Customer Reviews

Canon EOS Elan 7ne 35mm SLR Camera Kit with 28-105mm Lens

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I am enjoying my new Canon EOS Elan. I find it comfortable to hold and easy to use. I have not yet had the opportunity to try out all the features, but the few films I have exposed in auto mode and had developed satisfy my needs at this point. The rewind mechanism is VERY quiet which is nice if you plan to use the camera at a public event.

I bought this camera in 2002 (when it was the Elan 7e), the only difference is body texture, lit display, and a slightly faster autofocuser. The camera works great and the pictures are great. It takes 4 fps. I don't use this camera anymore since going digital with my EOS 40D but if I would recommend a film camera at a good price, this would be the camera. If you still use film, this is a camera that is hard to beat at the price.

My daughter started a photography class and needed a film camera to learn the basics. After a little research, the best value I found was a used EOS ELAN 7ne. It arrived and worked perfectly, along with a Canon technician certified test and checkout sheet. It uses the same lens as my digital EOS camera, so we can share for awhile. Nice features, easy to use, probably the best pre-digital to come from Canon. I have to admit, I prefer Canon to the others, but other than personal preference and brand loyalty, Canon and Nikon are on the top and the EOS ELAN 7ne is one of the best film cameras around.

I picked up EOS Elan 7NE a few days ago (since it is not available at Amazon I had to order elsewhere), after I noticed that 35mm film cameras in advanced hobbyist/enthusiast range are getting rare, and I'm a dedicated film shooter. I plan using Elan alongside my trusty AE-1's; I just wanted something more modern, with AF etc and what won't brake the bank. 7NE definitely fits the bill; I ordered this body with EF 28mm-105mm f3.5-4.5 II USM lens which is supposed to be significantly better then entry-level 28mm-90mm that comes with available Elan kits at better online camera stores.

Camera is feature-packed; luckily the 100-page small booklet manual is well written and consistent in giving enough info to get you going. I'd like to add that the camera is somewhat bigger then I thought (I'll try to upload a shot of 7NE and AE-1 side by side for size comparison), however size shouldn't be a drawback. Overall it feels solid and is easy to hold, controls are well laid out, and I have overall a good feel about it. I shot a test roll of B&W PlusX with it the other day and it came out decent even on full-auto mode. I also tried the eye-controlled focus, and yes it works as advertised.

BTW, there is large variety of used Elan and EOS bodies available for low prices on auction site, however I wanted to get a spankin new 100% functional & dent-free camera so there wouldn't be any surprises; since the 7NE body is so affordable, why not to buy brand new.

Like many people, I started out with a Canon Rebel XTi and wet my toes with its kit lens for over a year before I felt the need to up to a prime 50mm and a L-series telephoto (70-200 F4).

I was seduced by the myth of having a full frame camera but as a university student, couldn't afford to plunk two grand on a camera body after draining all my resources on the lenses. I decided to have a cheap full frame by buying an ancient Canon Canonet QL17 off ebay and I fell in love with shooting film so much that I brought a refurbished Elan 7e as well.

I went out to do some street photography today and have been using the Elan 7e since March. It has all the features I love on my XTi but in an affordable full-frame 35mm package. Looking through the huge viewfinder is always a pleasure and going back to the dim and narrow viewfinder of the XTi reminds me how much more subject you can fit inside a real 35mm frame. Using film is a pleasure too, I have honestly became a better photographer because I take significantly more time with each shot and I focus more on composition and framing than trying to luck out a shot with the "machine-gun" shutter of digital SLRs.

I use this film camera along with a few others (I have since became a collector of film cameras) for my personal projects and I have since dedicated my XTi for photojournalism and event photos for quick transfer and convenience.

I highly recommend the Elan 7E and it's newer cousin the 7NE as an affordable alternative to the dreamy 5D or the recently announced Nikon D700. And finally, a 50mm is a 50mm and not 80 something.