Hello All!

My primary interest when looking at cameras is its exposure system. I am looking to purchase the 28-70 2.8 USM and 70-200 2.8 USM, and am now deciding what body to put behind it. If I put film through both the Elan II and 1n and set the slides down on a light table, what differences in exposure would I see, if any (if both were set to Tv or Av)? Bob, I know you use the Elan II...do you have any exposure input? Thanks!

-- james (albanyjim1@aol.com), April 07, 1999

Answers

Response to EOS exposure systems

Hopefully none. Canon cameras have always had a reputation of having good meters. I always thought the Canon T90 was an exposure meter with a camera body tacked on it. If you want to compare exposures, use the settings from a handheld exposure meter that you trust. Shoot some slides with settings from the exposure meter and then shoot some with the camera set meter readings. If you want to get real picky use two rolls of film with the same emulsion number and have them processed at the same time and place. For reference I use the gray card in the Kodak Dataguide.

-- Marcus J. Wilson (marcus.wilson@dtra.mil), April 08, 1999.

Response to EOS exposure systems

The Elan II seems fine to me, but I do use +1/3 stop with it, i.e. I set ISO 80 when using ISO 100 film. Probably the major exposure difference difference between the Elan II and EOS-1n is that the 1n has a true fine spot mode (2.3%), while the Elan II has a "fat spot" (9.5%, called partial metering mode by Canon). Whether the 16 zone evaluative metering mode on the 1n is any better than the 6 zone system on the Elan II is probably debatable much of the time. If it didn't do some good in some situations I don't suppose Canon would bother with it, but I doubt the difference is enough to buy a 1n over an Elan II. There may be many other good reasons (durability for one) to spend the extra $800 or so of course!

-- Bob Atkins (bobatkins@hotmail.com), April 08, 1999.

Response to EOS exposure systems

It's not the differences in exposures, it's the ease with which the exposures are made and the flexibility of the body. The EOS 1N & 3 are more flexible in configuration than the ELAN II, you can attach more accessories to tailor the bodies to your own tastes. The 1N & 3 are more rugged in construction and weather sealed. If you want to use AA's you have 2 options both firm bases to work with as opposed to the ELAN II's battery pack which allows some movement when on a tripod. But if you don't want to carry a 2 pound camera body with a couple of 2-3 pound lenses the ELAN II will save your shoulder and give you some good flexibility.

-- Dave Mitchell (mitchell@effectnet.com), April 09, 1999.