SLR-Camera Reviews

This lens is the best in its class. I wish every lens I had was this sharp. This thing is top notch.

What can I say? Yes, it's a bit expensive. And yes, it weighs about a ton. But the quality of this lens is absolutely great. If you own a DSLR like the D30, D60 or 10D this lense effectively becomes a 25.6-56 mm zoom. Which is great since there aren't that many high quality moderate wide-angle lenses available for these DSLR's. If used on a 1Ds or a film SLR then the 16-35 suddenly becomes the stuff that dreams are made of. This is one hell of a lens! If you are planning to buy a wide-angle zoom lens for your EOS camera and are considering the purchase of a non-Canon lens, don't do it! I used a few of those before buying the 16-35 f/2.8L USM and regretted it almost from day one. Yes, they are cheaper, but if you're serious about photography in the long run you'll end up buying the real thing anyway. So better wait and save up a litlle longer.

This is a wonderful lens. It is especially nice for travel photos in cities, indoors, and for some landscapes. You also need to get a hood because of the wide angle of view. In addition, you need a filter to protect the lens as well as function as a filter -haze or polarizer. The filter must be a special wide angle filter (thin metal ring) and you won't be able to attach the lens cap over the filter. Small price to pay, however.

I bought this lens in January of 2003 after much recommendation. For what I had been shooting (college basketball) the 70-200mm f/2.8L was the most commonly seen lens aside from the 300mm f/2.8L. The fstop of 2.8 along with the zoom were the initial factors that drew me to buying it.

I first shot with it on January 11, 2003 at the Louisville vs. Saint Louis game and I was very impressed with the results I got, much of the unsharpness I thought originally to be attributed to grain was almost completely absent with this lens using the same film I had been using. This lens has spoiled me, it will be very hard on my next lens purchase to buy anything but L glass.

Another thing I should note, this lens is built like a tank, like all L-Series lenses and 1-series bodies, it can take a beating, this is not to say you should actively knock it into things or throw it around on purpose but mine has been sandwiched between me and a basketball player falling out of bounds before. It's also not a light lens, but focusing is fast and smooth. If you plan on shooting a LOT or have professional aspirations, the lens may not make the photographer, but it can help.

This is the best lens you can get in this zoom range for the Canon EOS. It's not the cheapest and it's not the lightest, but it's the best. This lens is fast, it has excellent optics, the build quality is very solid and the image stabilization (IS) feature works wonders for hand held shooting. If you shoot hand held in marginal light, this is the lens for you. If you always use a tripod, you don't really need IS -- take a look at the less expensive non-IS version of this lens. If you always shoot in good light, the lighter and even less expensive 70-200mm f4.0 may do the job for you. But for me, the extra stop of light and the IS make the difference between unusable images and great images. This is an awesome lens.

This is the successor to the EOS Elan 7. It is what the Elan 7 could have been, should have been, and, finally, is. Though the Elan 7 didn't leave much to be desired, there were a couple of modifications that would have made it the perfect camera for intermediate to advanced photographers. These improvements are an illuminated external LCD, better light metering, and faster AF.

The new finish and emblems are gorgeous. The finish is extremely matte, so it's very dark and handsome, and the Elan 7n logo is now a relief on a plaque attached to the body that's also holographic, instead of the painted on white and red logo of the old Elan 7. Though this has nothing to do with its ability to produce amazingly focused and metered images, it sure makes it one heck of an attractive body.

It is arguably one of the quietest 35mm SLR cameras ever made, and I agree. Its whisper drive film transport produces noise so quiet you can only hear it if your ear is pressed right to the body. The mirror and shutter action, though audible, are also well below the sound levels heard in most other cameras. It makes the higher-end Canons, and just about all 35mm Nikons, Minoltas, and Pentaxes sound like gun shots by comparison. Also, when the silent film rewind option is set in the camera's custom functions, this, too, cannot be heard without pressing one's ear to the body. But, even its high-speed film rewind is quiet, if you ask me, and it takes only 5 seconds to rewind a 24-exposure roll of film!

Its auto-focus system is the fastest any Elan has ever seen. It can track things moving at a whopping 31 miles per hour at close distances! Trust me, this is fast! Only the rarest of sporting events would pose a challenge to this camera's AF system.

Its light metering, especially its new E-TTL II flash metering, is almost frighteningly intelligent and accurate. When used with an EX series Speedlite, the camera uses distance information from the lens plus its readings from the 35-zone light meter (both from an ambient light reading and a pre-flash reading) to calculate an appropriate flash exposure. This works in much the same way Nikon's 3D-matrix metering does, so, now, Nikon has some good competition in this category. I find that my Canon Elan 7n with the 420EX Speedlite produces exposures that are just as beautiful as those produced by Nikon systems. And, the high-speed flash sync is wonderful, because I can shoot with wide-open apertures and not worry about not being able to use the flash with the higher shutter speeds that result.

Its shooting speed is a grin-inducing 4 frames per second. Even the EOS 3 only does 3.5 fps without the incredibly expensive power booster with the Ni-MH battery pack, and the Nikon N80 only does about 2.5 frames per second. Oh, and you can get a battery pack for the Elan 7n (the BP-300) that will let you use AA batteries while providing you with an extended horizontal grip for better stability, a vertical grip for more comfortable work in the vertical orientation, and vertical shutter release and exposure lock buttons. Even the Nikon N-80 doesn't offer a vertical grip or shutter release with its battery pack.

This camera features mirror lockup, with the ability to use the RC-1 or RC-5 infrared wireless shutter remote. So, now, not only do you not get camera shake from the mirror going up during macro photography, but you also don't have to touch anything attached to the camera such as a shutter release cable, which could also cause camera shake. That's awesome.

The Elan 7n also lets you customize its settings and performance with 13 custom functions. This includes mirror lockup (another feature missing from the Nikon N80 or lower-end Canons), leaving the film leader out after rewinding it, controlling what the various buttons on the body do, as well as how the camera controls auto-focus assist lights, the flash, etc.

And, let's not forget its 7-point wide-area auto-focus, with selectable points and light metering being linked to the selected focus point.

All of these features, plus several I didn't even mention, make for extremely reliable point-and-shoot simplicity for the casual or inexperienced photographer who wants to get great shots without the hassle of learning all the stuff that's involved in true hands-on photography, yet the camera provides more features than even the pros can shake a stick at. And, it does it for around $300.00, which is 1/3 to 1/4 of the cost of comparable bodies.

Canon has triumphed once again!

PRO's:

-Durable
-Reliable
-Affordable
-Fast
-Quiet
-Exceptionally accurate (both in focusing and metering)
-Packed with features
-Stylish
-Compatible with a very nice line of accessories

CON's:

-My only complaint about this camera is its lack of a real focus assist beam. Most of the EOS bodies have built-in near-infrared focus assist lights that project patterns of vertical, horizontal, or combinations of both lines onto the subject for low-light and low-contrast AF operation. Why on Earth Canon decided to make the Elan 7/7n's built-in flash the AF assist light seems to defy all conventional logic and wisdom. First, it fires a short but rapid burst of flashes that are not only annoying to the user, but generally frightening to living subjects (I used it in a restaurant once with my Elan 7, and people actually screamed in terror...I've since learned to disable this in the custom functions...in fact, it was the first CF I set when I got the Elan 7n). Second, if it's being used for low-contrast subjects, well, it just doesn't help there at all, because it doesn't add any contrasting patterns for the AF system to focus on. However, when you attach an external flash, this problem is usually solved, because most dedicated flash units have focus assist beams.

This is the successor to the EOS Elan 7. It is what the Elan 7 could have been, should have been, and, finally, is. Though the Elan 7 didn't leave much to be desired, there were a couple of modifications that would have made it the perfect camera for intermediate to advanced photographers. These improvements are an illuminated external LCD, better light metering, and faster AF.

The new finish and emblems are gorgeous. The finish is extremely matte, so it's very dark and handsome, and the Elan 7n logo is now a relief on a plaque attached to the body that's also holographic, instead of the painted on white and red logo of the old Elan 7. Though this has nothing to do with its ability to produce amazingly focused and metered images, it sure makes it one heck of an attractive body.

It is arguably one of the quietest 35mm SLR cameras ever made, and I agree. Its whisper drive film transport produces noise so quiet you can only hear it if your ear is pressed right to the body. The mirror and shutter action, though audible, are also well below the sound levels heard in most other cameras. It makes the higher-end Canons, and just about all 35mm Nikons, Minoltas, and Pentaxes sound like gun shots by comparison. Also, when the silent film rewind option is set in the camera's custom functions, this, too, cannot be heard without pressing one's ear to the body. But, even its high-speed film rewind is quiet, if you ask me, and it takes only 5 seconds to rewind a 24-exposure roll of film!

Its auto-focus system is the fastest any Elan has ever seen. It can track things moving at a whopping 31 miles per hour at close distances! Trust me, this is fast! Only the rarest of sporting events would pose a challenge to this camera's AF system.

Its light metering, especially its new E-TTL II flash metering, is almost frighteningly intelligent and accurate. When used with an EX series Speedlite, the camera uses distance information from the lens plus its readings from the 35-zone light meter (both from an ambient light reading and a pre-flash reading) to calculate an appropriate flash exposure. This works in much the same way Nikon's 3D-matrix metering does, so, now, Nikon has some good competition in this category. I find that my Canon Elan 7n with the 420EX Speedlite produces exposures that are just as beautiful as those produced by Nikon systems. And, the high-speed flash sync is wonderful, because I can shoot with wide-open apertures and not worry about not being able to use the flash with the higher shutter speeds that result.

Its shooting speed is a grin-inducing 4 frames per second. Even the EOS 3 only does 3.5 fps without the incredibly expensive power booster with the Ni-MH battery pack, and the Nikon N80 only does about 2.5 frames per second. Oh, and you can get a battery pack for the Elan 7n (the BP-300) that will let you use AA batteries while providing you with an extended horizontal grip for better stability, a vertical grip for more comfortable work in the vertical orientation, and vertical shutter release and exposure lock buttons. Even the Nikon N-80 doesn't offer a vertical grip or shutter release with its battery pack.

