Film Camera Recommendations: Hello fellow hogs, I hope to be upgrading my film camera in the next month or two and I'm looking for opinions. My digital camera is a Canon 5DM3 with an...

Dave Johnson Loc: Grand Rapids, Michigan

Hello fellow hogs, I hope to be upgrading my film camera in the next month or two and I'm looking for opinions. My digital camera is a Canon 5DM3 with an assortment of lenses that I would like to use with a film camera. My current film camera is a Canon AE-1 with it's own set of FD lenses.

I'm leaning toward a Canon EOS 3. Am I leaning in the right direction or is there a better option?

corryhully Loc: liverpool uk

Eos 3 is an excellent camera you will find no problems there.also your ef lens will fit it. The eye control is good fun.

Darkroom317 Loc: Mishawaka, IN

Are you stuck on 35mm?

Dave Johnson Loc: Grand Rapids, Michigan

Darkroom317 wrote:

Are you stuck on 35mm?

Yes I am. I think it would be great to work with large and medium format stuff but that will have to wait as my time is a bit limited at this point in my life. I really don't want to put another iron in the fire right now.

Darkroom317 Loc: Mishawaka, IN

The cost of medium format for the image quality is excellent. What type of photography are you using it for?

amehta Loc: Boston

Dave Johnson wrote:

Hello fellow hogs, I hope to be upgrading my film camera in the next month or two and I'm looking for opinions. My digital camera is a Canon 5DM3 with an assortment of lenses that I would like to use with a film camera. My current film camera is a Canon AE-1 with it's own set of FD lenses.

I'm leaning toward a Canon EOS 3. Am I leaning in the right direction or is there a better option?

How much do you want to spend? Look at KEH to see what the general prices are, and either buy from them or hunt around for a bargain.
http://www.keh.com/Camera/format-35mm/system-Canon-EOS/category-Camera-Bodies?s=1&bcode=CE&ccode=2&cc=2835&r=WG&f

Dave Johnson Loc: Grand Rapids, Michigan

Darkroom317 wrote:

The cost of medium format for the image quality is excellent. What type of photography are you using it for?

A medium format camera will have to wait.

Dave Johnson Loc: Grand Rapids, Michigan

amehta wrote:

How much do you want to spend? Look at KEH to see what the general prices are, and either buy from them or hunt around for a bargain.
http://www.keh.com/Camera/format-35mm/system-Canon-EOS/category-Camera-Bodies?s=1&bcode=CE&ccode=2&cc=2835&r=WG&f

I expect to spend under $300 but that isn't the question. Is the EOS 3 a good choice or is there a better option.

amehta Loc: Boston

Dave Johnson wrote:

I expect to spend under $300 but that isn't the question. Is the EOS 3 a good choice or is there a better option.

I'm not the EOS expert. If you asked for Nikon film bodies, I'd have 3 answers for you, based on price point. :-)

Mainly, I don't know the timing of the various EOS 1 flavors compared to the EOS 3. The EOS 1 was the "pro" body, I believe, while the EOS 3 was a step below that.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

I too recommend finding an EOS 1v body. I grabbed one used off ebay this year along with the power film advancer for less than $700 total including shipping. I was looking at prices in the past few weeks and found they're even less now. You stated a budget that is less than this amount, but a 1-series body will be the one that helps you see the hierarchy of the Canon 1 / 5 / etc series bodies ...

amehta Loc: Boston

CHG_CANON wrote:

I too recommend finding an EOS 1v body. I grabbed one used off ebay this year along with the power film advancer for less than $700 total including shipping. I was looking at prices in the past few weeks and found they're even less now. You stated a budget that is less than this amount, but a 1-series body will be the one that helps you see the hierarchy of the Canon 1 / 5 / etc series bodies ...

KEH has a couple of EOS 1v for $500-600.
http://www.keh.com/Camera/format-35mm/system-Canon-EOS/category-Camera-Bodies?s=1&bcode=CE&ccode=2&cc=2835&r=WG&f

Dave Johnson Loc: Grand Rapids, Michigan

I'm not limited to $300 necessarily, I just expected to pay less than that for an EOS 3. The 1V sounds good but is it worth the extra money. Is the 1N a big step down?

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Dave Johnson wrote:

I'm not limited to $300 necessarily, I just expected to pay less than that for an EOS 3. The 1V sounds good but is it worth the extra money. Is the 1N a big step down?

I've used a lesser grade EOS body (a Rebel G). I can't speak for the 1N that was superceded only by the 1v. Having used also an AE1 and T50 this year during a return to film, the 1v is clearly the final and best 35mm body Canon created before the age of digital.

Dave Johnson Loc: Grand Rapids, Michigan

CHG_CANON wrote:

I've used a lesser grade EOS body (a Rebel G). I can't speak for the 1N that was superceded only by the 1v. Having used also an AE1 and T50 this year during a return to film, the 1v is clearly the final and best 35mm body Canon created before the age of digital.

That's pretty high praise CHG_CANON. So you think its worth it to jump to the 1v over the 3?

amehta Loc: Boston

Dave Johnson wrote:

That's pretty high praise CHG_CANON. So you think its worth it to jump to the 1v over the 3?

Looking at some comparisons, the most obvious differences seem to be AF speed and build quality. Are those worth a few hundred dollars? I think that comes down to how much you think you'll use it.

I went through a similar process when I got a Nikon 35mm SLR, because the ones I had did not work with the "G" lenses that I was getting. (Nikon giveth, Nikon taketh away; Canon taketh away, Canon giveth.) I was deciding between the F100 and the F5. As cool as it would be to have an F5, I knew I wasn't going to shoot sports on film, it was going to be things like landscapes, so I went with the smaller and cheaper F100. One difference, though, is that the EOS 1V is newer than the F5, but older than the F6 which was out of my range. So you may find a bigger quality difference between the EOS 1V and the EOS 3 than I had between the F5 and F100. Either way, you'll be really happy if you use it, and wondering why you bothered if you don't. :-)
http://photonotes.org/reviews/1-1n-3-1v/