-Built-quality and weight with 28-105 USM lens on it. -5 frames/second with no external battery pack -1/200 flash-synch. -1/8000 shutter speed -Mirror Lock up -Rear-curtain flash mode -Ultra fast auto focusing with built in red AF assist light on body -decent built-in flash for flash-fill (but needs to be pressed open to be utilized). -16 adjustable custom features. -MADE IN JAPAN quality.

A-ttl flash metering

This review is written as of 4-26-05 to express my opinions on this 35mm A2e SLR. UPDATE: Thought the VG-10 Grip for the A2e may not be able to use AA batteries, you may now purchase rechargable 2CR5 batteries! I'm using them instead of disposable 2cr5 ($10) on this camera. Purchased used with the infamous wide angle 28-105 (f/3.5-4.5)USM Canon Lens, it is trully a bargin at compared to what it used to sell for $1400.00 US in mid-90's. I've used this A2e for people, outdoors, and wedding protraits contiously with extremely fine results and have not had a single mechanical problem with it--considered it has been used and on the market for 15 years! Canon does not really make too many professional 35mm SLR changes over a period of time--the A2e stayed on the market, for I believe 8-10 years, before it was discontinued. This SLR is still topping charts on many professional web-sites as it is a trully professional and capable SLR. Just to let you guys know, I'm also a proud owner of light-wieght and portable Canon EOS Rebel T2 slr camera (made it late 2004)--which features Canon's CMOS sensor and E-TTL 2 (which pre-flashes burstes of small flashes to help with conduct proper exposure automatically with the existing light--very advanced!). What made me decide to purchase the Canon EOS a2e was because it is a proffesional SLR that I can afford at this time. It is capable of shooting 5 frames/second (launching of drag-race cars,etc), 3.5% Spot Metering-linkable to any of the 5 autofocus pts and helps give reading the contrast of the subject, has mirror lock-up,rear-curtain flash sync, 1/8000 shutter speed, 1/200 flash (X) sync, and host of 16 custom adjustable features found in only in Canon's professional cameras--identical to Canon's EOS 3! People have complained about having only 1/2 stops in Exposure Compensation--you may manually "fine-tune" it through manual ISO input (as mentioned by Magic Latern Guide). By fine-tuing, I mean in 1/3 stops from as low as ISO 20 (brighter) to ISO 6400 (darker)--now thats fine tuning! My other choice was to get Canon's EOS 3, but was out of my budget--and I rather invest that amount into Canon's Digital D20 SLR (which has been awarded heavily for its awesome performance in well-know magazines and reviews). It has been challenging for me in the beginning to get properly exposed indoor shots because I purchased a Sunpak 4000af external flash--which cannot take advantage of Canon's A-TTL feature found only on Canon's EZ flashes. I find A-TTL to be less efficient that Canon's new E-TTL 2 (found on my EOS Rebel T2) but I'm not utilzing either anways so I rely on the Spot meter on the A2e most of the time to get proper exposure. I eventually got very good at taking night protraits of birthdays and dim indoor lighting with proper shutter speed and aprature settings, and this camera has done just fine in extreme low-light. Out door protraits are deadly-sharp with the 28-105 USM lens (especailly with a polarizer filter). I will stick with this professional slr until I can afford to go Digital (perhaps with Canon's D20) because I am getting incredible results and am extremely happy with this Canon a2e. Oh, by the way, I researched heavily on Nikon's N90s before purchasing the Canon a2e, and found it they are very identical, but the Nikon lacked the ability to shoot 5 frames/sec, had no mirror-lock up (though its construction is better than the Canon A2e), and need external Nikon add-ons to take advantage of those things (extra cash dumped onto 35mm, when everyone's going digital? No way). I rather take the Canon route and share lenses between my A2e and the Rebel T2. Made in Japan lens, made in Japan A2e SLR body--unmatched performance still in 2005. Thank you Canon for producing such a capable SLR.

