I went to a field trip today sponsored by ASMP and Pro Photo Supply from Portland, Oregon. Kinda fun but the cool part is all the new Canon gear for fall (September) 2K.

Elan 7e. Bad ass little camera. All black, dedicated DOF preview near lens dismount button, 7 AF points, 4 fps, wireless flash with 550EX's like it's big brother the EOS-3, 13 CF's with a new function for switching AF points with a touch of a button. Not sure about that exactly so don't ask. Rear control dial now has 4 buttons (N, S, E, W) for using that CF to adjust which AF points are active. The response time from whne your eye looks at a focus point is now 35ms. Down from 220ms on the Elan IIe. About $530 list. And $630 with new consumer zoom listed below. Awesome. Totally awesome. More may come to me later. I am so tired.

New flash. 420EX replaces 380EX and adds about 20 feet of GN and is a receiver flash for wirelss from EOS-3 and Elan 7e. That's right kids, new flash unit that is slave only if necesary. And only $199 list. Ha Nikon, take that. Much cheaper than buying 550EX's for slave mode only.

New 28-90 f/35~5.6 zoom to debut with Elan 7e.

No news of a IS version 70-200 f/2.8. Muy tight lipped on that. I asked directly, too.

Chew on this for your Sunday dinner. Later.

-- Colin Miller (ckmiller@pond.net), August 13, 2000

Answers

I'm surprised B&H has prices posted before they have it in stock, or even before Canon's official announcement. After looking at the features, I'll probably end up with an EOS 3, but I want to know more about the 420EX. No price on that yet at B&H.

-- Brad Hutcheson (bhutcheson@iname.com), August 18, 2000.

Almost forgot the new DS1 digital camera. Awesome little dude too. $3500 list. (gulp) Practically same GUI as the EOS3 or Iv. They wouldn't let us actually take photos with it. We could just look at it and drool. I might be able to answer a few questions about it.

-- Colin Miller (ckmiller@pond.net), August 13, 2000.

Thanks for the info. Seems like a nice little camera, really! Any info whether it has spot metering or not? That and buttons and dial on the vertical grip are the only things I miss on my EOS50E. So do you know if there's a new vertical grip with all controls, or if it uses the same as the previous model (BP-50) with just a shutter release. From the pics I've seen of the camera, the size of the camera and the grip design looks very similar to the EOS Elan II/50 and not like the new EOS D-30 like some have said.

Regards, Johan Berglund

-- Johan Berglun (johan_berglund@telia.com), August 13, 2000.

I am also looking forwards to the release of the Elan 7 and seriously considering it as the second body if it has a internal flash. You know, carrying two EOS 3 is often too energy consuming for me.

-- Eric Ung (eung@hongkong.com), August 13, 2000.

From the picture, it appears to have a white AF assist beam in place of the excellent near-IR beam on the 5 and 50. If that is so, it is a step backwards. If there are 4 buttons on the back (a la Nikon F100, F5) then I hope it still has the rear command dial?

-- Salman Akhtar (salmanakhtar@juno.com), August 13, 2000.

I'm awake again and I remember more stuff.

No spot metering still. A 9.5% partial just like the Elan II. Built in flash that pops up with your right index finger instead of a button. The design of the camera is still basd on the Elan II and not the EOS 3. The eye control function is now a 3 position switch instead of cycling through focus modes with a button. New VG grip called he BP-300. Adds custom function button for vertical release. Canon is discontinuing the A2 and Elan II and just offering the Rebel 2K, Elan 7, EOS 3 and EOS 1v. And the D30 digital of course. The rear control dial is still the same except it adds the four buttons.

-- Colin Miller (ckmiller@pond.net), August 13, 2000.

I guess Elan IIs and A2s should be dirt cheap now! great time to buy for those who don't have to have the latest greatest.

-- anony. (111@22.com), August 13, 2000.

Colin,

Do you recall how the AF points are arranged? It was reported elsewhere that the array was different than on the Rebel 2000, i.e., a "diamond" array, e.g., maybe

* * * * * * *

Thanks.

-- John McCormack (jpmccormac@aol.com), August 13, 2000.

Any idea what the sync speed is? I assume it has the high sync with the EX units, but what is the "normal" sync speed?

Did someone post a photo of this camera? If so, please pass along a URL.

Thanks.

-- Thomas Tamura (ttamura@aloha.net), August 13, 2000.

http://trends.dts.cet.pt/users/dulcev/ELAN7.jpg

-- Johan Berglund (johan_berglund@telia.com), August 13, 2000.

Does it have a mirror lockup/prefire? I was planning to buy an A2 but i would prefer to wait for this camera OR should i buy A2 now? Im confuse

-- Amir (Impinoy2@aol.com), August 13, 2000.

Wait 3 months and then buy the A2. It'll be cheaper then.

-- Jim Strutz (jimstrutz@juno.com), August 13, 2000.

It all sounds great, a body with some good features (particularly a dedicated DOF control) but without the high price of the EOS-3. I have a Rebel 1000F and I'm looking for something better. But you know, if Canon is going to 'cripple' the Elan7e by not providing spot metering I might just sell out and get a Nikon F80S - it doesn't seem to be such a compromise. Real shame, real shame.

-- Gareth Ingram (sgingram@venus.uwaterloo.ca), August 13, 2000.

Sorry, I don't know how to get into a querry mode. Instead I got into this. Please tell me what would the weight of this camera be?

-- Cheng-Eng YEO (farmboys@xtra.co.nz), August 14, 2000.

For those complaining about the lack of a true spot meter, I'd point out that Canon have never offered one in a body below the T90 and EOS3.

They really like 9.5% semi-spot metering for some reason.

As far as the camera goes, it looks identical in layout to the D30 to me, except the controls on the back will be different.

It is still a mystery to me why the D30 only has 3-point AF considering what the Elan 7/EOS 30 has.

I was planning to rationalise my current collection of film bodies so I just had a D30 and an EOS 30 as backup, but it won't be as effective given the different AF patterns :-(

-- Derek Clarke (derek_c@cix.co.uk), August 15, 2000.

Colin, Thanks for the info. Do you know the flash sync for the Elan 7? How are the autofocus sensors arranged? Does it autofocus to f8, or to f5.6? (I've been hoping for a camera with a flash sync of 1/250, autofocus to f8 and both a horizontal and vertical array of sensors. The 1V fits the bill, but is a bit pricey for me!) Thanks in advance for any additional info.

-- Rob Ericson (robert.ericson@kyl.com), August 15, 2000.

I'm sure the flash sync will be 1/125th or greater. I have never been limited by the 1/125th of the Elan IIe. What's the big deal over flash sync speed?

The AF sensors are the same as the Rebel 2K.

* ***** *

Like that....

I didn't ask if it focuses to f/8 or not. Sorry.

-- Colin Miller (ckmiller@pond.net), August 15, 2000.

So does anyone know what the 7 uses for an autofocus assist? I've heard it might use flash bursts? I hope this isn't so.

-- Benjamin Librande (blibrand@chat.carleton.ca), August 15, 2000.

<>

EOS 5 has 3.5% spot and thats enough for me. Plus I use it in 2/5 of my shots. I was drooling until I saw it has NO SPOT. I'd hope they also made a Elan7e(ye)s(pot) body. They won't, I know.

-mt

-- matti tapaninaho (jrawell@saunalahti.fi), August 16, 2000.

w/o spot metering, max normal flash sync at only 1/125? I will stay w/ A2 just for the 3.5% spot metering and the 1/200 flash sync.

If I remember correctly, the arrangement of the 7 auto focus points on the Rebel 2K is something like this: * ***** *

NOT *******

If Canon due away with the ElanII and A2, it seems to me like there is a big jump between Elan 7 to EOS 3.

-- nguyen thang (nguyentnt@hotmail.com), August 16, 2000.

Are any of those sensors cross type?

-- Chuck Fan (chaohui@msn.com), August 16, 2000.

Dear God: You have been gracious to me in my life. I an thankful. But PLEASE bless us here on Earth that the Elan 7 that Colin saw is only a early prototype and that the real one will have a @*#%ing SPOTMETER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-- Greg Halliday (greghalliday@utah-inter.net), August 16, 2000.

Just a statement: (from 1990 until nowadays)

1(x) cameras are pro. One digit cameras (Eos 5,3) are semipro. Two digit cameras (Eos 10,50,30) are advanced amateur models. Three digit cameras (Eos 100,500,500n,300) are for novice amateur / advanced beginer. Four digit cameras (Eos 1000,5000,3000) are for the beginer.

(of course you can be a rich novice who owns a Eos1v and you can be a pro who owns a 500n as a lightweight "just in case" compatible body).

This is the reason why EOS-30 (Elan7) dosen't has a spot metering like the Eos5, or other "top" features... I you want a pro-capable body... pay for it! :-)

I own a 5 and a 300 as a second body... I would like to buy the 3... but I'm afraid I will only be able to afford the 30 :-(

btw: Eos 300 autofocus sensors are placed in 3 rows: 1 horitzontal in first, 2 vertical one cross and 2 vertical in the second one and another horitzontal sensor in the last row. Like a cross. I supouse it will be the same in E30...(I've seen a couple of posts saying strange things...).

