My husband and I am looking for a good consumer camera/lens pair. We am not a beginner photographers at this point although we plan to pursue it as a hobby more seriously in the near future. For now, We are looking for a good camera that we can take on trips and get great photographs out of for a long time. We debating whether to go with a Rebel 2000 (more likely choice) VS a Elan 7 which we understand is a better choice for professional/sports photographers. Would we get more out of the Elan 7 regardless? We also leaning towards the 28-105 Lens because of its features (the FT manual focus, the design of the USM etc). Is that a good lens match up for either one of the cameras? Please help!

-- PK (priya@yahoo.com), April 22, 2002

Answers

It's a very good lens for either camera - reasonably light and compact, and optically quite good.

The Elan not only beats the Rebel in top speed but also in the ability to take manual control. It's a better choice if you plan on moving beyond snapshots, but of course you'll pay a bit more and end up with a heavier camera to carry around. You can find feature comparisons elsewhere (e.g. at www.photozone.de).

-- Steve Dunn (steved@ussinc.com), April 22, 2002.

The EOS REBEL 2000 or its replacment, the EOS KISS III L is targetted at entry-level photographers. The Elan 7 is targeted at the enthusiast level. Both are good, capable consumer camera bodies.

The Professional bodies, as defined by Canon Professional Services, are the EOS 3 and EOS 1V and up.

-- Julian Loke (elan7e-owner@yahoogroups.com), April 22, 2002.

The new EOS Kiss IIIL is very cute, but the Elan 7E is more capable and durable camera if you decide to get more serious about photography in the future. If you're interested in more detailed information, I wrote a review of the Elan 7E at

http:// alaike.lcc.hawaii.edu/frary/elan7e.htm

Aloha

-- Puppy Face (doggieface@aol.com), April 23, 2002.

Thank you all so much for your responses. Thanks for the website Steve, that was very helpful. But visiting that site's FAQ page did raise another issue: Does anyone know of any compatibilty problems b/w the lens and either one of the cameras? Also, does anyone have suggestions on where to get good deals on these cameras/lenses - online or offline? :))) We saw a great deal on an Elan 7 at this website calles etronics.com but some of the reviews for that site werent so great. But then, if its too good to be true, it probably is, right? Anybody heard of them? Anyother good sites?

-- PK (priya@yahoo.com), April 23, 2002.

I usually order from Adorama, they're easily one of the better sites out there. Plus, they support photo.net.

-- Steven Fisher (steven_fisher@hotmail.com), April 23, 2002.

Does anyone know of any compatibilty problems b/w the lens and either one of the cameras?

The compatibility problems are with third-party lenses; genuine Canon lenses don't have these problems. The 28-105 will work with any EOS body from the very first to the very latest.

As for where to buy, most of the camera vendors you'll see advertising in the backs of magazines have, to be charitable, somewhat spotty reputations. Your shopping question is answered at http://www.photo.ne t/equipment/where-to-buy.

-- Steve Dunn (steved@ussinc.com), April 23, 2002.

There are links to more reviews (favourable and not-favourable) than you can point a stick at:
 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/elan7e/links

-- Julian Loke (elan7e-owner@yahoogroups.com), April 23, 2002.

The Rebel 2000 has a manual mode, just like the Elan 7. A lot of people seem to have a problem with the way lower-end cameras handle manual control with one dial. I use manual all the time on my Rebel 2000 and don't have a problem with it.

My suggestion is to try them both out and see which one "feels" right. Both are capable bodies with personalities all their own.

-- Kurt Weiske (maildrop@kataan.org), April 23, 2002.

I have a Rebel 2000 and love it but I would not be as happy if it were my ONLY camera. It's two main faults are the dark viewfinder and the lack of a mirror lock-up. I don't have an Elan 7 but it is a step up from the Rebel with a real prism in the viewfinder (instead of mirrors) and probably has the mirror lock-up. The Elan is not a professional body, it's a mid-range body. The Rebel is an entry level camera. For someone who is not a beginner, the Elan 7 may be a more useful camera. I bought the Rebel because I wanted a small, lightweight body I could use to supplement my other EOS cameras.

The EF 28-105/3.5-4.5 is a good all around lens. It was one of the first Canon lenses I bought when I went to the EOS system a few years ago. It's quite useful and I still use it occasionally. There is no compatibility issue with Canon EF lenses on Canon EOS bodies. All Canon EF lenses are designed to work with EOS bodies, past, present and future. The problem is with lenses made by other manufacturers and, even then, it's only with some lenses on some EOS models.

I buy everything from B&H in New York. Go to www.bhphotovideo.com and look over their website. I have always ordered online since I got a computer. As far back as the mid to late 1980's, I ordered from them by phone. This is a well respected company and the largest photo dealer in the USA. Their prices tend to be very good but may be a bit higher than some of the less well respected companies with big ads in Popular Photography. I am willing to pay a bit more due to B&H's excellent service. Their website notes items that are out of stock or special order items--something other websites do not inform you about. They also ship all orders Fed Ex. I usually order on a Sunday and have my order at my home in Louisiana by the following Thursday. Some orders have been received by Tuesday. B&H also has great film prices.

Enjoy your new Canon equipment!

-- Lee (Leemarthakiri@sport.rr.com), April 24, 2002.

Update: I bought a Rebel 2000 and 28-105 a few weeks ago, and have shot a few rolls through it. The pair works well together, but the lens is a little heavy (13 oz.) for the body (12 oz.!). If you have bigger hands, the BP-200 battery pack makes it much easier to hold.

As someone who has spent a couple of years shooting with a variety of rangefinders and a Canon FD SLR for some time, I should take exception to the people who automatically dismiss the Rebel 2000 as not acceptable for "serious" photographers. There are some shortcomings as mentioned, like the mirror prism, no mirror lockup, etc. To each their own - I've found that I take much better pictures when I actually have my camera with me. I'm much more apt to take my 480 g package (Rebel 2000 body, 50mm 1.8 II lens) with me and capture a photo than if I had a heavy kit with me.

The only thing that makes me pause with this camera is the polycarbonate lens mount. I'm careful to put the lenses on carefully, and don't strain the mount by leaning the camera/lens on it. But, treating a camera carefully isn't a bad idea, anyways. I got 20 years out of an AE-1 that way...

-- Kurt Weiske (kweiske@kataan.org), May 05, 2002.