- Professional 35mm SLR camera with up to 1/8000 second shutter speed (Body only)
- Rigid magnesium alloy body resistant to water and dust
- Fast continuous shooting speed of up to 10 fps
- Features 45-point Area AF, 100% viewfinder, and EOS-1 control layout
- Large selection of interchangeable AF lenses, flash systems, and remote controllers
State of the art technology combining strength and elegance, in the finest tradition of the “1” Series
Perhaps the best 35mm SLR there ever was,
It feels odd to be reviewing this camera in 2009. It represents a technology that won’t be coming back — the caliber of images from quality digital SLRs now equals 35mm film, and digital is easier to work with. For a while, some people used excuses like “Kodachrome has better archival properties than digital storage,” but Kodachrome has been cancelled, and after December 2010, it won’t be possible to get any remaining rolls processed. Those who use film in education are unlikely to buy a professional camera like the 1v, and those who use film cameras for their atavistic style are probably more likely to pick up a rangefinder.
The things that make the 1v great are primarily of interest to professionals — 45 autofocus points, and very rapid autofocus even by the standards of a decade later, extraordinary quick film advance (10 images/second with the PB-E2 winder attached, and everybody who buys the 1v also buys the winder), massive customizability for a film camera (and yet, of course, nowhere near the customizability of any mid-range digital camera, where effective ISO rating and white point can be changed on the fly). There are probably some professionals out there still using their 1vs for these advantages, but I doubt anybody is buying new ones.
As a result, these camera are now widely available in the used market, often in superb condition. The 1v is a tough camera — you could probably use one to pound nails and still sell it on eBay as “near mint”.
This is a an amazing piece of engineering, a pleasure to hold and use. I use it mostly in Program or Av modes, and other than the standard caveat to adjust settings for a silhouetted subject, it makes good decisions. Ditto for the autofocus, which is materially better than the autofocus in my slightly lower-end EOS Elan 7. It shares most accessories with my EOS 5D, and of course I can use the same lenses on both of those cameras and my EOS IX. If from time to time you want to work with a 35mm SLR that has auto-focus and auto-exposure, you will never find a better one, and there is something lovely about knowing you’re using the acme that a line of technological development ever produced. If your pictures don’t come out, you certainly can’t blame the tool.
I have only one complaint about the camera — the shutter button is so sensitive that the camera takes a picture if I breathe on it hard. Always remember to shut the camera off before putting it in your bag.
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|Unbreakable, Unbeatable, Unbelievable,
It’s a shock to me to find that many years after release, no one has written a review of the EOS 1V. This is one sweet camera. It has a carved of a chunk feel that tells me that I can use it hard and not have to worry that it will let me down. There are enough pro features to cover any challenge.
I bought mine because I shoot a lot of motor sports and this baby autofocuses faster than my Nikon F5 (a camera I really like too). The metering system, once you extablish the proper ISO of your film, is dead nuts on. I leave the camera on “P” for program for most assignments and use the amazing matrix meter setting for surprisingly accurate results. Case in point, I recently did a salon shoot of a Ferrari 308GTB and the guy at my prolab said “the exposures were great, as usual.”
Some cool things that I love about the EOS 1V: I wear glasses and I can see the entire view finder with ease. The camera handles like a dream in the horizontal and vertical position (mine has the motor drive with the second shutter release – I recommend it to any serious action shooter.) Film loading is a snap. With custom functions, you can prevent the camera from rewinding at the end of the roll – a good idea in a church or other quiet setting. The camera is weather sealed with gaskets on buttons and switches. If you have newer EOS lenses, these include gaskets around the lens mount. These, combined with the gasket built into the EOS 1V body help keep the moisture outside if you find yourself shooting in damp conditions. (No, the camera is not waterproof. But it’s well sealed against all but the worst that mother nature can throw at you.
I shoot a lot of slide film, so in tricky lighting situations (e.g., back lighting, subjects that are very dark or very light, etc.) exposure bracketing is part of the deal. The exposure dial on the back of the body makes it easy to do 3 or 5 or more quick exposures, varying each by one third of an f-stop.
I have run several hundreds of roll of film through my EOS 1V (The camera has a feature that imprints the roll number on the leader tab) with nary a problem. If you are still shooting film (and I know a bunch of us are still out there), this is one outstanding camera worthy of your consideration. And, given the cost of the new Nikon F6, it seems to be a bargain too. (If you are looking to spend a little less money, the EOS 3 has a lot of the same features except, of course, price.)
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