I'm a casual photographer (my words), but do enjoy composing pictures, experimenting, and enlarging and displaying my better shots. The majority of my shots are travel, architecture or landscape. Many, in fact, are once-in-a-lifetime shots in far off lands. So, higher performance equipment, working on my own skills, and a bit of good luck are important to me. My question, then is: Elan IIE or A2E? But for a few features (X-sync and shutter speeds, evaluative metering zones), the cameras appear to be identical. Recommendations are greatly appreciated! Matt

-- Matt Neuman (matt.neuman@lmco.com), February 23, 2000

Answers

Only you can decide!

Do you need a PC socket (A2) Do you need E-TTL (Elan II) Do you need FEL (Elan II) 3 (Elan II) or 5 (A2) AF zones

ECF is better on the Elan II (and works in vertical mode)

You can cancel automatic fill flash reduction on the A2, not on the Elan II.....and so on.

There are so many factors that depend on exactly what YOU want that nobody can make the decision for you. Both cameras are excellent and for general work that doesn't need anything fancy, they will both produce equally good images. Note the A2 will probably be the next Canon body to be "upgraded" to a new model, but not before the fall of 2000 at the earliest.

-- Bob Atkins (bobatkins@hotmail.com), February 23, 2000.

The EOS 5/A2E is faster (5fps), quieter, has a real spot meter and a better vertical grip option. But the EOS 50/Elan IIe has better flash options and a slightly better control layout IMO. Plus it's less money.

I agree that they are both similarly spec'd cameras. My guess is we will probably see them both both replaced by a new EOS30/A3/ElanIII, that will probably be a bit upscale from the A2E. Maybe even this year. But maybe not.

-- Jim Strutz (jimstrutz@juno.com), February 24, 2000.

This is a funny post because my two cameras ARE the Elan II and the A2e. Now, granted, I don't have the eye-metering on my Elan. It's much better on the Elan, by the way. I DO however, think that the 5- point zones vs. three makes a difference. When I got them, I thought the 5 was sort of a joke and figured the elan's 3 was plenty. Now I usually grab my A2 when it's going to be a crowd or something so I can use those far points. The lack of a PC port limits the Elan's professional ability. It's newer design, however, and has smarter light metering with flash. And the A2 has the dreaded command dial failure problem.

Finally, I like my A2 better than my Elan. But depeneding on the situation, I often grab the Elan.

-- K. Gajdusek (karlgaj@uswest.net), March 05, 2000.

A late addition to this thread. I have both the Elan IIe and the EOS5. I enjoy them because I can move from body to body easily because most of the basic operations are similar. However, I couldn't tell you which one is "best". Each, as Bob states above, have their special features. If the new version would just combine the best of these two bodies and keep the price in line it would be a hot seller.

Dick

-- Richard Snyder (rsnyder@lc.cc.il.us), March 19, 2000.