Field-test of the Canon EOS 30 AF 35mm SLR camera. PERT rally car frozen in mid-air Voila! The above shot of the Malaysian-owned PERT team's second rally car was frozen in mid-air as it made a leap after hitting a ledge. This image was shot on the Canon EOS 30 (Elan 7e) fitted with the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM zoom lens via Eye-Controlled Focus (ECF) in AI Servo AF mode at 3 fps (4 fps in One Shot AF). This camera has the same appearance and all of the functions found on the EOS 33 model (Elan 7), but is one step better with the addition of the improved ECF feature, which is far more advanced than the one available in the EOS-3 camera. Like the EOS 300, EOS-3 and EOS-1V models, the EOS 30 (and EOS 33) uses a Canon-developed CMOS chip for its AF sensor, as opposed to the BASIS or Multi-BASIS version used in all the Type B EOS cameras. Like the EOS 300, the EOS 30 utilizes the proven (but vastly improved) 7-point AF configuration for its autofocus performance. There are five AF points across the frame just like those found on the EOS 5 (EOS A2E) and EOS-1N models, but the EOS 30 has two more, which are located on the top and bottom areas of the center AF sensor. Canon EOS 30 AF 35mm SLR Camera The rear view of the EOS 30     The ECF knob next to the LCD panel Comes with a built-in TTL flash The ECF function is now an acceptable feature among users, given that the EOS 30 (Elan 7e) is selling faster and better than its non-ECF counterpart, the EOS 33. This is in stark contrast to the other EOS models with ECF feature like the EOS A2E and EOS 50/50E (Elan II/IIe), in which the sales are better for the non-ECF versions. In fact, there was a shortage of this model on a global basis in its first few months of hitting the market, so much so that Canon Malaysia did not have any extra demo units to loan me to conduct this field-test.Whatever demo units available then were limited for use in the ongoing promotional activities as new shipments of the model to dealers were sold out as soon as they arrived. The EOS 33 was reviewed and tested in issue No: 58 and there has been a gap of seven issues until now, where the EOS 30 is finally featured. But the delay can be considered a blessing; when I had the EOS 33 for testing, there weren't any motorsports activities in the region as the 2000 season had just come to an end, except for a couple of pre-2001 season test sessions conducted by some of the MotoGP teams at the Sepang F1 circuit in late November 2000. << Back to Main . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .