very light-weight, durable, many great features

I haven't found any as of yet.

I just had to add my two cents. I checked these reviews not long before purchasing my Canon Rebel G. I read so many bad things about it that I almost decided to get a different camera. Instead, I decided to make the purchase anyway. I have to say that I am impressed. I have had no problems whatsoever with my camera and I haven't exactly babied it to death. It has dealt with the abuse from me quite well. I've not even had the problems with the batteries that so many people keep complaining about. The flash is quite small, but since I don't use a flash for most of my photographs anyway, it's there if I need it and if I don't, I simply don't use it. I've read many complaints about the plastic body, but I have found that the light-weight body is very much to my advantage. I would much rather have this camera hanging from my neck all through a wedding or while hiking for a nature shoot than any of the other more expensive heavier cameras out there. This camera is way better than any Minolta camera I have ever used. It would make a great beginner camera and would be just as good for any expert. Two thumbs up from me!

Customer Service

Never needed it.

Similar Products Used:

Minolta, Nikon

Very lightweight body and lenses. Good range of features for the price. I've had it about 2 months, and have already taken some pictures (with its standard 35-80 mm zoom and a 70-21o telephoto) that have pleased me very much.

The built-in flash is nice for fill, but you'll need a bigger gun for anything else. I use a Canon 380 EX. with wonderfull results.

I picked up this camera because of weight and lens options. (I planned on taking this backpacking so weight was and issue.) My Photographer friend is unimpressed with the construction and durability potential. However, I feel that the options and quality suit my needs. The pictures I take look great with the right lens.

Customer Service

Never need- The best

Similar Products Used:

Minolta Dynax 400si

Light weight
Good for Beginners/casual Photographers like me.

Slow Auto focus
Expensive Battery (I use a Battery pack)

This Camera really got me interested in photography. Hopefully in the coming years I can improve my skills and upgrade to higher end equipment. Had this camera for 2 yrs now and it really works well.

Customer Service

None

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F60

Easy enough to be comfortable but advanced enough to take great pictures

auto focus is sometimes slow

Great camera--durable, professional, and fun

Customer Service

never needed

Similar Products Used:

n/a

Lots of lenses available, inexpensive, dumb green box mode, weight

Built-in flash, control layout, metering, weight

If you are starting out in photography and want to buy this camera make sure you don't get the 35-80mm f/4-5.6 ... you'll be disappointed.

Since I've gotten a better lense 28-105 f/3.5-4.5 I've found this camera is capable of taking good pictures with some limitations. The built-in flash is useless unless you are within a couple feet of what you are shooting. The metering system is a little less reliable than what I would like; I usually find that it overexposes in bright light and underexposes in dim light so I'm always doing a bit of fudging. I've had the best luck with the camera in the aperature priority (Av) mode for non-flash and manual (M) for flash. Its not the fastest focusing system around...if you are shooting moving objects its better to focus by hand but the viewfinder isn't really made for manual focusing.

The batteries are very expensive and it really is worth the money on the battery pack. I recently purchased this and got a set of Ni-MH AA's to go with it. The weight of the
battery pack actually helps; I find the pictures are shaper since the camera doesn't get thrown around as much by the mirror flipping up.

In manual (M) mode, one needs small hands to work the aperature setting. It works fine for me but I can't imagine somebody with large hands finding this arrangement confortable.

Bottom line, its a fine camera once you get use to its meter (the pentax was the same way) and you get rid of that stock lense. I'm even planning to buy the 70-200 f/2.8L lense for this camera in about 6 months. Its not a fast as other cameras in the EOS line but its also not as expensive.

Customer Service

I've had this camera since 1997 and when it breaks I'll buy something better.

