Used Canon EOS-1V 35mm Autofocus SLR Camera Body

2011-01-29T19:00:00

Arguably the best 35mm camera ever made. Design is beyond extraordinary, much more advanced than the current crop of digital SLR cameras. The technologies should not be directly compared as there are so many differences, but EOS 1V is extremely sophisticated. We should not forget a frame of 35mm film has 1000 times the resolution of digital, billions of grains of metallic silver verses "MP" (millions of pixels) in digital cameras. Film bodies? Don't leave home without one! Keep fine traditions alive.

Richard R.

2009-01-20T19:00:00

This (Film) Camera fits my hand like a glove. I really enjoy taking pictures with it and love the results.

Joe

2008-08-28T21:00:00

Great, versatile camera, Love it.

MARIUSZ P.

2008-04-29T21:00:00

Absolutely the best 35mm film camera. I would also like to note that the used one I bought from Adorama as a back up was in near perfect condition. I have the Eos 1v with the optional power grip; the Auto focus is fast enough to keep up with bumble bees, and if I don't pay attention to how I have it set I can burn through an entire roll of film in 3.6 seconds. The grip makes it large, and heavy. For my purposes, mounted to a sturdy tripod, crouched out of the wind behind rocks and such, it was absolutely perfect and anchored the system so well that non IS lenses came out sharp and true even during long exposures. In regards to the controls, get ready to have this camera mold to your body, become an extension of your eyes, and its viewfinder embedded in your mind even when your eyes are closed. The camera is definitely well-thought and has mirror lock-up, a dedicated focus and auto-exposure lock, and 100% viewfinder to film ratio. Thank god! No more chopped off faces! My only qualm is that it has no AF assist light, which I feel they really should have included in a camera of this caliber. Also, there are just way too many little red focusing squares to be reasonable, but this can be corrected using custom functions. Generally, most problems you have with the setup can be fixed using the custom functions, like moving focus lock to a dedicated button, rather than the shutter. Finally, I don't understand this whole technology race for the fasted shutter speed. You get reciprocity failure beyond 1/1000 most of the time, unless you're shooting something REALLY bright!

Vik

2007-07-04T21:00:00

Perhaps I should add that I use the V with the PBE-2 Motor Drive, and everything that follows assumes that's how you're also shooting with it. When I brought the "V" home over Thanksgiving 2005, as I read through the manual and familiarized myself with the controls, I got the sense that this is a camera that you can truly "meld" with, and that, whatever you see and want to photograph -- regardless of the conditions -- it won't let you down. And that's been proven to be true. And about those controls -- yes, they're more complicated than mid-range Canon bodies, but if I can master them anyone can, and once you do, I'm betting you'll prefer them. It's not unlike driving a car with manual transmission. I took the "V" on a freighter voyage across the Atlantic last year and got about 20 rolls, from which I selected 13 shots to illustrate an article about the freighter passenger experience that I wrote and all were accepted by the editor. The most dramatic was probably one I got at 2.00 AM of our pilot boarding from a rope ladder as we arrived in the English Channel. I pushed my Provia 400 once, and the autofocus didn't miss a beat -- the shot was blurred, but was more dramatic for it. I don't know of any other camera that could've nailed that shot better. More recently, I used it for the first time I had a temporary Press Pass to a Major League ball park and those shots were fine too. Again I shot with Provia 400 (the new 400X, which is an improvement) and pushed it twice as it got darker, and the results were what I needed. My first Canon SLR was an Elan 7NE, and it's a great camera for what it is, but when I realized I wasn't using any of the preprogrammed shooting modes, I started looking seriously at the next level. My first pro body was a 1N + motor drive which I love and still use as my backup, and after extensive reading, I chose the "V" over the "3" for several reasons -- most importantly for me being the 100% viewfinder, 10 frames/second, ability to shoot infrared film and the optional software to record shooting data. I don't know if the latter is still available, if not it's a shame because it's tremendously useful. As for digital -- my candid assessment is that as of now (with emphasis on those 3 words) there are still areas where the V is better... For example there's no digital with a full-sized sensor that gives 10 frames per second, and until there is, I'm sticking to my V. And oh yeah -- the pictures are pretty hard to beat too! The just-introduced 1D Mark III is the first digital that makes me want to take a serious look at it -- but even if I got it I'd still keep my V and N, as classics at least. In conclusion, I love what I've read about the F6, but with all the respect in the world I'm a Canon guy, and I just love the V -- when I'm shooting with it, it really seems like an extension of my brain, eye and heart in a way I can't imagine with any other camera.

Jeff

2007-06-19T21:00:00

This is the best film camera on the planet (my opinon) I decided to get back into shooting film becuase of the natural look the film has that digital just can't produce. I originally purchased the Nikon F6 becuase of the good reviews - F6 was a great camera and I enjoyed playing with a for about a week. I decided to return it and get the Canon 1v becuase I had more canon L lenses. I admit the F6 looks sexier and has prettier lines. Canon 1v doesn't have the sexy look like the Nikon F6, but when I started playing with the camera and started taking some pictures, I realized it was a keeper. Nikon F6 in my opinion has better auto exposure with their 3D matrix system, but canon has superior auto focus for sure which I think is more important to me. Lastly, there is no digital camera that can duplicate the sound of the film camera shutter - the sweet sound of magic! When you press the shutter button of the 1V you will know immediately, that this camera is something special - it's shutter sound is like nothing else and far sweeter than the sound of the f6.

JaSe

2007-02-11T19:00:00

Outstanding camera system. Manual difficult to understand regarding some special functions. Could use a good users manual/book by a pro or Canon to guide folks like me in how to best use the various special functions. I burn a lot of film under field conditions and wish the batteries lasted longer or were rechargable without an added component that adds weight.

Milt

2006-09-02T21:00:00

perfect n great ergonomics

nychimerican