- Eye controled AF - Ergonomics - Spot metering linked to AF point (custom function) - Light metering in general (extremely accurate and versatile) - Build like a tank (and: fairly resistant against water and dust - Incredibly bright viewfinder

- Side door (not a real problem, but annoying) - Rather noisy

This is the camera you want ! Took it to India for two months and it perfomed excellently, both at high altitude and in the desert. I love it''s ergonomics (fits like a glove) and handling. All the buttons are in the right place, and if you take enough time to callibrate the AF, eye control is wonderful !! It has got all the features you might ever need and more. This is a camera that really is designed to let you take better pictures much (!)faster. I was amazed at how fast the AF is, especially with a heavy, all steel lens like the Tokina 28-70 ATX Pro. I agree completely with the reviewer below: this is NOT a plastic camera !! This camera indeed is made of the stuff they make Formula 1 cars and spaceshuttles out of. By the way: I am getting very tired of people that are talking about dropping their camera''s and so on. Mind you: camera''s are NOT designed to play basketball with, the are designed to take pictures ! It is not as much the body, as it is the electronics inside that suffer from ''rough treatment''. Enough said..

Customer Service

None needed yet

Similar Products Used:

Canon AE1 Program; Nikon F90X

Excellant all around camera and easy to use. This is not a point and shoot camera although it can be used as one in the AE Priority Mode. I have used this camera with both the Canon 28-135 and tamron 28-200 and found both to work excellently - AF speed, quietness and quality of photos.

Loud mirror slap. But not so loud that it will scare off or startle wild animals or game. It is livable, however Canon has the technology and the capability to quiet the mirror slap and they should do so especially in a camera at this price.

Before purchasing the EOS 3 I read all of the reviews on this site plus professional reviews in photo magazines. It was a difficult choice but because I had a number of Canon accessories I opted for the EOS 3. I wish to comment upon some of the more prevelant negative comments which I found raised the most questions in my mind and caused me to doubt the quality of this camera: 1. Eats batteries - No. I have run approx. 20 rolls thru this camera at temps from 4 to 60 degrees farenhite on the Atlantic coast, in forests, in snow and rain with and without flash and coupled with the Canon 28-135mm IS (which is always on) and there has been no battery problem. 2. 45-point AF can leave one wondering what is in focus. Ba humbug. Merly manually select the AF point to the center point and lock it in - that correects the problem. 3. Under-exposure. On earlier models this was a problem and was rectified by sending the body to canon for adjustment. On later models the problem has been corrected. If you arrent sure then use the multi-spot metering system or lock in a 1-2 stop exposure compensation. 4. Made of plastic. Might seem that way but plastic is a bad word. All of the camera companies are using a poly-carbonate product to reduce weight. It may feel like plastic but the material is the same used to manufacture 737s and the space shuttle. 5. Complicated to use. Not if you read the manual and invest in the magic Lantern Guide and use a little common sense. This is not a camera for the masses or the every so often user. It is a semi-pro camera. Any one who uses a camera sparingly should step down to the EOS 7.

Customer Service

Used only once when I lost the PC Terminal Cap. It wasnt screwed in all the way and fell out during a walk in the woods. Called Customer Service/tech support/parts and they sent one overnight at no ch

Similar Products Used:

Elan IIE EOS 7 Sigma 28-105 Tamron 28-200 Canon 28-135 IS USM

EYE CONTROLED FOCUS (I don''t even want to imagine what a pain it would be to choose between 45 of them manually ;-)

FUNCTION DOOR (That d*** side door ruined a fantastic shot recently from clapping shut... However I have since shut it up permanently with a piece of felt.)

This is a fantastic camera, combining all of the EOS features and controls that people like with a lot more... What more could someone ask for in birding and nature photography than a fast action, lightweight, non-battery eating camera. Great job Canon!

Customer Service

OUTSTANDING! (I was missing the strap from my camera when I picked it up, and Canon overnighted me a replacement with a very sincere appology for the inconvenience.)

Similar Products Used:

Nikon FE Canon Rebel 2000

* Multi-spot metering * Dedicated DOF preview button. * 45-point Area AF * 21-zone Evaluative Metering * High-Speed Eye Controlled Focus. * Sophisticated E-TTL flash exposure system with optional EX-series Speedlites, including wireless flash with Speedlite 550EX, 420EX and Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2. * Die-hard construction, tropicalization and water sealed like EOS 1(x). * Better information in-finder.

