45 point AF, Spot Meter, Speed, Features, Eye Control, Custom Functions, Size, Heritage(it's a Canon), Gold Contacts, AE is dead on.

Maybe to heavy for some, maybe to advance for some.

I've been playing with this camera for about a week now, I'm no pro but I've been around EOS cameras for a long time, and I have to say that this is a great camera! This is a well put together unit, it have everything right at you finger tips and have every feature that you can think of. I know some say that it should have a metal body, and maybe it should but I think after putting on the BP-E1 and loading that up with a 2CR5 and 4 AA batteries I'm not sure if I could carry it. The 45 point AF is awesome, if not a little over kill, but with the 17 custom function settings, no problem. Just go to CF 13 and change that to 11. Some say that the Eye Control AF doesn't work but it took me about 3 calibrations and it work great, and I wear glasses. The door to the "other" funtions seem a little weak but don't seem to much a problem, and not having a flash built on to me wasn't a problem because I've tried hard to never use mine on my other EOS units. Built on flashes just don't work that well. The use of the spot meter is a real plus for me, and you have a lot of choices with it. Doing away with the "Program Image Control", you know the one with the Portrait, Landscape, Close-up, Sports and Full pictures was also a plus, make it feel more like a real professional camera,and I never used it.
The only real complaint is on the BP-E1, it cost much more then the BP-50 for my Elan II but it doesn't have a button on the grip for vertical picture taken, and because it's a pretty heavy camera that make it even harder.

Customer Service

Haven't needed it (knock on wood)

Similar Products Used:

Most EOS Rebel G, Elan II, Pentax, Chinon, Minolta

Good handling... I'm an ex EOS5 user.

For my humble photographic uses, this camera is over the top.... with no "point and shoot" full auto dial.....

ECF works 100% of the time with custom function 13 set to limit focusing points to 11 with my glasses on. 28-135 IS lens brilliant for price, barrel distortion noticeable at 28 goes away at 35mm. Canon are offering a free 550EX flashgun this month as a promotion in the UK. I had to get a bigger camera bag.... Canon malaysias web site is brilliant for tips on using this machine.

I can't fault the camera, its excellent. Just make sure your bag is big enough...

Customer Service

None required yet

Similar Products Used:

Dynax 7, Nikon F100... others.. F80 etc

Strong built: Far better than much of what we see of plastic cameras today

Large viewfinder; of uttermost importance for taking sharp pictures. Here EOS3 (and EOS1v) leads in the business.

Choices of exposure metering systems: Even spot!

Very good exposure control.

Fast and accurate AF. Eye control works fine with me for 80 - 90% of the time, - which still is a lot better than just 'automatic'.

E-TTL; gives enormous quality 'lift' to flash pictures.

Wide range of 'Custom functions', like progamable film handling (tait out).

Access ti Canons excellent range of 50 EF lenses.

Heavy and bulky with the booster.

'Eats' batteries.

Chooses to small aparture and too fast exp. time, - have to adjust this 'all the time' to fit my type of photography. - Fine when using teles.

Overexposes while using Canons extreme 50mm/1,0 lense. Have to train myself to use 'spot metering' in certain circumstances.

Light metering not so good as on Nikon F5, but difference is marginal.

'Slightly' too expensive. With a reduced price Canon could re-launch this camera as the new EOS5.

Possibly the 'best buy' in cameras today. Bought it because i wanted to go over to AF after having used Canon A1 and EF for years. Originally disappointed that I could not use my large collection of old lenses, but made an incredible deal on a large collection 'almost new' 3 EF lenses, ranging from 300 mm/2,8 to a 17 - 35mm/2,8, both converters included. I now have large collection of lenses; 300/2,8 - 200/2,8 - 50/1,0 - 28 - 70/2,8 and the 17 - 35/2,8. EOS3 works well with all of them, - possibly except 50/1,0 which has a tendancy to give overexposed pictures. - After 18 months use, I have found that this lense gives best pictures with spot metering in on some applications (portraits 'by the window' etc.)

I was sceptical of that EOS3 was of plastic, but has turned out to be very strong and not at all comparable to some of the cheaper Canon models. Despite the plastic, it is obviously a very strong and relatively 'water and dust' resistant camera.
(I firmly believe that EOS1v and F5 owners are lured into believing that their cameras 'can take it all', which they can't. It can be a very expensive experiment to test these cameras to the limit).

The EOS3 has turned out to be 'weather resistant' through two cold winters in Norway and the 'wettest summer since 1954'.

I should have wished it was lighter and less bulkier. It sets a limit to my photography and makes me wonder if I should buy a Contax G2 as 'spare'.

Eye control AF has functioned reasonably well with me. Not so in the beginning, before I spent more time on constantly re-calibrating the thing. Now it works fine in at least 80% of the instances. When it does'nt (new lense/light combination), I do a re-calibrating, which makes it work flawlessly. (Tried the EOS1v in a shop and found it to be 'impossible to control where it focused'. I screwed my eyes around like a fiddle player. So: When you have got 'hung' on eye control, you are caught). Eye control is certainly better than just 'automatic' or 'focusing by a random process'. With eye control, you have some sort of 'control'. 'Problems with eye control' stems from lack of 'calibrated data'. Those who does not make it work properly should calibrate more often. Takes time, though.

With all my lenses AF is 'faster' compared to any Nikon equipment I have used and tried. Slowest with 50/1,0 which is similar to Nikon in this respect.

