Canon EOS-3 35mm Film Camera
Out of stock |
Similar in Film Cameras
- Battery Type: Lithium Battery
- Film Type: 35mm
- Lens Mount: Canon EF
- Overview
-
Reviews
-
Compare Prices
User ReviewRead All Reviews »
Starting from Scratch
Pros
Great metering, good feel, fast, excellent lenses
Cons
ECF, Cost, "button door", small buttons
Recommended it?
Yes
Introduction
I consider myself an amateur photographer. I've been shooting on a Pentax K-1000 for years, paired with lenses ranging from 20mm Ashai to 500mm Tokina, and had great success with the camera. However, I was merely borrowing the lenses I used from my dad, and the only part of the outfit I owned was the body itself. When my dad's ME Super failed, I told him he could have my K-1000, and I went off in search of a new system.
I looked at Minolta, Canon, Nikon, Lecia, and numerous other brands. I decided I wanted the flexibility of lens choice provided by a leading-tier camera manufacturer, so that left me (in my opinion) with a choice between Canon and Nikon. Since I cared more about lens quality than owning the best body available, I tended towards Canon (which may or may not be a fair preference per that criteria).
Focusing and Tracking
To get started, I purchased this camera in combination with the 50/1.4 USM lens, which provided full-time manual focusing and a USM motor. Needless to say, the focusing is lightning fast in everything but dim light. To test the automatic focusing features, I turned the camera on servo-controlled tracking, started heading down the highway at 70 miles an hour, and held the shutter release down until the roll was burned. Most of the pictures achieved acceptable focus, though they proved rather uninteresting.
How the camera feels
I like the feel of the camera. I have larger hands, and I felt that the Elan IIe had a much more toy-like weight and grip, leaving my fingers curled around like it was a point and shoot. Holding the Eos-3, even without the battery booster, feels like a substantial camera, but not overly so. Additionally, the grip is just about the right size to hold comfortably with one hand. From this position, the controls available to the right hand are all easily accessible and able to be manipulated; both the main and auxiliary control dials can be turned with reasonable effort, and the exposure-lock and focusing point selection controls can be reached effortlessly by the thumb.
Features that can't be had in lesser bodies
Some of the features of the camera I found necessary, when compared to lesser models in the Canon line-up. The spot-metering mode is extremely accurate and useful, and I tend to use it most often. When I really don't want to think about a shot or have time to compose, the evaluative metering has proven relatively successful at guessing exposures. Additionally, the ability to manually select the linked focusing point I'd like to use is a great advantage (though I'm unable to link to ECF, see later).
Additionally, the three-button mode-control system that it shares with the other number series Canons is intuitive and easy to remember, despite the intimidating appearance provided by the lack of the old familiar dials. I also love the inclusion of a depth-of-field preview release that can be easily activated by a pinky at the base of the lens mount; this can be an invaluable feature. In general, I would say the controls are not difficult to use, but they will be completely overwhelming if you're not familiar with photographic terms and techniques. While Canon's picture-book manual tries to explain each feature, the controls do lack the elegance of the Elan IIe's simplistic dials, and may not make perfect sense the first time around without the camera manual nearby.
Real-World Results
As far as taking pictures, I've had tremendous results. If ever there's an exposure problem, it's the result of my lack of utilization of the camera's features. While the clarity of the shots is more a testament ot the quality of the lens, the automatic focusing and metering is always right where I want it.
ECF (Eye-controlled, well ... flashing lights anyway)
I couldn't complete the review without being honest about a few things. While I love this camera, I have a few definite gripes. To start with, the eye-controlled focus doesn't work at all for me, period. I've tried to calibrate in every lighting situation I can imagine, as well as dilating and contracting my pupils, with no avail. When I do manage to trick the camera into accepting a calibration, it ceases entirely to work in the field. Even when I reduce the ECF-linked focusing points to the 11 (instead of 45) points, I feel like the electrical distortions eminating from my head from wanting a point selected give more effect than what my eye is actually doing. I think the ECF is a good idea, but with it not working, I find myself wishing the camera was less expensive and neglected the inclusion of this feature.
My fingers are much too large for that!
Another issue I have with the camera are the small buttons above the LCD screen. With my larger fingers, it is almost impossible to push these buttons without the aide of a pen. Some users on the Internet have suggested putting rubber pads over these buttons to make them more useful, I may look at doing this in the future.
There's a ... door on the side of the camera?
Finally, Canon has hidden some of the controls for the camera behind a door on the right side of the body. While keeping the clutter of additional controls away from the interface is appreciated, hiding them behind a cumbersome door is even more severe. I would have rather these controls be placed on the back of the camera in a recess, as I feel the custom-function features sometimes should be available for general purposes.
Conclusion
In general, I would recommend the camera to somebody who would like to have more control over the picture-taking process, along with the features needed by a professional photographer. While it's automatic modes are effective, I would not recommend it to somebody who plans to never utilize any mode other than evaluative metering and programmed exposure. For this, a camera such as the Elan IIe's green square mode is far more suitable. Additionally, I would not buy this camera based on desire of the most eye-controlled focusing points; if this is something you really need, make sure to try the camera out at the shop before purchasing -- your mileage may vary. If you want to take spectacular pictures, however, pair it with some good glass, and shoot to your heart's content.
