C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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slr-35mm
The Canon EOS Elan II (1995–2000) — sold as the EOS 50 in Europe and Asia, and as the EOS 55 or Elan IIE (with Eye Control) in some markets — occupies the sweet spot of Canon's mid-1990s EOS lineup. Below the pro EOS-1N and the enthusiast A2/A2E, above the consumer Rebel series, the Elan II offered a 7-point AF system, evaluative and partial metering, full PASM exposure modes, and the headline feature: Eye Controlled Focus (ECF).
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
Develop 35mm film
Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
About this camera
Canon's mid-range 1995 AF SLR with Eye Controlled Focus — the camera that let you choose the AF point simply by looking at it through the viewfinder. Predecessor to the legendary Elan 7 and a capable shooter in its own right.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Canon EF |
| Years | 1995–2000 |
| Shutter | 30s – 1/4000s, electronic vertical metal |
| Flash sync | 1/125s |
| AF points | 7-point phase detection + Eye Control |
| Metering | Evaluative (6-zone), partial, center-weighted |
| Modes | P / Av / Tv / M + scene modes |
| ISO range | 6–6400 (DX coding) |
| Weight | ~480 g |
| Battery | 1× 2CR5 lithium |
Canon introduced the original EOS Elan in 1991 as a mid-range complement to the professional EOS-1. The Elan II (1995) was a significant refresh: it added Eye Controlled Focus (a technology first seen on the higher-end EOS-5/A2E), upgraded the AF system to 7 points, improved the metering, and added DEP (Depth-of-Field AE) mode.
Eye Control was Canon's most ambitious consumer-electronics feature of the decade. The system worked well enough to appear in Sports Illustrated and National Geographic photographers' kits — though it required a per-user calibration and struggled with some eyeglass prescriptions. Canon continued ECF through the Elan 7E (2000) but dropped it from subsequent digital bodies due to calibration complexity.
The Elan II was succeeded by the EOS Elan 7 (2000), which refined the AF, added 35-zone iFCL metering, and improved the shutter to 1/4000s sync compatibility.
The Elan II is one of the best value-for-money film SLR bodies available today. It accepts the full range of Canon EF lenses — including modern IS zooms and fast primes — with full autofocus, all for under $50 on the used market. Eye Controlled Focus, even if imperfect, remains a unique and memorable feature that no modern digital camera has replicated.
For photographers shooting EF glass on film, the Elan II represents a capable, affordable entry point that produces excellent results with any EF-mount optic.
Canon EF mount. Compatible with all EF lenses (not EF-S, which requires a digital APS-C body). No EF-to-EF-S adapter possible on film bodies. Excellent pairings: Canon EF 50/1.8 II (cheap, sharp), EF 85/1.8, EF 28-135/3.5-5.6 IS USM. External flash via Canon EOS hot shoe (E-TTL with 550EX, 430EX). Motor drive: built-in film advance, ~2.5fps. DX-coded film ISO reading; manual ISO override available.
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
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