

Canon AE1, T50 & T90 bodies.

Never needed it. I used it for six months without fail before selling it to buy to a T90. Oddly enough, I had more trouble with the T90 than I had in the six months of owning the T70. The T90 malfunctioned early on, but thankfully a replacement was given by the camera store. I had no such problems with the T70.

I purchased my T70 for $237.00 back in 1985. It is still kicking and my main camera to date. No problems with it ever! I love it.

Reliable

None that I can think of

Cannon AE1

I've had one since 1998. A very good and rugged body with lots of great lenses available at relatively low prices. You can get excellent results with it but it has some downsides that eventually led me into buying a T90. First of all there's no shutter speed display in viewfinder and this really bugged me! The shutter is very slow and noisy. A depth of field preview would also be nice. The longest available exposure time is 2 secs which means you have to have the command back 70 or the expensive 60T3 cable release for time exposures. You can get around the lack of exposure compensation by using the film speed selector but then you should also remember to reset it... But as said it is of very good quality and feels (along with the FD-lenses) very different in hand compared to modern-day all plastic bodies. And it's simplicity makes it a very good choice for a beginner while it still is diversed enough for serious use. A good second body to go along with my T90!

+ reliable and rugged design + uses AA-batteries + FD-system + simplicity + compactness + good metering

- no shutter speed display in viewfinder!! - no depth of field preview - doesn't read DX-codes (this really started bothering me when I got the CB70 which doesn't have a film check window) - no exposure compensation - slow and noisy winder

Canon T90

None. But who cares, they obviously made it too durable.

Bought this one as a replacement for my earlier camera; my dads old T50. Compared to the T50 it is MUCH more useful - you really get control of the way you're taking pictures. It has THE basic tools for serious photographying, that is: A manual mode, a reliable meter, a rugged body and an excellent line of FD lenses - so it is theoretically capable of making outstanding pictures and hence does qualify as a good student camera. And then it has some functions that do make your life easier and some functions for when you're feeling lazy. That is: A shutter priority mode, a good view-finder, average and partial metering, a (slow) motordrive, 3 diff. program modes and few unimportant extras. The main catch with this camera is its handling - The camera feels good: well balanced, rugged and ready for extensive use. But I often end up drooling over that little jog wheel on modern EOS cameras. The two little "up" and "down" buttons are SO annoying. And don't even start thinking about changing program modes (well that isn't so bad - in my case this camera is stuck on Tv mode, and automaticaly shifts to manual mode when turning the aperture ring). Finally, I really do miss an Av mode and some bracketing capabilities - *sigh*... Conclusion: This is a very capable camera - really a bargain when considering the quality. You do make really good manual focus pictures. But you'll eventually grow tired of its semicrummy handling. I'm still saving up for that T90. PS.: Flash photography is not its/my strong point. Bring a 50/1,4 along instead.

- Ruggedness (ligthyears ahead of modern consumer SLR's) - Viewfinder - Good and acurate focusing - It takes AA baterries and they go on and on and on... - CHEAP! - good cheap lenses

- No aperture priority mode - No jog wheel - Noisy and slow winder

Canon T50 Canon EOS 500,EOS 630

Non existent, but not needed :)

I bought this dude as a backup for my AE-1 and FD lenses, but the T-70 is so much fun that now my AE-1 is a backup. Let's get a couple things straight here: This camera is as high a quality camera as you can slap a lens onto, but it might not be a professional's first pick because it's missing stuff like a depth of field preview and it might not advance the film fast enough for a sports photographer. But this camera's cool in every way that counts for me. The metering system is quite a bit more sophisticated than the AE-1's, with a partial meter that's pretty swank. It runs on AA batteries!! (I'll take this feature over a depth of field preview anyday) This camera's pretty light too, but it's still plenty durable. The manual mode seems powerful enough to me. The guy below says his camera tries to change the shutter speed on him when he's trying to do fully manual stuff, but that only happens if you have your lens on the "A" setting. Otherwise, you pick the f-stop by moving the aperature ring on the lens and the camera doesn't have a say about the shutter speed anymore. If it doesn't think you have enough light or something, it'll protest in the viewfinder that you're using the wrong aperature, but it won't actually change anything. Basically, the manual mode on the camera works like this: you pick the aperature, and then you pick the shutter speed, and then you press the button. How else is manual supposed to work? Bottom line, I think this camera's a great body for Canon's excellent FD lens line. I think it's a better camera then the AE-1, anyways, and the AE-1 is already considered by most to be a pretty sweet camera. A pro will want a T-90.

It takes Canon FD lenses Light Powerful metering Nice control layout Runs on AA batteries!! Simply looks sexier than the AE-1

No depth of field preview (There are markings on the lens that will help you work out this problem.) It's noisy Cable release mechanism is kinda weird and it was hard for me to find a cable for it. (I usually use my FTb if I know I'll need to do a time exposure) I don't think it's possible to do a double exposure

Canon FTb Canon AE-1 Canon A-1 Nikon FM Pentax MX

Doubt if Canon would be helpful. These are cheap enough that I'll just buy another if I bust it.