Eye control. Quick. Feels good in the hand. Light. Ergonomic.

DEP button can be better positioned. LCD not backlit. Non others that I hv seen.

A splendid camera. Canons' coming out with great cameras. :) It has got all an intermediate photographer needs and it can also be used by advanced photographers. Its quick, is ergonomic and has eye control amongst all the other features. The eye control is great. To select one of the 7 focusing points, just look at it! The partial metering can also be linked to one of the 7 focusing points this way. The calibration procedure is simple and you can save up to 5 cals. On the whole this is a great camera and the pics i developed turned out great. Would definitely recommend it to others.

Customer Service

Not needed as yet. And hopefully not ever.

Similar Products Used:

EOS 88 Nikon F601

- feels solid in my hand - appreciate avalibility of custom functions (allows you to make the camera work for you) - very fast auto-focus - good and affordable lens system (Canon EF) - extremely compatible camera

- white-light assist is useless - Depth of Field button hard to find - view-finder could be a bit brighter - focusing points (other than center) unreliable in low-light - needs a lightup LCD but thats just being picky

I must agree that this is a very capable camera. I have been shooting on a AE1 prior to the Elan 7e (it being my first 35mm auto-focus SLR)and was alittle concerned about getting aquainted with the electronics of a modern slr but I found the 7e quite easy to learn. 30 minutes or so with the manual and your ready to go. I do appreciate the custom functions and feel that once you have them set to what you like there isnt much need to change them. My pictures are still waiting to be processed so I cant give you a review on the picture quality. Th autofocus issue seems to be a concern only if you using something other than the center focusing point otherwise it seems to handle low-light subjects quite well. It seems to have poblems with uniform surfaces (blank wall) but I think that is a general flaw with auto-focus cameras not just the 7e. I am using the canon 50mm 1.8 II and the canon 28-105 3.5/4 USM II zoom lens right now and would recommend them (maybe substitute the 24-85 for the 28-105) as a nice starter system along with the 420 EX flash. A word on the N80, wonderful camera. I didnt like how it felt in my hand, the camera was small and the shutter release was weak. I have heard goodthings about it but lots of complaints about the build and it scratching the film so I went with the 7e.

Customer Service

Seems like a reliable camera to me. None yet.

Similar Products Used:

AE1, N80, F100, Eos 3, Rebel 2000, N55

Easy to use Eye Focus (it works without my glasses) Almost all of the features one would expect from an SLR camera for amateurs.

Short duration of the AE lock Lack of a spot meter Low light autofocus performance Horrible manual

I bought this camera as my first 35mm SLR. It has all the features that you need to get into photography. I use it mainly with the 28-135mm IS lens and I am satisfied with the results. I cannot say this camera is excellent for the following reasons: 1) No spot meter 2) AE lock holds for only 4sec. 3) Horrible autofocusing performance in low light and with off center focusing points. The first two complaints are important. For example after you lock the exposure, you only have 4secs to recompose. I do however like the partial metering that is linked to the autofocus points.

Customer Service

Excellent.

light weight. With a small fixed lens such as 24, 28, 35, or 50, and without the battery grip, it is just a professional point-and-shoot camera you can bring it to everywhere.

The feel of shutter is not as good as EOS3 and 1V. You need to press quite "deep" to shoot and the time lag is surely not for the professionals.

If you a new in SLR, I highly and only recommend this camera to you. If you want to upgrade or even downgrade your EOS system, this is surely your choice. I have used different EOS models starting from EOS5, 3, 1V nd now EOS30. I find this camera is very good for beginner, with very good price, but as many others say, the camera can go with you for long long time even your skills go into advanced level.

Customer Service

Not yet used

Similar Products Used:

EOS 5, 3, 1V. But only keep this model and the old A1 now. I shift to D60 for digital fun and the MF (Bronica SQa1).

1) Solid feel and good looks 2) Enough bells and whistles to keep you curious and interested for quite some time. 3) focussing point selection with seven focussing points (auto or manual) 4) whole bunch of lenses to choose from 5) built in flash 6) Rugged build - have used extensively in real hot weather(AZ) as well as sub zero temperatures (MI) 7)Relatively light and compact. 8)Best price/performance ratio

1) Like many others in this site, I too felt an LCD would have been invaluable tool to have during low-lit situations 2)Lack of spot metering - this is one feature I would have loved to use. 3)Auto focus fails to activate when you try to shoot closeups(macros), cloudy landscapes or under low light situations 4) Depth of field preview button is hidden...I have never been able to activate it without taking my eyes off the viewfinder !

The Canon Elan 7E/EOS30 is a fantastic all around camera for beginners/intermediate photographers. At the time, I was buying this camera, I tested out Nikon N60(I think) and the equivalent canon rebel 2000. My first confusion i.e canon v/s nikon was cleared up when I realized that nikon is still resting on its past. Most folks who use Nikon have been using it for for ages and do not want to shift. If you check out the advancements and new technology that canon strives to implement even in its relatively basic models(IS,USM), you will tilt towards canon. Plus you will have the fantastic range of lenses to choose from, whether you are a beginner or expert(L series). The next confusion was whether to choose the rebel or the elan 7E. I would very strongly recommend anyone to consider buying the intermediate Elan 7 as compared to the basic rebel. The rebel has a very "plasticky" feel to it and if I remember correctly, there is a single knob to set both the aperture and the shutter speed. Once you move away from shooting it as point and shoot, you will realize that the single knob can get incredibely irritating. As for the "E" i.e. eye focus, I never really used it too much but am planning to shortly. So you can save some money by getting the Elan 7, if you so wish since the Eye feature is essentially just a gimmick. Now I also wish I had got the date feature, since down the road it might be an useful tool. (say, 40 yrs, from now, you want to know when the picture was taken ;) ) The most wonderful thing about the ELan 7E is that it allows you to grow with it...It offers a whole bunch of features, that I think will take you from a beginning stage (point and shoot) to a more advanced stage (total manual) phase. After shooting over 20 rolls of film and slide, over a year and a half, I still find myself reading the manual and noting down some new feature to try out on my next roll. Small piece of advice for beginners.. I realize now that the money you spend on lenses might be worth almost more than the money you spend on the camera. Coz even the best camera cannot produce a decent picture with a bad lens. I would strongly recommend avoiding the standard lens(28-90mm, I think) that comes bundled with it (even if the total package is cheap). I bought the 28-105 f/3.5-4.5 and I have never regretted the decision. Its a relatively sharp lens at both ends and is always mounted on my camera for shooting almost anything. I am now slowly saving up for a L series lens. Besides the usual preset options like portrait,landscape,closeup,sports,night mode,the Elan 7E offers a whole bunch of features that I found really useful. Here are some of them, 1) Depth of field preview button. 2) DEP (depth of field AE) - this really helps if your lens does not have a distance scale (like the 28-105mm). Say for e.g., you need to preset the depth of scale from 0 to infinity, this feature helps you to achieve that effect without the distance scale on your lens. 3) AE lock 4) Exposure compensation - you can set the exposure compensation upto + or - 2 stops in half stop increments and you can do it without taking your eyes of the viewfinder. 5) Auto exposure bracketting - for those really important pictures that you dont want to miss :) 6) bulb exposures - allows you to have as long a exposure as you want. I found this really useful. I hear that some cameras have limitations on how long they can be exposed. (RS - 60E3 shutter release cable is really useful for this) 7) multiple exposures 8) mirror lockup etc etc etc. The built in flash suffices for all my needs. Lots of people in this website recommend the battery pack, but I would suggest anyone buying this camera to first check it out themselves. I find the grip good enough for me. All in all, I just love this camera. I have been having great fun for past 18 months with it and am confident of having lots more fun for few more years at least and I dont think you will get a better performance for this price...If you have the money, just get it & start shooting !!

Customer Service

So far, did not have need it.

Similar Products Used:

canon Rebel 2000, Nikon N65,canon,minolta and pentax manual focus cameras.