All the features you need in a 35mm SLR (any missing ones are features you just think you need)

Command dial problem (but now you know what to do) Not as bomb-proof as the EOS 1/3 models (but a fraction of the price)

This is an excellent camera. However, the whole command dial business is pretty shoddy. And with second hand prices so low it doesn't pay to get it fixed. So fix it yourself. I recently got hold of a mint condition example with a broken command dial for 40GBP on Ebay. A complete novice to camera repairs I checked out this article: http://eosdoc.com/manuals/body/5/5DialFix/ and fixed it within a few hours. Try it yourself - it's a shame to see such a good camera gathering dust. Furthermore, I've seen some threads claiming pictures are not very sharp. Unfortunately that's down to the lens and/or (more likely) the photographer.

Customer Service

Not needed

Similar Products Used:

EOS 1, 3, 50, 600, 300, lots of old SLRs

Very light and easy to use camera with an excellent light meter. I highly recommend this camera to anyone who asks.

Command dial breaks, need to carry around 2 cameras to make sure I have a backup.

I have been using this camera for about 7 years. It is a great camera and has never failed me. I carry two bodies with me in case the comand dial breaks. The camera has a large focusing light built into the body and does not really need the focus-assist light in the flash. Had the command dial break once. Have not had any problems since I got it fixed. I expect it to break about every 4 years. Next time I plan to get it replaced with the metal piece.

Customer Service

Great service when compared to Nikon. Nikon people are very rude compared to Canon. This is the main reason, I will never use Nikon again, and will stick to being a canon customer.

Similar Products Used:

Canon Rebel 2000 (a toy) Canon Elan 7E (another toy) Nikon F401 (great camera) Nikon N80 (worst auto-focus) no comparison to Canon products.

Well, the box says it can do a lot of things.

Since the command dial is broken, and spins endlessly, the camera is virtually useless.

Having bought the A2E as a present for my wife, I could not contain my excitement when I brought this home. I've always loved Canon products, and I've considered Canon to be the "Panasonic of photography." Well, that all changed when the command dial went. (Within two months of vey light use) I brought it down to have it fixed, and within a day of it coming back, it was broken again. Now, I would have just chaulked this up to "bad luck", but then I looked into the problem, and found that this was a worldwide epidemic. Canon had nothing nice to tell me, only that this wasn't a design flaw, and no, they wouldn't swap it for the LESSER model (The Elan IIE), and in short, I could just piss off. Needless to say, my ever so high opinion of Canon slipped a few notches. Other than the fact that the command dial spins like a top and changes modes in the slightest breeze, the concept of the camera was great. According to the box, it could do a lot of neat things that I was hoping my wife could try. Alas, it now sits in a case in the closet, likely to never be used again. Thanks, Canon.

Customer Service

Non-existant, except for a curtly worded letter telling me that their product was free of flaws, and I must have broken it myself.

Similar Products Used:

Canon Elan II, which is far superior in workmanship. It's durability is timeless.

Ergonomics Fast without booster Several handy Custom Functions Built-in flash VG-10

No 100% coverage viewfinder No E-TTL flash system Cable release socket cover

I bought my EOS 5 secondhand equipped with VG-10 instead of new EOS 30 which was also offered. With 28-135 IS USM lens the EOS 5 is great for everyday work. Has a tendency to "hunt" though with Sigma 135-400. So far I haven't had any problems with the notorious command dial or with short battery life. ECF works sometimes even with eye glases but I haven't used it much. I recommend for anyone wanting more performance than, say EOS 300. Not enough for pros but for others almost "a camera for the rest of your life".

Customer Service

Not needed

Similar Products Used:

EOS 300, 500, IX

Reliability, is the key. From it's first production, it is about 10 years old, but still works like its brand new. It's always there when I need it. 9 multiple-exposures is excellent.

Batteries only last approx. 15 rolls without using flash. The dial should have on and off switch so the dial mode could be left on personal setting. The cable release is not convinent to screw on. The button to cover cable release is not convinent to put on and off due to the small screwing-on method. The LCD without backlight can be a pain in the dark. Vertical Grip VG-10's big rounding off slope on the right side of camera looking from the front is ugly. The grip should be the same width on both side according to the camera.