This camera features mirror lockup, with the ability to use the RC-1 or RC-5 infrared wireless shutter remote. So, now, not only do you not get camera shake from the mirror going up during macro photography, but you also don't have to touch anything attached to the camera such as a shutter release cable, which could also cause camera shake. That's awesome.

The Elan 7n also lets you customize its settings and performance with 13 custom functions. This includes mirror lockup (another feature missing from the Nikon N80 or lower-end Canons), leaving the film leader out after rewinding it, controlling what the various buttons on the body do, as well as how the camera controls auto-focus assist lights, the flash, etc.

And, let's not forget its 7-point wide-area auto-focus, with selectable points and light metering being linked to the selected focus point.

All of these features, plus several I didn't even mention, make for extremely reliable point-and-shoot simplicity for the casual or inexperienced photographer who wants to get great shots without the hassle of learning all the stuff that's involved in true hands-on photography, yet the camera provides more features than even the pros can shake a stick at. And, it does it for around $300.00, which is 1/3 to 1/4 of the cost of comparable bodies.

Canon has triumphed once again!

PRO's:

-Durable
-Reliable
-Affordable
-Fast
-Quiet
-Exceptionally accurate (both in focusing and metering)
-Packed with features
-Stylish
-Compatible with a very nice line of accessories

CON's:

-My only complaint about this camera is its lack of a real focus assist beam. Most of the EOS bodies have built-in near-infrared focus assist lights that project patterns of vertical, horizontal, or combinations of both lines onto the subject for low-light and low-contrast AF operation. Why on Earth Canon decided to make the Elan 7/7n's built-in flash the AF assist light seems to defy all conventional logic and wisdom. First, it fires a short but rapid burst of flashes that are not only annoying to the user, but generally frightening to living subjects (I used it in a restaurant once with my Elan 7, and people actually screamed in terror...I've since learned to disable this in the custom functions...in fact, it was the first CF I set when I got the Elan 7n). Second, if it's being used for low-contrast subjects, well, it just doesn't help there at all, because it doesn't add any contrasting patterns for the AF system to focus on. However, when you attach an external flash, this problem is usually solved, because most dedicated flash units have focus assist beams.

...this camera represents a little older technology, now about4 years old.... The Canon 7e , which you should investigate, has supplanted this body with some significant improvements, such as autofocus speed and 7 autofocus points. For $300, though the Canon Rebel 2000 also has 7 autofocus points. The Canon Elan IIe has 3 autofocus points, but with the eye control feature. I can't honestly say that the eye control has helped me much as I mostly shoot landscapes, but it would help for shooting people, animals and action. Unlike the Rebel 2000, this unit has a mirror lockup feature, which flips the mirror up for 2 seconds before releasing the shutter--this will reduce the effect of the mirror slap just before shutter release and assure sharper pictures for those shutter speeds between 1/30 and 1/8 seconds. Of course, your mileage may vary if you don't shoot landscapes or still life.

I don't see myself upgrading to a Canon 7 or 7e. I have shot some extremely sharp images using this camera and the Canon 28-105 lens on a tripod. you'll do ok with this or any other camera in the Canon SLR lineup--just remember to buy good Canon lenses, i.e. avoid the 28-80 lens and spend the extra $ to acquire the 28-105 or if you can go into hock, the 28-135 image stabilization lens. If your shooting style falls into the contemplative category, then you might even think about Canon prime (single focal length) lenses, which should get you some extremely sharp photographs. And don't forget the tripod.

Add a flash, like the Canon 380EX and you'll have a hot chunk of plastic in your hands for shooting people, pets, indoors or out. this flash really lights up the yard!

This is the new version of the EOS Rebel 2000 (they called it "K2" instead of "2K", I suppose in order to avoid giving the impression that the camera is 4 years out of date, which it is not).

It is simply a great camera at a great price. It works as well as any 35mm camera on the market, has a reasonably fast winder, and best of all it takes all of the huge variety of EF Canon lenses. It is actually very light, so you can carry it around without fatigue, or you can bulk it up by adding the extended grip (which gives it a very nice feel).

The zoom lenses are a little slow. I recommend that you get the body only, and start with the 50mm f/2.8 MKII lens, which is a steal at about $70. Together, they make an outstanding, affordable, high-quality package for those of us who still love film more than digital.

This is the new version of the EOS Rebel 2000 (they called it "K2" instead of "2K", I suppose in order to avoid giving the impression that the camera is 4 years out of date, which it is not).

It is simply a great camera at a great price. It works as well as any 35mm camera on the market, has a reasonably fast winder, and best of all it takes all of the huge variety of EF Canon lenses. It is actually very light, so you can carry it around without fatigue, or you can bulk it up by adding the extended grip (which gives it a very nice feel).

The zoom lenses are a little slow. I recommend that you get the body only, and start with the 50mm f/2.8 MKII lens, which is a steal at about $70. Together, they make an outstanding, affordable, high-quality package for those of us who still love film more than digital.