Rating: 
Summary: Great upgrade from EOS rebel but avoid Eye Control
Review: I upgraded to this camera from the EOS Rebel 2000. This time around, I did things right by just buying the body instead of getting the body+lens option. I did this b/c the quality of the lenses that come with the combined package usually are optically a joke. This time, I picked this camera up with 2 separate lenses...Canon 28-135mm IS USM and the Canon 100mm macro USM lenses. Both of these lenses have a super fast and quiet ultrasonic motor...the crappy lens that comes with the combo option will likely not have this option. You get what you pay for.I am very very pleased with the performance of this camera. The weight feels very good in my hands...the knobs and buttons are well placed. Although this camera does not have a spot meter, it has a partial meter which will serve you fine. If I could do it all over again, I would have gotten the plain old Elan 7 w/o the eye control. I find that eye control is not effective with only 7 focusing points...also, the need for repeated calibration to perfect this is annoying. I find myself using the center focusing point only and recomposing. Save yourself some cash to spend on lenses/filters/etc. and forget the eye control or the quartz date options. While this camera has a very quiet whisper drive, don't let the marketing fool you since the slap of the mirror still sounds the same as you trigger the shutter. Love this camera...it doesn't feel flimsy at all. Great buy for an intermediate photographer. I would also recommend picking up the 420EX speedlite as it was designed to work specifically with the Elan 7/7e.
Rating:
Summary: An outstanding camera
Review: ELAN 7e is an outstanding camera with a very impressive performance. From the day I have purchased this body, it has functioned flawlessly. I believe that this body is suitable for serious amateurs who wish to work either fully manually, semi-manually or full-automatic modes, whichever they desire. I have preferred Canon to other brands for the following reasons: 1. The dials are more handy and easy to access to 2. Canon provides USM lenses capable of working very silently. 3. Unmatched reputation of body endurance 4. The built-in eye-controlled auto focus system allows very fast and accurate way to focus (and it is a miracle, it has not focused on a single wrong focusing point as of yet.). In my opinion, it IS worth the extra you pay for it! 5. The body is very sturdy. 6. Canon has a wide service network. 7. Infrared remote controlling is enabled, allowing as much as needed time to compose the picture and place yourself in it. The diopteric adjustment is also useful for myopes like me. It has a lot of additional features that come in handy. I have to emphasize that I am not a professional so I can only recommended this body to serious amateurs. For beginners in photography, Canon Rebel will be just as good. If you intend to buy this body, do not go for 28-90mm lens but prefer the 28-105 F/3.5-4.5 II USM lens instead and definitely purchase a tripod.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Happy Canon User
Review: I read the previous reviews and agree with most everything. This is a great camera that can be easily used by a beginner but has the features wanted by experienced pros. The one thing I was disapointed in is that it did not say anywhere, until I already purchased the "E" model and read the manual, that the EYE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK IF YOU WEAR CONATCT LENSES. The "E" model was a waste of money for me due to this and that is the reason I gave this camera 4 out of the 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: in good Canon tradition
Review: After years of happily using my Canon AE-1,F1 and F1N I finally ventured into the 21st century with this EOS 7E. I was stunned to see how wonderful Canon continuety even applies to their latest models: many of the user features familiar from AE-1, AE-1 program, F and T models have evolved and the feature set-up of the camera is extremely easy to learn if you have ever had ANY type of Canon SLR. So if your are an electronophobe: don't worry, this camera will not take you weeks to learn. Also, as always with Canon: you can have any level of operator involvement - this camera allows you to shoot in fully automatic as well as in totally manual mode, and everything in between. This is great as you are learning to handle the camera and maybe tackle serious photography as a beginner: you can start fully automatic and then gradually gain more manual control. The camera is extremely quiet, even the winder and the mirror reflex, so it is very good for wildlife shoots. The eye-controlled autofocus also helps in this area as well as in any type of sports or action photography. The flash reloades pretty quickly, and the winder does 4 frames per sec, not superfast, but it is integrated into the camera, which makes it worthwhile. The camera is much lighter than the EOS-1 models, which are the more heavy-duty pro models. Those have an external winder that is pretty bulky, but does 10 frames/sec. I opted for the compact and light 7E, a camera that already incorporates many EOS-1 features and I believe will satisfy even the most discerning hobby photgrapher.
