Hi Ken,
Greenspun seems to be expressing a preformed opinion about EOS
cameras in general and wrote more about selected EOS system
features than about the Elan 7 specifics.
This bias becomes clear when he write about eye control in a
review of a camera without ECF. And about date imprinting in a
camera that does not have date imprinting! And outdated
information about Rebel vertical grips.
Did he actually review the camera, or was this an unresearched
review of the Canon brochure? Could this page be just an
click-through web advertisement for photoalley and Adorama?
In this light, his criticism of P mode (not enough DOF and
resetting) indicates a poor choice of operating mode.
Tv or Av mode will not reset.
Cheers
Julian Loke
______________________
I didn't think it was a lukewarm review. He did say in the first paragraph that he
would recommend this body to anyone getting started with the EOS system. That sounds
like a recommendation to me.
As for his comments about ECF and QD when the Elan 7 doesn't have it; I believe he is
talking about the "family" of Elan 7 cameras, which includes the 7E and the 7E QD.
What he is basically saying is that, in his opinion, ECF is unnecessary and one should
get the 7 over the 7E. That is his opinion and he does say that others have had
success with it. You are correct that it is not apparent that he tested the ECF in
the 7E or if his opinion is based on the EOS 3 (the 7E is supposed to have improved
ECF, I believe). In my opinion, the differerence between the 2 models is about $50.
I think it is worth $50 to at least try it. If I don't like it, I can turn it off.
His criticism of QD is correct though, most serious photographers do not want a date
on their pictures, putting it between the frames would be a good idea. If Canon
hasn't figured that out yet, maybe Nikon has a patent on it and is preventing Canon
from using that feature.
To be fair to Greenspun, if you read the site, you know he is an EOS user and a former
Nikon user and he has said that he prefers several features of Canon over Nikon, so at
least he has some taste :-).
You are correct of his critique of the P mode. I would think that a serious
photographer like him wouldn't use P mode, so he wouldn't have to deal with 1/750 at
f/4.
Greenspun does have other biases though, particularly with respect to digital cameras.
One of his constant complaints about them is the need for a computer to use them.
Well, if you are reading a web site, then you have a computer, so that compalint is
irrelevant. He also constantly complains of the lack of a switch in digital cameras
that indicate portrait or landscape mode. I think that rotating a digital photo is so
trivially easy, that such a complaint is needless.
Tom D.
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