Fast AF, Eye control, fast film advance, Extremely easy to opperate

Lack of additional power sources

Amazing overall package - handles well, works well, may not be the newest camea on the market, but after 8 yrs in production it still has it! Definitely get the VG-10 grip

Similar Products Used:

Minolta Dynax 800si
Canon Elan2e

Ergonomics. Auto focus. Built in flash. Exposure metering sys. Weight.

Uses 2CR5 battery. auto focus sensors to small. remote relese cable uncomfortable to mount.

Strongly recomended, Not very good for action work because of the small AF sensors, it's hard to keep them on the subject.

Customer Service

ok. BUT VERY EXPENSIVE.

Similar Products Used:

N90s, EOS 630, EOS RT, Minolta 7i, 600si, Olympus OM4Ti.

Fairly quick,
Fairly rugged,
Versatile and Precise.
It's not a professional camera, but it's so close the differences seldom matter.

Cable release socket is positioned poorly.
Focus speed is not up to current standards (it's 15+ years old though)
Plastic guide rails and non-interchangeable back
It devours batteries at 20ºF

A well rounded, versatile camera. If you're on a budget, spend the extra $1000 you save on this camera on purchasing quality optics.

Customer Service

Excellent

Similar Products Used:

EOS 1n
EOS Elan II
Eos 10s
Nikon F4
Nikon F5

- very good hand grip
- focus speed is very fast
-good view finder, very bright
-customisable function buttons really come in very handy

- no battery pack expansion

Great camera, with solid features, enjoy it very much...I bring it along everywhere I go...

Similar Products Used:

None

Fast, Quiet, Eye Control, Some of custom function,
Pop-up flash

Too many useless custom function, 2cr5 battery

Good camera. However, I felt the body is not that strong. Eye-control is useful. It uses to much batter power and also the 2cr5 batter type

Similar Products Used:

Minolta X-700, Minolta Maxxum 9xi, Nikon N90, Nikon N401, Cannon Rebel G

Focus system is fast and accurate. Flash is handy in a pinch. Meter system locks into the eye control for pin point metering when on spot mode. Get the handy bottom grip for vertical shooting and general comfort. Camera is also light.

Can eat batteries up in the cold. Requires some reading of the manual a few times at first and for refreshing.

I was skeptical about auto focus. And the lens can be pricy, but once you start to use the system you are free to focus on other things. Shooting becomes very fast and people stuff is super quick with the five point eye system. The camera has a very good selection of meter modes and the spot and center weight modes seem to deliver. If you have to give the camera to someone to take shots the auto program modes make this easy and user freindly. I however stay away from the full autos and spend most of my time in AV/TV mode. If your going for an auto focus system, this camera is a great value and as far as breakdown. Well you can buy a second body at half the cost of some of the manual bodies it seems these days. Being an auto focus camera I don't believe you can compare it to an older SLR. Now i thought it at first a bummer about the old lens not fitting. But the ultra sonic system is slick and I can't imagine spending money on lens that a camera was not designed to take full advantage of.

Customer Service

Have not had too. Canon has a office in Toronto

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F3HP

Relatively easy to use. Lots of features. Built in flash.

Eye controlled focus works only on horizontal compositions, 75% of what I shoot is vertical. Wish I had bought the A2 instead. Funky on-off switch is a pain in cold weather with gloves. Battery life is extremely short in cold weather. I used a handful of batteries in two weeks while in Alaska. VG-10 is great but it needs battery carying capability.

Been using Canon equipment since I started in 1969. I would buy the 1n if you can afford it. If not, the A2 system is a great compromise. Don't put too much stock in the eye controlled focus if you want to shoot verticals. I would like to have a good old DOF button instead of the eye controlled versionof this camera.

Customer Service

Lost an eyecup and lens cap, reps gave me both at a recent photo seminar sponsored by Canon.

Similar Products Used:

I recently bought an old EOS 650 and this made me appreciate the A2E. I also use the 1n camera body as my main unit now.

Great camera, very versatile, and quiet compared to my previous camera (Rebel XS). Very nice features and excellent design. The vertical grip is a must!

HEAVY.. sometimes I'd rather just carry the XS considering it's probably 1/4 the weight of this guy. You gotta be in the creative modes for the custom features to work (learned that the hard way). Also the eye control feature is a little sketchy but it works under nominal conditions. Sure would be nice if the flash popped up on it's own if it's needed but Canon didn't think it needed that feature. It does close automatically when you turn it off. Screwing in the wired remote is rather inconvienent as well as the screw cap for the vertical grip.

Awesome camera.. Love it to death and it's been taking great pictures.. Definately worth the money I paid for it. If you're looking to get into photography, you should probably look into getting an Elan II or the new Elan 7. Make sure you get a good lens.. USM is definately worth it.

Customer Service

They've been good to me but I haven't asked them for much but a couple operation manuals and some information.

Similar Products Used:

Canon Rebel X/XS, Elan IIe, Minolta (forgot the model #), various point and shoots, ELPH and digitals

Probably the best value for your money of any "semi-pro" camera available today. It has all the features I need for my photographic needs in a single package.

For my needs, I have yet to find one. This camera has performed flawlessly. I do not abuse or torture my photographic equipment as so-called pros do. If you purchase your camera to beat it to death, then this camera is not for you.

If you're looking for a 35mm AF camera with professional features plus a built-in flash, look no further. Otherwise, the new Canon Elan 7/7e may do.

Customer Service

No need.

Similar Products Used:

Canon A1 (still use),Nikon N70 QD, Canon AE1 Program, Minolta SRT-101 and a Minolta SRT-201.

Great matrix meter, spot meter, good ergonomics, 5fps wind (with option for slower winding).

Flash is obstructed by large lenses, so pretty much all it does is prevent the camera from having a bright viewfinder; the command/mode dials can be fragile; it doesn't activate the AF assist light on a dedicated flash, and the built in light is obstructed by many lenses; Eye-control focus seems very archaic by today's standards; no dof button; no backlight on LCD display; A2E doesn't have an exposure scale in the viewfinder (5 does).

This is a great camera in many ways, and if it weren't for some annoying aspects I would probably not have upgraded to an EOS 3. It feels very good in my hands, has a wonderful muffled shutter sound and takes great pictures under most circumstances. The VG10 grip provides a full set of controls for vertical shooting, though no alternative battery source, and it seems cheap when compared to grips for the EOS1 and 3.
I've always found it aggravatingly strange that this camera will not activate the AF assist beam on a dedicated flash; as far as I know, it is the ONLY camera in the EOS line to have this quirk. Given that many lenses and lens hoods obstruct the built-in AF assist light, plan on having no AF assistance.
The other problem is more serious and, speaking purely subjectively, is the reason why I've decided to stop using an EOS 5/A2E: I've found it to be unreliable. On occasion, my camera has stopped working when going from a cold to a hot and humid environment. The camera is also known for a problem with the command dial (which not only sets exposure modes but also functions as the on/off switch). Despite its many strengths, I've never had enough faith in its reliability to be able to forget about it and concentrate 100 percent on taking pictures. This is a very subjective feeling, because I know many people are very happy with this camera, especially in the EOS5 form.

Similar Products Used:

Extensive experience with EOS 3, Elan II, EOS 630, and several manual focus SLRs.