Sergi

-- Sergi Arbos (sarbos@yahoo.com), August 17, 2000.

>Dear God: You have been gracious to me in my life. I an thankful. But PLEASE bless us here on Earth that the Elan 7 that Colin saw is only a early prototype and that the real one will have a @*#%ing SPOTMETER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Greg hit the nail on the head here. Sadly it is not an early prototype. I shot the production mopdel. I have come to terms with it though. The fact that the Elan IIe and the forthcoming 7e are all the camera I need except for very rare occasions, I will be buying a very nice handheld spotmeter. I know, I know. Slow, cumbersome if not using a tripod, all the arguments against them. But people have used them for years. The fact that I don't need any more of a camera than the 7e offers, solidifies my decision to get a Sekonic 504. Plus I will never need another. Flash, ambient, the whole enchilada.

I realized my previous post Re: AF sensor placement may have been confusing. The setup is identical to the Rebel 2000. I will try again.

sensor sensor x5 sensor

1, 5, 1 is another way to view it. Top line, middle line, bottom line.

I am getting kind of excited about this whole thing. When the 3 debuted I was like, "Oh whatever." But this is a camera I can really utilize. The Canon rep I spoke about all this with showed me how to use predictive AF in servo mode. I love it and makes 7 sensors look really nice. The 45 sensors on the 3 is not so strange sounding now.

-- Colin Miller (ckmiller@pond.net), August 17, 2000.

Hi Colin, You've been giving us a lot of interesting information about the new EOS Elan 7(E). Thanks a lot for that. There's however still one thing I would like to know, that is if the new battery pack/grip, BP-300, has the control dial and button for AE-lock, and not only a shutter release button? I really hope it has because I often shoot vertical, and it's kind of awkward to push the AE-lock button on my EOS 50, not to mention to change aperture/shutter speed while holding it vertically by the BP-50 grip. I also hope they have put the tripod mount at centre of the grip, because the off centre position on the BP-50 makes it kind of unstable when used with a heavy lens. So if you know anything about the battery pack, please let us know...:-)

Best regards,

-- Johan Berglund (johan.o.berglund@telia.com), August 17, 2000.

What's the configuration of each AF sensor? Are any or all of them sensitive to both vertical and horizontal patterns? Is it:

-

| | + | |

-

Or is it

+

+ + + + +

+

Or it is something else?

-- Chuck Fan (chaohui@msn.com), August 17, 2000.

: From the picture, it appears to have a white AF assist beam in : place of the excellent near-IR beam on the 5 and 50. If that is so, : it is a step backwards. If there are 4 buttons on the back (a la : Nikon F100, F5) then I hope it still has the rear command dial? : : -- Salman Akhtar (salmanakhtar@juno.com), August 13, 2000.

I'm almost willing to bet that the AF-assist beam is now truly infrared. I would doubt that Canon has switched to a fully visible (white) beam (though I could certainly be wrong). A lot of times IR beams now just have a clear LED and shield. That would be fantastic. No more lighting up a dark room just to get the focus. Any word on this, Colin? Anyone?

-- Nicholas Barry (nbarry@isolation.net), August 17, 2000.

The new BP-300 does have a vertical AE lock button. I can't recall if it has a control dial or not.

As for the sensitvity of the sensors, he told me and told me very quickly. I was still drooling on the camera, and I didn't hear him clearly as we were next to the motor at the back of the bus. I recall it was better than the Elan IIe, though. Whatever help that is.

And I for sure didn't ask about the AF assist beam. Not exactly at the top of my list. If I had known al the questions to ask, I would have made a list. I didn't even know they would have the camera there.

-- Colin Miller (ckmiller@pond.net), August 17, 2000.

So far I have seen no reason to switch from my Elan (one), and this doesn't seem any different. I am, however, interested in the 28-90 lens. How does its size and weight compare with the excellent 28-105?

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), August 17, 2000.

Re: "420EX replaces 380EX and adds about 20 feet of GN and is a receiver flash for wirelss from EOS-3 and Elan 7e."

Latest news indicates that the 420EX does not have manual flash controls but does have tilt AND swivel capability.

Re: "Whisper Drive."

Latest news from one source says the 7 is quieter than the A2/A2E.

-- John McCormack (jpmccormac@aol.com), August 17, 2000.

Check it out, guys! B&H just posted prices on new Elan 7/7e/7eQD. Any sticker shock?

-- Konstantin Korotkov (kk_27@yahoo.com), August 18, 2000.