Similar Products Used:

Pentax K-1000, no AF cameras

Great starters camera
very light
Great thumbwheel
Easy menu system

No metal Lensmount
Autofocus gets confused
with teleconvertor and 300mm lens
Fill in Flash is poor

I like this camera. I use it on airshows. I don't understand why some of the people say that this camera is garbage. It's an ENTRY level camera. I would love to own an Eos 3 but I haven't got the money for it. This camera is great, it takes my 19-35 (cheap) cosina lens, it takes my teleconvertor and 75-300 mm. The autofocus does gets confused sometimes but when it does it does so under heavy conditons, grey skies with grey planes. One flick of the switch and I'm in manual mode so I don't consider this a problem. It got dropped, it has been used in the rain, in the cold and in the hot summer sun. I didn't have any problems with the lightmeter or the spot meter (partial metering). I even like the 28-80mm that came with it. It's a good lens. This is actually my second 500n the first produced stripes in the negative. Personally I find it one of the BEST beginners cameras around. I even published my photos on my website and several other websites. I have used this camera under very poor conditions and it still gives me a good result. I would recommend it as a beginners/starters camera or backup camera.
Don't believe the myth that you can't take professional shots if you don't have a professional camera. IT JUST ISN"T TRUE.
This is what it supposed to be a great entry level camera. And it is GOOD !

Customer Service

not as good as I liked

Similar Products Used:

Manual SLR's
Zenit, Zorki Rangefinders, Exakta Varex, Canon Eos 5000
Digital camera.

Autoselect modes for various subjects/situations, lightwight body, quiet operation

Slow AF, useless flash

I am almost exclusively a black and white photographer, and this camera suits my needs perfectly. While the pop-up flash is useless, I very rarely need it for architecture and outdoor shots (my primary subjects). The lightweight body makes it great for stuffing in a backpack for hikes or long walks, and can take a good bit of abuse. My favorite part of this camera is the mode dial. With the manual setting you can always set up the shutter speed and aperture setting yourself, but this dial is fantastic when you just don't have the time to do it in a quick-shot situation. The depth of field settings aren't as perfect as you could get manually, but you'll get great focus on the landscape shots, and blurred background and a focused subject for the portrait shots. I'll spend my money on upgrading lenses, but this camera takes fantastic shots, particularly with Kodak T-Max film.

Customer Service

Never needed.

Similar Products Used:

None

- light weight
- fast focus, because of the built-in lens motor
- not expensive

- plastic mount
- plastic body
- too small for my hands
- focus hunts (when compared with my EOS 1)

This is a good camera, which is suitable for beginner, pathing the way for trade-up to more high-end model. I started with this camera 6 years ago and then graduately step up to EOS 1 and mainly Canon prime lens and L lens. For the price, you cannot go wrong with this camera.
Size too small for lens other than cheap consumer zooms
I am grad that I started with this EOS 500, and became loyal Canon user, since in these years I had some bad experience with Nikon.

Customer Service

- not yet tried for this camera

Similar Products Used:

EOS 1
EOS 5

Allows the user to develop from the point and shoot fully automatic mode to more advanced and then fully manual modes.
Lightweight
Good manual

No depth of field preview
Uses infrared light to advance film, so infared film is fogged approximately 10%
Built-in flash not that great.

This is my first SLR and I have been using it for around 9 months now. I am very impressed. I recently bought a 75-300mm lens and am extremely surprised at how quick it is to focus. Also, I notic a lot of people have said how it eats batteries, but I have only just replaced the original ones and I have used the camera a lot. The built in flash is not great but anyone using it on a regular basis will buy a flashgun anyway. All in all I think it's a great beginner's camera allowing the user to progress from fully automatic point and shoot to all the manual modes. It also allows for multiple exposures and auto bracketing. It may not be the best camera on the market but for such a price, what do you expect? I'd strongly recommend it.

Customer Service

Not used it

Similar Products Used:

None

Great closeup mode. Easy to use for people like me. Battery lasts long on this camera. its better than those point and shute cameras that ive had with the same batterys.

flash could be better. red eye control is confusing, doesent seem to work

I think this camera is great overall. I never had problems were I justwant to punch the crap out of it.

Customer Service

Great

Similar Products Used:

pentex k1000