PhotoNotes Camera Lookup Results.
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This is a basic feature listing for the Canon EOS 50E / Elan IIE / EOS 55.
Canon EOS 50E / Elan IIE / EOS 55:
A popular amateur camera, the EOS 50 or Elan II carried a decent range of features at a reasonable price. Though not a pro model, it was nonetheless quite functional, with a solid plastic body. All Japanese models had eye-control focus (ECF), but outside Japan two versions of this camera were sold - one with ECF and one without. (the non-ECF version did not have E in its name)
For some reason it was sold with a "retro" colour scheme in most markets - black body with a silver top. The Japanese EOS 55 also had a silly fake panorama feature which would simply mask off the top and bottom of the photograph. Strengths include film transport and metering controls easily operated in the dark by feel (two levers) and a patterned red AF assist light for low-light autofocus. This camera was also the first to support Canon’s new E-TTL flash metering system. Weaknesses - only 3 focus points, 6 metering zones, no wireless E-TTL flash ratios.
| Canon EOS 50E / Elan IIE / EOS 55 | |
| Camera medium type | 35mm film |
| European/Australasian name | EOS 50E |
| North American name | EOS Elan IIE |
| Japanese name | EOS 55 |
| Asian name | EOS 50E |
| Date introduced | September 1995 |
| Date discontinued | |
| Marketing position when introduced | Advanced amateur |
| Physical body | Canon EOS 50E / Elan IIE / EOS 55 |
| Body type and material | Plastic with aluminium top |
| Body build quality | Reasonable, though a plastic-feeling body |
| Body colour | Black with silver top; all-black version available as the EOS 55 in Japan and some versions of the European EOS 50 |
| Lens mount type | Canon EF |
| Lens mount material | Stainless steel |
| Dimensions (width, height, depth) | 153 x 105 x 71mm |
| Relative size | Medium sized. People with large hands may want to add the battery pack. |
| Weight | 595g without batteries |
| Weatherproofing | None |
| Flash weatherproofing with supported flash units | |
| Exposure settings | Canon EOS 50E / Elan IIE / EOS 55 |
| Basic (icon) modes | Full auto, portrait, landscape, macro, sports |
| Program AE (P), aperture priority (Av), shutter speed priority (Tv), and manual (M) modes | P, Av, Tv, M, DEP |
| Metering types | Evaluative, partial, centre-weighted averaging |
| iFCL: Dual layer (red/green and green/blue) metering sensor | |
| Manual selection of metering types | Yes |
| Evaluative metering zones | 6 |
| Partial metering size | 9.5% |
| Spot metering size | n/a |
| Multi-spot metering | No |
| Manual exposure metering | Yes |
| Manual exposure metering display | Simulated matchneedle |
| Metering (not autofocus) range at 20°C, ISO 100 | EV 1-20 |
| DEP or A-DEP | DEP |
| Shiftable DEP mode | Yes |
| Exposure setting increments | 1/2 stop |
| Exposure compensation increments | 1/2 stop |
| Auto-exposure (AE) lock | Yes |
| Single-shot AE/AF lock retention (keep shutter release halfway) | |
| Multiple exposures | Yes; up to 9 exposures |
| Auto exposure bracketing (AEB) | +/- 2 EV (in 1/2 stop increments) |
| Tv/Av safety shift to reduce overexposure | |
| ISO safety shift | |
| Camera shake warning | |
| Stop-down metering for manual-only lenses | |
| ISO (film speed/sensor sensitivity) | Canon EOS 50E / Elan IIE / EOS 55 |
| Manual ISO range | ISO 6-6400 |
| DX-encoded ISO range (film only) | ISO 25-5000 |
| Automatic ISO selection in icon modes (digital only) | |
| Always displays ISO setting in viewfinder | |
| Dedicated ISO button | |
| Displays ISO setting in viewfinder when ISO button pressed | |
| Digital image processing | Canon EOS 50E / Elan IIE / EOS 55 |
| Highlight tone priority (D+) | |
| Auto lighting optimizer | |
| High ISO speed noise reduction | |
| Peripheral illumination correction | |
| Peripheral illumination correction database | |
| Ambience effect | |
| Creative filters | |
| Focus | Canon EOS 50E / Elan IIE / EOS 55 |
| Autofocus points | 3 |
| Additional “invisible” AF points | No |
| Cross sensors | 1 |
| Autofocus modes | One-shot AF, AI servo AF, AI focus AF, manual focus |
| Autofocus point expansion (verifies surrounding points if AF cannot be achieved) | |
| Zone autofocus (enables multiple points as a cluster) | |
| Spot (reduced area of points) autofocus | |
| Manual selection of AF modes | Yes |
| AF limit of linear sensors | 5.6 |
| High precision limit of cross sensor(s) | |
| Focus point illumination | Yes, illuminated rectangles |
| Autofocus speed | Medium |
| Eye control focus (ECF) | Medium-fast. Works in both portrait and landscape configurations |
| Autofocus beep confirmation | |
| AE lock button can lock focus separately (sometimes known as CF 4) | Yes |
| Dedicated rear-panel autofocus start (AF-ON) button | |