The 28-90 zoom replaces the 28-80/3.5-5.6 USM zoom, and is comparable to that one in terms of weight and construction (micro-USM, no FTM). There will according to Henry Posner of B&H Photo be an updated version (cosmetically) of the 28-105/3.5-4.5 USM and a new 28-200/3.5- 5.6 USM (micro-USM, no FTM) released too the 24th of August.

Regards,

-- Johan Berglund (johan.o.berglund@telia.com), August 18, 2000.

I had a little hands on experience with the Elan 7 last week. The autofocus sensors are arranged in a diamond pattern. 5 of them spread out horizontally, and one above and one below the middle one. I really liked the feel of the camera and the only thing I wish it had was a true spot meter....but since I have a Minolta Spot F for my Bronica....I can live without it. I will be getting one as soon as the store I work at gets them in stock (no not just because its the new thing but because I don't currently have a 35mm SLR and this one fits my budget)

-- chris long (slide13@paintball-guns.com), August 20, 2000.

Re. #$%^$&**& SPOT METERING LACKING

I have the Elan IIe on which I use a Tamron 28-200mm lens. Here's my answer to the need for a true spot meter:

Considering Canon's AIM system, you are metering around the focusing point of your choice. In partial mode, that's 9.5% of the area around that focusing point. Now, at 200mm focal length, the Elan is "seeing" an angle of view of 12 degrees.

Does it not follow then, that I am metering an area that is 9.5% of a twelve degree angle of view, which would equate to a spot meter's angle of acceptance of about one degree? (12 degrees times 9.5% = 1.14 degree).

Would love to know if I've got this one right or not!

Thanks,

Roy Kekewich

-- roy kekewich (roykekewich@yahoo.com), August 21, 2000.

Not true, Roy.

That is because the 9.5% refers to the proportion of the total area of the image not its linear dimension, which 12 degrees would be a proxy for.

Something that is measuring 1 degree of your 12 degrees is measuring an area 1/(12x12) or 1/144 of the picture area i.e. a less than 1% spot meter.

At 200 mm extension, a 9.5% spot area is roughly speaking, 1/3x1/3 of the picture area or about a 4 degree spot.

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), August 22, 2000.

See the Canon press release on 8/23/00 for the Elan 7 at http://www.businesswire.com/industryspecific

-- John McCormack (jpmccormac@aol.com), August 24, 2000.

It took a while to find the Elan 7 press release using the URL in John McCormack's post (eventually had to search on that site), so I offer this alternative: http://sf-web1.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?bw.082300/ 202362369&ticker=CANNY

-- John Merrill (merrill3@msu.edu), August 24, 2000.

A companion press release covering the new 420EX flash is also available: http://sf-web1.businesswire.com/webbox/bw.082300/202360278.htm

-- John Merrill (merrill3@msu.edu), August 24, 2000.

Well sheesh! The URL's I just sent won't actually work. Sorry. (I copied from the navigation bar and pasted, but I had loaded from a frame...). Anyway... I got the press releases by searching for "Canon" at the URL that John McCormack posted.

-- John Merrill (merrill3@msu.edu), August 24, 2000.

Try this link http://www.usa.canon.com/camcambin/cameras/35mm/slr/elan7_index.html. Looks to be an interesting source for info.

-- Jim Arnott (jarnott@bridge.com), August 24, 2000.

Metal top and front plates in a $500 AF camera, focus rocker switch like in Nikon, hmmmm, impressive.

-- Chuck Fan (chaohui@msn.com), August 25, 2000.

Any idea what the X-sync speed is?

-- Chuck Fan (chaohui@msn.com), August 25, 2000.

Chuck, everything I've read says x-synch=1/125 sec.

-- Geoffrey S. Kane (grendel@pgh.nauticom.net), August 25, 2000.

Any idea as to when the Ela7 will be releesed?

-- Apo Koumou (koumou@otenet.gr), August 26, 2000.

David Letterman's top 3 reasons to buy an A2/e over new Elan 7/E.

#1. No spot metering.

#2. They did away w/ excellent infrared focus assit, in turn for a stupid and annoying pulsating built in flash.(same system on the Rebel 2000)

#3. No spot metering.

-- Demond Allen (abbeyspds@ameritech.net), August 26, 2000.

Well Just as I wrote the nasty letter above, the promo pack for the elan 7 came(I work at a photo lab). I must admit it does sound pretty good. I can confirm the above posts about the new flash, 28-200,and 28-90 lenses. All the other above info is correct about the camera. The focus tracking abilities are excellent as well. I can deal w/ the 1 fps loss over the A2/e no biggie.A good trade for better focus tracking. There are excellent custom functions, even one for the annoying focus assist technique. I can get the body dealer cost/employee purchase for $413 however, you others drooling over it will pay about $469-500$(B+H).Local prices for where you live will be a little more. My A2 is on it's last leg, what a wonderful excuse to buy one !!

I included a little eye-candy for you to drool over.

-- Desmond Allen (abbeyspds@ameritech.net), August 26, 2000.

The Elan 7 is not listed anymore on B&H.Is that a sign that the release date will be delayed?

-- Apo Koumou (koumou@otenet.gr), August 27, 2000.

Does anyone know if the elan 7 will focus at f8 instead of being limited to f5.6 as the elan II is?

-- TJ Sullivan (shamrock94@aol.com), August 28, 2000.

>Does anyone know if the elan 7 will focus at f8 instead of being limited to f5.6 as the elan II is?

-- TJ Sullivan

Patience grasshopper......

-- Colin Miller (ckmiller@pond.net), August 28, 2000.

I work at a camera store so I also saw the new product info on the 7. It seems very nice in my oppinion. True, I wish it had spot metering, but I think I can live without it. I like that fact that it has a metal top and front cover and the 4fps drive is great. They are supposed to ship Oct. 1 and I will be purchasing one of the first ones to come to our store. It felt very solid for the few minutes I was able to handle it when the Canon rep was in. The four button focus point selector (like Nikon) seems to be a great addition. I can't wait to get some more experience with it.......1 more month.

-- Chris Long (slide13@paintball-guns.com), August 29, 2000.

Some - very high level, though, - information is at the european site at the http://www.canon-europa.com/eos33/ URL. Specifications are there. BTW, the AF configuration described there as well.

Regards...

-- Vlad Didenko (vldi@yahoo.com), September 05, 2000.

Pretty detailed description is on http://www.eos-magazine.com/News_25_EOS30specs.html

-- Milan Kus (milan.kus@siemens.at), September 06, 2000.

It has, appearently, MIRROR LOCK UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SHOCKING!!!!!!!!!!!

N65 has a DOF preview, and a mid level canon model has real MLU???

What will they think up next????

-- Matthew Smith (mpsmith@email.unc.edu), September 22, 2000.

"N65 has a DOF preview, and a mid level canon model has real MLU??? What will they think up next???? "

Maybe an interchangible lens digital SLR for $199.99?

-- Chuck Fan (chaohui@msn.com), September 22, 2000.

Wolf Camera in Palo Alto just quoted me November 1 as the expected delivery date.

Has anyone found a place that can do better?

-- Kuan Ju Liu (kuanju@hotmail.com), October 02, 2000.

Most retailers are taking orders for the late October delivery of the ELAN 7, but I suppose it could be later.

FYI: [as always, the following is subject to correction by somebody. :)]

I just returned from looking at the ELAN 7. Below are some of my impressions and answers for those of you who sent me questions to ask about it. There were lots of people clamoring to use the camera (I've got the bruises to prove it), so I couldn't calibrate or use the ECF or check out every function.

1. The AF assist light of the onboard flash appears to require a very low light level to activate. We had trouble getting the AF assist to blink even with the ISO set to 16. We had to stick the camera under a cloth to get it to flash. There is a complicated four-setting CF (CF- 7) to turn it off completely. Situations that would activate the AF assist would probably require one to use an external flash anyway.

2. The Mirror Lock Up seems to be a true MLU, not pre-fire like the ELAN II. The MLU default time is not ten seconds as we feared; the ten second default is only when the self-timer with MLU is activated. Normal MLU works as follows: Set MLU ON (CF5 - 1); press shutter or remote release (RC-1 or RS60-E3). Press shutter button or release again and shutter fires. If you don't press the shutter/remote again within 30 seconds, shutter will fire. I hope I got this right. Someone said the MLU works the same as MLU on the EOS 1v.

4. Mirror black out time is mercifully brief and mirror slap has been dampened.

5. The Whisper Drive film advance is excellent! This baby is very quiet. At least as quiet as the original ELAN and much quieter than the EOS 3 or ELAN II - or even the Contax G2. Only the Hexar AF is quieter, IMO. The PR says: "Quietest coreless motors ever in EOS camera."

5. The ELAN 7 uses an IR film counter. This would probably fog the sprocket holes/border of IR film. Not a big deal.

6. The body is smaller and a bit lighter than the ELAN II/IIe but fit my (average size) hands well. Even with a lens mounted, it felt considerably light to me, but it could have been the lightweight 28- 90mm lens that was on the body. The texture of the black poly. body looked a little chintzy to me, but it was a preproduction body and had been given lots of rough treatment by the public.

7. Toggling through the functions for ISO, Red Eye Reduction, Beeper, Multiple Exposures, Flash Exp. Comp., and AEB, is easy, and the icons are displayed on the top LCD panel in a vertical row of icons. The nice thing about this is that the last function accessed is set in memory, so that the next time you push the FUNCtion button, the last function used is displayed first. This lets you return to the function you use the most, say AEB or Flash Exposure Compensation. And, FUNCtions that are set ON always show an arrow > pointing at it. Most of the other controls are familiar to ELAN II/IIe users and would take little usage to become intuitive.

8. Depth of Field preview is electronic with a dedicated switch and works in all modes. There's no Eye Control DOF function on the ELAN 7/e.

9. If Eye Control Focus is important to you, the PR says AF response time is the fastest yet: 55 ms. for the 7, versus 65 ms. for the EOS 3, 220 ms. for the A2e/5 and 120 ms. for the ELAN II/e. Your mileage may vary. The 7 also has Eye Control Servo AF and Predictive AI Servo AF (from the EOS 1v.) I had no opportunity to test these AF modes.

Bottom line impressions. The 7 should be a good camera for advanced amateurs and for situations where you need to shoot discreetly like weddings or meetings or for street shooting. This is not a groundbreaking camera, but adds to the EOS mid-class/advance amateur line. If I didn't have a camera in this price range, the 7 would be my first choice for the amateur shooting I do. Since I have an ELAN II, I'm not sure I need what the 7 offers - the camera isn't going to make me a better photographer. But the quiet operation, light weight, fast motor drive and improved (?) metering are tempting.

-- John McCormack (jpmccormac@aol.com), October 07, 2000.

Colin pointed out that the seven AF points are a real asset for him. It is one thing I hadn't really considered at the time since the ECF on the camera I was using wasn't calibrated for my eyes. I did notice that letting the camera choose the AF point(s) automatically seemed to work well and went to the area(s) I would have chosen.

Also, someone pointed out that the MLU probably works like the MLU on the EOS 3: if you don't press the shutter/remote button a second time w/ MLU ON, the mirror returns to its original position. I'm still unclear on this...

-- John McCormack (jpmccormac@aol.com), October 08, 2000.

One feature that is missing is an inter-changeable screen - I like to use a "grid" screen to help keep my horizon lines straight). This feature is available in the A2, but not the Elan II. I'm surprised that if the Elan 7 is suppose to be replacing both the A2 & the Elan II, that they didn't keep this feature.

-- Cindy Stephenson (mstephenson@uswest.net), October 13, 2000.

I don't think the introduction of Elan 7 was meant for replacing Both A2 and ElanII. It doesn't make sense to put features like spot metering and interchangeable screens on an amatuer body (Elan 7). This will take away the sale of EOS 3. It seems like the entire EOS lineup (1V, 3, Elan 7, Rebel 2000) is one step up from the previous lineup (1N, A2, ElanII, Rebel G).

-- thang nguyen (nguyentnt@hotmail.com), October 13, 2000.

I'm surprised the Elan 7/7e isn't readily available yet in the States. I was in Toronto in early October and bought a 7e from Vistek photo on the 6th.

If anybody really has to have it now now now, try www.vistek.net, or www.henrys.com. Both sites are for stores in Toronto (and other cities in Canada) and they offer online shopping. Henry's will let you shop in USD or CAN too. Vistek is offering the body for $750 CAN and at Henry's it's $700 CAN (I talked Vistek down by telling them Henry's price).

By the way, I'm super happy with the body. The ECF is so fast I don't even know I'm doing it (the sign of a truly useful function). Film advance/rewind is super quiet. Only disappointment is the low light autofocus assist. The built in flash sends out a series of very annoying and bright pulses. Any living subject would simply run away from the agony of the flashes. Solutions are to get an external flash with it's own autofocus assist, or just turn the assist off with the CF.

-- Zach (zvorvis@hotmail.com), October 25, 2000.

Re: >I'm surprised the Elan 7/7e isn't readily available yet in the >States.

The 7e is available from B&H and Adorama, but the first supply at B&H was exhausted quickly. Fortunately, I got my order in early while they were closed :)

-- John McCormack (jpmccormac@aol.com), October 25, 2000.

Just got mine Yesterday from B+H and put it to the test by photographing the last of the migrating snow geese passing through Vermont. My Elan II has always been barely usable with birds in flight as attempts last week reminded me.

I was surprised by how good the eye control works. I wear glasses and did not expect it to be very usable. Even more accurate and responsive than the EOS 3. Of course it only has seven focus points to track instead of 45. Just read the section on calibration tips and follow it precisely and in different lighting conditions.

Very quiet, fast focusing, good focus tracking and fast frame advance. All noticably better than Elan IIe. Along with eye control, CF 11 gives you several interesting and useful options for focus point selection. Solidly built. Very useful depth of field preview that allows you to see the results as you change the aperature. True Mirror Lock up or with 10 second timer delay.

Minuses - Still no spot metter! Big mistake Canon. You will loose sales on this one to nikon's n80. Especially since the diagram of their metering system shows how easy it would be to incorperate A 3% spot into this camera. Perhaps a firmware upgrade with custom Function to choose between spot or partial?:-)

- Although I really like the true mirror lock-up I wish it still had the 2 second timer option. Perhaps another Custom function addition?

- Does not focus with lens combinations beyond 5.6 and wish it could record shooting data. I think advanced amatueres would find these options far more useful than most pros and see no reason why this camera could not have both without significantly raising the price.

Overall I am very happy with the camera so far. But the jury is out until I get the slides back next week. Perhaps matrix metering has improved so much that I will not miss the spot. We shall see.

-- TJ Sullivan (shamrock94@aol.com), October 25, 2000.

Does anybody know if the built-in flash will provide full coverage even if a larger diameter lens (28-70 f/2.8 L) is used? It seems that prior body styles were not able to cover the full area and left dark corners in the image.

Thanks

-- Mitch Leonard (mitchl@hotmail.com), October 25, 2000.

Considering whether to buy the Elan 7e or the Elan IIe...I hear all these gripes about the new autofocus assist system and what not. Don't know if I should just save money and settle for the older model. Pros? Cons? Out of curiosity, I've heard Canon's standard 28-80mm USM lens was basically a hunk of junk -- has there been any improvement in the new 28-90mm lens? Any info is appreciated. Thanks.

-- John D. (coolbeans55@hotmail.com), October 26, 2000.

I have not tested the Built in flash yet but it seems identical, in terms of distance above the lens, to the IIe. With my 28-135is, without hood, the IIe flash would cover the entire frame but the lens would cast a shadow into the frame unless the subject and ground were very far away. Guess that is another grip with the new camera especially since the 28-135is is such a popular lens and similar in size to the 28-70 2.8. Canon could have made the flash raise higher like the n80

I plan on using an external flash most the time, which would also solve the focus assist issue. The cameras focus assist will only fire if you lift the flash up manual. This is fine with me as it keeps me from accidentally surprising my subjects.

For lens choices I would really recomend the 28-135is even with the flash issue. If money is an issue go for the 28-105. Both these lenses are much better than the 20-80 and I am sure they still beat the new 28-90.

Dispite the gripes I still really like the camera and think it the better choice over the nikon n80 unless you already have nikon lenses. The 7e is good enough for me to decide to sell my old IIe. But if you do not need faster autofocus, real mirror lockup, dioptric adjustment, usable eyecontrol focus, or easy to use depth of field preview all in a very quiet camera, then the IIe is the way to go.

-- TJ Sullivan (Shamrock94@aol.com), October 26, 2000.

Just got mine today from B&H. Seems solid, lots of nice features and finally, a body with MLU & DOF button for under $600.00, about time. Seems like it will be a good second body to my 1N.

-- Mark Mitchell (ms_mitchell@usa.net), October 26, 2000.

What I like about the ELAN 7/e so far:

Eye relief is very good. I can compose a shot with both eyes open and still see everything in the viewfinder. YMMV.

Eye Control Focus (ECF) works pretty well for me, but I'm still calibrating the 7/e. I didn't have ECF on my Elan II so I can't compare its speed or accuracy with any other ECF version.

Fits snugly in (my) hands. Vertical holding is very good and should be outstanding with the vertical grip. The 7 feels more "dense" than the Elan II, though weight is slightly less. The right side grip of the 7 protrudes less than the II's grip due to the smaller batteries used in the 7.

True Mirror Lock-Up. Works the same way as MLU on the EOS 3.

The DEP mode on the 7 works the same as on the II/e. Some people speculated that the 7 used Auto-DEP as on the Rebel 2000 (Not true.)

Mirror black out time is mercifully short.

The 7 is the quietest SLR I've ever used (including the original Elan).

The eye cup fits better than the one on my older Elan II (My Elan II's cup was a loosey goosey.)

Luckily, you can turn off the AF assist light; that flashing strobe will wake the dead!

The AE lock button has a lighter pressure level.

Did I mention that it's quiet?

It makes me a better photographer - NOT.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

What I don't like about the Elan 7/e so far:

The metering modes switch of the Elan II is gone. Metering is now done through a FUNCtion button on the back of the camera. Not nearly as functional, in my opinion.

