Canon EOS 1

Author: Canon User, advanced Amateur Date: Sat, Aug 25, '07 at 22:12 CEST
Pro	Very well built. Has many advanced features only wish it had mirror lockup. Nice solid feel and balance in your hands. For it's age it has great and I mean great AF capabilities. Like the lighted LCD panel. Love the Spot Meter.
Contra	Uses expensive sometimes hard to find batteries instead of AAs. Why Canon did this is beyond me. Rubber base plug can get lost easily. Wish it had an on off switch like the T90.
Thoughts	Wish the new Digital SLRs by Canon had half the build quality as does this Camera! Digital SLRs way to much plastic and totally outrageous prices! It's ashame someone doesn't come out with a reasonably priced digital back for this legend! Also Canon needs to come down on the price of it's EF lens and I mean down.
Author: Anon, professional Photographer Date: Sat, Jul 21, '07 at 00:00 CEST
Pro	Solid build, nice control layout.
Contra	Just like the T90 it too has electronic problems. You put in fresh batteries even in the optional power booster (AAs) and all you get is "bc" on the screen! A bunch of hogwash! This problem both with the Eos 1 and T90 are so common that Canon has no excuse for not having done a recall years ago and replaced our cameras with a properly designed one! I myself will never buy another Canon Camera, Film or Digital. They do not back up their products especially at the price we paid for them! Looks like Nikon has a new customer! For Shame Canon!
Thoughts	Canon does not do right by it's loyal customers!
Author: Bevan Donovan, normal Amateur Date: Sat, Jul 23, '05 at 13:01 CEST
Pro	Simple to use if you're familiar with the EOS system Sturdy, well built Its Evaluative metering may only be 6 sigment but it still delivers great results. Has spot metering and other basics of a pro camera
Contra	Almost painfully noisey rewinding of film. Shutter is pretty loud but improves with the addition of the PB-E1 booster. Struggles a bit in low light because of the one focus point.
Thoughts	Old technology the EOS 1 may be but it is still a damn good camera.Get past the contras (unfortunately the niosey rewind would be a problem for me in certain situations, so I sold it) and you will have a reliable, faithful servant that will take great photos
Author: keith, normal Amateur Date: Tue, Dec 23, '03 at 14:57 CET
Pro	very reliable camera though it is over 10 years old. amazing photos due to its pro spec features. very accurate metering with fast AF. with all the functions you need to get great pictures.
Contra	slow focus for dark area with slow lens.
Thoughts	I bought it used in excellent conditions. It never let me down. A much love camera which makes me will not go back to those cheapie plastic toys. Altough without those multifocus points, which actually might not affect your final picture quality, I love it.
Author: Thomas, advanced Amateur Date: Thu, Jul 3, '03 at 16:26 CEST
Pro	Have almost all the features of the T90 despite beeing a auto focus camera. Have manual mode which T90 lacks.
Contra	Autofocus sensor a bit slow in dark conditions with zoom lenses (i.e. darker than 2,8 best aperture). Lacks T90's flash magic features.
Thoughts	Sturdy, fast to work with. Functions mostly same as or similar to T90 which I am used to (15 years - two T90's). No nonsense, sturdy camera.
Author: Nick Grasso, normal Amateur PHOTO GALLERY Date: Fri, Jan 17, '03 at 18:09 CET
Pro	HEAVY! The feel of this camera is something that almost CANNOT be matched. Fast AF, Fast motordrive (5.5fps)w/PB-E2, 1/8000-30sec plus bulb, reliable metering for it's age, PC terminal, 1/250 x-sync!!!
Contra	It is LOUD!! Not only is the shutter loud when you take a picture, but the film rewind scares away any living organisms within a mile radius, but then again i'm used to canons quietest camera (Elan 7).
Thoughts	Definatley a step or two up from the Elan 7. The construction, flash sync, film advance, and the FEEL! i could care less about having 989598 AF points, because i focus manually. Definately a bang for your buck.
