I'm thinking on getting a second body for my EOS-3 and I'm considering the two mentioned bodies. I know the specs of both and the rebel will be enough for what and about $100 cheaper. I'm interested on the Elan mainly due to the "whisper drive" and the rebel because is smaller and lighter. Is it the Elan that more silent than the rebel? I know both will be an improvement from my eos-3; noise, size and weight wise.
For what it is worth, both these cameras have the same photocell, so don't expect the metering accuracy of your EOS-3. Yes, the Rebel is nice and light, easy to use, and I can tell you that if you toss it down a rockslide and the back departs, you can put it back on with black tape and it will work fine.
Elan 7n or 7ne all the way. The Rebel T2 feels like a toy compared to your EOS 3. I handled one before and I was afraid that my finger might crack the film back of the Rebel.
Rebels feel far cheaper than they actually are. They're just all carbon-fiber and composite materials. Which is why they bounce when you drop them, and come back together so nicely. That said, I'd still probably opt for the Elan over the Rebel, just because it's a beefier camera overall, and has some nice bonus features, like the metal lensmount.
Rich, my understanding is that the meter in these cameras is newer than the eos-3 and other than losing spot metering, they should be even more accurate.