dncswknivs's Full Review: Canon EOS Elan IIE Film Camera
The Canon Elan IIE is one of the most versatile midrange cameras. It is, in my opinion, the best "amateur," or non-professional, camera.
Its main features lend themselves mostly to creative composing. The relatively high range of shutter speeds (anywhere from 30 seconds to 1/3000 second) are flexible for many environments. Four creative modes (landscape, macro, portrait, and sports) are accompanied by single-control features which allow one to control shutter speed and aperture individually while automating the other settings. This can be useful if you don't want to switch over to the full manual setting.
The camera has a 9 field metering system which is adequate for an amateur. It also has a depth-of-focus setting allowing pictures with drastic differences in foreground and background to be in focus simultaneously.
Perhaps the most creative feature of the camera is its patented Eye Control--a feature that will set the user back $200 over the lower model, the Elan II. This feature allows the user to calibrate the camera to his eye. When framing a picture and desiring the focal point to be off-center, all the user has to do is look in the field he wants in focus and depress the shutter button halfway to lock the focus.
For users that are amateur, bordering professional, the camera can present some frustrating situations. One is the slower shutter speeds (sub 1/3000 sec) which are inadequate for any high-speed photography like sporting events, aviary and racing shots. Another is the shutter response time (the time in takes the camera to activate the shutter from when the button is depressed). Again, for extra fast sports pictures this can be a problem.
A booster drive cannot be added to improve shutter response on the Elan IIE, neither can the slave flashes be used (only the IR, not the RF). Otherwise the camera is very versatile, light, easy-to-use and fun to show off to friends. The battery has been incredible--I've taken over 35 roles of film (the battery also powers the flash element and the autofocus!) on one lithium battery!
The following comments are based upon over two years of ownership--hundreds of roles shot, traveling to four different countries, and using the camera in various weather conditions.
I've had my camera in action for over two years in almost every condition possible. I've shot in pouring rain and blazing sun. I've shot in salt-water environments (in fact I've even fallen off a boat and somehow managed to keep the camera above water with only minimal splashage). I've had sand cake my camera and sweat pour all over it. Yet, every day I use it, I continue to find that the motors and servos respond quickly, the battery life is consistent, the lens (with the aid of a 58mm UV filter which I invest for every single lens I own) has remained free of scratches and continues to produce clear compositions. Owning the camera has been a learning experience, and any bad photos haven't been a product of a poorly-made piece of equipment, but rather my own operating and composition. The Canon ElanIIE continues to be an exciting camera to use, producing terrific results.
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