Brief comparison of the Canon Elan 7 and 7NE - 35mm film cameras.

[Chako]

Talk about first world problems. I found an Elan 7NE at the downtown pawn shop. I bought it and brought it home. However, when it was time to put it into storage, I had completely forgotten I had bought an Elan 7 a while back. The Canon Elan  7 came out in 2000. The 7NE in 2004. The 7NE had a good production run up to 2018. I remember wanting the original when it came out because it was quite the feature packed camera of the time, despite digital still being in its infancy. There is not much between the two models other than the NE having eye control focusing. A feature that first showed up on the A2E back in 1992.  I have a copy of this camera in my collection. With the system on and properly calibrated, you just look at where you want to focus and the camera does the rest. It was improved in the much newer Elan 7NE (The E is for eye control), which is improved yet again in the current top end Canon R1, R3, and R5 cameras.

The Elan 7NE also has some nice touches over the Elan 7. There is an LCD light switch on the 7NE which was much appreciated for those not having a flashlight at night. Also, the 7NE also feels less plasticky with textured plastics and rubber finish,

Elan 7NE on the left, Elan 7 on the right.
20250623_190800A by Chako, on Flickr

20250623_190855A by Chako, on Flickr

Elan 7.
20250623_190908A by Chako, on Flickr

20250623_190941A by Chako, on Flickr

20250623_191108A by Chako, on Flickr

20250623_191144A by Chako, on Flickr

Elan 7NE.
20250623_190913A by Chako, on Flickr

20250623_190946A by Chako, on Flickr

20250623_191101A by Chako, on Flickr

20250623_191149A by Chako, on Flickr


The back of both cameras are identical.
20250623_191018A by Chako, on Flickr

[Vidar]

Yes, what happened to eye control? Seemed like a good thing at the time. Maybe like 4 wheel steering that was all the rage on cars in the early 90s, and then went away all of a sudden.

I had a 35mm Nikon 801 (?) or something like that back in the day. I remember it had a very nice feature where it could be set to take two photos with a tiny break in between. That was surprisingly helpful trying to take more natural photos of people posing for group shots or whatever. I would use it with a countdown timer, and make sure I was not near the camera after setting it. Everyone would do their stiff "cheese" pose until the first photo. Then they would relax hearing it was done and I was away from the camera. And then the second photo got taken. That was often a much better photo.

These days I just have a wireless remote in the pocket

[Chako]

Eye control is still alive and well. It was only ever found in Canon's top end cameras. It is in the R1, R3, and R5 from what I have read.

[Vidar]

Still seems like a nice concept.

Now I just wonder when some AI action camera will come along and automagically focus on where ever the action in the picture is. Actually very likely already out there.

[Chako]

I will have to agree.