Uses two 550 EX flashes. This combined with E-TTL gives tremendously better flash pictures! This is a field I would recommend amateurs to give more attention; flash photography and use of several flashes.

Customer Service

Excellent, but expensive, - have never deeded it for my EOS3 (18 months)

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Canon EF
Canon A1
Hasselblad 500C/M
Nikon F5
Nikon D1
Olympus OM2
Praktika
Mamia 456

Pro camera at a reasonable price. Many useful functions.

Eye AF does not really work for me !
This camera drinks too much battery.

This camera is more for serious ameteurs or professionals who have limited budget. This camera is better than A2 but a little more inferior to 1V. It is somewhat in the middle. Great camera but if i have the extra $900, i'll get an EOS 1V for sure.

Customer Service

Not tried

Similar Products Used:

Canon A2

Superb quality feel
Fast focussing
Rapid wind-on

The weak little flap door on the side

A keen Canon user, I was attracted by the EOS 30, newly out. Then I saw an offer of the EOS3 with free 1.4x convertor, and this became well worth the money. I already have an old and a fairly new EOS 5 body.
The EOS 3 is the best camera I have ever used. It feel superb, and gives excellent results. The only real weakness was that the quality feels so high that I did not take enough care with the initial film, and the results were slightly disappointing - not the camera's fault. It is a pleasure to use: the physical experience of pressing the button far, far surpasses the quality feel of the EOS 5. The camera is quite easy to use, though I did need about half an hour with the instruction book when I got it. Since bought (with part exchange) the matching 550EX flashgun, and it works superbly with flash sync at all speeds. No regrets at all. I also have a 6X6 Bronica and a 6x4.5 Fuji and it knocks spots off both of them.

Customer Service

No experience

Similar Products Used:

Canon EOS 5

Fantastic camera!

Very solid, impressive 45 points AF, the 21-zone evaluative metering is 98% of the time correct. On the very few occasions where you can't rely on the multi-spot metering, there's still the spot metering. So the pictures are always correct exposured!

The use of the ECF works perfect for me. No need to recalibrate for me.

In combination with the 550 EX flash (E-TTL)and a fast lens (which I have), the limits are beyond believe!

Everybody who's serious about photography should by this EOS 3!

None

If you want a machine, which will last for years and given you the best results, don't look any further...this is your camera!

Customer Service

Never needed

Similar Products Used:

EOS 500N
TAMRON 28-105mm/f2.8
Canon EF 50mm/f1.4

Have all the function a pro. needs.
Fast focusing, good grip, multi-spot meter.

Some functions have to press 2 buttons to activate.

I compared the metering to my EOS 100 using a standard 18% grey card. It was perfect. I took slides the first test roll and love the results.
Very goos camera for it's price.

Customer Service

Haven't tried...or needed so far.

Similar Products Used:

EOS 100, EOS 630, EOS 5

Ergonomic Design, Quality Build, Excellent usable technology, Speed

Side door is weak springed

I was using my G-2 for grab shots and personal portfolio on location work for many years and loved the Zeiss lenses, the watchlike feel and build, but went berserk with the very iffy focussing ability, frequently missing shots as the camera couldn't focus, even manually!! Not so with the EOS-3. Focussing and metering are super fast, reliable and dead on. I am totally pleased.

Customer Service

Not necessary

Similar Products Used:

EOS 1n, Contax G-2

Well speecified
Good balance

Poor camera/user interface inherited from EOS1
Clumsy AF point selection
Ugly styling!!!(EOS1V is excellent!)

The clever 45-point AF system is the only reason why anybody should trade in his camera for the EOS3. But it is utterly frustrating that Canon failed to let the user select the AF points effectively. ECF is a nuisance since it needs regular re-calibration. Manaul selection by the control dials are just hopelessly clumsy. So what's the point of having 45 AF points when you cannot select them easily? It appears that Canon realised this problem also, so they devised a slightly better (but by no means ideal) AF point selction method on their EOS1V. With their latest EOS30/33, Canon is using control buttons similar to Nikon's joy-pad, which is much better. But unfortunately, the EOS3 is still stuck with the poorly designed controls. So, sorry, A big thumbs down!

Similar Products Used:

Canon A1, AE1, EOS620, EOS50E, Nikon FM, F2, F3, F4, F5, F60, F80, F100

Super-fast auto focus and great metering. Tough solid construction and ergonomic feel. A joy to handle, and fast to use.

"Eye Control" is like trying to steer a truck by a piece of string tied to the steering wheel. IMHO so unreliable it's almost unusable. Doesn't record exposure data!
Slightly tall styling. could use a (ahem) built in flash.

An excellent camera, My final decision was made over other brands because I had a canon lens, then against the EOS 1V simply because of the huge price difference. Now I wish I'd either bought the 1V for the exposure data feature, since the EOS 3's eye control sucks, or waited for the new range of prosumer cameras (Nikon F80, or better still Minolta alpha 7) that have all the features for a far better price.

In short, it's an excellent prosumer camera if you must have Canon, but there are now cheaper mid-range cameras which seem to be as good or better if you don't mind switching brands or switching to a less sturdy model.

Customer Service

n/a

Similar Products Used:

(in shop) Nikon F5, F100, F95, F80 ... Canon EOS 1v, EOS 7, Minolta alpha 9, alpha 7.