Canon SLRs

[wwwwviews]

I have a choice to make between the Canon Rebel XS and the EOS A2E.

Which one would you recommend and why?

 

[Cholentpot]

I use the EOS A2, I love it. Battery can be costly though. Compared to the rebel series it feels better in the hand and has more customization options. My rebel for instance does not have a place for back button focus.

 

[ignatiu5]

I've owned both. I prefer the A2 series (ETA: over the Rebel series) by a long shot. In agreement with Cholentpot, it felt better in my hand, even more so with the VG-10 vertical grip. I like the back thumbwheel so that aperture and shutter can be controlled simultaneously. The A2/A2E felt more solidly built, but it does have a reputation for a failing command dial if you're not careful.

 

[pthornto]

The A2 and Elan cameras are better built and are somewhat larger. They offer more features and were typically marketed toward advanced amateurs. The Rebel series is underrated but they are pretty capable cameras- they are super light and have most functionality of other EOS cameras- typically the control interface on the rebels only has the front command wheel- there is no thumb wheel on the camera back so this can slow down accessing the settings a bit. One thing to check for if you consider picking up a rebel is that a few models did not even have a metal lens mount. This would be pretty important if you plan on using more than one lens regularly.....

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Neither. Both the EOS A2/5 and the Rebel are not built up to long lasting professional standards like a number of other Canon SLRs, which are now more affordable and within reach of many. There isn't really any excuse to go for the plasticy models better choices are within reach. Among them are the EOS 1N and 1V plus the intermediately placed EOS 50 and EOS 3. The A2 is not recommended for the well-known problems of the command dial stripping/freewheeling, fatigue of the lens release and back cover latch and display driver failure -- things that have plagued this camera for many years. I have had owned the EOS 5 and 50E for production photography; the 5 was frequently off for repairs to the point where I relied fully on the EOS 1N, first bought in August 1994 and still in use.

 

[AgX]

"Compared to the rebel series"

Here as in most parts of the world they all are called EOS.

 

[ignatiu5]

Neither. ....

I'll agree with Poisson Du Jour here. My initial reply was based on the two choices provided by the OP. However, I've owned and shot dozens of Canon SLRs, and given what I've learned, I wouldn't choose either of those two models. Each has, in my experience, significant flaws that are improved upon in other Canon models. As mentioned, prices have dropped so much that unless there's a compelling reason to not slightly more on a better body (and local availability or delivery to a small island nation might be a reason), personally I'd opt for something that in my opinion is better.

 

[cooltouch]

Well, it's gonna depend somewhat on how you treat your gear. If you're rough with it, then neither of those two cameras is gonna last very long. But if you treat your gear properly, you can expect lengthy service lives out of either one. For example: I bought my wife a first model Rebel in 1990. It had been a store demo and was like new. I had my reservations about it, with its plastic body and plastic lens mount and all. It came with the kit 35-80 lens, which was actually surprisingly sharp (I had a lot of photos published using that lens). My wife was pregnant at the time and it was my desire to find her a camera that she could use easily, but also one that would be the basis for an EOS outfit that I could add stuff to. About the same time I bought the Rebel, I also bought a Canon 240EZ flash (Canon's top flash at the time) because the first model Rebel did not have a pop-up flash. That was a good move because the flash worked great on that little Rebel. That basic outfit got used a lot over the next 16 years, and never missed a lick. I finally decided that I'd like to get something a bit better, so I bought an EOS Elan IIe outfit. That was about eleven years ago, and it's still working perfectly. It doesn't get used as much now (my daughter's 26 and has moved out of the house), but it still gets used with family get-togethers when I feel like shooting film.

When I sold the Rebel on eBay, I got a whopping $20 for it. That is twice what I got for selling an Elan II on eBay at auction. The Elan II was like new. It had had maybe a couple of rolls of film put through it (it had been my mother's, so I knew how often it got used). So the irony here is I actually got more for a Rebel that was used a lot than I got for a "better" camera that hadn't been used at all. Moral to this story is these older Canon EOS cameras can be had for dirt cheap at auction if you're just patient enough.

 

[OlyMan]

OP hasn't stated whether he's a beginner in film photography or or not, but it's probably safe to assume most people asking these kind of questions on their very first post are new to the game. Because second-hand prices have bottomed-out on anything not deemed collectable, it's tempting to advise even newbies to go for yesterday's higher-end pro or semi-pro models instead of cameras further down the pecking order without considering that the cheaper SLRs were often by design easier for beginners to use and get great results from. They're also less likely to have been hammered hard by someone who ran ten rolls a day through them.

My sons won't touch my OM-1 and OM-4 with a ten foot bargepole, but both have occasionally used my OM-40 because they know that they can stick it in Program mode and get great results 90% of the time.

 

[Tony-S]

Neither. Both the EOS A2/5 and the Rebel are not built up to long lasting professional standards like a number of other Canon SLRs, which are now more affordable and within reach of many. There isn't really any excuse to go for the plasticy models better choices are within reach. Among them are the EOS 1N and 1V plus the intermediately placed EOS 50 and EOS 3.

Well, my A2 and A2E are still going strong, whereas my EOS 3 has intermittent shutter release issues because of its wonky magnetic design. Plus, the A2E's eye control focus is pretty decent. Not as good as the 3, but not terrible, either.