Tag Archives: eos

Canon EOS IX7 (aps)

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I have a heap of APS film and it is all out of date. What I need is a camera that allows me to select the ISO. Hello IX7. It was released in 1998 and it was a bugger to find anything about it on the net that had any useable details. I did find some technical details in Polish.

Using it reminded me of the Canon EOS 300 I have just tried. In fact, I even used the same lens on both cameras. The mode dial for both cameras is exactly the same. The only thing missing on this one was the multiple exposure function, shame as that would have been interesting.

I found using the camera easy, very intuitive. It did have a plastic feel to it, but it had a very pleasing look. I loaded it with Kodak Advantix 100 and set it to 25.

Here are some of the shots from that experience. I won’t subject you to the full roll as they are truly awful. APS film is really hit and miss, and this one was a big fat miss.

Sometimes I try to salvage films with a colour cast by changing it to black and white. With this film, it didn’t do much to improve anything, but it is interesting to see the results.

The next film I tried was a Centurian 200 which expired in 2005. I shot it at 80.

Wow, that came out much better. I did like using the camera, it responded well to everything I asked of it. The weight was comfortable, again comparable to the EOS 300. With fresh film, it would be outstanding. With the ever depleting film stock and my lack of funds, I probably will not be buying any APS film in the future, the prices are shooting up. The remainder I do have will more than likely be used with this camera due to the ISO function. The price of processing is quite reasonable though. I used Picture Lizard to develop these and it was just as cheap as 35mm colour, they did a good job too.

Canon EOS 300 (EOS Rebel 2000, EOS Kiss III)

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I was expecting to write a scathing review of this plastic camera from 1999 but I loved it. Another camera I love and a cheap one at that. I can’t even remember where I got this one from so it must have been really cheap. I think I got it in order to use the one EOS lens I have.

You can find technical details here. The first thing I noticed and liked was that it loaded all the film into the body of the camera and then counted down as you used it. I always like that, easy. It was also really quiet, barely a peep out of it. But the main thing I liked was the weight and feel. It is very light and surprisingly pleasant to hold. It won’t hurt your neck on a long walk. Also, you may think it is going to be very plasticky, but the two-tone material on the front of the body actually makes it feel nice in your hand.

In terms of modes, it has all the modes you might ever need. It has iso override, bracketing, presets, manual, aperture priority, speed priority and can take multiple exposures.

As you can see by the photos of the camera, I took it on a walk in the countryside and Bingley Five Rises Locks. I am going to try and take photos of the cameras I use where I use them. I might forget, but that is the plan.

Here are the shots I got using some donated Kodak Ekta 100.

I think I might keep this one, I need something to put on the lens.

Canon EOS 700 QD

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Gosh, this felt like a heavy camera. This great blog says the camera is from 1990 and has a very heavy plasticky feel. I agree. That blog has all the technical details you could ever need including descriptions of all the different modes, and there are a lot of modes. Have a look at the selection dial.

There is even a mode for panning, I haven’t seen that before. When I put the film into the camera it wound all of it into the place that usually takes up the film. That meant every time you took a shot, the camera wound it back into the canister. I like that, it means if you accidentally open the back, most of the shots taken are safe.

With so many modes it was difficult to remember them all. This is one of those cameras you have to use a lot to get fully familiar with it and to know when to change modes. I tended to stick to the “P” mode which is the intelligent program mode. Due to the area, I was testing the camera in I did use the landscape mode sometimes.

One feature I really loved was the switch on the side to turn the automatic flash on and off. It was easy to see and simple to use, no pressing buttons and rotating through modes.  In auto mode, the flash pops up when needed and automatically retracts after. Really the only thing I didn’t like about this camera was the weight. Even with the shorter, light lens, it felt really heavy.

I took the camera on a scoot up a mountain. Here are my test shots.

It was a really bright day, the Fujifilm handled it very well. Plus the camera’s intelligent program also coped very well. It chose to use the flash a few times and the resulting flash did not overpower the image. In fact, you might find it hard to tell which shots used the flash. The image of Ebisu and the image of the lion’s butt both used the flash. I think it is a great camera, but get a very comfortable strap if you want to carry it around.

Keep or Sell: The camera can be found quite cheaply on eBay. The weight would make it expensive to post anywhere for a reasonable price. I will have to ponder it…I gave it to a friend.

Canon EOS Kiss (or EOS 500 or EOS Rebel X/XS)

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Gosh, this camera has a lot of names, but in Japan, it is a Kiss. I find a million of these in junk bins, I just had to try one while I had the chance. They are as cheap as chips, plus I already had a lens.

You can read all the technical details you might ever need here. As you can see it is from 1993 and is cheap and plasticky. This one has a panoramic switch, but when I used it the mask got stuck and didn’t retract unless I pushed it, so I just didn’t bother using it after that. The flash also didn’t work. The last thing that bothered me was the super slow focusing. I can find millions and I pick up a faulty one, perfect!

