Canon P users?

R

Rich Silfver

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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 ;)
 
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.
 
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.
 
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?
 
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 :)
 
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
 
rsilfverberg said:
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.
 
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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.
 
taffer said:
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.
 
"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
 
rover said:
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
 
Flinor, cool.

Hm, does the Canon P show all the framelines at the same time?

I do like that it's heavy though.
 
Re: Canon P users?

"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
 
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.
 
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