- low noise - 4 fps - build and feel - lots of lenses to choose from

- absence of a spot meter - flimsy battery compartment lid (this goes away if you fit it with the BP-300) - fixed focusing screen - LCD is not backlit

Every now then then there comes a product that seems to have all the right stuff. And eventually gets a large enough following. It's not expected to be perfect, but its imperfections mark only build on its character. The EOS 30 (Elan 7E in the US) is one of them. This is an exceptional camera. I'm fortunate to have had the chance to grow with this camera. And I'm still growing and learning, yet the camera does not seem to hold me back. It's packed full of pro-like features to give me enough room to mature in this art... it's a bonus that it's also affordable and easy to use. I won't go through the the entire feature list here suffice to say that I love all it's features and intend to use each and every one of them. I particularly like eye control, mirror lockup, DoF preview. The folks at Canon seems to have Auto Exposure under control. AE works as expected and is one of this camera's greatest features. I only ask for spot metering support mainly to dispell the only major weakness most people attribute to this camera. Personally, I don't look for it a lot. Most of this camera's weaknesses that I have pointed out below are really just me nitpicking. I would consider these weaknesses as a good nice to have but won't stop me from buying this camera. Finally, I like it's build and size. With the BP-300 attached, it feels as if it was designed with my hand in mind. It's very comfortable and the controls seem to be in the right place. Like I said at the start of this review, this camera is an instant classic. People would be comparing future SLRs to this camera for a long long time.

Customer Service

So far, I've never had a need to call them

Similar Products Used:

Yashica FX-7 Canon EOS IX Lite

1) fast and quiet AF. Nikons can do this too but you need to spend big bucks on AFS lenses 2) goo auto focus point selection feature. It uses mulitple points to focus, in low light i feel this is much more acurate than single point focus. 3) cheaper prosumer grade lenses (such as the 28-135 IS USM 4) ergonomics, with the BP-300 it has a fantastic feel 5) Very quiet camera overall 6) great vertical grip. Very useful vs a Nikon F80 grip with no shutter release

1) loudish mirror slap. What can i say it's just not a Nikon. That's why it probably needs mirror lockup feature hehe. I notice that the slap does move the camera just a slight bit (almost unoticeable) but it is there 2) tad bit plasticy back main dial and back cover, but it works 3) Standard package lenses are a joke. The zoom extension wobbles! 4) No LCD backlight (here we go another 10 years of torches to shoot night long exposures. $20 for canon to put one in but nooo) 5) shooting modes are convenient but relatively a waste of time. For newbies they are good, for me they will hardly ever be used. 6) cable released requires purchasing Canon branded cable releases and remotes. Adding a screw in cable release would not have added much more to the overall price would it? 7) The worste battery door hinge I have ever seen on a camera ever! hence I baught a BP-300. I don't even want to even think about abusing this flimsy plastic hinge too much. Very dissapointed with this poor design feature With all that said, it is still one of the best cameras for this price range bar none. I highly recommended it. But the the next edition of this camera canon should look into these issues! If they do I might buy a new camera before 10 years! Basically my thoughts are for the price paid and considering the relatively small price of fixing some of these problems I highlighted (esp the battery door) it is a shame...

The one things that stands out with nikons vs Canons is the mirror slap sound when the shutter is released, it is a Nikon trademark and I have always barracked for Nikon for this and other reasons. Yesterday however I changed team and purchased an EOS 30 (Elan 7E) over my planned purchase of a F80s. Why you ask? 1) and primary reason, Nikon F80s is made in Thailand and this confirms my fears about durability. Sure it's a weak argument but it is a strong one in my case as I tend to buy new cameras once every 10 years and I simply cannot afford 2-3 years of faithful service before requiring a major repair/service. Only time will truly be the judge but I do think the EOS30 has the edge on the F80S and I think that I made the right decision in this regard. 2) I am buying into a whole new system so I took the whole systems into account. Canon offer far better consumer lenses than those of Nikon. IMO you cannot get a decent lens on Nikons for under AU$1000, with the exception of perhaps the new AFS consumer range, but I am not going to stick around and spend a high three digit sum to experiment on them. EF is a proven system even at the mid range prosumer market. Overall though I think both systems have their own strengths as weaknesses. The only real things that mattered to me most on the F80S was durability, the data imprint thingy and the on demand grid lines. Other than that the EOS 30 does the same thing and has lots to offer also. I suppose my point is that there wasn’t much in the decision to change to Canon as I knew both systems are very very good. I will miss the Nikons (the feeling of loyalty and patriotism) but now I am barracking on a different side that is just as strong and for the right reasons (the glass not the box). The EOS30 is a very good camera.