| Low-light autofocus abilities (AF working range) at 20°C, ISO 100 | EV 0-18 |
| Manual autofocus micro-adjustment | |
| IS (image stabilization) compatible | Yes |
| Teleconverter (TC) compatible | Yes |
| Tilt-shift (TS-E) lens compatible | |
| EF-25 (25mm extension tube) compatible | Yes |
| Autofocus Assist | Canon EOS 50E / Elan IIE / EOS 55 |
| Body integral patterned red autofocus assist light | Yes |
| Incandescent white AF assist light | No |
| Pulses built-in flash annoyingly to serve as AF assist light | No |
| Can use external Speedlite AF assist | Yes |
| Can disable internal AF assist | Yes |
| Can disable Speedlite AF assist | Yes |
| Can disable internal and Speedlite AF assists independently | No |
| Flash support | Canon EOS 50E / Elan IIE / EOS 55 |
| Maximum flash sync shutter speed (X-sync) | 1/125 sec |
| Type A or Type B camera body | Type A camera (E-TTL flash metering) |
| TTL flash metering | Yes |
| TTL flash metering zones | 3 |
| A-TTL flash metering | Yes |
| E-TTL flash metering | Yes |
| E-TTL II flash metering | No |
| FP (high speed sync) mode | Yes |
| Built-in flash unit | Yes |
| Guide number of built-in flash (metres, ISO 100) | 13 |
| Maximum coverage of built-in flash | 28mm |
| Built-in flash can auto pop-up | Yes |
| Built-in flash can auto lower | No |
| Built-in flash has zoomable flash head | No |
| Built-in flash zoom detents | |
| Tall built-in flash | No |
| Manual output control of built-in flash | |
| MULTI (stroboscopic) mode for built-in flash | |
| Wireless E-TTL | Yes |
| Built-in flash can serve as wireless E-TTL controller | |
| Supports wireless E-TTL group C when using built-in flash as master | |
| Wireless E-TTL ratios | No |
| Flash exposure compensation (FEC) for internal flash | Yes |
| FEC for external flash | Yes |
| FEC scale in viewfinder | No |
| Flash exposure lock (FEL) button | No |
| FEL icon in viewfinder | |
| Supports Speedlite modelling light | No |
| Flash exposure bracketing (FEB) | No |
| Can communicate digital subframe size to flash unit | |
| Menu control over external Speedlites (with compatible flash units) | |
| Can control flash unit custom functions (with compatible flash units) | |
| Auto fill-flash can be disabled | No |
| Flash hotshoe painted or bare metal | |
| PC (studio flash) socket built in | No |
| Supports high voltage (maximum 250 volts; not 6) studio flash | No |
| Supports second-curtain sync | Yes |
| Second-curtain sync custom function | Yes |
| Redeye reduction lamp | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Canon EOS 50E / Elan IIE / EOS 55 |
| Viewfinder quality | Mediocre |
| Eye level pentaprism/pentamirror | Pentaprism |
| Viewfinder coverage of frame | 90% vertical and 92% horizontal |
| Viewfinder magnification (-1.0 dioptre w/ 50mm lens at infinity) | 0.71x |
| Built-in dioptric adjustment | Not adjustable |
| Eyepoint | 19mm |
| Eyepiece shutter | No |
| Viewfinder display information | Focus points, shutter speed, aperture, FEL, DEP, AE/FE lock, AE exposure compensation, flash exposure compensation amount, manual exposure level, AEB range, red-eye reduction, flash-ready, FE lock warning, high-speed sync, eye control, flash exposure compensation icon, in-focus indicator. |
| Default viewfinder focus screens | n/a |
| Viewfinder proximity sensor (turns off LCD when using viewfinder) | |
| FEC scale on side of image in viewfinder | No |
| On-demand grid in optical viewfinder | |
| Interchangeable viewfinder focus screens | Not user replaceable |
| Depth of field preview | Tied to partial metering button or eye control |
| Shutter and mirror | Canon EOS 50E / Elan IIE / EOS 55 |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 sec |
| Minimum shutter speed | 30 sec |
| Bulb mode | Yes |
| Camera maximum aperture range (available aperture range is lens dependent) | 1-91 |
| Shutter release lag time | |
| Shutter life expectancy | |
| Mirror blackout time | approx 185ms |
| Fixed pellicle mirror | No |
| Active mirror control | No |
| Rotary magnet (low power) shutter | No |
| Mirror lockup | No |
| Mirror prefire (sort of lockup) | Yes |
| Self-timer | Yes; 2 (with IR remote) or 10 sec |
| Continuous (multiple shot) self-timer | |
| Built-in intervalometer (interval timer) | No |
| Intervalometer through external computer interface | No |
| Film motor drive | Canon EOS 50E / Elan IIE / EOS 55 |
| Motor drive speed (frames per second) | 2.5 fps |
| Framerate with booster | n/a |
| Motor drive sound | Quiet |
| Supports mid-roll rewind | Yes |
| Custom function to leave the leader out on rewind | Yes |
| Film winding type - standard or prewind | Standard |
| Other film-related features | Canon EOS 50E / Elan IIE / EOS 55 |
| Interchangeable backs | Not interchangeable |
| Date-printing back | QD versions and EOS 55 models only |
| Fake panorama masking | On Japanese EOS 55 model only |
