I have seen a new EOS body advertised with a retailer in the UK called the EOS 55. It seems to fit below the EOS 30 (Elan 7e), and looks like it has some nice features from the image I've seen on the Japanese Canon website, including an infra-red AF assist of all things! I also guessed from the Japanese site that it has 2.5 fps film advance, and overall the camera looks very similar to the EOS 50. This is definately a brand new body, and not another name for any other body.

See - http://www.canon-sales.co.jp/camera/eos/55/index-j.html

What is interesting is that it will put Canons series of '3' models out of sync in the UK, ie EOS 3, 30, (55), 300 and 3000.

Does anyone know anymore about this model?

-- Sam Hassall (samhassall@aol.com), December 07, 2001

Answers

The EOS-55 is the same as EOS-50 (Europe) and Elan II but with additional panorama function (13x36mm). This camera has been released in Japan in September 1995. You can find more info at http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/1992- 1996/data/1995_eos55.html

-- Martin (uboot67@yahoo.com), December 07, 2001.

ECF, too. I can't read the text, but it looks as if this has a pop-up flash with E-TTL! About time! ***

-- Rod (rod.nygaard@boeing.com), December 07, 2001.

That url didn't work for me. I went to http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/ and selected details of Camera, then EOS series, then Japan from the dropbox. Scrolled down to EOS 55.

It does look like the same camera. I saw E-TTL on the description for the pop-up flash on the page orignally referenced and perhaps jumped to the wrong conclusion. False alarm?

-- Rod (rod.nygaard@boeing.com), December 07, 2001.

Sorry, there is an extra blank in the link which comes from the response form. Copy the link to your browser and delete anything between 1992- and 1996 (if you use IE you have to delete %20). Than it works.

-- Martin (uboot67@yahoo.com), December 07, 2001.

>I saw E-TTL on the description for the pop-up flash on the page orignally referenced and perhaps jumped to the wrong conclusion. False alarm?

I don't think Canon has ever released a camera which uses E- TTL for the internal flash.

As noted, the EOS 55 is indeed just the EOS 50E/Elan IIE, only for the Japanese market. It has the useless panorama feature, only comes with ECF and was also available in black. So if you like the 50E/IIE but didn't like the ugly silver/black colour, the black version of this model might be for you!

-- NK Guy (tela@tela.bc.ca), December 07, 2001.

The Japanese model EOS 55 (in aluminium/black "alu-noir") was also available in France. Alas, it is not "upcoming", but "outgoing", having been replaced by the EOS 30, which is quieter, lighter, faster, sturdier, and easier to use.

The EOS 55 falls in the same "family" as the EOS 1n, 5, 50, 55, 500, 500N, 5000.

Neil is correct in pointing out that E-TTL metering was introduced into the Canon EOS system with the EOS 50 / 55, but but there exists one EOS camera with an E-TTL popup flash: the EOS D30. Apparently TTL flash metering does not work reliably off CCD or CMOS sensors.

Cheers

-- Julian Loke (elan7e-owner@yahoogroups.com), December 08, 2001.