Light
Good value for the money.

Small for big hands.
Fit and finish.
Standard 28-80 lens.

Several years ago I had very old, neglected Contax/Yashica equipment, wanted something new to get back into outdoor/sports photography. Staying with Contax seemed so expensive, so after narrowing it down to Canon and Nikon, went with Canon because they seemed to have a little better bang for the buck. With the idea that the lens is more important than the camera body, got the Rebel 2000 along with a 300L IS USM to shoot baseball. Although this is a lot of lens for a little camera, it handled it well enough and I was happy with the results. But eventually I decided to get something (a lot) more substantial and sprung for the 1v. The Rebel justified its place in my bag when the 1v fizzled out halfway through a trip to Arizona.

In addition to the focusing screen problem mentioned above, the popup flash also seems to fit very loosely. The camera has rattled around a lot of car trunks and overhead bins in the two+ years I've had it, so it seems to be pretty rugged despite these minor problems. I added the BP-200 battery pack, which makes the camera easier to hold and allows you to use AA batteries. However, the 2nd shutter release on the BP no longer works. (Yes I know there's a switch!)

If you have enough bucks, I would probably lean toward the Elan 7. If you get the Rebel, I agree with the advice to get just the body and a better zoom. My "lite travel" camera is the Rebel and a Tamron 28-300, although a 28-200 is probably enough and will save a couple hundred $.

Customer Service

Focusing screen was crooked, out of warranty but dealer fixed for free. (Plug for Tempe Camera!)

Similar Products Used:

EOS 1v, 3

- Light Weight
- Load of Functions
- Fully Auto/Fully Manual
- Easy even for begginers

- Small body for big hands (the grip BP-200 is a must)
- The lens that comes on the kit (28-80mm)

I bought mine 10 months ago, and I can say this camera is great. For begginners it is easy; for demanding photographers it has all the most expected features. The body is small, which will require a grip for big hands (like me). And do yourself a favor: buy only the body, and then complete it with the great Canon 28-105 3.5-4.5 lens. The 28-80 doesn't deserve to be with this great body.

Customer Service

Not tried yet.

Similar Products Used:

Yashica FX-3
Canon A2

very light, easy to use in auto settings.

if you are using auto focus in a group, its tricky to get the focusing point you want without manually changing it. easilly remedied by learning a bit about the camera but beginners may not want to do that. whats this i see about plastic lens mount? worries me some, hopefully it holds up.

i very much like the camera and the photos i get out of it. the many options are perfect for a person like me trying to learn more about pictures than just the point click type. i can go at my own rate or just use auto selection when i want. very good camera, value and experience.

Customer Service

havent used it yet.

Similar Products Used:

older canon, manual focus, much heavier

Extra light
Depth of field preview
Talking bout a Canon
Autofocus is some light years away from Nicon

Plastic Lens Mount

Well, it's outstanding how light she is. You can take her anywhere you go. The AF is ultra fast, accure and quiet, and the depth of field preview alllows you to see which objects will be "net" and which not, before you take the picture. Fantastic option. The metering is very good, and the suggested time goes up to 30'', not like some Nikon crap, which goes only to 1'', and from there you must guess the time by yourself... Bulb exposures are also available. The only "minus" is the plastc lens mount, which won't let you put a heavy lens (tele lenses for example) on the camera. The fact that hundreds of professionals use this body as the backup, speaks by itself. The value for money ratio is hitting the sky! Buy one!

Customer Service

not needed

Similar Products Used:

Canon MC Compact Camera
Many other SLRs from professional photographers who are friends.

Light
Depth of field preview
Easy to use
Fast AF

None

This is a great camera. It has more option than the others cameras in this price and I really enjoy it. Fortunatly I got small hands, so it's perfect to me.

Similar Products Used:

None

Many features & very light

no place to attach a pc cord

This is a great beginner camera for almost all types of photography!

Customer Service

never needed it

Light,mearsuringsystem
with 35 points

No good buildingquality
Too small
Too light for larger
lenses

This camera has a very good measuringsystem,
only available on more expensive cameras.
7 autofocus points, that in point and shoot mode
may work well. But I never used it cause the camera focused on the thing I didn't want to shoot. I manually selected focuspoint.
My camera used to leave one or two nasty scratches
on the film...not good! This camera is very good
value for the money and it works rather well.
I sold it thou' and bought an EOS 10.A camera more suitable for my needs.

Customer Service

Non

Similar Products Used:

EOS 1000F,1000FN
EOS 10

Ease of use.
Complete manual over ride.
Depth-of-field preview.
Excellent value for money.

A little light.
Needs a thumb dial.

I'm a sketch artist and do primirily portrait and full body sketches of my clients. Mostly it tends to be female subjects wanting a tastful drawing of them with or without clothing for their partner to hang on the wall, etc (no porn!). Lately it became apparent that I needed a camera so I could compose a model for lighting etc and take a shot so I could do the drawing at home in my own time instead of on site. After trying this with a point-and-shooter, and found what aweful lenses they had, things tended to be out of protortion and I got sick of trying to work around this after the shots were taken (girls are extremely fussy on proportion!). Plus no exposure control was a hassle. I opted for an SLR with a 28-80mm lense. Having near to no experience with cameras I found this system more than meets it's requirement. I have complete control over the effects I want it to produce. All my photos are black and white and the camera does an excellent job to suit my style which is high contrast images with the light source from the side or in front normally provided by my trusty flood lights and white board and sometimes the inbuilt flash.
I think it needs a thumb dial instead of the Av button on the right side, I find it a little fiddly.
I've had people tell me that the plastic lense mount will break easily, but I've never had a problem and I don't treat it gingerly with the soft touch.
Overall it's a fine camera for entry level stuff and produces very good results from a user who doesn't know much about photography. It's far exceded what I thought I could do with it.

Customer Service

Never needed

Similar Products Used:

Point-and-shoot junk

* Easy to use
* Light weight
* Offers many functions only found on (much) more expensive cameras
* Reasonable price
* Seven point autofocus
* Depth of field preview
* Full manual mode

* Plastic lens mount
* Flash is only really for fill

This camera is a terrific buy, especially for the money. I absolutely love mine because it allows me to take quick pictures or take my time and produce amazing effects. The seven-point autofocus system is phenomenal, as are the various shooting modes. They allow you to capture just about anything you can envision.

The depth of field preview is another great feature. I can't believe it was added -- normally it can only be found on much more advanced (and expensive) cameras. That, along with the full manual mode, makes this camera suitable for photographers of all ability levels.

The biggest downfalls are the lens mount and the flash. The lens mount is plastic. This really isn't a big problem, but it is something you should be aware of. Larger (heavier) lenses should be handled with care, as they pose a threat to the less qualified plastic mount. The flash is basically a fill flash only. Again, this isn't a hige problem as long as you are aware of it. A replacement flash is definitely in order.

I am still in awe of the quality of photographs that this camera is capable of producing. It is a wonderful camera with so many features. It would be a perfect fit for anyone looking for a high-quality SLR and trying not to spend a fortune.

Customer Service

* I don't know (haven't needed it yet)

Similar Products Used:

* An old Canon Rebel G
* An old Minolta manual focus SLR

Easy to use
Light
Pictures have turned out well
Features/Price

Manual could be a bit better

I got the kit, and was a bit worried about the quality of the lens. But as a beginner and not knowing anything, I took some great outdoor photos, great photos of friends and familys, and some shots at a night club that turned out amazingly well.

I recommend this camera for anyone, who just wants to take better pictures than a point and shoot, but doesnt have time to learn the ins and out of being a professional

Customer Service

Never tried

Similar Products Used:

First foray into SLR's