| Optional leader-out rewind | Yes |
| Barcode reader for loading shooting modes | No |
| Computer interface for recording shooting data | No |
| Data printing on film leader (frame zero) | No |
| Compatible with high-speed infrared film | No |
| Body and controls | Canon EOS 50E / Elan IIE / EOS 55 |
| Rear (quick control) dial | Yes |
| Customizable function (C) mode dial setting | No |
| Lockable top-deck mode dial (press to turn) | |
| Rear cursor buttons | No |
| Multi-controller joystick | No |
| Multi-controller built into rear dial | |
| M.Fn button by shutter release button | |
| Film transport and metering controls operable by feel (lever position) | Yes |
| Power-on time | |
| Batteries | One 2CR5 lithium |
| Battery charger | |
| AC adapter | |
| Official shooting capacity per charge | |
| Battery increments in LCD | |
| Backup battery (for date/time, etc) | |
| Battery door | |
| Wired remote socket | E3 type (2.5mm stereo minijack) |
| Compatible wired remotes | Canon Remote Switch RS-60E3 and many E3 (2.5mm minijack) third-party remotes |
| Compatible with RC-1, RC-5 wireless remotes | Yes |
| Tripod socket aligned to centre line of lens mount | |
| Tripod socket material | |
| Backlit topdeck standard LCD | No |
| Standard LCD size and position | Right side of top deck |
| Secondary LCD | |
| Standard top-deck mode dial | Left side of top deck |
| Handgrip | Optional BP-50 battery pack grip |
| Optional case | Semi-hard case EH9-L |
| Custom functions | See footnote at the end of this document for full custom function list for this camera. |
| Personal functions | |
| Canon EOS 50E / Elan IIE / EOS 55 |
Custom functions for the Canon EOS 50E / Elan IIE / EOS 55:
1) Film rewind - silent or high-speed.
2) Film leader: rewind leader into cartridge or leave film leader out.
3) Film speed: set by DX code or set manually.
4) AE lock operation and AF activation: AF operation with shutter button and AE lock with AE lock button, AF with AE lock and AE lock with shutter release, AF with shutter button and depth-of-field preview with AE lock button.
5) Mirror lock-up and self-timer: normal or press shutter release for 2 second mirror prefire.
6) Flash sync: first curtain or second curtain
7) AF-assist beam: enabled or disabled.
8) Partial metering and FE lock link to focus points: link to centre point only or link to active point
9) Shutter speed setting: automatic or to top sync speed of 1/125 sec.
10) Focus point flashing: enabled or disabled
11) Eye-controlled depth-of-field preview: enabled or disabled
User-contributed reviews.
Canon EOS 50E / Elan IIE / EOS 55
User reviews from the PhotoNotes discussion forum are available.
Product names
A note about names. The reason certain camera bodies may have multiple names is because Canon often use different model names for different regional markets. This usually applies only to consumer and some midrange products, and mainly to the USA and Japan. Whereas the international name is usually just a number or number/letter combination, the USA name will often be some cool or tough-sounding name such as “Rebel”. Canon Japan, on the other hand, typically use cute marketing names such as “Kiss” for their consumer products. Under certain rare circumstances there may be actual differences between the differently named products. For example, Japanese versions of the product may support wireless remotes whereas other versions may not.
In addition, note that date-back equipped versions of many film bodies are and were available, often with QD (quartz date) or DATE added to their product names. Japanese versions of consumer and midrange film cameras, however, almost always have date printing as a standard feature.
I generally organize the information by the European/Australasian name, since it’s usually a logical numeric system. Basically, the fewer the digits the more expensive the camera. Thus the 1000 cameras are consumer, the 100 cameras are advanced amateur, the 10, 5 and 3 cameras are semi-professional and the 1 cameras are professional. The terms “consumer” and “professional” aren’t judgement terms here - just Canon’s descriptions of the market segments to which the cameras are aimed.
Disclaimer
This page was generated automatically from a comparison database. There is no guarantee that this information is entirely free from error, given the fact that the database is frankly pretty huge and was compiled entirely by hand. Please notify me using my feedback form if you notice any inaccuracies.
Information was derived from a number of sources, including Canon news releases, the Canon Camera Museum and various manufacturer-supplied product manuals.
This information is accurate to the best of my knowledge, but I cannot take responsibility for purchasing decisions you may make.
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