Nikon F5 or Canon EOS Elan 7E?

[GeoffHill]

other than just the camera bodies, you may not want to spend too much
since you wouldnt know how much longer film will be still in production.

Kodak is really bad shape but Fuji isnt that great either

Of the big 3 film companies

Kodak made huge piles of cash from film last year, and introduced 3 new emuslions. (portra 400VC-3, 400NV-3, and TMY-2)

Fuji re-released Velvia50 last year, and Ilford looks in good shape financially.

Film will be around for at least the next 5 - 10 years

 

[Andrey]

have you check the prices of F90x Nikon as well?

from what I saw, its pretty good camera, better that EOS30
and price is not far off.

other than just the camera bodies, you may not want to spend too much
since you wouldnt know how much longer film will be still in production.

Kodak is really bad shape but Fuji isnt that great either

Somebody, somewhere WILL keep making film. 35mm, 120 and 4*5 won't just go away all of a sudden.

There might be less selection, but you'll still be able to keep shooting.

 

[BobbyR]

Somebody, somewhere WILL keep making film. 35mm, 120 and 4*5 won't just go away all of a sudden.

There might be less selection, but you'll still be able to keep shooting.

For once in my life I am going to say praise the Lord for China and other third world countries, they make and sell what "civilized" countries are to stupid to continue with; they always say we have rule of law, bs, we have rule of denaro.

As I said once before digi items are riding an artificial high due to being "new". Film has plusses that digi will never equal and digi has speed of transfer that film cannot equal so things will balance out in the long run.
Although a few EMPs would put the kabosh on digi quickly.
Bobby

 

[Jedidiah Smith]

My vote is for the F5. Durability is important if you really shoot in the field. I have owned several cameras over the years, but I can remember one minor fall with a new Maxxum 7 (ie good quality body but mostly plastic) and the body was pretty well busted.
That wouldn't have happened had I been using the Maxxum 9 that I use now (beside the F6, possibly the only camera better than that Nikon F5).
This coming from someone who has traded cameras around so many times - You want a camera you can use for a long time and learn it. Get to know every nuance...someday it will get you that ONE shot that matters.
Jed

 

[mawz]

Of the two, the F5's by far the better camera (and $250 is WAY too much for an Elan 7E, the Henry's Outlet store often has used ones for $150. $250 should be getting you into something like an F100 or EOS 3).

That said, I concur that you're looking at too much camera. I'd recommend getting something tough and inexpensive like a FE2 (Payed $90 for mine, plus $60 for the MD-12) or a F90x/N90s. You can get a vertical grip for the F90x making it handle similar to the F5. Then spend the extra on some good glass. Personally I tend to go through bodies, but keep the best of the glass. Best choice I made was to quit buying cheap glass and to stick to the good stuff (which doesn't mean expensive, of my entire lens kit, only one lens cost me more than $200, but all of them except maybe the 50mm f1.8 Series E are top-notch lenses).

 

[AutumnJazz]

For once in my life I am going to say praise the Lord for China and other third world countries, they make and sell what "civilized" countries are to stupid to continue with; they always say we have rule of law, bs, we have rule of denaro.

As I said once before digi items are riding an artificial high due to being "new". Film has plusses that digi will never equal and digi has speed of transfer that film cannot equal so things will balance out in the long run.
Although a few EMPs would put the kabosh on digi quickly.
Bobby

The deal with film is that, even if it isn't, it appears to cost more than digital. I have friends who are also aspiring photographers, and that is the main reason that they go digital. They look at film, and they see the continuing costs of buying film and getting it processed (or getting chemistry and tanks or whatever to process it themselves) as more expensive than the near one-time investment in a digital body and flash storage cards. Plus, they have to get scanners (or photo cd's if they send out their film) if they want to share photos with friends and family.

Whether that feeling is right or wrong doesn't matter. Now, film and digital probably cost about the same (the cheapness of film bodies outweighing the cost of film).

If someone like Kodak wanted to go on a marketing craze to get people to see that they cost nearly the same, we'd have a lot more film photographers.

 

[fschifano]

...If someone like Kodak wanted to go on a marketing craze to get people to see that they cost nearly the same, we'd have a lot more film photographers.

You are leaving out the attraction of instant gratification on the cheap. Don't underestimate the allure of that. Just watch the digital shooters chimping after every shot.

 

[Magoo79]

There was a company, silicon film that was supposed to be making a cartridge that goes into the film cameras to convert 35mm cameras to digital. http://www.imaging-resource.com/NEWS/1032460933.html is the link to it. I really don't want to get a new body since I'm used to my eos 3 and elan 7e which by the way I both love. I've never had any problems with breakage with those cameras, but to be honest I baby my cameras. I have an f1n that I use on occasion that looks like it just came out of the box with no brassing or scratches in the paint. So even if film does die, there may still be hope for our beloved manual and automatic film cameras.


Mike

 

[One_DaveT]

Maybe I missed it, but a quick skim didn't show me. Since the Canon 7E is a prosumer camera, it's a poor comparison. An equivalent to the F5 would be a Canon 1V. FWIW, a newish used Canon 7E is about $85 on e-bay now. I'm told the going rate for a used 1V is holding around $600 these days.

If you ask F5 vs 1V, I'd say, pick your lenses first, and then a camera to attach them to.

 

[BobbyR]

I have not looked recently but during a selling valley, just last month, some Canon !n RS were going for under 300 dollars.

That is/was a good price.

Bobby

 

[shengja]

I used the Canon EOS Elan 7E.
visit this site for http://www.naturephotographers.net/je0301-1.html
for more information.