Rating:
Summary: Great new SLR from Canon
Review: I've been a many years user of Canon cameras. My latest EOS 630 served me very well for the last 12 years. Needless to say i was very excited when I got this one. The user interface is very well done. The controls are very easy to use and located in convinient places. The film advancing motor is very quit, in fact the shutter door sounds much louder then the film advancing. Build-in flash works very well. The red eye feature is much better than on any other camera, since it doesn't flash the flash light but uses a special bulb for that. I highly recommend to get 28-135 IS USM lens with it. The image stabilization worth the extra money, since it allows you to take pictures in very low light without flash or tripod. I didn't found the eye-controlled AF very usefull. It's nice as a toy, but you can live without it.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic beginners camera
Review: For the record, I have been using this camera for over 2 years now and I shoot mainly nature and people. The Canon Elan 7E/EOS30 is a fantastic all around camera for beginners/intermediate photographers. At the time of buying this camera, there was a confusion whether to choose the rebel or the elan 7E. I would very strongly recommend anyone to consider buying the intermediate Elan 7 as compared to the basic rebel. The rebel has a very "plasticky" feel to it and if I remember correctly, there is a single knob to set both the aperture and the shutter speed. Once you move away from shooting it as point and shoot, you will realize that the single knob can get incredibely irritating. As for the "E" i.e. eye focus, I never really used it too much but am planning to shortly. So you can save some money by getting the Elan 7, if you so wish since the Eye feature is essentially just a gimmick. Now I also wish I had got the date feature, since down the road it might be an useful tool. (say, 40 yrs, from now, you want to know when the picture was taken ;) ) The most wonderful thing about the ELan 7E is that it allows you to grow with it...It offers a whole bunch of features, that I think will take you from a beginning stage (point and shoot) to a more advanced stage (total manual) phase. After shooting over 20 rolls of film and slide, I still find myself reading the manual and noting down some new feature to try out on my next roll. Small piece of advice for beginners.. I realize now that the money you spend on lenses might be worth almost more than the money you spend on the camera. Coz even the best camera cannot produce a decent picture with a bad lens. I would strongly recommend avoiding the standard lens(28-90mm, I think) that comes bundled with it (even if the total package is cheap). I bought the body separate and a canon 28-105 f/3.5-4.5 and I have never regretted the decision. Its a relatively sharp lens at both ends and is always mounted on my camera for shooting almost anything. If you are on a tight budget get the Canon 50 mm 1.8 II which sells in most shops ... I am now slowly saving up for a L series lens. Besides the usual preset options like portrait,landscape,closeup,sports,night mode,the Elan 7E offers a whole bunch of features that I found really useful. Here are some of them, 1) Depth of field preview button.
2) DEP (depth of field AE) - this really helps if your lens does not have a distance scale (like the 28-105mm). Say for e.g., you need to preset the depth of scale from 0 to infinity, this feature helps you to achieve that effect without the distance scale on your lens.
3) AE lock
4) Exposure compensation - you can set the exposure compensation upto + or - 2 stops in half stop increments and you can do it without taking your eyes of the viewfinder.
5) Auto exposure bracketting - for those really important pictures that you dont want to miss :)
6) bulb exposures - allows you to have as long a exposure as you want. I found this really useful. I hear that some cameras have limitations on how long they can be exposed. (RS - 60E3 shutter release cable is really useful for this)
7) multiple exposures
8) mirror lockup etc etc etc. The built in flash suffices for all my needs. Lots of people recommended the battery pack, but I would suggest anyone buying this camera to first check it out themselves. I find the grip good enough for me. All in all, I just love this camera. I have been having great fun for past 2 yrs with it and am confident of having lots more fun for few more years at least and I dont think you will get a better performance for this price...If you have the money, just get it & start shooting !! Strengths:
1) Solid feel and good looks
2) Enough bells and whistles to keep you curious and interested for quite some time.
