Rebel 2000 - does it support the USM function?

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

I'd like to buy a beginner's Canon outfit in the next few months and am currently comparing the Nikons vs. the Minoltas, etc., I'd like to buy at least 2 cameras - maybe 1 higher end and a less expensive second. So I find myself considering the Rebel 2000 - which has an impressive feature set given the price.

My question is about whether or not it supports the USM function (which is one of the most attractive things about Canon). On the Canon website it mentions "full compatibility with EF lenses" but of course does not mention all of the things the Rebel 2000 CANNOT do...I understand EF and USM lenses are not the same thing. The concept of full time manual focussing is attractive to me so I wonder...

Also, I keep hearing about "polycarbonate lens mount." Should I care?

-- juan (juan_deflume@hotmail.com), September 10, 2000

Answers

Oh yes - I forgot to ask --- in phillip greenspun's review of the rebel G he complains about the fact that you must use the same control wheel to control both the aperture and shutter. I like to shoot manual a lot - has this been made easier in the Rebel 2000 (since it is a newer camera, right?). thanks juan

-- juan (juan_deflume@hotmail.com), September 10, 2000.

The USM lenses will work with any lens in the Canon line-up. Make sure you get the lenses with ring USM, not micro-motor USM(see the article in photo-net about "When is USM not USM?" or something to that effect). A good choice if you're looking for kind of an all- purpose zoom would be the 28-105 or the 28-135 IS. Some people have questioned the durability of polycarbonate(i.e., plastic) lens mounts, however, the general consensus is that they should stand up to all but pro use. The other thing to consider is that most of the lenses that have this mount are low-end zooms that you would do well to avoid annyway. The only exception to this might be the 50/1.8 which is built pretty cheaply, but is supposed to have very good optics and is probably the cheapest EF lens Canon makes. Hope this helps, Jim

-- jim simon (jsimon724@aol.com), September 10, 2000.

The USM functionis in the lens, not the body. Thus, they will work on any canon EOS body, as noted above.

I would not worry about the plastic mounts, unless you are careless with your equipment or plan to save money by using the camera as a camera and a hammer, saving the 15 bucks for a hammer.

-- Chris Gillis (chris@photogenica.net), September 10, 2000.


With the aperture and shutter controled by the same wheel, the Rebel has you push a second button to do one or the other. It becomes second nature after a bit of learning. I think it is a nice set-up and used it effectively on my Rebel when I had it. I would not call it a short-coming at all, just a different way of doing soemthing.

-- Chris Gillis (chris@photogenica.net), September 10, 2000.

If you shoot manual mode, then your choice is made: get at least an Elan II. The Rebel is just too painful in manual mode. The photo.net review wasn't kidding.

A couple notes which may or may not apply to what you're doing: the Rebels can't do flash exposure compensation without a 550EX nor exposure lock without going to partial metering. There are also numerous other smaller things, like custom functions.

-- Steven Fisher (srf@srf.com), September 11, 2000.



What the Rebel can't do is move the focus activation to a button other than the shutter button. All the rest of the current EOS cameras do that with a custom function. This is especially nice with USM (ring type) lenses that have Full Time Manual (FTM) focusing. That way you can have AF when you want it and MF when you don't, and you never have to touch the AF/MF switch. With the Rebel every time you press the shutter it tries to refocus before it will fire.

So the answer to your question is; yes, USM functions just fine, as does FTM. But one of the nicest features of FTM (selected use of AF) doesn't. At least not as well as it does with the upscale camera bodies.

-- Jim Strutz (jimstrutz@juno.com), September 11, 2000.


Hmm, the first part of my previous answer seems to have gotten deleted somehow. Anyway, I was saying something about how custom function 4 moves the AF activation to the AE Lock button on upscale bodies (Elan II and up), which makes a great combination when used with FTM capable lenses. Unfortunatly the Rebel series doesn't have that option.

-- Jim Strutz (jimstrutz@juno.com), September 11, 2000.

Their is a problem with the rebel 2000 / EOS 300 and full time manual focus with usm lenses.

You can't select focus method on this camera, so if you adjust the focus the camera migth switch from one-shot mode to "tracking" (or whatever Canon calls it) mode. This means that when you adjust the focus the camera may interpret this as a movement of your object and then it will readjust the focus!

-- Peter Edling (fam.edling@mbox200.swipnet.se), October 05, 2000.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