Canon EOS Film Camera Owners

martinsmith99 · Expire: 2013-11-18

Who has an EOS film camera and what do you think of it?

They don't get talked about much here.

kansalliskala · Expire: 2016-12-30

EOS 300, mirror hit problems like FF Canon.

Exposure metering has worked well for 2.8 lenses but it's kind of guessing ..

ylyad · Expire: 2013-12-05

I have an EOS300 that I didn't touch for years now. Plan to give it to my daughter for X-mas, alongside a digital compact (TZ), certainly with a couple of MF lenses (first guess: the Helios 28/2.8 and the Helios 44)

trev · Joined: 30 Jun 2010 Posts: 580 Location: North Wales - UK

I have an EOS 5 and 50E and use them occasionally. Personally the 5 is a better camera than the 50e BUT I do not like its "command dial" and therefore prefer to use the 50 which has a more sensible arrangement of turning the camera on and selecting modes. However I do wish that both cameras had a proper on/off switch seperate from the command dial. Apart from that, not much to choose between them, both handle okay both autofocus quickly and are fairly quiet and both use a simulated match needle system for exposure when using manual focus lenses.

greg · Expire: 2012-12-03

I have a few, some duplicates, see my signature line below. For film and manual focus, I prefer the EF-M model. It allows the use of EOS AF lenses, but only in manual focus mode. The exposure modes work as normal for EOS.

The real neat part is the focus screen. It has both a split circle in the center and the fresnel area around that so that in low light you don't loose the use of the focus aids. At times it goes for over $400 USD, and it sells for that! I picked up three off the 'bay in the last six months - all for under $50 USD with a lens on one. Shop smart !

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/eos/eoscamera/EFM/index.htm

martinsmith99 · Expire: 2013-11-18

Greg - I have the EF-M and it's an ok camera with a good VF. It's not EOS though.

greg · Expire: 2012-12-03

Since the EF-M mounts EOS lenses and none other without adapters, I consider it an EOS camera. I guess it is a difference of opinion.

To answer the original question then , I go towards the 7E for no real reason, just that I prefer it.

martinsmith99 · Expire: 2013-11-18

EF is the mount not EOS (Electro-Optical System) .

The EF-M is never referred to as one as I believe it has to be auto focus to qualify. I think?

Anyway, back on topic.....

lulalake · Expire: 2011-11-18

I have an EOS 1 and my wife uses an EOS Rebel 2000. My EOS 1 needs a lot of work as the electronics are whacked out after dropping many times (It used to be a working film camera for a newspaper newsroom).
My wife's Rebel is fine however like many others, it's all about the glass.

Jules

scsambrook · Expire: 2011-11-18

I have an EOS 650 and used to have a 620, both of which used to be really nice cameras to use until the pair began to be battery-gobblers. Maybe a virus migrated from one to the other Very Happy

Really solid and smoooooth working, reliable metering systems and good bright viewfinder screens. I was sorry when both began to give problems but never cared enough to pay to get either fixed.

I've also got an EOS 5000, which is cheap and plasticky and almost creaks and squeaks when you grip it, but unlike the other two it still works perfectly. The autofocus actually is far better than both my Pentax DSLRs.
I think it has a pentaprism finder, although I'm not absolutely certain. The finder isn't particularly large but it is bright.

None of these three have screens which - for my eyesight - make manual focusing easy. The image slides through the point of sharpest focus, much worse than my K100d. But that might just be my poor eyesight. I only have one lens left to fit the 5000 now, a 24mm AF Sigma which I leave in AF mode on the odd occasion I use it.

You can buy EOS film bodies very cheaply now, but I think the older ones must be something of a gamble.

Banjo · Joined: 25 Jun 2009 Posts: 75 Location: Oz (Near Adelaide)

I have an EOS 630 and an EOS 50: both work well and I love them both, but they are just too easy to use, so I prefer to mess about with my manual focus Pentax and Olympus OM bodied cameras (as well as old folders and fixed lens German made slrs, viewfinders, rangefinders and folders, a Japanese 6x6 TLR, and hand-held lightmeters.) Very Happy

TBaker · Joined: 02 Dec 2009 Posts: 344 Location: Canada

I have a Canon EOS AE2/5. Bought it used for $80 and it's pretty good. I like how it takes all the lenses as my 5D MKII takes.

peterqd · Expire: 2014-01-04

The only EOS film camera I have is APS, the EOS IX. I haven't finished the first roll so I can't show any results yet, and I don't even know yet if it's going to be possible to scan the film.