Customer Service

NA

Similar Products Used:

Nikon FM, Nikon FM3A, Olympus OM10, Nikon F80S, Canon A1

Build, feel, looks, accessories, USM lenses, eye focus, evaluative metering, 4 fps, price, E-TTL flash metering, FP flash, rear curtain flash sync, silent operation

- Clumsy main switch/mode selector - Autofocus under low light - Sometimes eye-controlled focus not working - No control dial on the vertical grip/battery pack - No spot meter - Difficult metering mode switching - Depth-of-field preview button hard to activate

I decided to purchase this camera to replace my old Minolta Dynax 505si (my review of it can be found on this website), which was a great camera in its own right. However, the general lack of accessories and a few things it lacked made me reconsider my loyalty to Minolta and go Canon. One of the great ironies about my move to Canon is that just when I made the final decision to get the EOS 30, Minolta came up with the Dynax 7 whose uniqueness literally took my breath away after I had jiggled around with it in a store, and I had to try and console myself by convincing myself it was way out of my price range anyway... I still think that Canon have the best glass, though. The many outstanding features of this camera body have been thoroughly elaborated upon, I think, in the preceding reviews. Therefore, I shall only limit my review to the DOWNSIDE of this otherwise wonderfully creative piece of equipment. Upon turning the camera’s main switch on (you have to depress a little metal thing sticking out of the dial), you cannot avoid the feeling of it being a little fragile. Why the Canon engineers have not used the EOS 300 version of this dial remains a mystery for me. Autofocusing with any Canon camera and a USM lens is always a pleasing experience. However, the EOS 30 (as noted by many before me) has difficulty focusing under low light conditions. The eye-controlled focus is a great help 75% of the time, but sometimes it simply fails to detect the focusing point you are looking at. Yes, it brings the lens into focus incredibly quickly, but focuses somewhere else. This does not happen often, but sometimes it is a bit annoying and makes me turn the ECF off and choose the AF point manually – or override the AF thanks to the full-time manual AF mechanism on the lens. The vertical grip is equipped with its own shutter release button (thanks god) but lacks a dial that might help change aperture and/or shutter speed. Therefore, when you are shooting vertical images, every time you want to make an adjustment you have to take your hand off the camera, grab it horizontally, rotate the dial, grab it vertically again and only then take the picture. Switching among the three metering modes in a hurry is a nightmare. Take the camera down, push the metering mode button at the back of the camera, turn the dial, take the camera back up to your eye and shoot. Aw

Customer Service

n/a

Similar Products Used:

Minolta Dynax 505si Minolta Maxxum 7000i Old Praktica Various lenses

Aluminium top shell. Quiet shutter (quieter than EOS 3). Accurate and responsive eye-controlled AF.

Too many useless program functions (only useful for complete beginners). No infra red assisted red lamp for low light AF(the flashing strobe beam is annoying). The battery door is filmsy and looks as if it will come off any time!

The EOS 30E has a refined and reliable eye-controlled 7 point autofocusing system. It works extremely well most of the time under different light conditions. I have used the camera for one month and part-exchanged it for a EOS 3 for its 45 eye-controlled points. The thing I like most about the EOS 30E is the re-introduction of aluminium top shell as Canon seems to embrace the use of polycarbonate bodies like the EOS 3. It is good idea to get the vertical battery grip for improved handling. I personally don't like the rocker switch for manual focusing point selection as it is slow to use. There are too many functions that you pay money for but never need.

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EOS 3 EOS 1000FN

The strengths of this camera has a great feel to it, more options for film photography, a sold frame (note plastic like the EOS Rebel XS... I do like the camera), and works well with other canon lenses.

The only weakness that I can think of are using third party lenses. I mainly use Tamron lenses and the auto focus has a hard time focusing. I do focus im manual, but there are times when I need to focus the camera in AF. The lenses I use are Tamron 90mm Macro, Tamron 19mm - 35mm, and Tamron tela-convertor 2x; canon 80mm to 300mm and 28mm to 80mm.

I got this camera at a discounted rate from Best Buy (last one, display model). I got tired of the image quality from the EOS Rebel XS that I had for three years. The camer feels good, has a nice film speed, eye control, and it's just a good sold camera for the money.

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Canon Rebel XS... good starter camera, same with the ELAN 7E.