Which to get rid of, EOS 3 or 1N

[film_man]

So I found myself with a Canon EOS 3 and a 1N. They are both in the same condition (mint and boxed!) but I don't want to keep both. As far as I can tell, the 1N feels a bit better at hand, is a bit shorter and better looking and the viewfinder is a bit nicer but apart from that they are identical. I'm not a high speed shooter, neither do I use a million gazillion focus points (the centre one will do just fine). I'm thinking of keeping the 1N but is there a particular reason I should keep the 3 instead? Price wise they'll both fetch the same when I sell them so that's not a consideration. The main plus of the 1N for me is the better VF and the adjustable diopter but am I missing something?

Any personal preferences/opinions?

 

[mr rusty]

As neither will fetch much more than a round of pizzas and drinks for 4 people, I think I'd hold on to them both. Murphy's law says as soon as you let one go the other one goes titsup.

 

[Dennis S]

3 or 1N

Well I went through the same. Seems like the 1Ns were not as stable as a EOS 3. Sold the 1N. The eye control is not the reason as I have it not calibrated. The EOS 3 seems more rugged for weather conditions that I encounter. Have the BP-E1 loaded with Eneloop batteries and has never failed me for years. Lenses yes camera no. I am a big man so the extra weight is not a factor in choices.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Keep both. Use one for color film and one for black & white film.

 

[Strider]

My suggestion is to keep them both. You really cannot go wrong with the 1n. Is any camera perfect? All of them have fussy little details we fret over which make little difference in photography enjoyment.

 

[darkosaric]

1N has 100% viewfinder, eos3 not. If you are shooting B&W and printing in a darkroom - then 100% is good to have. If you are shooting color and scanning, or lab makes your prints - then this is a bad thing, because lab/scanner takes ~95% of the negative, so you will have less in the print/jpg than you have seen in the viewfinder.

 

[film_man]

As neither will fetch much more than a round of pizzas and drinks for 4 people, I think I'd hold on to them both. Murphy's law says as soon as you let one go the other one goes titsup.

I got the two bodies for so little that selling one means I'm getting a free camera and some change for a pizza or two

I know what you mean about backup but I have a backup body already so I hate having even more stuff sit in a box "just in case".

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

Over 10 years ago I had an EOS system based around the -1N and the -3. I bought my EOS3 brand new at a time Canon was doing some promotions. I got the PB-E2 free, but the -3 was still near £800. I bought a few months later an used -1N.
I liked the 3 a lot. It had a lot of features and slightly lighter than the -1N. The Eye focusing worked with me even with glasses or contact lenses.
But, I liked the -1N better. It has a better viewfinder and the fact that the -3 had a square hood made it less easy to use for vertical portraits. The EOS-1N is still the best camera and the easiest on the nose for vertical shots.
I sold my entire EOS system many years ago, but the EOS-1N is one of the few cameras I truly regretted selling.

 

[film_man]

Over 10 years ago I had an EOS system based around the -1N and the -3. I bought my EOS3 brand new at a time Canon was doing some promotions. I got the PB-E2 free, but the -3 was still near £800. I bought a few months later an used -1N.
I liked the 3 a lot. It had a lot of features and slightly lighter than the -1N. The Eye focusing worked with me even with glasses or contact lenses.
But, I liked the -1N better. It has a better viewfinder and the fact that the -3 had a square hood made it less easy to use for vertical portraits. The EOS-1N is still the best camera and the easiest on the nose for vertical shots.
I sold my entire EOS system many years ago, but the EOS-1N is one of the few cameras I truly regretted selling.

I see what you mean about the finder, I asked my wife to hold both cameras and look through the VF, she immediately pointed out that the 1N is nicer to look through and more comfortable.

 

[TenSpeed]

Keep the 1N for sure

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I see what you mean about the finder, I asked my wife to hold both cameras and look through the VF, she immediately pointed out that the 1N is nicer to look through and more comfortable.

I think that solves it then - keep the camera that's easier and more comfortable to use. When you're staring through the viewfinder day in and day out, the one that looks better inside is the one to keep.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

1n. I had and used both the 1n and 3 for years side by side, but I definitely liked the 1n better. I also had some odd focusing issues with newer lenses and the 3 that I didn't have with the 1n.

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

1n. I had and used both the 1n and 3 for years side by side, but I definitely liked the 1n better. I also had some odd focusing issues with newer lenses and the 3 that I didn't have with the 1n.

That reminded me that my Sigma EX zooms had to be re-chipped for use with the -3. They were bought brand new in 2001 a few years after the EOS-3 introduction in 98.