Accurate metering and VERY FAST focusing. ECF is a joy if you can get it worked. However, this is still a very nice camera without it. Spot meter is a must for my landscape work.

loud shutter and mirror slap.

This is definitely one very robust camera. I have been sick of hearing people commenting the plastic material and the 45 point focus. First all all, the body is definitely made of very strong plastic. The camera is heavy enough, and metal simply makes things worse. Also, the good thing about plastic is that it cannot be dented and it won''t freeze your hand if you need to shoot in very cold environment. For those who laughed on the 45-point focus, my comment is that you just don''t need this camera. The nice thing about the 45-point focus is that it tracks motion very fast!! It''s not about eliminating refocus and recomposition. ECF is nice when I am wearing contacts. I cannot calibrate it with my glasses on. However, it doesn''t really meter since I used manual focus for my landscape works. Overall, this camera serves very well for my 100+ assignments in the past two years. Exposure is dead on. The spot meter is the main reason I get this camera. The only complaint is the weight and the noisy shutter/mirror slap. This camera is loaded with practical and useful features. One may not need all of them, but please don''t downplay those features if you don''t use them or DON''T KNOW HOW TO USE THEM.

Customer Service

haven''t tried

Similar Products Used:

Elan IIe

See above

So far none, apart from the price i paid for it, it was a hell of a lot of money (ouch).

I got a brand new EOS 3 used it and so far it is the camera of my dreams. The EOS 3 can "see" in the dark, it can "see" in normally lit and dimly lit rooms, it can it can do every thing which the EOS 30 can not do. I tried the EOS 3 with x 2 converter + 28 105 mm f4 - f5.6 zoom on full auto focus mode in a dimly lit room and it works, today it was a sunny day and I tried it with x 2 converter + Tokina 80-400 mm F4-F5.6 zoom on full auto focus mode pointing it up to at roof tops of houses in my street it works 95% of time every time, I also tried with a x 1.4 converter on full auto focus mode with both the 28-105 mm f4 - f5.6 zoom and Tokina 80-400 mm F4-F5.6 zoom, it works first time every time. I am so far very happy with my EOS 3 as it does what I want it to do, you guys have made a brilliant camera, well done Canon and it is a worthy successor to my old faithful Canon AE1 Program (which will be displayed on a shelf in my bed room). I guess one of the reasons why this works better than the EOS 30 is because it has 45 focus points as opposed to the EOS 30''s, 7 I think, so the EOS 3 can "see". The EOS 30 wasn''t all bad, I loved the fast auto focus speed, the silent 4 frames per second, ease of use and low price compared to the EOS 3, but the EOS 30 can not catch the EOS 3 and the EOS 3 is the king.

Similar Products Used:

EOS 30 (TOTAL load of kak) and AE1 Program

Complete features for the expert/professional.

1-Not as well built as a professional camera should be ( yes, it''s plastic, and yes, it''s of course not so strong as metal). 2-It sometimes underexposes. 3-To have 45 focus points is STUPID and USELESS! You do not want to put your main subject in the center of the photo? Just focus in the center, LOCK focus and then RECOMPOSE!! A one point sensor is enough! 3-Information in the viewfinder is not complete.

A good camera with some defaults.

Customer Service

Not needed

Similar Products Used:

Pentax Z-1, Minolta 9xi

Excellent metering, very fast AF and real time focus tracking, very bright viewfinder, rugged construction.

Mirror slap is loud, weighs a ton with the PB-E2 booster. Motor wind whines without the PB-E2

Excellent piece of engineering.

Customer Service

Excellent

Similar Products Used:

EOS-1N, EOS-1V, EOS-5

look what others have to say..

this might sound funny but weakness of this camera is its cheap, you might say what is this guy saying, believe me if this camera sells around $1200 it would still sell as much if not more.

I got one thing to say to whoever that is considering to buy this camera and can''t make up thier mind with all the others including minolta x9, nikon F100, and Nikon F-5. Let me say something here, if you don''t like the EOS3 its something personal, but if you were to tell me you liked any of the other ones I mentioned above over the EOS3 hate to tell you either you are not familiar with what you should be looking in a camera to start with, or you are plain stupid! I''m a user of canon for over 10 years and i got sick of using canon, you know how that is you crave a change once in a while, so I thought I would either pick nikon of minolta, but when i went to test those cameras myself, i saw no comparison, take my word for it don''t be a fool, i''m telling you i wouldn''t take an F5 nikon over this camera, maybe i take it and sell it buy 2 eos3-s other than that this is the best camera out there ( I didn''t test the eos 1v) I can''t believe i hear so many good reviews about the nikon f100.. the d*** thing feels like i''m holding tough built funsaver dissposable camera.

Similar Products Used:

None

Fast: AF, drive speed. Good metering. Nice flash options. Decent build quality.

The 45 point eye-control doesn''t work that great for me.