Author: Andrew, advanced Amateur Date: Fri, Sep 6, '02 at 16:33 CEST
Pro	fast AF, very solid build quality, handling
Contra	not accurate AF in dark places, one AF point
Thoughts	I bought EOS 1 with PB-E1 two weeks ago and I'am impressed by this camera. It's old but very very good; as good as some new pro class SLR's. I like fast AF and it's weight.
Author: Sumanta Mukherjee, normal Amateur Date: Sat, Aug 24, '02 at 06:09 CEST
Pro	Too good to be true for an amateur like me. It is a dream come true. Tremendous feeling when you take it in your hand. Really it hums "do what you want to do, but do the best, 'cause I am the best". AF is still competitive. Working with it is very easy. But Lenses should be good & preferably light, then cg & operabilty increases.
Contra	No command dial on vertical grip.
Thoughts	True friend of a photographer.
Author: Hamid Date: not recorded
Pro	Solid Built, good autofocus, other than miror lockup, has every thing a serious photographer need.
Contra	Base plate is cheep polycorbonate, no miror lockup, auto focus hunts in low light especialy with slow lenses. Flash photo graphy in P mode is very poor.
Thoughts	I recently purchased 2 Eos 1s, I have 2 Eos 5s, thae base plate of both are cracked from tripod use. So I was curious to see if the base plate of eos 1 is metal, but no cheep plastic, with the booster it shouldn't be a problem but without it.., I don't know. Any way after using it I will never go back to eos 5, it feels simply great and it takes graet pictures, if you know how to use it.
Author: Tom Baumgartner Date: not recorded
Pro	Good Af speed, excellent build quality, first rate ergonomics, just the right size for people with large hands or people who are left eyed.
Contra	Somethimes has trouble focusing with slower lenses (ie f3.5-5.6) in reduced light. Need to buy extra grip to be able to use AA batteries
Thoughts	Recently purchesed used, very satisfied with fetures and performance. Excellent choice and value compared to newer plastic cameras that only have fetures that you don't need and don't have the quality ruggedness and feel of the eos 1
Author: Sam Date: not recorded
Pro	Fast AF with fast lenses. Superb build quality. Very bright viewfinder. Sealed.
Contra	Slow and relatively unreliable AF with slow speed lenses. No mirror lock-up.
Thoughts	Why go for a new mid class body when just can get this marvel at the same price ? Dunno ... :-)
Author: Gerardo Lopez Romero Date: not recorded
Pro	need user guide to a canon eos1.
Contra	need user guide to a canon eos1.
Thoughts	i neethe the user guide from canpon eos1 vcan you help me my mal is [email protected] tanks
Author: Dave Grabbe Date: not recorded
Pro	Solid camera worth its weight in gold. Great motor drive. One of the best cameras I've ever owned.
Contra	Replaced by EOS 1N/RS Not made anymore. Thats about it.
Thoughts	I've been on both sides of the Nikon/Canon fence. Started with the Nikon F3HP, tried the Canon T90 which blew away the Nikon F3HP. I then picked up a Canon A2 which worked fine but had an appetite for batteries. I then picked up a Nikon F4S which as many people have said, "Is Nikons' best "manual" focus camera built. I would agree with that. The autofocus was quite a bit behind the power curve. I finally purchased a used Canon EOS 1 in mint condition. All I can say is, "What a camera!!". This is by far, the best camera I have ever owned. Havent tried the Canon EOS 3 yet. I'm sure if I do, it will probably win me over. The EOS 1 just has "that feeling" when you put it in your hands.... For the time being, this is one heckuva camera.
