Is EOS 650 a good buy?

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Canon EOS FAQ forum : One Thread

I am an amateur/ bit advanced living in Amman, Jordan. I would like to purchase a camera to use eventually for commercial/photojournalism purposes. As you can imagine the choices of cameras here are limited. I've been offered a used EOS 650, a used F-1 Cannon and a used F-3 nikon. I was going for the EOS at first, but then when I read your review of that specific model, I felt it would be a bad investment. Please advise me, there are not many places here to seek this kind of advice. Thank you.

-- r kayyali (ramak@nol.com.jo), January 06, 1999

Answers

Response to help

The 650 isn't a bad camera, it's just that it's a couple of generations old, meaning somewhat slower autofocus, somewhat less sophisticated metering etc. On the other hand it's solidly built on a metal sub-chasis, unlike the all plastic bodies of the Elan and A2.

My review of the 650 in the FAQ probably suggested it wasn't a particularly good buy, but that was given the alternative of a 630 or newer EOS models. It's a good camera, but lacks some of the features of the 630, 10s, Elan etc. I didn't mean to suggest the 650 was a poor camera, just that there are better EOS models available. At the right price there's nothing wrong with a 650. Think of it as a tool, not an investment. All the lenses you buy for it will work perfectly well on any newer EOS body you may buy in the future.

It all depends on whether you need AF and what your alternatives are, how easy lenses are to find in Jordan etc. The Nikon gives you the option of a huge range of manual focus Nikon lenses, on the other hand the 650 gives you AF, which may be very useful, depending on the type of work you intend to do. In the end you have to figure out what's important to you.

-- Bob Atkins (bobatkins@hotmail.com), January 06, 1999.


Firstly, I would like to offer my condolences on the loss of King Hussein. I met His Majesty and Queen Noor when they visited my uni way back in 89/90 (I think), and I thot he was truly a great statesman, yet a very sincere and caring gentleman.

As to your Q about the 650: It's a great camera. Being the first EOS camera, a lot of the technology is outdated but still very usable. And EOS lenses are abundant. As Bob suggested, if u can get the 630, so much the better.

Having said that, the F3 is a solid camera as well, and if the F3 and the 630 are in the same price range, u might want to consider the F3, since it's pretty well sealed and Nikon lenses have a fine reputation. They may cost a bit more, but something made in the 70s will still fit your F3 today.

I personally would avoid the F-1 unless FD lenses are easy to come by where u live. The body is great, but not having a ready source of decent FD lenses and F1 accessories may be a problem.

Hope that helps.

-- Raymond Ang (r_ang@pacific.net.sg), February 19, 1999.


Hi,

The EOS 650 can be obtained at S$330 (US$194) second-hand and in good condition in Singapore.

Given the choice of the three cameras you stated, I would go for the EOS 650 for the fact that it is AF. But like what Mr Atkins said, the EOS 630 will be a better bet. It costs only about S$50 (US$29.40) more than the EOS 650.

-- Tan Chung (tanchung@tanchung.com), April 13, 1999.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