Comparing camera models

What is meant by a “consumer” camera versus an “advanced amateur” or “professional” camera?

Canon design their cameras very carefully. Each model is aimed at a specific segment of the camera-buying market, and each model’s feature list is tailored to fit that market. Naturally, Canon don’t put too many advanced features into low-end cameras, because doing so would affect sales of their more profitable and expensive high-end cameras. The categories break down like this, from inexpensive (big EOS numbers) to expensive (small EOS numbers).

Consumer (low-end) cameras.

These are affordable cameras meant to be sold to novice (snapshot) and casual photographers, usually from shopping mall/high street camera shops, discount warehouses, etc. They are lightweight cameras with a basic feature set that have been designed to be as inexpensive as possible. This doesn’t mean they’re total junk - Canon design fairly decent products, on the whole - but they aren’t meant to be durable enough for anything much more than casual use. To keep things simple they are also highly automated and tend to have very few manual controls, and they’re made almost entirely from plastic. Cameras of the Rebel series (North America), Kiss series (Japan), three-digit series (EOS 300, etc) and four-digit series (EOS 5000, etc) are in this category. The EOS 300D/Digital Rebel/Kiss Digital and EOS 350D/Digital Rebel XT/Kiss N Digital are as well.

Advanced amateur/midrange cameras.

These are cameras sold to experienced amateur photographers who, while not counting on their cameras to earn their living, nonetheless want somewhat more rugged and feature-laden cameras than beginners. These models aren’t weatherproofed and aren’t as tough as the all-metal pro cameras, but they’re still decent performers and offer reasonable manual controls. In the case of film cameras they’re built mostly from plastic with some metal for top shells and so on. Some of the more recent digital cameras in this range have metal bodies. Cameras of the Elan series (North America) and two-digit series (EOS 30, etc) are in this category. All the digital two-digit cameras - the D30, D60, 10D, 20D, 30D - are also in this group.
Professional cameras.

These are the expensive and solid cameras sold to photographers who make their living doing photography and require utterly reliable equipment. They’re heavy, have a full complement of both manual and automatic controls, and the 1 series cameras are weatherproofed. Their autofocus systems are extremely rapid and are more accurate than those of lesser cameras. Bodies are built with a fair bit of metal in addition to plastic components. All EOS cameras in the 1 series (1, 1N, 1V, 1D, 1D mark II, 1Ds, 1Ds mark II) are considered to be professional cameras. Other one digit cameras - the EOS 3 and EOS 5 (A2/A2E in North America) - are usually considered to be semi-professional cameras. In the realm of digital all the 1 series cameras (1D, 1Ds, 1D mark II, 1Ds mark II) are pro cameras, and the EOS 5D is likewise semi-pro.

Now, obviously it’s perfectly possible for someone to earn a living using a cheaper camera - you aren’t obliged to use one designated “professional.” And camera marketers are notorious for applying terms like “professional” to any type of product with wild abandon. But generally these are the categories that people use for classifying Canon’s EOS cameras.

What’s the difference between a Rebel, Elan or Kiss camera and an EOS number camera?

For marketing reasons, Canon use product names (tough manly words like “Rebel”) to identify some of the cameras they sell in North America. Many of their Japanese products also have names unique to that market - cute kawaii words like “Kiss.” Elsewhere in the world, Canon use straightforward and sober numbers to identify their EOS cameras - the smaller the number, the more expensive the camera.

A table of some of the more common models looks like this:

In the majority of cases the cameras themselves are identical - only the nameplate on the front is different. But there are a few minor differences here and there - the EOS 100 has an automatic popup flash in icon modes whereas the EOS Elan does not, for example. The EOS 5 has a nice manual metering mode display whereas the EOS A2 has a lousy one. Japanese versions may include fake panorama features (the ability to mask out the top and bottom of the negative), and so on. But, on the whole, most of the consumer-level cameras are the same across marketing regions.

Sometimes you’ll see someone advertising an international version of a camera in the USA or vice-versa. You do not have to be concerned about quality differences in this case - an Elan 7 rolled off the same assembly line which made an EOS 33, and so on. This can sometimes be to your advantage. For example, Americans seem to be unfamiliar with the international EOS names, since such cameras when sold used usually command lower prices on average than their identical but US-named counterparts.

The main issue is warranties. In the case of EOS film cameras Canon appear to honour international warranties - a camera bought in Japan should be serviceable under warranty in Britain, for example. However, in the case of digital EOS cameras Canon disappointingly do not. If this is an issue for you be sure to examine the fine print of the warranty before buying - that cheap camera you bought in New York on holiday may suddenly seem like less of a great deal if it fails under warranty when you’re home in Paris or Sydney. It could also be a hassle if you’re a professional photographer on an extended shoot overseas.

Note that Canon introduced their current numeric system (smaller numbers = more expensive cameras) with the introduction of the EOS 1. EOS cameras sold before then - the 600, 700 and 800 series models - have a fairly random numbering scheme. For example, the EOS 600/630 was an advanced amateur/semipro camera for its time, whereas the 750 and 850 were really low-end consumer cameras. Otherwise Canon have stuck fairly faithfully to this numbering scheme for all international EOS models. North American and Japanese product naming does not, however, follow much of a pattern and generally just goes by whatever sounds good.

Should I buy a consumer camera or an advanced amateur camera?

The answer to this question depends on your priorities. And, yes, it can get a little confusing sometimes. Particularly since a recent-model consumer camera can have a similar feature list to an older-model advanced amateur camera. But the basic differences are as follows, at least in terms of EOS film cameras:

So which camera is better depends, as always, on your needs. The consumer series cameras are inexpensive lightweight cameras and an excellent value for beginners and people on a budget. The advanced amateur series cameras are sturdier, offer more control and are more appropriate for people who want to take their photography beyond casual snapshots.

Therefore you should consider an advanced amateur camera if you want greater control over metering and motor winding modes, if you want the rear control dial (which makes shooting in manual mode and using exposure compensation easier), if you want a higher flash sync speed (1/125 sec rather than 1/90), if you want flash exposure compensation built into the body and if you want the camera body to be slightly tougher.

How do the EOS A2/5, EOS Elan II/50, EOS Elan 7/30 and EOS Elan 7N/30V compare?

This is a popular question right now, since the cameras are available for roughly similar prices these days. However they’re very different models with different positions in Canon’s marketing lineup. I’ve written up a separate page listing the differences between these three models.

How do the Rebel 2000/EOS 300/Kiss III and the Rebel Ti/EOS 300V/Kiss 5 compare?

At time of writing the two models are actually fairly closely priced. And if you’re definitely interested in buying a new camera, the Rebel Ti/300V looks like an excellent deal. You get quite a lot of features for not much more money over the older Rebel 2000/EOS 300, such as a metal lens mount, dioptric adjustment, optional infrared remote control (date model only) and so on. The main issue with the newer model is personal opinion - not everyone likes the new swoopy look of the Ti/300V. I’ve written up a separate page listing the differences between the Rebel Ti/300V/Kiss 5 and its two predecessors.

How do the first generation EOS cameras like the 600 series or the 700/750/850 hold up today?

The 600 series (in chronological order, the 650, 620 and 600/630) was the first group of EOS film cameras that Canon built. As the EOS system was still in its infancy back in the late 1980s the product lineup wasn’t quite as well-organized into consumer, midrange and pro lines. Canon’s autofocus technology was also less refined than it is today.

The 600 series cameras are thus quite interesting. Since they covered a wider range of marketing categories than modern EOS cameras they often contain desirable features available today only on high-end EOS models. For example, the 600 series cameras are very sturdily built - a diecast metal chassis with a plastic shell. Their shutters require no power to keep open, making them perfect for astrophotography and other long-exposure applications, they can be used with all types of high-speed infrared film and they support interchangeable viewfinder screens. The EOS 630 had a very high frame rate at 5fps and the 620 and 600/630 had illuminated top-deck LCDs. The 600 series cameras also support the Technical Back E, a remarkable device that contains all kinds of interesting features like reprogrammable metering program, a keyboard for recording notes and an intervalometer.

On the downside, 600 series cameras have linear autofocus sensors which are rarely as decisive as cross sensors. They also have less developed user interfaces that are particularly inconvenient to use in manual exposure modes. These early cameras also suffer from disintegrating shutter bumpers. And Canon no longer carry parts for these old cameras, so you may need to rely on third party repair shops for repairs.

The 700, 750 and 850, on the other hand, were Canon’s early forays into building consumer EOS cameras, much like the Rebels of today. And they’re rather clunky slow cameras with incomplete feature sets - no manual exposure modes, for example. They also contained interesting but ultimately unsuccessful user interface experiments like the 700’s reversible mode dial. I wouldn’t recommend buying one today. You can get better cameras for not much more money.

Note that you can safely use all EOS-compatible lenses with any of these old cameras. Aside from minor issues with IS lenses they all work just fine.

How do the early 90s EOS cameras like the 100/Elan, 10/10s and A2/5 hold up today?

By the early 1990s Canon had essentially standardized the user interface for their midrange and low-end EOS film cameras and had also separated out their product line into the basic categories seen today. Many of the cameras from this era offer an excellent balance of features and functionality and can be bought quite cheaply on the used market. Canon have been steadily increasing the base feature set of their EOS line over the years, so a midrange camera of a decade ago may have a similar feature set to a beginner camera of today, but the older midrange camera will have been built to a higher level of sturdiness and quality since it cost more back then.

I have reviews elsewhere on this site of the 100/Elan and the 10/10s. I don’t have a full review of the A2/5, but it is included in a comparison chart.

How do early 90s Rebel/consumer cameras compare today?

Consumer-level EOS film cameras of the early 1990s, such as the original Rebel and the EOS 1000, are basically of the same build quality as that of contemporary consumer-level cameras. The main difference is that Canon has gradually increased the feature set of its introductory cameras over the years. For example, nearly all consumer-level EOS cameras these days have multiple focus points and support for E-TTL flash.

Obviously, such older cameras are now available quite cheaply, so they can be a great way for somebody on extremely tiny budgets to get started in photography. Particularly if they affect the choice between getting a half-decent lens and a really lousy lens. But given the limitations of these older models - particularly their slow autofocus mechanisms - I’d recommend saving up for something a little more capable. After all, the price difference between a used Rebel/EOS 1000 and a used Rebel 2000/EOS 300 is about the same as buying and processing maybe half a dozen rolls of film.

How do the EOS 1, 1N, 3 and 1V compare?

This isn’t really a beginner question, since none of these are beginner cameras and all are quite expensive. All four are tough, versatile and heavy professional cameras but as they were introduced at different times their feature lineup is somewhat different. I’ve written up a separate page listing the differences between the four models.