3) focussing point selection with seven focussing points (auto or manual)
4) whole bunch of lenses to choose from
5) built in flash
6) Rugged build - have used extensively in real hot weather(AZ) as well as sub zero temperatures (MI)
7)Relatively light and compact.
8)Best price/performance ratio Weaknesses:
1) I feel an LCD would have been invaluable tool to have during low-lit situations
2)Lack of spot metering - this is one feature I would have loved to use.
3)Auto focus fails to activate when you try to shoot closeups(macros), cloudy landscapes or under low light situations
4) Depth of field preview button is hidden...I have never been able to activate it without taking my eyes off the viewfinder !
Rating:
Summary: A Good Camera
Review: I received this camera as a gift and have thoroughly enjoyed it.
The instructions were easy to follow and gives tips throughout on becoming a better photographer. The camera was light and easy to carry and button use was simple. My only complaint was I felt the flash was inadequate but overall its a good camera.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect. But.......
Review: I have thoroughly enjoyed this camera for several reasons: 1. There is no better point and shoot camera.
2. It has well written instructions, that allow me to learn advanced photography.
3. It is relatively light (without the flash)
4. All of the buttons are easy to use while taking pictures.
5. The eye tracking works well. But,
1. The flash is not adequate in the dark unless you are inches away. I got the 420 flash and have been very satisfied.
2. It does not have the time and date stamp. Not sure why considering the cost of the camera.
3. The eye tracking works well, but is not completely automatic. You have to know which modes to use it on. I would get the camera again. p.s. I was torn between an SLR and Digital Camera. I am happy that I got a SLR camera. I have my photos developed online, and choose which pictures that I want to have scanned at high resolution for Digital Photo Art.
Rating:
Summary: SLR for amateur to professional photographers
Review: Elan 7/7E also known as EOS 33 in Europe is a great SLR camera for ameteurs and professionals who are seeking light and affordable equipment. ...this is worth a buy. If you've worked with EOS series before then you won't need to even look into a manual for the camera. Everything on the body is self explanatory. It has some great features which include:
- creative zones (all adjustments are made by the camera)
- maual zones (user defined settings)
- depth of field preview
- 7 focusing points
- Elan 7E has eye control focus built in.
- several custom functions (e.g mirror lockup)
- fast/slow rewind
- aluminium body vs Rebel's plastic.
- shoot 4 frames per second. There are however some minor draw backs and these include:
- no all Sigma lenses, which were assembled prior to 2000 will work with this camera. You should check with Sigma (www.sigma-photo.com)
- If you are working in rainy days, EOS 1v just might be a better fit, but then again you have to quadruple the price. In a conclusion you can get far with your photography needs and EOS 33. Great value for the performance and pressesionalism.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Camera!
Review: I purchased this camera almost a year ago after my old manual Canon was stolen. I was very hesitant to switch to an autofocus/autoexposure system after using a totally manual SLR for a few years. But I have to say that the Elan 7E has totally won me over and is now my favorite camera. The eye controlled focus works great, it will amaze you. For best results be sure to calibrate it under a variety of circumstances - the more you calibrate it, the more accurate it will be. I love this feature so much - it is definately worth the price difference between the 7 and the 7E. While the regular autofocus is good on it's own, I've discovered that the eye control feature can really be helpful under circumstances that fool the regular autofocus. I leave the eye controlled focus on all the time now. This is a dependable, fairly rugged camera for serious amateurs or aspiring pros. It has tons of features, half of which I haven't even had the time to experiment with. The controls and the layout of the buttons are well designed and intuitive, and it's comfortable to hold in your hand. My only gripe is that the depth of field preview button is too small and hard to find. I tend to use the DOF preview a lot when shooting macros and I always fumble when I'm trying to find it. I wish the button was either bigger or located on the back of the camera. Overall this camera is a dream to use and I would totally recommend it to anyone. As for the USM lens that comes with this kit, it covers a good focal distance range and the USM lens are fast at autofocusing and much quieter than others I've tried. I can't comment specifically on this lens as I bought this camera elsewhere and chose different lenses to go with it.
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