I love my camera so much that I could go to sleep with it next to my bed. It does everything I need it to. Before I started taking pictures, my dad bought this used as a present for me a few years ago. When I first looked at the camera, I thought it was too big and other Canons people were carrying around looked much smaller. But in no time, I found out all the great features about this camera that other smaller ones don't have. This is the first camera ever for me to explore photography. I got hundreds of good picture and I'll always keep it for life as back up when I can afford 1VHS or digital. People compare this with EOS 7E. There is nothing to compare about. This is the first Eye control ever made and it has 8000th of a sec. shutter compares to only 4000th. It certainly is better than 7E before there was EOS 3. It's a legend and it's in a class of it's own.

Customer Service

Never had to call.

Similar Products Used:

Other Canon and Nikon cameras I tried out from friends and acquaintances.

simple and light compared to top of the line behemoths egronomicaly designed very quiet reliable metering price

plasticky the whole command dial thingey sucks wont activate the light assist in the flashguns.

bought the eos5 second hand a couple years ago and the command dial broke within the first month.sent it back to the shop and it has never failed me till today.although it does not have the bangs and whistles of the newer generation EOS, it does the job very well and have all the functions i'll ever need.its light,simple and a joy to use.i 'damaged' the shutter blades once with a compressed air blower( dnt ask wat i was thinking then)the whole shutter curtain came out of the bottom socket but i managed to push it back in after banging my head on the wall a million times.but the canon guys in singapore said theres nothing wrong with my eos5 when i sent it for repair the nxt day.hmmm.....

Customer Service

good.

Similar Products Used:

eos 3

Features, performance, price. Possibly the only classic AF SLR yet.

Build quality - it's not really "semi-pro" class, unlike the 3, 10, 600 and RT.

A fantastic camera, with every feature I've needed and a great performance. Not as quiet as the EOS100, but still quiet, fast, and competant. I've not had a problem with the command dial, so have no criticism. I love it!

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

EOS 3,10,50e,100,300,600,RT and many other cameras!

Easy to operate; the wheel on its back is an excellent design; bright view finder; fast AF, even at low light; quiet film winding, mirror a little loud.

Command dial failed, expensive to fix; can not use AA battery even with the grip, 2CR5 is quite expensive; LCD not backlighted, inconvenient for night shot; no flash confirmation in viewfinder(even in 1V). The duration of the confirmation light on flash is so short that when move your eye to check it, it already disappeared. Nikon and minolta provide this feature in their adv bodies; no exposure data recording, again nikon minolta are better at this feature. In fact if I choose again I'd probably go for Minolta's maxxum 7. Unfortunately Minolta's lens is not on par with canon in terms of speed, and sometimes more expensive.

Command dial prone to fail otherwise a good deal.

Customer Service

None

Similar Products Used:

None

A fabulous camera, solid, ergonomic, does not look outdated

lack of on/off power switch

I bought this EOS 5 new, believing this is the last batch of new EOS 5 left in Australia as Canon has discontinued the production. The camera is ergonomic, especially with the VG10 which I bought second hand. This grip is a must for EOS 5 owners. I attached two 'home made' straps from other old cameras/binoculars straps and they are perfect for both horizontal and vertical work. I was worried when I read about the problem of the broken command dial, however I have found a way to minimise the use of this dial by using the latch of the battery cover as a on and off switch. I discovered that this latch has 2 functions, to lock and unlock the cover and to connect the power. To turn off the power, I simply raise the tab, turn the latch anticlockwise (to open) but stop when hearing a click, by this time the power is cut off, the latch is about half way to full open. The cover is still in locked position. To turn on, turn the latch clockwide to full extent (close). This way I can leave the command dial at the position I normally use such as Av and Tv. I presume with time the latch will wear out however the cover and the latch are not part of the camera, should be cheap to replace or repair. I plan to lubricate the latch with silicon oil from time to time to prevent wear . Hope that this will help anyone who is concern about the command dial

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First AF SLR 35 OM 10 Mamiya 7 II