I consider myself an amateur photographer. I've been shooting on a Pentax K-1000 for years, paired with lenses ranging from 20mm Ashai to 500mm Tokina, and had great success with the camera. However, I was merely borrowing the lenses I used from my dad, and the only part of the outfit I owned was the body itself. When my dad's ME Super failed, I told him he could have my K-1000, and I went off in search of a new system.
I looked at Minolta, Canon, Nikon, Lecia, and numerous other brands. I decided I wanted the flexibility of lens choice provided by a leading-tier camera manufacturer, so that left me (in my opinion) with a choice between Canon and Nikon. Since I cared more about lens quality than owning the best body available, I tended towards Canon (which may or may not be a fair preference per that criteria).
Focusing and Tracking
To get started, I purchased this camera in combination with the 50/1.4 USM lens, which provided full-time manual focusing and a USM motor. Needless to say, the focusing is lightning fast in everything but dim light. To test the automatic focusing features, I turned the camera on servo-controlled tracking, started heading down the highway at 70 miles an hour, and held the shutter release down until the roll was burned. Most of the pictures achieved acceptable focus, though they proved rather uninteresting.
How the camera feels
I like the feel of the camera. I have larger hands, and I felt that the Elan IIe had a much more toy-like weight and grip, leaving my fingers curled around like it was a point and shoot. Holding the Eos-3, even without the battery booster, feels like a substantial camera, but not overly so. Additionally, the grip is just about the right size to hold comfortably with one hand. From this position, the controls available to the right hand are all easily accessible and able to be manipulated; both the main and auxiliary control dials can be turned with reasonable effort, and the exposure-lock and focusing point selection controls can be reached effortlessly by the thumb.
Features that can't be had in lesser bodies
Some of the features of the camera I found necessary, when compared to lesser models in the Canon line-up. The spot-metering mode is extremely accurate and useful, and I tend to use it most often. When I really don't want to think about a shot or have time to compose, the evaluative metering has proven relatively successful at guessing exposures. Additionally, the ability to manually select the linked focusing point I'd like to use is a great advantage (though I'm unable to link to ECF, see later).
Additionally, the three-button mode-control system that it shares with the other number series Canons is intuitive and easy to remember, despite the intimidating appearance provided by the lack of the old familiar dials. I also love the inclusion of a depth-of-field preview release that can be easily activated by a pinky at the base of the lens mount; this can be an invaluable feature. In general, I would say the controls are not difficult to use, but they will be completely overwhelming if you're not familiar with photographic terms and techniques. While Canon's picture-book manual tries to explain each feature, the controls do lack the elegance of the Elan IIe's simplistic dials, and may not make perfect sense the first time around without the camera manual nearby.
Real-World Results
As far as taking pictures, I've had tremendous results. If ever there's an exposure problem, it's the result of my lack of utilization of the camera's features. While the clarity of the shots is more a testament ot the quality of the lens, the automatic focusing and metering is always right where I want it.
ECF (Eye-controlled, well ... flashing lights anyway)
I couldn't complete the review without being honest about a few things. While I love this camera, I have a few definite gripes. To start with, the eye-controlled focus doesn't work at all for me, period. I've tried to calibrate in every lighting situation I can imagine, as well as dilating and contracting my pupils, with no avail. When I do manage to trick the camera into accepting a calibration, it ceases entirely to work in the field. Even when I reduce the ECF-linked focusing points to the 11 (instead of 45) points, I feel like the electrical distortions eminating from my head from wanting a point selected give more effect than what my eye is actually doing. I think the ECF is a good idea, but with it not working, I find myself wishing the camera was less expensive and neglected the inclusion of this feature.
My fingers are much too large for that!
Another issue I have with the camera are the small buttons above the LCD screen. With my larger fingers, it is almost impossible to push these buttons without the aide of a pen. Some users on the Internet have suggested putting rubber pads over these buttons to make them more useful, I may look at doing this in the future.
There's a ... door on the side of the camera?
Finally, Canon has hidden some of the controls for the camera behind a door on the right side of the body. While keeping the clutter of additional controls away from the interface is appreciated, hiding them behind a cumbersome door is even more severe. I would have rather these controls be placed on the back of the camera in a recess, as I feel the custom-function features sometimes should be available for general purposes.
Conclusion
In general, I would recommend the camera to somebody who would like to have more control over the picture-taking process, along with the features needed by a professional photographer. While it's automatic modes are effective, I would not recommend it to somebody who plans to never utilize any mode other than evaluative metering and programmed exposure. For this, a camera such as the Elan IIe's green square mode is far more suitable. Additionally, I would not buy this camera based on desire of the most eye-controlled focusing points; if this is something you really need, make sure to try the camera out at the shop before purchasing -- your mileage may vary. If you want to take spectacular pictures, however, pair it with some good glass, and shoot to your heart's content.