It's a very solid and nicely built little camera but it eats batteries. It can mount all EF lenses but ironically not the EF-S lenses designed specifically for APS-C DSLRs. And I can use all my manual lenses with standard adapters of course. The AF-chip adapter doesn't work properly on this camera though, but the viewfinder is larger and brighter than the 400D, so this isn't really necessary.

It cost me £8 (plus 2 CR123A batteries and film), and I have it mounted on my bike handlebars to take random shots as I'm riding along, using the remote shutter release. I've been using the little I-50 on it, set at hyperfocal. I figured that way it wouldn't be a disaster if the camera fell off, but it hasn't happened so far, touch wood! Smile

martinsmith99 · Expire: 2013-11-18

Why is it that all togs that shoot from bicycles, use Canon film cameras?

Xpres · Expire: 2014-10-28

The only Eos film camera I have, or indeed tried, is a 650 - which as mentioned above is pretty good. It still works fine despite its age now.
They seem to be available almost for free at the moment, unless attached to one of those early EF lenses.

keyser1884 · Joined: 05 Dec 2010 Posts: 14

I have an EOS650 which is bult like a tank. I don't suffer from battery drainage issues if I leave it in the L position. The EOS620 had a lit LCD and it's that componant that causes that model to drain itself of power.

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

I used to have an EF-M and an EOS 500.
Now, I own an EOS 300 and an EOS 50e. Especially the latter one is fantastic!

peterqd · Expire: 2014-01-04

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

I bought a first generation EOS Rebel for the wife back in 1990, I believe it was. Sold it about a year ago. Even though it was a very basic camera, it had been a very reliable picture taker until some of the foam material inside somewhere began to decompose and formed a sludge that the shutter blades began to pick up. When that happened the shutter starting capping and I was getting images that were only half exposed. At the time, though, I didn't realize that this was the problem.

So after about 15 years of reliable use, I set it aside and bought a used Elan IIe. The IIe is a great, solid camera that has just about all the features one could ask for. A couple years after I bought it, though, it started misbehaving. Shutter hanging open for no good reason that I could see until I looked at it a bit closer. That's when I discovered some sticky goo on the shutter blades. Aha!

Got out the isopropyl alcohol and a bunch of Q-tip cotton swabs and repeatedly cleaned the shutter until I could trip it and not see any new residue appear. Problem solved. Then I took a look at the Rebel -- sure enough, same problem. So I cleaned its shutter thoroughly. Got it to working reliably again. But at that point, I didn't need both cameras, so I put the Rebel on eBay and sold it.

I started a thread last year over at the Classic Camera Maintenance and Repair forum on this topic. You can find it here:

http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/forum/messages/2/17123.html

Which reminds me --- if you have any issue-related questions regarding the EOS film cameras, that forum is a good place to ask them.

IAZA · Joined: 16 Apr 2010 Posts: 2587 Location: Indonesia

spleenone · Joined: 26 Dec 2009 Posts: 1130 Location: Slovakia

I have eos 50E. IT is nice cam with which I start shoot on film. At that time just with Canon 50/1.8 ii. Then I started to use mf lenses with adapter on it and then I bought my first manual cam. Fujica ST801. I need cross/prism screen to be sure with manual focus. From then I love manual glasses and didn't use my 50E too often. Occasionally I can say. Now I thinking about sell it with both AF lenses which I own. Although changing film along, matrix metering and EF mount is good thing but I am crazy manual shooter.

Joosep · Joined: 25 Jan 2010 Posts: 305 Location: Estonia, Tallinn

Have a EOS 30. Works well with most of my stuff. But with P6 (middleformat) lenses, the metering waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay off. And I mean seriously off. Like giving me 1/4000th, when it should give me about 1/125....

spleenone · Joined: 26 Dec 2009 Posts: 1130 Location: Slovakia

martinsmith99 · Expire: 2013-11-18

Well, I've just bought an EOS 50/Elan ii. The version without eye control. I didn't really want that function as it sounds like a problem waiting to happen. I quite like the 620 for its 1/250 x-sync (and price).

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

I've owned both the Elan II and Elan IIe -- still own the IIe. I suspect that most IIe owners don't even bother with the eye-control feature. Actually, it works quite well, I've found, once it's been calibrated it to my eye.

The 620 has been something of a cult classic because of its 1/250 flash sync speed. I've never used one, but it's essentially the same build quality as the 650, and compared to today's EOS cameras, those early ones are very rugged. I took a 650 with me when I visited Taiwan years ago, and found it to be a very solid camera and a pleasure to use.