* You actively have to push a button to check the batteries. *Shooting with the mirrow up is all too complicated.

AMAZING EOS 3... upgrade A2 (Joel Alves - From Rio de Janeiro , Brasil) Few mouths ago I upgraded my Eos A2 and EOS 500 for EOS 3 and EOS 50e. I do love my EOS 3!! Now, I have a 550EX and a 420EX working together via E-TTL! I''ve improved my flash capabilities with EOS 3 and my job became easier. I''m very very very happy with my 28 f/2.8 AFD, 50 f/1.4 USM and 70-200L f/2.8 USM I use for general photo. I''m in love with my 100 f/2.8 macro USM. A amazing tool for macro dental photo. Sometimes I use my EOS 3 with my 100 macro f/2.8 USM and ML-3 Ring flash [ I''ll upgrade for MR-14EX with E-TTL :-) ] for dental macro photo with fantastic results. I often use MF and the scene snaps in and out of focus sharply and quickly allowing for easy operation. Even in MF the ECF help me to find the better focus with the "audible beep" and luminous square sensor I choose. of information; it is very very clear The viewfinder displays an incredible amount for shot mouth and vastly better than a lot of others cameras I''ve used for macro dental photo and general. My EOS 3 has EC-D focusing screen specially suited for close-up and helps to keep the camera level. Recently I made a photo journalism job with EOS 3 plus 70-200L and 550EX ( amazing combo ). The EOS 3 showed me how it is a fantastic tool for PRO use. Shooting fantastic landscapes, portraits and overall takes of the event with E-TTL and FP flash, FEL ( Flash Exposure Lock ) .... I''m a blessed man. The use of Mult Spot Metering of the EOS 3 in difficult situations of light ... I''m a blessed man again :-] I don''t regret each cent... This is a amazing tool for PRO use and for Dentist who take a serious job about scientific documentation .

Similar Products Used:

EOS A2, EOS 500, EOS 50e

strong and solid. I feared the eos3 might not be as strong as my former camera- the T90. but I''m happy to say that it is. also it has a larger grip and with the bp-e1 (battery pack) it''s even bigger and very comfortable. the control layout is good, and combined with certein costum functions, it can be very "flexible". 45 AF points is GREAT! the eye control doesn''t work for me, but after a short practice, I found that I can use the manual AF point selection very fast- thanks to the well thought out layout. 4.5 fps is nice, and with a soft shutter realese button, you can''t "spray" frames by mistake. good viewfinder information- don''t need to move my eye away from it. there is nothing the camera can''t do.

noisy! very noisy mirror slap. battery devouring. clumsy flash exposure lock method- two thumbs down. (and one star down). eyepieces and rubber caps fall off all the time.

great camera. does everything you want it to do. my former camera was the T90, and although i''ve used many different cameras, my review is based mostly on my experience with the T90.

Similar Products Used:

CANON- AE-1, AE-1P, T90,REBEL,EOS-5, EOS-1, EOS-1N, NIKON- F100.

ECF, accurate exposure meter, spot meter averaging possible for super critical metering, weather resistent. Flash exposure lock possible with E-TTL flashes. 4 frames per second advance.

loud mirror slap, 45 point AF can leave you wondering what will be in focus sometimes. Use ECF or manual focus point selection.

An excellent "pro" level entry camera. Main things I like about it are: 1/8000 top shutter speed, E-TTL flash system, very accurate exposure meter (21 zones), rain resistent, Eye Control focus (11 point selection). Thing I don''t like: with AF you aren''t quite sure where the critical focus point is. This in unsatisfactory for portraits though acceptable for general photography with wide angle lenses. With a portrait, you are likely to get focus confirmation on the person''s nose, or cheek. You want critical focus on the eye closest to the camera, so I always set the focus point manually and set it on the eye when I shoot a portrait. By and large though, if you use ECF this is not a problem, although frankly the ECF lights are hard to see in the viewfinder if you are outdoors. I look at something, it pops into focus, but I can''t see the confirmation light. This is irritating, but may be a function of my eyesight rather than the camera. None of the weaknesses are all that weak, and I still am glad I bought the camera, particularly for only $600. This is a camera you have to get used to for awhile before you are comfortable with it. Once you know its quirks and capabilities it is a fabulous picture taking machine.

