Hi. i would like to buy an EOS camera...but being a beginner i am not sure which to go for! have been doing a little research and have narrowed my options down to the 300 and 50e (elanII). But i hear that the 50e is being upgraded/replaced to the elan 7. Which would be the best one for a beginner?! Any other suggestions would be helpful! Thanx eshan

-- Eshan Baurhoo (eshman1@yahoo.com), November 17, 2000

Answers

The 300/Rebel 200 replaced the 500N/Rebel G and the 30/Elan 7 replaced the 50/Elan II. The 5000 became the 3000 and the 5 became the 3 but the 5/A2 is still available at least for now. Some people don't believe that the 3 is really the upgrade to the 5, but that's a completely different argument.

The 300 is a great little camera. Very small and light, and it's loaded with great features. The 50e is a bit older and in some ways has been surpassed by the 300 (more AF points, more metering areas) but the 50e still has eye controlled AF point selection (the 50 does not) a faster flash shutter sync, flash exposure compensation and a faster motor. It's also considerably easier to opperate in manual mode and even a bit easier in Av & Tv modes. The 300 combines a few functions that the 50 does not ( for instance, semi-spot metering is combined with exposure lock). The 50 also has several custom function that are often helpful like moving the AF operation to the AE lock button.

I'm of the opinion that the 50/Elan II is a much better camera for a beginner and for anybody else. But especially for beginners since its control layout is more intuitive and manual control is better supported. That way you're likely to learn more.

-- Jim Strutz (jimstrutz@juno.com), November 18, 2000.

We're almost in the same situation - choosing between Rebel 2000 and Elan 7e. The Rebel 2000 is half the price and almost have all the features the Elan 7e has. However, the Elan 7e has mirror lock-up, stronger body construction, and faster shutter speed and flash sync. I'm gearing more towards the Elan 7e mainly because of its mirror lock-up capability and smart flash sync(w/ 420EX or 550EX).

-- F. Domingo (j30a@hotmail.com), December 22, 2000.

All EOS cameras from the very first up to the current models have basically the same features - Progarm, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, manual and the PIC modes found on the mid and lower level cameras. These are the most basice features that you will need for general photography. Personally I feel that I can do without the other features (auto exposure bracketing, selectable AF etc). With the AF capabilities, I am quite happy with the 3 point AF. Have never needed selectable AF nor any of the other more complicated AF features. I guess what is most important is your budget since I feel that all EOS cameras would work well. I read in one photo magazine that the high end (EOS1,3, A2) are just as capable of taking great photos as the lower end EOS models. The only difference would be in the durability since pros tend to rough up their equipment. Now if you're an ordinary guy like me who will give tender loving care to your camera, then I don't see any reason why you should not go for the cheaper EOS models and spend the rest of your money on lenses and flash units. Whatever EOS model you get, I would highly advice the use of a separate battery pack. Batteries for EOS can be expensive and hard to find if you are out in the country but the AA batteries used with the Battery Packs can be found anywhere. I myself use ni-cad batteries on my EOS. I like the convenience of being able to recharge these when needed. I find the built in flash units to be a bit limited (range of up to only 3 meters) so I would suggest a shoe mounted flash for greater range and flexibility. Hope this helps.

-- Ramon Jalandoni (jrj@pacific.net.ph), January 02, 2001.

I advise against getting a Rebel usually because they're so painful (no rear control dial -- horrible in manual mode, or even Av & Tv) and the metering modes are so limited (for example, you have to use partial metering if you want exposure lock).

-- Steven Fisher (srf@srf.com), January 02, 2001.