For the money and what is out there, this camera was an easy decision. I used to use an A2e (company camera taken away when I quit) and loved the user interface but didn''t like the build. The mode dial broke and it wasn''t very weather-proof. Enter the Eos-3: Much better build and seals, no mode dial, faster AF, better metering, better flash sync abilities. I was perfectly in sync with the eye-controled function on my A2e, but not on the Eos-3. I guess the 45 squares are way too close together for it to tell where I am looking. The A2e''s focus points had huge gaps between them, so it was pretty obvious for the camera which one I was looking at. I just tuned it off on the 3 and bam- it is the same AF set-up as the Eos-1v. The only think that kept me from the 1V is price. I''m a psuedo-pro and don''t have enough income to justify the 1V''s price. The 3 is less than half the price with the same electronics and slightly less-tough build and slower fps as the major differences. Another reason to get the Eos-3 is the flash abilities. I can high-speed sync with the 550ex at speeds to 8000th of a second. This is great for portraits. I can set it to Av, have the lens wide open to limit depth of field, watch the shutter auto set to 1000th of a second, and still have ttl - metered fill flash. I couldn''t do that on the A2e. I also looked a the Contax N1, but was turned off when looking at it (several times at shops.) While the ergonomics and build are great, the AF is primitive and inacurate (I sometimes rely on very fast AF for photo-journalistic moving shots). The lens selection was very limited and the whole package is pricy. Yes, I lust after Zeiss glass, but the set-up on this first-generation of Contax auto-focus was impractical for me.

Customer Service

Not needed thus far

Similar Products Used:

Canon Eos A2e, Canon Eos 1N, Contax N1 (only looked at demo in store for N1)

Fits a large hand WELL.. This camera is VERY balanced with a 28-70 2.8 or 70-200 2.8.. The mount is VERY strong, as I shoot a great deal of images through a 200 1.8 and 300 2.8 handheld. So far the mount is ROCK SOILD!!! The booster drive and the NIMH pack are to DIE FOR!!! Overall the body holds up very well to being knocked around a bit.. Walking from one place to another with three bodies WITH flashes for my day to day work the 3 still looks and works GREAT!!

Hmm Not really sure I can find any.. OH WAIT!!! Listen up CANON!!!! Your little remote comver on the side, the little RUBBER one!! Well it gets lost in like ONE SECOND on the streets and sidelines of Houston, Or was it in Paris I lost that thing? Either way.. If you buy this camera, kiss the rubber boot thing BYE the FIRST DAY of good hard use.. Seems to fall off as the camera rubs on your side while you walk.. Other then that... Nope nothing bad to say really

I''ve been shooting sports photography for a LARGE newspaper for 8 years now. I shoot everything from the Grnd prix to the Rodeo each year, with COUNTLESS High school and College sports games thrown in.. The Eos 3 is a WORKHORSE!! It is VERY fast for action work.. It feels GREAT in your hand if it''s large like mine is. The Camera is Balanced VERY well with a good 2.8 lens on it. The Autofocus is just SUPER FAST!! While it might take time to grow used to the "light show" of red LEDs inside of the finder, you soon learn to not even notice them (they CAN be turned off also). For the money this camera is VERY packed with great ideas for a WORKING photographer in the Media. The Spot meter is GREAT and very nice to have. Overall I LOVE this camera very. I have YET to be let down by it in the 3 years I''ve worked with it. If you have owned a Eos 1 then the controls of the Eos 3 will feel right at home to you!! If your new to this layout, Well it rubs off on you FAST! This Camera is a SUPER back-up to a Eos 1v, Or a really nice Prime body for someone watching the bottom line..

Similar Products Used:

Eos 1v, Eos a2, Eos d30, Eos Elan

selection of lenses,good quality,availiable custom options

i haven''t found any.

I really like this camera. focus tracking at nite time football games,works great,the horizontal and vertical movement of focus points, the top and rear control dials,and custom adjustment,are easy to use,i would buy a second one. good for expert and pro.

Customer Service

haven''t used

Similar Products Used:

canon 10s, nikon n90

ergonomics

not so sure about that side door

fantastically comfortable to hold, great af, eye control is good with primes. i seem to get considerably longer battery life than the manual suggests. works fine in cold weather/snow.

Customer Service

never needed

Similar Products Used:

f100

Fast AF and great metering. Good construction and weather sealing. Awsome spot meter and multi-spot is a dream come true.

LOUD shutter. Plastic back and side door. Occasional bug in the ECF but a quick calibration and it''s solved. That could probably be solved with better lenses. Very expensive accessories.

This is one of the best cameras in the profession! For the price, this camera sure blows the F100 out of the water. Fast AF and great metering make this camera a clear winner, regardless of brand or lens mount. I never use the full 45 point grid because the points are too close together and the AF speed is taken down slightly. I came from an old manual focus Minolta XD-11, the first camera to incorporate both Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority. I was constructed of metal and felt pretty solid. The EOS 3 doesn''t feel any different, except for the camera back and side door. Overall, I am 99.9% satisfied and 110% satisified for the price paid.

Customer Service

None needed.

Similar Products Used:

Minolta XD-11