The thing I did like was the super silent shutter, honestly the quietest I have ever heard. Hardly even a whoosh or a pfttth. Perfect for ninja stealth photography…not so perfect when you are shouting, “focus, damn it.” Though the bodies are easy and cheap to get, the lenses are a bit trickier as they fit modern digital cameras. I lucked into this 35-70mm zoom which was as clean as a whistle, but not wide enough or long enough. I much prefer a 28mm.

Here are my test shots which I took at Mashiko Pottery Fair and a few at the Hitachi Nemophilia Festival.

I really didn’t like this camera. While using it I barely thought about what I was doing, I just didn’t like the feel of it. It just didn’t click with me. Isn’t that funny? How one camera you love and another you hate, but there really is no reason why. I was also a bit late for the nemophilia which didn’t add to my feelings about the camera.

Keep or sell: These cameras are a dime a dozen and with this one having issues I think it will just go in the bin.

 

Canon EOS 630

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I had a Canon lens that seemed fine, but no body to attach it to. Nevermind, in Japan Canon cameras are easy to find…lo the EOS 630.

I already have the 650, so I had high hopes for this one. This version of the EOS line was also a little heavy, but everything worked from the get-go and it was a clean as a whistle. It was originally released in 1989. You can find lots of information about it on the Canon Site and read another great review here. You can also find a manual at this site. The autofocus worked well, smooth and quick. I loved the placement of the selector wheel, by the index finger for quick changes. The program mode has seven preselected settings which I am writing here as mine are in Japanese.

P1 – Standard
P2 – Quickshot
P3 – Landscapes
P4 – Sports
P5 – Portrait
P6 – Close-up
P7 – Indoor (Party)

The two small buttons on the upper back, right side didn’t seem to do much. The left one is the LCD light, but it didn’t work. The right one works the viewfinder metering display, which did work. You can select the ISO for non-dx coded film from the drop-down panel on the back. I don’t know if it overrides DX films, that would be useful. All in all, it seems to be a super camera. The only issue I had was that I accidentally left the turn dial on A instead of L for lock. This wore down the batteries. That is more technical information that I usually give, but there isn’t much to say. This is a great camera, I enjoyed using it. It worked well and felt comfortable to hold.

Here is my test roll which I took on a lovely spring day out with my family at the park. On the walk, my sister was attacked by a vicious Shiba pup.

What a super camera. It is a little heavy to sell for the price I will get, it can be found quite cheaply. Nevermind, I have promised some friends a film camera. This is a perfect one to pass along and keep film alive. Though I will be sad to part with the lens.

 

Canon EOS 650

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I wanted another Canon to try out the lens I got for a previous camera that I tried. This one looked clean and simple. When I found out it was the first Canon EOS, I was very pleased. It was first produced in 1987 and was discontinued two years later.

According to the website I linked to, this was the camera on which the first photos uploaded to the world wide web was taken on. I feel like keeping this just for that fact. But, oh it is heavy. This site says chunky, clunky, and funky…I like that, it is so true..and maybe matches me too. It is so simple to use. There is a dial to turn from lock to auto or even remote, which I do not have. There is another wheel to change the mode or items within the mode, such as aperture. I found the autofocus was a little slow and random at times, but acceptable. This reviewer found the same.

So did it work? Yes, it did and I have to say I really liked using it. Here is my test roll of Kentmere 400 taken around Tokyo and Saitama.

As with the last post, I think I need to change my chemicals. BUT, I like the photos, I liked using the camera. I did not like the weight.

Keep or Sell: Sold. I prefer the Nikon F90x if I am going to keep a weighty auto SLR.

 

Canon EOS IXe

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I bought this camera, despite it being APS, because I had been looking at Nikon Pronea for no reason in particular. It had no lens attached so I picked up a sigma with a canon mount. This is not the one you see in the photos below. The camera was originally produced in 1996. You can read all the technical details you like on these three sites. One, Two, Three.

The first lens I tried was this one.

Very quickly I found the auto-focus just didn’t work, but by focusing manually I could still test the camera. These are the shots with that lens.

But, then I remembered where I live and gave up on the lens, drove to a second-hand store and bought another lens. This time a canon EF lens. This is the one you can see in the main photos above. The photos below are from that lens.

Funnily enough, I prefer the photos from the first lens, especially the Bokeh. With either lens, the camera worked perfectly and I really like it. The look of the camera really appeals to me. The selector dial is the familiar canon one and it feels really comfortable to hold. BUT being an APS I will not be keeping it and have already posted the body on eBay. I will keep the second lens to use with other canon bodies.

I will use it to finish off all the APS film I have here, until and if it sells then I will switch back to using the compact one I have somewhere in my house.