Compact EOS SLR?

blockend · Oct 24, 2013

I recently bought the Canon 40mm 2.8 pancake for my DSLR and really like it, and am wondering whether there are any EOS film cameras that would take the lens? Preferably something small-ish in keeping with the style. I have a range of FD cameras and glass but never got into their later bodies, so know very little about them, stuff like will the pancake auto focus?

Ian Grant · Oct 24, 2013

I picked up a brand new Canon EOS 300 at a Camera Fair 3 or 4 years ago for £10, it's small and light. The seller had quite a few and I'd guess they came from bundled sets that were surplus stock. I bought an EOS (not film) for my wife a couple of months ago that was obviously from a bundled set and an image stabilised lens for my niece (separate sellers).

Ian

Matthew Wagg · Oct 24, 2013

I'd look at the 500 or the 1000 as they are really small EOS bodies but still retain all the functionality of the lower body models.

Dr Croubie · Oct 24, 2013

a 1V will set you back about $2-400, a 3 or 1n are about $1-300, a 5 might cost you $50-100.
Besides those few, almost every other EOS film body are less than $30. Try out a rebel or something for extreme compactness. If you don't like whichever body you get you can just onsell it for a net loss of shipping-cost (if that).
I use my 40mm on my EOS 3, it works great for street-shooting with the eye-control focus, and it's not too big for me (although it's a lot bigger than my Bessa R3A with Nokton 40/1.4).

Regarding AF, be aware that there was a product advisory about the AF on the 40mm not working in certain circumstances.
It only affected the first few made (like mine, I bought it the day after it was announced), it happens on my 3 (and d***l) occasionally, but the disconnect-reconnect workaround works (I've never updated the firmware for a permanent fix, because I don't have a 5D3 or 1DX to do it).
If you've bought it recently, no need to worry about any AF issues.

ParkerSmithPhoto · Oct 24, 2013

The EOS Rebel 2000 and EOS Elan are very light cameras due to the lower build quality. Great for walking around super compact 35mm. They are available from KEH for next to nothing. I bought one from KEH for $12, and the shutter turned out to be sticky. They said it wasn't worth shipping back and credited me the $12! Great people.

ntenny · Oct 24, 2013

I used to have a Rebel X, which is basically an EOS lens mount with a little bit of plastic wrapped around it. I think I paid US$6 for it at KEH---I was just looking the other day and inflation had brought that up to US$7 now. Quite a functional little SLR, if plasticky-feeling. The electronics eventually died and I may buy another, if I ever get back to shooting much 35mm.

-NT

MattKing · Oct 24, 2013

Ian Grant said:
I picked up a brand new Canon EOS 300 at a Camera Fair 3 or 4 years ago for £10, it's small and light. The seller had quite a few and I'd guess they came from bundled sets that were surplus stock. I bought an EOS (not film) for my wife a couple of months ago that was obviously from a bundled set and an image stabilised lens for my niece (separate sellers).

Ian

The EOS 300 is also known as the EOS Rebel 2000 in North America - and is indeed very light and reasonably small.

It is even fairly light and small with the BP200 battery grip.

My 40mm pancake lens and it go together quite well .

blockend · Oct 24, 2013

Thanks for the replies, I'll check them all.

jstraw · Oct 24, 2013

EOS 630 would be my suggestion.

flatulent1 · Oct 24, 2013

My pancake 40 is mounted to an Elan 7NE. Love it. When I finish the roll I'm switching it over to the RT, just for the smallness of it.

Poisson Du Jour · Oct 24, 2013

A 1N body without the power driver booster E1 is quite compact and agreeable, and just a little bit weighty; these are fast, efficient and refined brute cameras and millions are still in use. The bonus is that there are extra functions and capacity as your skills grow, but nothing is made new for it now (except EF lenses) so the second hand market is the place to scoot about.

elekm · Oct 24, 2013

I don't know that millions are still in use. But probably plenty of them.

Ian Grant · Oct 25, 2013

MattKing said:
The EOS 300 is also known as the EOS Rebel 2000 in North America - and is indeed very light and reasonably small.

It is even fairly light and small with the BP200 battery grip.

My 40mm pancake lens and it go together quite well .

You highlight an important point Matt, to stop Grey imports from the US some camera manufacturers use different model names/number for models sold in North America. It's often not realised that US camera prices are way below the rest of the world.

I've just found a seller with 3 left at £9.99 each (PM sent to the OP).

Ian

zanxion72 · Oct 25, 2013

You could try an APS one like the IXUS cameras. They look pretty compact.

John Koehrer · Oct 26, 2013

zanxion72 said:
You could try an APS one like the IXUS cameras. They look pretty compact.

Don't go there.

blockend · Oct 26, 2013

The EOS 300 seems to have a few quirky features, not least the fact continuous advance is compulsory in all but full auto mode. So PASM settings are motor drive - better not be heavy on the shutter finger! The metering is always evaluative, except in manual, when it's partial. Typical late 1990s consumer SLR weirdness. My equivalent Nikon won't allow manual ISO setting. What were they thinking of? :confused:

Even so, an SLR camera for the price of a roll of Portra.

MattKing · Oct 26, 2013

blockend said:
The EOS 300 seems to have a few quirky features, not least the fact continuous advance is compulsory in all but full auto mode. So PASM settings are motor drive - better not be heavy on the shutter finger! The metering is always evaluative, except in manual, when it's partial. Typical late 1990s consumer SLR weirdness. My equivalent Nikon won't allow manual ISO setting. What were they thinking of? :confused:

Even so, an SLR camera for the price of a roll of Portra.

Courtesy of my original manufacturer's instruction manual for my Rebel 2000/ES 300s:

The single shot advance applies in the full auto, landscape, close-up, night shot and Auto DEP modes as well.

And the partial metering/exposure lock metering is in effect in the program, shutter preferred, aperture preferred, manual and Auto-DEP modes.

In my experience, I have had very few problems with inadvertently taking multiple shots when the camera is set for continuous advance - the shutter release gives good tactile feedback.

blockend · Oct 26, 2013

MattKing said:
Courtesy of my original manufacturer's instruction manual for my Rebel 2000/ES 300s:

The single shot advance applies in the full auto, landscape, close-up, night shot and Auto DEP modes as well.

And the partial metering/exposure lock metering is in effect in the program, shutter preferred, aperture preferred, manual and Auto-DEP modes.

In my experience, I have had very few problems with inadvertently taking multiple shots when the camera is set for continuous advance - the shutter release gives good tactile feedback.

Hmm, my searching showed partial metering in manual only. I wonder if the 300n version lost a few features, it doesn't have a stop down button as shown in the manual, or mid roll rewind.

spacer · Oct 27, 2013

I still have my Rebel X, my first "modern" SLR, and it works great. They're cheap enough on eBay to be nearly disposable, yet I've gotten some very nice photos out of mine. If you're looking for a cheap "just because" film camera to share lenses with your dslr... you could do a lot worse.
Of course, as soon as I was able... I picked up an A2E. For the above reason, and the fact that I'd been lusting over them back when they were worth a lot of cabbage.

Charles Wass · Oct 28, 2013

Originally Posted by zanxion72 (there was a url link here which no longer exists)
You could try an APS one like the IXUS cameras. They look pretty compact.

You might find film at the moment and even processing, but what would you do next year?

Compact EOS SLR?

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Matthew Wagg

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Compact EOS SLR?

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