View Full Version : Canon P users?
Rich Silfver
07-31-2004, 21:32
Any Canon P users around here?
Would be interested in hearing from people that have actually handled it - and/or any of the VI-serie cameras.
Not really looking to get one - just read about the camera recently and got curious about it.
Richard, as you already probably know, no Canon P but Canon 7 user.
I would have been a P user if I had found an opportunity on one. However, I've had some mails with a Canon P ex-owner who traded it for an M2 and he regretted that. Not getting the M2, but losing the P on the way.
I think it was Karen Nakamura who sold her first one and inmediately regretted, so she got another one when had the chance. All is written on her website.
But you're a curious man, so I'm sure you've already been there ;)
Rich Silfver
08-01-2004, 08:08
Jo, yup been to Karen's site already :)
Mostly I'm curious about people's ideas on how well made the camera is and how it 'feels'. The Canon P was marketed as a 'budget' camera but I've read in some places that this branding didn't quite reflect the fact that the camera was very well made.
Curious about 'how well made' :) Does it feel flimsy, too light, comparing it to an M-body, etc, etc.
Brian Sweeney
08-01-2004, 08:10
I will also add that the Canon 7 finder with its projected frame lines is very good, but not as good as the M3. The etched lines in the Nikon S3 do not compare with the SP. For that reason, I went with the Canon 7 over the P, which was the "economy" model much as the S3 was to the SP. The meter on mine is also accurate. The Canon 7 will run less that the P, go figure.
back alley
08-01-2004, 08:16
the canon p is a beautiful camera.
this from looking at pics only, but i will have one of these cameras before i stop shooting photos.
joe
I haven't used a P myself but I must say I really love the projected brightlines on the 7 and in fact the whole camera. The P is said to be of a still better construction quality with more thick top and bottom plates.
However, hard to get rid of the 7 finder, may not be up to Leica M3 standards, but for me it's a delight anyway.
This is getting tempting, fellas. I have good memories of using a Canon Vt long ago. Might there be rash of "new" Canon screw-mount RFs appear amongst us, as with the Leica Ms?
Rich Silfver
08-01-2004, 20:32
But I can't believe noone here has even held a Canon P.
Wouldn't that be funny Doug? A Canon RF 'avalanche' just like the Leica one :)
back alley
08-01-2004, 20:40
truth be told, i'd rather have a canon than a leica. all things being equal and the canon being a good camera to work with, i'd rather go against popular (if not expensive) wisdom and go with something that is a bit different.
when i started out nikon was the big name in slrs so of course i went canon then too. of course i eventually wound up with olympus om cameras. but ended my slr spree back with a canon t90. the most perfect slr ever made!
and now bessa after selling my mamiya 6 cameras. hhmmm...
joe
Joe, do I hear a tinge of regret for the dear departed Mamiyas?
Originally posted by rsilfverberg
Wouldn't that be funny Doug? A Canon RF 'avalanche' just like the Leica one :)
Ok, I'd start then:
Hello, my name is Taffer and I've just acquired a really nice Canon 7 :D. Oh my god I can't believe simply how much camera I got for the money !!! :p It's a real pleasure to use, the finder is big, bright and the parallax corrected projected framelines are great.
IMHO also really well made, good weight, solid and smooth in operation (once the lens thread problem with my unit was solved, that is). Metal curtains (no sun pinholes!), pretty quiet shutter overall. Simple loading (hinged back).
LTM lenses (lots of 'cheap' available choices!). Some care needed with collapsible lenses or the russian J-12 (however mine seems to fit well).
And also, as Brian said, the 7 usually goes for significantly less than the P, so it may be difficult to go wrong by getting one.
I'm currently using that camera with a CV 35P lens and I find that combo simply perfect and yadda yadda yadda.... It's such a pity that those camera are often neglected as second level options in favor of much more expensive Leicas but that oth makes the Canon prices still more attractive and dadda dadda dadda...
Btw Richard do you remember that link to a black C7 you posted some time ago. Also, Doug, do you remember your question about that link and the 35/2 black Summicron that camera featured? The answer to your question is yes, seems both the 50 and the 35 crons were made some years ago in screw mount, even though they were addressed only to the Japanese market.
It would be nice to be able to put my hands over one of these... :rolleyes:
Ok, now, who's going for the P ??? Did I make it tempting enough :angel:
PS: Ok apart from the humoristic touches here, I'm really enjoying the C7. Now when the Leica sirens start singing in my right ear, some new ones on the left sing 'Just send the Canon to Essex for a full service', and that's probably what I'll be doing at the end of the year.
Brian Sweeney
08-02-2004, 02:24
When it came time to take an ILR on vacation, I took the Canon 7. Why? I brought Leica,Canon,and Nikkor lenses and could use them on the same camera. I also like the built in meter. The Viewfinder is as good as the SP, again not as good as the M3. But for the money, the Canon 7 has got to be the best deal around for "classic" interchangeable lens RF's.
Originally posted by taffer
Ok, I'd start then:
Hello, my name is Taffer and I've just acquired a really nice Canon 7 :D. Oh my god I can't believe simply how much camera I got for the money !!! :p It's a real pleasure to use, the finder is big, bright and the parallax corrected projected framelines are great.
You have taken up a big challenge here. You need to get up around 20,000 views and 12,000 post to challenge the Lou Gehrig of photography forum threads.
back alley
08-02-2004, 04:50
"Joe, do I hear a tinge of regret for the dear departed Mamiyas?"
no, not really. in an ideal world i would be able to afford all the cameras and all the formats that i would want to play with, but...
i quite like the bessa, noisy as it is (most commom complaint), and it has re-energized my photography so i have no complaints.
as to the canon p, i just think they are one sexy looking camera and i hope to own one in my future.
(did i mention my b'day is in october??:))
joe
Originally posted by rover
You have taken up a big challenge here. You need to get up around 20,000 views and 12,000 post to challenge the Lou Gehrig of photography forum threads.
Hmm... let me guess... is some kind of praise about a back then forgotten compact RF written by a well known friend of us ? :D
Also, let me add something to my previous own praise of the C7. As a final note, I'd recommend that camera to anybody who is after a Leica M2 but won't be able to afford one in a long time (and who can also live without M mount lenses, that is).
Sounds better now ? :)
Hi,
I own a Canon P and don't give it nearly the use it deserves. Too many cameras and not enough time, I guess. I've got a 35 2.8, 50 1.8, 100 3.5 and a 135 3.5 to go with it and I've used the CV 15 on it. All in all a very nice outfit to go out for a day with. Quality is subjective, of course, but the build quality seemed to be at least the equal of the M6 that I once owned. The viewfinder is quite good if a bit cluttered and the 35 framelines are tough to use if you wear glasses. Although I've never misloaded a Leica I've got to say that the Canon's opening back door is a pleasure. It has a good feel in the hands, a little heavy, but quite solid feeling and the controls are very smooth.
Gerry
Rich Silfver
08-02-2004, 19:52
Flinor, cool.
Hm, does the Canon P show all the framelines at the same time?
I do like that it's heavy though.
back alley
08-02-2004, 20:33
"Not really looking to get one - just read about the camera recently and got curious about it."
would you be the same rsilfverberg bidding on a canon 7 on ebay?:eek:
richard, i knew you were bad but this is sooo bad.;)
unless, of course, you were planning on gifting it to me!!
then, you would be soooooo good! :angel:
joe:D
Rich Silfver
08-02-2004, 20:35
Haha, yeah. But it's true - I'm not really looking at getting one.
My 'shame bid' maxed out at 100 dollars and won't go above that right now. Just toying with the idea really.
I throw low bids out all the time. Some times they stick though, be careful.
Rich Silfver
08-03-2004, 00:47
Funny. I think a lot of us do. Bidding 60 bucks on something we know will end up at 3-400...
Who knows..maybe one day the world will take a break from eBay and we will be the only ones there when the auctions closes..... ;)
Brian Sweeney
08-03-2004, 02:09
I have had more of those low bids win out than I expect. Sometimes they just fly in below the RADAR screen. And sometimes you just spot a BIN at a ridiculously low price.
Well, who knows, however I doubt a C7 body will go for 3-400 unless it's a mint one. Richard I think that's right, the P shows all the framelines at the same time, sort of a bit crowded finder.
But you know you'll end with one ;) Just remember to have some LTM glass to mount on it.
back alley
08-03-2004, 07:14
well, the deal on the used bessa r fell through just now, so... i bid on that canon 7!
i doubt it will go for as low as i bid but what the heck?!
if i don't get it i may buy that little oly digital that costco has on sale now. it's the oly 395, 3.2mp, no optical zoom. very simple.
i believe digital is the best way to terrorize my friends!
joe
Richard, the P shows 35, 50 and 100 framelines at all times. I didn't mention earlier but that 100 f3.5 is a real gem. very sharp, small and light and smooth to use.
Gerry
oftheherd
08-04-2004, 09:49
Originally posted by backalley photo
well, the deal on the used bessa r fell through just now, so... i bid on that canon 7!
i doubt it will go for as low as i bid but what the heck?!
if i don't get it i may buy that little oly digital that costco has on sale now. it's the oly 395, 3.2mp, no optical zoom. very simple.
i believe digital is the best way to terrorize my friends!
joe
Tigerdirect has some Epson 4400's for as little as $139 (refurbished). The have Canon lenses, and both optical and digital zoom. More importantly, for what is a basic P&S for most people, you can go fully manual, and there is a histogram.
I ordered a 3300 from them several months ago for one section here at work. The first had terrible purple fringing and Toshiba replaced it immediately. It has worked fine in a section that gives it to whomever is closest to the supervisor when it needs to be used (or abused). The 4400 I just ordered would shut itself off right after a powerup. :bang: Tigerdirect has already sent me another while the bad one makes its way back to them. Murphy loves me! :D
But you might want to give them a try at http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_slc.asp?CatId=127
back alley
08-04-2004, 10:05
thanks for the info!
they also have a canadian site w/ canadian pricing. the 4300 goes for $195cdn.
however, the bessa deal is not as dead as i thought, i will know more soon, possibly tomorrow. so for now all else is on hold.
joe
Rich Silfver
08-08-2004, 09:34
And the rest was history......
back alley
08-08-2004, 16:57
...and so it was written...
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