I PROBABLY WONT EVEN GET A CROWN FOR THIS....!!!! (Canon EOS 1N)

Member Name: snappy

Product:	Canon EOS 1N
Date:	05/07/00 (1381 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great Fast Autofocus, Superb feel & Build - Ultimate Camera

Disadvantages: Price - at £1000 - not for beginners

As a professional photographer I heartily endorse all recommendations of the EOS 1N. Quite simply it is superb.

For a Sports or Action photographer, it's Autofocus system is the most responsive and most accurate around. Even Canon’s arch rivals in the professional system range, Nikon, have found it difficult to rival it's speed. It’s latest model is the first that has been able to convince some pros that they should even consider switching ‘marques’.

Anyway, next time you go to any top class Sports event, look at what the top pros use - yep CANON EOS 1N ! The giveaway – even if you know nothing about photography – is the whopping great white lenses out in front of the snappers. They are Canon’s flagship optics, made using fluorite lenses and finished to absolutely the best standards. They have got to perform, day in day out – in all conditions. And the same goes for the camera body itself.

I will try to review this camera without using too much jargon, so that even the mere interested observer can grasp as to why this particular model is so stunningly sensational and is trusted by pros the world over.

True - at just under £1000 - it may seem expensive, but like most things in life - you get what you pay for.

I would not recommend it for an amateur to just take 'snaps' as they would be better off with a small and flexible APS or 35mm compact camera - or even a digital if you are into computer imaqing too. BUT - If you are serious about improving your photography or maybe getting into the semi or pro market, you really cannot beat the EOS 1N.

The heart of the camera is it’s autofocus system. As I said, Canon have led the field for speed and accuracy. But this camera – when it was first unveiled over a decade ago now – in it’s original form, the EOS 1 and the model we are talking about here the 1N (indicating ‘newR
17;) has everything. Much like a top of the range hi-fi system with all manner of bells, whistles, dials and flashing lights, the EOS 1N incorporates all that a serious photographer needs. It has a lightning, top shutter speed of 1/8000th of a second. Meaning that as an action photographer you can ‘stop’ the fastest of action’.

In reality, I myself, have never used higher that 1/2000th of a second - but if for instance you are at a Formula 1 Grand Prix race. Cars are flashing past at 200 mph and more. You need a fast shutter speed to ‘freeze’ the cars, to avoid blur on the frame. Also maybe, it’s sunny day, but you have a distracting background – so you can shoot with your lens ‘wide open’ at f2.8…..sorry, getting technical. But, basically the higher f.stop that you use on your lens, the more depth of field – ideal if you are taking a still, landscape picture, using a tripod mainly. The lower the f.stop, the less ‘margin for error’ you have with inaccurate focussing. But also the background of the photo is thrown out of focus, which is ideal if you have annoying telegraph poles, or an ice cream van stationed right behind where the picture is being taken. So using your super fast EOS 1N, instead of shooting at 1/2000th at say f8, you can shoot at 1/8000th at f2.8. Thus ‘freezing’ the car and throwing the distraction of that Ice cream van out of focus. The other option would be to shoot with slower speed film – but that is an entirely different ‘kettle of fish’ – and not for this review.

The exposure system on the EOS 1N is, like everything, with the camera, excellent. You have a range of Program modes which the camera will decide for you the shutter speed and f.stop combination to ensure accurate exposure. You understand what I mean by ‘exposure’….not to be confused by ‘flashing’ – again whether phot
ographically or otherwise – TO BE COVERED IN ANOTHER OP(?).

Even the feel of it in your hands is great. It makes you feel like a 'proper' photographer. I must say that I use my EOS 1N daily, but also have a pair of EOS 5s as back up. They are half the price and certainly at least 'half as good', but again the 'feel' is nothing like that of the 'daddy' of the Canon team.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NB - There may be one camera that can outperform it and that is the recently released CANON EOS1V, the newly upgraded EOS 1N - but I haven’t had a chance to use one yet, nor have I seen anyone with one, so I'll pass on that for the time being
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are also two other designations of this camera – the EOS 1N HS – which includes the addition of a bolt on motordrive, which can fire your camera at over 5 frames a second. If you forget to take your finger off the shutter – you will shoot a roll of 36 exp film in 6 seconds! So….don’t forget! Also there is the EOS 1N RS – including a pellicle mirror (yes, I don’t exactly know what it is), which in effect means you can shoot in ‘real time’. Instead of a very short time lapse between pressing the shutter and the internal mirror lifting, allowing the image to be committed to film – the process is ‘as one’. The RS was designed with action photographers in mind, but the extra cost deterred some, albeit slightly less than the fact that you lose a ‘stop’ of light transmission to the lens. Seems complex – but trust me, it’s good idea in principle, but very few pros use them.

So, for a fully functioned, fast focusing, accurate, top notch Superstar of a camera - look no further than the EOS 1N - Trusted by professionals the world over.

FOR ANY OF YOU WANTING THE ‘FULL MONTY’ 
211; ALL THE SPECIFICATIONS OF THE EOS 1N HERE GOES - (PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SKIP THIS IF YOU'VE HAD ENOUGH)

~~~Major Components

·Type: 35mm focal plane shutter SLR (Single -Lens-Reflex) camera with point autofocus, auto exposure, and built-in motor drive.

·Lens Mount: Canon EF Mount (fully electronic, signal-transfer system).

·Usable Lenses: Canon EF (autofocus) lenses.

·Viewfinder: Fixed eye-level pentaprism. (Gives approx. 100% vertical and horizontal coverage of actual picture area and 0.72x magnification with 50mm lens at infinity at standard diopter (-1).

·Focusing Screen (standard): Laser matte screen with fine spot metering area mark. (Seven optional interchangeable screens are available)

·Dioptric Adjustment: -3 to +1 dpt

·Eyepoint: 20mm

·Shutter: Vertical-travel focal plane shutter; all speeds electronically controlled. Release time lag (excluding AF operation): 64ms (time required to start exposure by pressing the shutter button completely after sub-miror operation by pressing the shutter button halfway. 200ms in case that the shutter betton is pressed completely at once.)

·Shutter Speed: 1/8000 ~ 30 sec. and bulb. X-sync is 1/250 sec. Can be set in 1/3-stop increments.

·Mirror: Quick return half-mirror. (reflection: transmission = 63-37)

~~~Autofocus System

·AF Control System: TTL-CT-SIR (Cross Type-Secondary Image Registration) phase direction type using multi-BASIS (Base-Stored Image Sensor).

·Film Loading: Automatic.

·Two AF modes: One-shot and AI Servo with Focus Prediction. Manual focusing possible.

·Self-Timer: Electronically controlled with 2 - or 10-sec. delay selectable.

·Dimensions: 161 x l12.1 x 71.8 mm

·Weight: 855g without battery 895g with battery

~~~ With the addition of Power Drive Booster El

·Film Wind: Three modes available;(Single frame)
, (low-speed continuous exposure) and (high-speed continuous exposure).

·Power source: Eight AA-size alkaline batteries, AA-size lithium batteries , AA-size NICD batteries, or NICD Pack E1. AA-size batteries can be used with power Drive Booster E1 models that are marked with the AE lock button indication.

·Dimensions: 157 x 116.4 x 78 mm

·Weight: 510 g without batteries, 710 g with 8 alkaline batteries.

Summary: