Older Canon EOS

[TimJ]

Hello,
I'm looking at getting a 35mm after playing with a polaroid land camera for a while. I'd rather learn to develop 35mm then keep paying for polaroid film.
I've thought about getting a Pentax Spotmatic but I'm not very confident in my exposure knowledge yet so I'd like to have something to start off with that has some programming.

What I'm wondering about is if the older EOSes are worth trying. The 620/630/650 are inexpensive even through places like KEH. I'm not big on cameras with lots of gadgets but these look fairly basic.
Are they good (I know they are older and can have issues) for a 35mm beginner or should I look for a later Elan 7 or something like that?

I've searched and read a lot on here but it is tough to come up with info on three character searches like '620' or 'eos'. Sort of gets swamped when searching for 'canon'.
Thanks for any help.

Tim

[ntenny]

I looked into the same question and concluded that they should be fine, although ultimately I ended up with a Rebel X (no gadgets at all and even cheaper, but a newer body with perhaps some metering upgrades and so on). I mean, they all keep the dark in, right? Unless you have specific needs---say, for extreme shutter speeds or unusual metering modes---I think you're fine with any EOS body.

-NT

[X. Phot.]

There is an issue with the EOS 650/620/630 group of cameras that "might" give you problems in time. That's a big "might". It all revolves around the deterioration of a rubber bumper for the shutter. Over years the rubber turns into a sticky gummy mass and adheres itself to the shutter blades, ultimately rendering the shutter inoperable. It is an easy fix on most cameras, but if you're not up for the headaches you might want to steer towards a newer model EOS. I love my EOS 630 to death, and use it most every day, but I had to clean the shutter blades and clean out that "evil gummy bear" when I first received the camera. I don't think the ELAN 7 ever had any troubles, and I am tempted to purchase one myself. I also have the Rebel G, but consider it more of a disposable slr, and very toy-like.

[Jeff Kubach]

Have you considered the FD system?

Jeff

[X. Phot.]

P.S. Should you decide to purchase a 650/620 or 630 and it turns out to have the "gummy bear issue", I will gladly describe the procedure I used to fix mine. Granted, they can be repaired professionally for probably 3-4 times the value of the camera. But, if it's a toss-up between the landfill and a DIY repair, all you really need is gumption, alcohol, ronsonol lighter fluid, q-tips, and typing paper.

[mcgrattan]

I had a EOS 650 which had the same problem. I cleaned the gunk off with some alcohol and q-tips without any problems. I really liked the EOS 650, it had a good combination of features, a decent-enough finder, and metered reliably even with older manual focus lenses using adapters.

It depends what lenses you have, also. There are inexpensive SLRs with good metering in other lens mounts, too. I'm partial to the M and P series Pentaxes, for example.

[sandermarijn]

The EOS 620 is one of my favourite EOS cameras; never had the mirror bumper problem. It has a feeling of heft and fits the (my) hand much better than the smaller, more plasticky Rebels.

A big plus also is that you can change the focusing screen, a feature usually reserved for high-end models (the 620 was pretty high-end in 1987). This is a great feature for manual focusing with adapter-fitted non-EOS lenses.

Another thing I like is how the 620 definitely does not resemble any current digital EOS. Some people stare at this camera seemingly wondering "did I miss the latest Canon DSLR announcement?".

Ideally you should try to get your hands on a 620/650 before buying. OTOH they're not very expensive so you can't lose much.

Also, have a look in Canon's camera museum for comparing features and for a nice read.

[Tony-S]

I'd go for an EOS A2E if you can find one.

[Chan Tran]

I am not familiar with the Canon EOS line of camera. I just want to comment on your thought of getting a camera with some automation as you're not sure about your exposure skill. I would like to point out that it doesn't take any more skill to use a fully manual camera than a fully automatic camera. The difference is that with a manual camera it is slower as you will have to supply your muscle to make the adjustment. The built in light meter will guide you on how to set exposure so there is no difficulty here.

[TimJ]

Thank you all. I don't currently have an SLR so I'm starting without having to fit a camera to lenses I already have. Part of the reason I was thinking about the eos line is that there are a lot of lenses and they are still being manufatured. Sounds like they are worth a try.

I still have some reading to do but this helped a lot.

Tim