Canon EOS 630

lilmsmaggie · Aug 27, 2009

The opportunity just came up to buy a used Canon EOS 630 35mm. I don't know anything about this camera. But I do know that I could use my Canon EF lenses with it though.

Might be just the ticket with good glass vs. my Minolta X-700.

Any comments would be useful -- pass it up or grab it and run?

Christopher Walrath · Aug 27, 2009

Wirelessly posted (BBBold: BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.167 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102 UP.Link/6.3.0.0.0)

If the price is right then grab it. My Mom had a 630 for years and I used it often. It's not exactly feature packed but it is a good AF step up from an X700. 'Course, I'm a Minolta guy and my XG1's would get jealous. ;p

cooltouch · Aug 28, 2009

The EOS 630 is a 20-year-old design. There are other EOSes of a much more recent vintage that can be had for a veritable song (ex: Elan IIe's can be had for $50 or less), so unless the 630 was in great condition and being offered for dirt cheap, if it were me, I'd pass.

Best,
Michael

Paul Sorensen · Aug 28, 2009

I had a friend who had one and it was pretty good, solidly built and decent features. I do tend to agree with Michael, the price had better be really good, KEH has them for $19 in bargain condition.

lilmsmaggie · Aug 28, 2009

KEH also has a couple of decently priced Elan 7's. Aren't they supposed to be fairly quite as well as having a sturdier build?

lilmsmaggie · Aug 28, 2009

Eh that should be quiet .. sorry

Dirb9 · Aug 29, 2009

The Elan 7 is about 15 years newer, has better metering, quieter, faster AF, as well as not having the issue with the shutter bumper. Their build is actually slightly worse, but not significantly. Personally, the only reason I'd go with a 630 over a 7, if they were similar in price is if I had a lot of lenses I wanted to use with adapters (the 7 has metering issues with adapted lenses; anything designed for EOS will be fine), or if I wanted to do many very long exposures, since the 630 doesn't draw battery power keeping its shutter open.

grompirx · Aug 29, 2009

I would look for oily shutter. Mine 650 has it.

lilmsmaggie · Sep 2, 2009

Dirb9 said:
The Elan 7 is about 15 years newer, has better metering, quieter, faster AF, as well as not having the issue with the shutter bumper.

I actually found a Elan 7E in Mint condition with BP-300 for less than $200 at a local photography store. I couln't believe it - I mean this camera looked brand new! Even though there was no box or manual, I couldn't pass it up so I grabbed it.

flatulent1 · Sep 9, 2009

If you're looking to save money, if you're looking for more features, then look elsewhere.

The 630 is a great camera. I have three, and had them all serviced. Not worth it economically, but I don't let that stop me. Built like a tank; built like a T90, actually, without a lot of features to get between you and your photography. Another great camera is the EOS RT, essentially a 630 with a pellicle mirror. I have two of those. Wonderful to shoot with.

bob100684 · Sep 9, 2009

I have a 7e, and its REALLY quiet. I remember a while ago stumbling onto a brochure for the elan 7/7e at a camera store I was working for at the time, and the brochure claimed that the 7/7e were the quietest SLR's available at the time.

Poisson Du Jour · Sep 9, 2009

The EOS 630 is quite old now, first released in April 1989 in both plain and quartz date back versions.

Interestingly, it is the first EOS body to feature custom functions where small details like leaving the film leader in or out of the cassette for ease of reloading can be selected (of course, this feature is best if you have established safety protocols in place to prevent double exposing an incomplete roll!). Like following EOS bodies, the PIC mode (program image control) allows unfamiliar users to get quite good results without too much effort (but hey, creative photography does require effort, physically and mentally!). One pointy gripe is that many photographers of the time found the controls fiddly and difficult to operate, so this might take you a bit more time to get accustomed to. The EOS EF-M or EOS 5 are better bodies with easier controls, with the ever-popular EOS 5 sitting below the venerated EOS 1 and later 1N pro bodies.

Read up on features: http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/eos/eoscamera/630/index.htm

.:: Garyh (2006-2008 Tech Moderator, mir.com.my EOS messageboard).

Galah · Sep 9, 2009

cooltouch said:
The EOS 630 is a 20-year-old design. There are other EOSes of a much more recent vintage that can be had for a veritable song (ex: Elan IIe's can be had for $50 or less), so unless the 630 was in great condition and being offered for dirt cheap, if it were me, I'd pass.
Best,
Michael

I have both: Elan 2 and a EOS 630.

My first Elan2 (EOS50) used to underexpose colour negative film by about 1/2e.v., so I always had EC fixed at +0.5. However, it has a "silly" little plastic hook to fasten the rear door, and this simply snapped off (unrepairable) after about 12 months. I now have this body for spares and bought another Elan2 (cheap enough) as a replacement.

Overall, light and pleasant to use (but lots of plastic).

The EOS630 is a real classic. I understand the body, though "plastic coated" is actually metal. A pleasureto use (almost a point and shoot in "programme" mode, but can be used in aperture or shutter priority mode. I like it. The on-board metering gives very reliable results. The only thing to watch out for is a degradation of the shutter bumper rubber (this shows up as a dark slick across the shutter blades) which, eventually, causes the shutter to stick. It can be repaired but....? (This can also be a potential problem with the Elan2)

Both are good, both take EF USM lenses.

Both give you very cheap (as compared to a DSLR) "full-frame" shooting!

srmcnamara · Sep 10, 2009

I was given one for free by an uncle but unfortunately there was residue (very common problem) on the shutter that rendered the camera useless at normal shutter speeds.

Galah · Sep 10, 2009

It is possible (I have read on the web) gently to remove this residue using cotton buds soaked in a solvent. It is due to smearing from the degradation products of the rubber "shutter stop", which some pro repairers are able to replace after they have removed the mess.

(Of course, it may cost more to have it done professionally than the camera body is worth)

cooltouch · Sep 11, 2009

Galah said:
It is possible (I have read on the web) gently to remove this residue using cotton buds soaked in a solvent. It is due to smearing from the degradation products of the rubber "shutter stop", which some pro repairers are able to replace after they have removed the mess.

(Of course, it may cost more to have it done professionally than the camera body is worth)

It seems to me that a big reason why these camera bodies aren't worth much used is specifically because of this tar problem. So then it stands to reason that if the problem is repaired, the camera's value should increase. And it seems only reasonable that the value should increase by the amount of the repair.

I mean, look, it's not as if these camera's features do not have intrinsic value. Most of them focus much faster than we can manually. Most have sophisticated metering systems. They all have built-in motordrives, and most have built-in flashes even. They remain very useful, quite sophisitcated machines. So, I would argue that, for cameras such as the 630, A2E, and Elan series, keeping them in good repair is worth it. Else, what is the alternative? Buy another used one (for cheap) that's about to develop the same problem?

-M

dynachrome · Sep 11, 2009

What I remember about the 630 was that it had a function to maximize depth of field. You would point at one distance and then the other and when you fired the shutter the lens would close down enough to keep both subjects in focus.

cooltouch · Sep 12, 2009

I'm pretty sure Depth-of-Field AE has been a mainstay on just about all Canon SLRs since about the time of the 630, maybe even before. My Elans have it, as does my Canon DSLR, a lowly XS.

Michael

PhilipRingler · Sep 12, 2009

I learned on a 630 and it is a fantastic camera. Only drawback is the plastic shutter that can get stuck over the years. if the shutter looks good, than pick it up for sure.

Mike P · Sep 16, 2009

PhilipRingler said:
I learned on a 630 and it is a fantastic camera. Only drawback is the plastic shutter that can get stuck over the years. if the shutter looks good, than pick it up for sure.

These are great cameras which are lovely to use and most certainly don't have a plastic shutter! However the oil appearing on the blades is becoming a really common problem.

Canon EOS 630

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