Canon Reviews

Strengths: Lightweight, easy to use from full automatic to full manual. Depth of field preview (excellent feature!), AE lock, quick auto focus for price range, seven focusing points. Countless lenses and accessories available both from Canon and third party mfgrs. If you have large hands, I recommend the optional battery pack ... which also doubles as a vertical grip with duplicated shutter control and port for remote switch. I simply can't imagine these features on any other camera at a comptetitive price. Thinking about a "point and shoot"? Save your money and get this camera instead.

Weaknesses: Included manual not very comprehensive, but spend a few hours with this camera and you can figure most features out yourself. If you need written instructions, I'd recommend the excellent Magic Lantern guide....

Also, try another lens, like a 28-200mm aspherical lens, if you want just one lens to carry around.

This my first SLR, although I'd borrowed others from friends for a while. I bought this right before spending three months driving cross-country and shooting in a ton of different conditions. I hiked hundreds of miles, shot over 50 rolls, and it always did a great job, regardless of whether I was using the manual settings or the automatics ones. The advanced features are easy to use if you just spend a little bit of time reading the instructions. Having been used to older SLR's without any sort of automatic or digital features, I was thrilled with all the options this camera provided.

I think the lens Canon include is somewhat cheap, as it is very lightweight and plastic. I bought a Sigma 100-300mm lens for the camera and it feels much more sturdy and well built than Canon's included 28-90mm. However, Canon's lens never gave me any trouble, it just felt cheap.

I would suggest buying a number of accessories for the camera, such as a tripod, polarizing filter, UVA filter, remote shutter release (to avoid shaking the camera when it's on a tripod and for long exposures), and a larger zoom lens (Sigma makes some great ones that are less expensive than Canon's).

This a very beutiful and good start camera. 28-90 mm Lens, Silver, Date are specialities of this camera. You will love it
to have this in Hands. For more serius photographers may seek
higher end models for reasons such as Plastic lens mount and wide
range of accessories. But for a beginer, This is a wonderful canon to own.

Two camera stores advised against this neat little EOS IX camera because of the APS format. Film size, fuzzy prints, etc. were according to them the drawbacks. They were ready to sell me a 35mm. I don't know what caused me to ignore them, and purchased the EOS IX anyway for our trip to Tahiti. We shot 14 rolls of film, and I came to totally love the APS format - the variety of options in print shapes. After I got used to the great variety of functions (I do not use the full-automatic function), it was an absolute joy to work with this camera. The light weight is a definite plus on a vacation. I purchased a 100-300 mm lens to go with it. The photos we made are our pride and joy. Be sure, however, to have them developed by Kodak! I had to have my entire set re-developed after a fiasco with an in-house developer. (I got my money back.) The only reason why I do not give this camera 5 stars is that I feel the built-in flash is inadequate. I purchased another flash attachment. Otherwise, I highly recommend this camera for the vacation photographer who wants to venture beyond the 'point-and-shoot' little 'box-cameras-for-dummies!'

I started "shooting" for fun and profit three years ago with a fully manual 35mm camera that I'd purchased at a used camera shop just prior to a business/pleasure trip to NYC. Though I enjoyed the creativity and quality of pictures I was able to produce with my minolta, over time it became cumbersome to lug the fully-loaded camera case with heavy lenses. Being fully manual, it was also difficult to get spontaneous or action shots. After a disasterous attempt to photograph elephant seals on a windy beach, I decided to look into a lighter, easier camera that still offered top-quality lenses and APS film benefits. My Canon EOS IX Lite definately fits the bill when I'm traveling or photgraphing my kids. It's lightweight, fully functional and easy to use. I'd like to add a lens, and it probably needs the optional flash attachment. The built in flash is fine for snapshots.
I gave the camera a four star rating because I'm accustomed to the quality of photographs I get with the old, manual 35mm. Even though the quality of photos from the EOS IX Lite hasn't been the same, I'm not unhappy with what I've seen so far.

I was on the beach on the east coast, when my old tiny plastic lense camera quit funtioning! It was time to buy an SLR camera! I was skeptical about the APS film. Was it really better? YES. This camera is extraordinarily easy to use, yet retains all manual funtions, if so desired. I love the three different "angles" available (wide, regular,panaramic), and when you get your film back, the proof sheet even outlines the picture to show you what it would look like if you took a panaramic shot, and ordered a "regular" size reprint! These angles are easy to switch between, on the back of the camera. The menu system to access most functions is intuitive and practical. In addition, I finally have a red eye flash that REALLY works. The auto focus is goof proof, providing just the right feel, complete with beeps and green lights. The pictures are crystal clear, you feel as if you could dive into them! If you are toying with the idea of buying a "real" camera, give this one a look! It's lighter in weight than my old "waterproof active camera", and takes far superior pictures. These features plus the creative control both during the taking of the shot, and after you recieve your prints is outstanding. Would I make this purchase again? OH YES!

This camera is good and great for people who want to learn photography

I think this camera, although not Canon's best, is a very good and very well priced camera. Weather you into indoors or outdoors photography, this camera will do both jobs just as well. So for all those of you on a bit of lower budget or not quite ready for a super high-tech, top of the line SLR's I suggest this camera very highly! Take it from me, with this camera I won three embassy photography contests.

This camera is great. It is the easiest thing in the world to use. Everything is automatic so you don't have to be a pro to use it and it still takes great pictures.

I've owned the Elan IIe ... and have taken some truly outstanding pictures with this camera. At the time I considered Nikon, but Canon's extensive feature list won me over. This camera is for the advanced amateur that needs/wants more features than the Rebel offers, but doesn't need the tighter spot metering that the A2 offers (nor the cost).

Its only weekness is in dealing with extreme constrast (sky) across the top of the frame. Its metering zones are broad enough that the sky often gets too much weighting. Experience will get you past this, but it is a shortcoming that still bites me occasionally.

The eye control focus works great. Depth of field preview (agin eye controlled) is a feature not otherwise available at this price point/level. And the extensive range of lenses for the camera is hard to beat. In my opinion either the versitile 28-105 or, for those with the money, the 28-135 IS are the best companions for all around shooting. Even better, there are plenty of used lenses available for the Canon line, for when you think a 20 mm shot would look cool, but don't want to shell out the big money for such a limited use lens. The 380EX flash works just fine for most settings (again, more money gets the 550EX, which will handle any flash need you may have), though the combination does tend to underexpose slightly. The camera body offers a +/- 2 flash stops, for those that find a consistant exposure problem with flash.

I've had my Elan IIe for a year now. It has traveled all over the US providing me and my family with great pictures of our adventures. With other AF SLRs, I used to be happy if a roll of film delivered just one or two really good shots --now I get one great picture after another whenever the full autofocus is used.

I have to admit, I am still learning all of the manual functions... but that is what's so terrific about this camera; its user can move into and out of manual and autofocus controls while learning how to operate the Elan IIe.

The personalized eye-focus option is perfect for families who like to take turns getting behind the camera. I have mine calibrated for use with contacts in or glasses on -and it takes great shots either way.

It is a tough camera that performs well in all kinds of inclement weather and conditions (try a rocking sailboat in the rain photographing breaching humpback whales from several hundred feet! --and still I got some great shots).

I agree with other reviewers, however, that the only real downside to this camera is the lack of focusing points in manual focus mode. I have learned to autofocus and then fine tune in manual --but that doesn't work very well for fast-moving subjects. Also, its autofocus is limiting for extreme close-up subjects. If the user doesn't have a good idea about manual settings (or the desire to even try them)-the sole use of autofocus will limit your picture taking.

This is a great camera for anyone who wants to jump to the next level and break away from the confines of a full-time auto controlled SLR.

This camera is hands-down the best 35mm camera for its time. The eye control feature allows you to pin point the subject no matter what the background. For entry-level use, there is a simple center focus that will allow even the least experienced user to take great pictures.

As with all cameras, film matters. Use the lowest speed possible and try to match the film with the development process.

For baby shots, the red eye reduction works better than any previous camera I owned.

If you can get this camera, GET IT. Just stay as far away as you can from the 28-80mm consumer lens this comes with! Spend the few extra bucks and get the 28-105 or 28-135 IS lens instead (or better yet, get some high quality prime lenses: 24, 50, 100, etc). Remember, it's not the camera that makes the image, it's the lens in front of it. The lens this kit comes with is a piece of garbage and you'll likely get the same images as you would from a $150 point and shoot. You'll NEVER get an acceptable 20X30 image from this lens or even a high-quality 8X10 for that matter. I've had the camera for a number of years and it's up to just about any task you can throw at it. Canon has a winner with the Elan II, but a dud with the lens they include in this kit.

I've had the Canon ElanIIE for 8 months and I've been very pleased so far. Fellow photography students who bought nikon N70 or N90 are still trying to figure out how to use them. The Canon Elan IIE is simple to operate, and I like having dials instead of so many little buttons. Outstanding features include the autofocus. The eye-control focus is as fast as regular autofocus. Also it has convenient on-camera flash which is of course not as powerful as an accesory flash like the 380ex or 550ex, but it's come in handy for me plenty of times. And you can use flash exposure compensation up to two stops in either direction! I think the best feature is it's simplicity. It's an excellent bridge between point&shoot and professional. By the way, I got a Tamron 80-200, 4.5-5.6 lens that works beautifully with it.

I've owned this camera for three years and have yet to had any problems with it and it's quality never ceases to amaze me. I highly recommend this camera to amateur-professional photographers. Whether you are new to the photography world or a seasoned photographer this camera allows for versatility, capatablity, and most of all, convenience. Functions as a simple automatic camera to complex fully manual camera w/lots of extra features for creative photographers!

I found this camera used in a store, and it looked like a pretty good deal, so I called my uncle (a camera brainiac, and a very good photographer) and he said it was a great deal, so I bought it. That's all I thought I was getting; a good deal on a used camera. It's so much more than that. I have actually done some really stupid things when taking pictures (setting the aperture and shutter speeds in such a way that the picture would be ruined is my most common offense) and the picture always comes out perfect. It's actually difficult to take a bad picture with this camera! The Elan II is a very nice camera that is simple enough for beginners, but at the same time, advanced enough for professionals. Taking good pictures is a snap, and most of the controls are self-explanitory and easy to understand. I have never had a problem with this wonderfully engineered camera, and I feel confident that, wether you're a regular pro, or a regular joe, you'll find this camera easy, and fun to use.

I've had this camera since 1997 and I love it. It has some cool features, you can be fully auto or fully manual. I have a 75-300mm USM zoom along with the 28-80mm USM that came with it. I kind of wish I'd have paid the extra [...] and gotten the IIe, but I still get great shots. It's not too heavy, focus is quick and quiet, exposure is pretty accurate. I haven't had any problems with it.

I LOVE MY NEW CAMERA BUT I AM HAVING A LOT OF TROUBLE TRYING TO FIND WHERE TO BUY THE 80-300 ZOOM LENS WOULD YOU PLEASE SEE IF YOU CAN HELP ME.!