| Field-test of the Canon EOS 33
AF 35mm SLR camera. When they were launched, both the EOS 30/33 models were considered as nothing more than an EOS 300 (EOS Rebel 2000) in an EOS 50 body. Others have even labelled these two as dressed-up EOS 50E/50 variations. With the exception of the EOS 30, which comes with an improved version of Canon's exclusive Eye-Controlled Focus (ECF) that is even better than the one employed in the EOS-3, the standard EOS 33 can be considered to come close to what the critics have claimed. Take a closer look at the appearance of both the EOS 30/33 models, and they do resemble a little like their predecessors, the EOS 50E/50. Coupled with features like a 7-point CMOS AF sensor linked to the 35-point Evaluative metering as found on the EOS 300 entry-level model, the first claim of the EOS 30/33 cameras as being nothing more than a rugged version of the former can be justified to a certain extent.
In this issue, only the EOS 33 is being reviewed. The EOS 30 will feature a more extensive test review in a future issue. The EOS 33, without the ECF feature, as mentioned above, is certainly closer to it being an EOS 300 housed in an EOS 50 body. However, there are several notable features available in the EOS 33 that cannot be found on the EOS 50. First of all are the aluminium top and front plates used for the camera body as opposed to glass-fiber reinforced polycarbonate type available on the EOS 50 (and EOS 50E). Second, there is an increase built-in firing rate speed of 4 fps over the 3 fps employed in the EOS 50. Third, the Quick Control Dial (QCD) is no longer being used as the AF point selection method as Canon has now enabled this function to operate independently. This is accomplished by incorporating up, down, left and right buttons to the Quick Control Dial itself (See photo above). This new method enables the QCD to be used mainly for exposure compensation in AE modes and aperture (or shutter-speed) selection adjustments in Manual exposure, leaving the four new buttons to be utilized primarily for choosing the desired AF point when the needs arise. Unlike the digital EOS D30 camera, both the EOS 30/33 models do not come with a built-in E-TTL-capable flash as Canon has opted for the conventional TTL method instead. This is because the EOS 30/33 models are film-based cameras, with the flash exposure measurement different from the digital CMOS sensor used on the EOS D30, which requires E-TTL illumination for correctly exposed flash pictures. << Back to Main . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . |
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