The jury is out on whether the metering of the 7 is any better than the metering on the Elan II. Checking the camera's meter against an incident meter revealed that the 7's reflective meter MAY be underexposing about 1 stop in all metering modes. I have not, repeat NOT, tested the 7's meter with slide film yet.

No IR AF assist light.

-- John McCormack (jpmccormac@aol.com), October 30, 2000.

Regarding the lack of infrared assist light: I plan on getting the ST- E2 and just leaving it atop the Elan 7e (and using the 420EX in slave mode).

Wouldn't this combination (7 + ST-E2) provide the same infrared assist benefits at the Elan II? Granted, it's a shame to have to suffer the extra weight and bulk of the ST-E2, but it's a lot less bulky than a flash--and I mostly do available light shooting under low light conditions, so would welcome the much less intrusive infrared assist for focusing.

Dan

-- Dan Honemann (ddh@home.com), October 30, 2000.

Who says the Elan 7 needs an AF assist light? At what low light level does is this needed?

I read a review of the EOS 3 saying it autofocuses fine in light that requires 10 seconds exposure at F2.8 with ASA100 film. And the EOS 3 has no AF assist light.

-- Howard Z (howard@howardz.com), November 01, 2000.

The Elan7/7e is supposed to autofocus in the range of EV1 to EV18. Using ISO 100 film, EV1 = 1 second exposure at F1.4 (low light condition), and EV18 = 1/4000 second exposure at F8 (high light light).

So, if you are in a low light situation and put on your 50mmF1.4 lense, then as long as there is enough light to properly expose your ASA100 film in 1 full second, then there is enough light to AF.

So here you are with your tripod and mirror lockup camera taking a picture, and the light is so bad that you must use a F1.4 lens and set the shutter for one second for ASA 100 film (or 1/8 second for ASA 800 film). Obviously you are not taking pictures of people since they just can't stay perfectly still for 1/8 second. But yet, the AF is supposed to work under this extreme low light condition.

P.S. I am no expert photographer, and currently run around with my nearly 20 year old AE1P. If I am erroneous here, please point it out.

-- Howard Z (howard@howardz.com), November 01, 2000.

Sometimes I feel like I am talking to myself here. Anyways Now that I think more about it, if the lighting is less than EV1, and you are of course using a flash, then it is very possible that the AF will need AF flash assist.

-- Howard Z (howard@howardz.com), November 01, 2000.

I just recieved my 7e and 420EX flash from cameraworld.com, and I am very excited. The main things I like with the camera are:

1. Mirror Lock Up 2. Quick Eye Control Focus 3. DEP AE setting 4. Nice button possitioning

The Flash I like a lot. The model light feature is cool, and both rotate and tilt features. I would have rather had the Elan 7e be able to trigger the wireless feature than have to go get either the transmitter or a 550EX flash.

The one thing I would add to a wish it had this list would be a PC connect for studio strobes.

-- Carl Auer (cauer@patheng.com), November 14, 2000.

Hey all I've been reading up on all you guys coments on the ELAN 7E and am about to get myself one. Through Regencycamera.com? Does anyone know if this place is okay? They have ELAN 7E Kit listed for $529.00 cheapest one I could find. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks alot.

-- Orlando Pabotoy (op3@nyu.edu), December 17, 2000.

Regency are CROOKS!!!!! Copy and paste the following link!! Scrool down to Regency" http://www.photo.net/neighbor/one-subcategory?id=2 The following is my story. I called Regency to order a Canon lens (28-105mm USM). I was quoted $184.99 for grey and $229.99 for the USA version. I requested the USA lens. I was charged 5% for shipping (a bit high) but no biggie. When I received the lens, no USA warrantee card was included. I had been charged for the USA lens but was shipped the grey lens. I contacted the sales person via phone and was told I received the USA lens. I contacted Canon USA and they confirmed it was a grey lens. I then called Regency customer service and got jerked around pretty good. I finally got in touch with a manager in the customer service, and had a good knock down drag out fight. He told me to ship the lens back (at my expense) and would not be reimbursed the shipping charges either way. When I contacted Canon USA, they assured me with a grey market Canon product, they would repair it with only a sales receipt (FYI Nikon won't). I was happy to keep the grey lens know knowing this. I simply told the manager at Regency, "OK I will contact my C.C. company and stop payment (DON'T EVER EVER USE A DEBIT CARD!!!). He now had realized I was in the drivers seat. He stated he would issue a refund of $45.00. I then told him it's $47.25 (5% shipping)! He agreed and sure enough I received the refund. I have been in the Automobile business for most of my life and know all too well about bait and switch. I don't get intimidated!! If a meek mild mannered had this experience, it may have turned out much differently.

-- John W. (canon35mm@hotmail.com), December 17, 2000.