Author: jan degen Date: not recorded
Pro	best handling in the top class, better then nicon or minolta, itīs a working toll with no rubbish
Contra	itīs hungry, it is the best to put on the booster and use aa size rechargebels
Thoughts	i have bought it in the first moment when it cames to the market and still used this lady till today for pro work
Author: unknown (legacy entry) Date: not recorded
Pro	Extremely sturdy compact metal body. Fine spotmeter. 100% viewfinder. Interchangeable focusing screens (Ec-L is particularly nice). Great ergonomics. DOF preview button. PC terminal. Most quiet mirror/shutter operation in EOS 1/3 camera series (except EOS 1V. 1RS has no moving mirror). Backlit LCD. Absolutely reliable metering. 1/3-1/2 variable exposure compensation. Very good normal light AF performance, even by modern standards.
Contra	No eye-relief in the viewfinder. Two in-finder displays are difficult to read at the same time. Waist-level finder is not available.
Thoughts	Honestly, I'd recommend EOS 1 as a starter camera to anyone willing to shoot seriously with Canon gear. EOS 1 has a jinn inside that tells you "Trust me. Just tell me what you want me to do to and I'll do it for you". It is that dependable. Due to considerable weight and soft mirror action, EOS 1 fits very well for avaiable light shooting. Camera is very easy to operate, all controls fall directly under fingertips. In other words - shooting with EOS 1 is fun and results are beautiful. EOS has A-TTL flash control, which in theory is inferior to more sophisticated E-TTL. In practice, it works quite well if you have an idea what to do. Designers put an enormous reserve of reliability in these cameras, so EOS 1's will actually outlast most brand-new middle range cameras. Used EOS 1 in excellent condition is pretty easy to find for less than $450-470.
Author: unknown (legacy entry) Date: not recorded
Pro	An absolute tank - metal body, sealed. No worries even in hard conditions. Super bright viewfinder. Precise AF even in low light. Still pretty fast.
Contra	On the noisy side (motor). Fine ergonomics in general but I wish that bracketing would be selectable with the top buttons rather than multiple exposure. A-TTL outdated. No mirror-lockup.
Thoughts	At around 600 Euro for a used model in mint condition this camera is a brutal bargain that I even prefer to the EOS 30. It just feels better if you do lots of backpacking where the body can get a punch or two.
Author: unknown (legacy entry) Date: not recorded
Pro	-
Contra	-
Thoughts	All I can say I love this !! I just sold my EOS 5 and buy this model
Author: unknown (legacy entry) Date: not recorded
Pro	-
Contra	-
Thoughts	This is an excellent body, never had any problem with it. Metering is astonishing if you know what you do. As with any other camera body - the better you know it the better pictures you take and this one lets you get to know it gracefully! Don't try to become a show/concert shooter - autofocus doesn't work but autofocus is really only thing that's far from perfect
Author: unknown (legacy entry) Date: not recorded
Pro	-
Contra	-
Thoughts	I recently purchased an eos1 and I must say I am impressed by it's weight and contour. It is a tough pro camera and has much to offer if you don't want to get too sophisticated and go nuts with program modes. I had looked into all sorts of cameras before including the eos 5/a2 but it was just too plasticky and I wanted a heavier camera. So far the photos I,ve gotten from this one have been outstanding. I finally have a camera that fits my needs and can withstand the torture of any type of travel.
Author: unknown (legacy entry) Date: not recorded
Pro	-
Contra	-
Thoughts	I did the same downgrade i.e. from a recently purchased EOS 5 to a EOS 1. I never regretted this decision. Besides a good solid feel that is typical of the EOS 1 family i.e. EOS 1N and EOS 1V, it is packed with features that I find most useful. A bright viewfinder (as bright as the EOS 3) along with a cross split screen makes macro-photography a much easier task. With a very short shutter release lag time, it is more responsive compared to the EOS 5 and EOS 50 which I used to own. Overall, I rate it a winner.
Author: unknown (legacy entry) Date: not recorded
Pro	-
Contra	-
Thoughts	What a tank! I "downgraded" to the EOS 1 from an EOS 5 in order to get a more solid camera. So far I do not regret this step though feature-wise and in terms of AF speed the EOS 5 is the better camera. For my kind of photography the AF still certainly fast enough. The ergonomic design could be better (e.g. for changing the metering modes and AEB) but it just feels great.