Customer Service

Had to send first used camera back to B&H when the FEL button didn''t work. They promptly sent me another camera which works fine. B&H has excellent customer service.

Similar Products Used:

Elan, Elan II, Rebel II.

Very durable, as well as fast and accurate in focussing. The motor drive maintains 7 fps even in the freezing cold thanks to different sets of gears and an internal temperature monitor.

As someone else mentioned, the only, and I mean the only thing this camera could have done better on is that silly rubber remote socked cap. I am about to order some more and just keep them all over the place. They''re cheap, so get some, because when you lose one it is frustrating. An eyepiece shutter would be handy as well, but I use my hand.

I shoot many types of photograpy, ranging from sports and PJ work to nature for various classes at RIT. I consider myself lucky to have spent the time researching this camera before I dove into it. Having engineering background, I enjoy the comments people mistakenly make about plastic being a poor choice, or the Nikon bodies are tougher comments. I''ve handled them all, and believe me, the EOS 3 is a tank. With the vertical grip (and incidentally the NiMH battery pack) its also a fast tank. The plastic keeps your hands from freezing, and also will not dent, causing further damage to internal components. Also the plastic will transfer less shock to internal electrical boards etc by absorbing most of the shock itself. Now, for those of you who like metal, fret not, for the EOS 3 is but a skin of plastic. Underneat that is a metal frame, and a very robust one as well as a titanium (kinda glammy but also serves a purpose) frame for the focussing sensor and other components. I have had great luck with the 45AF points and the ECF. I use the 4 and sometimes 7 fps and the ECF makes working much faster. You simply cannot recompose to get interesting composition when shooting a fast moving track meet etc. Sometimes, you can set to manual focus and wait for the subject to come into view since this camera reacts extremely quickly.

Customer Service

once I got to the parts order number for the rubber cap, they were quick and efficient.

Similar Products Used:

Canon: EOS IX, EOS Elan 7E, EOS Rebel G Nikon: FM Also have used various other Nikon and Canon bodies, but these are the SLRs I''ve owned or now own (got rid of the EOS IX, finally)

Cold weather to -22 found the 3 GREAT the worry was weather the film would break due to the temp.

slight under exp but overcame that after enough experance

In the year and over 400 films used I have found this unit to be a item that is a must have in my arsenal. The 3 sits next to my signed Blad.. When my friend ask me which camera they should buy? my answer is don''t worry to much on who makes it but one that will preform for you when you need it, be it going down the isle back words with the bride or infront of over 100 people have the right equipment and have faith you willbe fine.

Similar Products Used:

NIKON FE/FM/F2/F3/401/601 CANON A1/F1/EOS 650~630~ELAN~2

Fast AF, easy eye control and accurate metering. Versatile as you like.

No instant on like minoltas.

Bought as a replacement to my ageing Pentax P30. So you could say it wasa big step up. Have used F90x and several minoltas and they didn''t feel as good. The AF is superb and I got on with the eye control instantly, for wildlife it''s a dream. In other respects I''d rather have a 1v but for what I do the eye control takes it. A really superb camera.

Customer Service

Not needed.

Similar Products Used:

F90x, Eos 1v

Lots of features. Nice placement of buttons (fixed the motor drive placement to the top).

Felt light and cheap, underexposure problem undermined credibility, expensive.

I didn''t like the EOS 3 in comparison to the 1n. It felt more like my Elan IIe but just heavier and louder. The features are placed very well though. And it has all the features of the 1n. BUT it was missing the built in viewfinder shutter (which seems like it would be sensible with the IR counter used for midroll film rewind). The past underexposure problem had me paranoid about the exposure. I kept second guessing my own instinct. The AF was okay, the points are cluttered and I had to switch to 11 pt. Didn''t really help me get more pictures when I shot a dog frisbee show. The camera was okay, but cheap feeling, and past track record... not good. Unlike the 1n, the EOS 3''s palm door came open all the time and actually is forced open when changing rolls.

Customer Service

none needed

Similar Products Used:

Rebel 2000, Elan IIe, EOS 3, 1n, Pentax Super ME, Olympus OM-1