Advice on buying Canon film body

[Grimace]

Hey gang, I'd like to find a gently used Canon film body, but I'm not quite sure about what to look for, as I entered the world of SLRs in the digital age.

EOS 3? Rebel T2? K2?

I don't know what parameters comprise quality in a body -- is it all in the film? All I require is that it take my current EF lenses. Thoughts?

 

[jlcharles]

1. Go to Keh.com

2. Buy a used A2. With vertical grip if you can.

Don't buy a rebel. It's a plasticky piece of crap. I have a Ti. I don't like it. If I actually shot 35mm anymore, I'd trade it for an A2.

 

[ChrisA]

Hey gang, I'd like to find a gently used Canon film body, but I'm not quite sure about what to look for

It depends on what you need. As far as image quality goes all bodies are the same. And YES. What film you shoot matters. The key is to match the film to the subject

Features to look for

• Price
• The kind of auto-focus sensor. The older the body the less sophisticated is the AF
• Build quality, waether seals and so on
• The type of battery it takes. (I like AA cells)
• Flash sync shutter speed and type of flashes supported

 

[Grimace]

Thanks for the tips. I was thinking landscapes and still subjects that I might want to blow up to epic sizes. Nothing with a fast frame rate, which many of the camera offer (I know that it can be turned off.) Shooting 5-7 fps on a 24 roll of film is gotta be nuts for sports photography!

 

[Lovesong]

Hey Grimace-
jlcharles has the right place. KEH are awesome, and their gear is very conservatively rated.

Given that you're shooting a 5D, I'd say the film equivalent of that is the EOS-3. The Rebel Ti is OK, but it is the equivalent of the XTi. Your other option would be the ELAN 7 NE, but that would feel constraining too. Top of the line film SLR for the Canon system is the 1V- B&H sells it for $1600. KEH has an EX+ condition 1V for $650 (that means that somewhere on the body there is a minor scratch)- and no, they won't rip you off either.

 

[seenew]

I have an Elan 7E, it feels a lot like a 5D.
My favorite feature is the eye-controlled focusing. It's really just a novelty, though. But I like to feel like the Terminator!

 

[Grimace]

Thanks guys -- I'm not sure that I need an equivalent of the 5D. In the film world, I guess I just don't see the difference if the sensor is the same and the film is the part doing the work. Other than autofocus points and fps -- what is the difference?

 

[CrackedButter]

I have an EOS 3 and its at a good price at the moment and should be fine for your needs.

 

[techie4life]

I have an EOS Rebel T2 in prefect condition, should you decide to buy. I think they sell for $300 with a kit lens. Half price with a Quantaray 28-90?

 

[Lovesong]

Thanks guys -- I'm not sure that I need an equivalent of the 5D. In the film world, I guess I just don't see the difference if the sensor is the same and the film is the part doing the work. Other than autofocus points and fps -- what is the difference?

Body durability and weather sealing, interchangeable focusing screens, exposure and metering mechanics and reliability, shutter durability and speed, film loading and transport mechanisms.

Basically the more you spend, the longer you are likely to have the body, and the more accurate your results will be.

 

[cube]

I would say get an EOS body for lens compatibility.
If you don't like those bodies and you're going to buy lenses just for this camera, get a Nikon and they would serve you in the future should you grab a digital bargain.

 

[milozauckerman]

The EOS 3 has a superior viewfinder to pretty much anything but an EOS-1v - it's maybe a hair brighter than that of the 5D.

The Elan 7e/etc. bodies will disappoint you - the viewfinders are dark and relatively small. I keep my 7e body out of nostalgia, but once you've shot the 5D/EOS 3, it's hard to get along with that dim finder.

 

[wmmk]

I would say get an EOS body for lens compatibility.
If you don't like those bodies and you're going to buy lenses just for this camera, get a Nikon and they would serve you in the future should you grab a digital bargain.

Based on the fact that he has four(+?, I might remember remember him talking about others which wouldn't fir in his sig) L lenses, Grimace probably wouldn't want to get a Nikon and have to buy everything over.

Having an ELAN 7 myself, I'd say it has perfectly acceptable metering and AF. Its metering isn't perfect, but a handheld spot meter isn't uncommon in landscape work. The ergonomics are also less than ideal, but if you're shooting landscapes with the camera on a tripod and the remote shutter release in your hand, so who cares about ergonomics if they'll cost you a few hundred extra $$$'s in that situation?

Oh, and Velvia is great for Landscape but isn't very forgiving. Most of the color film I shoot involves people and nighttime cityscapes, which Portra 400VC happens to be great for. By the way, if you're planning on scanning anything, make sure you get a film which will play nicely once digitized.

 

[cube]

Based on the fact that he has four(+?, I might remember remember him talking about others which wouldn't fir in his sig) L lenses, Grimace probably wouldn't want to get a Nikon and have to buy everything over.

I said it would be better to buy a Nikon than a non-EOS Canon, not that Nikon would be better than EOS.