Canon EOS 1000S QD

aka EOS Rebel S QD
by Karen Nakamura

Overview and Personal Comments

Canon announced the new EOS system with the release in March of 1987 with the film-based EOS 650. The EOS Rebel / EOS 1000 series came out a few years later in 1990 as the entry-level model. However, unlike crippled beginner models from other manufacturers (ahem... Nikon), the EOS 1000S / Rebel S was a rather full-featured camera with all the metering modes (M/Av/Tv/P/idiot-modes), exposure compensation, built-in flash, and ISO override functions of its high-end peers. Using the text or images on this website without permission on an ebay auction or any other site is a violation of federal law.

What's missing from the 1000D / Rebel series? From the biggest to the smallest:

• A rear quick control dial. Because it only has one control dial, Manual mode, in order to change the aperture, you have to hold down one of the rear buttons while using the index finger dial. The same if you want exposure compensation in Av or Tv mode. It's no biggie if you're in Program mode all the time.
• There's only one focus point and it's a vertical line type (not cross-type). This means you have to focus using the middle sensor and then recompose.
• Only 3 zone matrix metering. Most entry-level people use print film and develop their film at mini-marts, for which this works just fine.
• Plastic lens mount. Canon rightly assumed that most entry-level buyers do not change lenses that often and the composite lens mount is more than sturdy enough for the lenses they buy.

For Sale
My partner bought this 1000D to do some interior architectural photographs for a magazine. We're now selling it along with the consumer zooms we bought for it at the same time:

• Canon EOS 1000S Quartz Date (aka Rebel S QD) with Sigma Zoom 24-70mm f/3.5 - 5.6. Body is in excellent condition and is a wonderful beginner-intermedia camera with M/Av/Tv/P and idiot modes. Quartz date back. Lens is a good intermediate zoom with fine color and sharpness. No optical marks. Would make a great gift for an undergrad off to college. $180 with shipping or Y16,000.
  • An online manual is available here:
    http://photonotes.org/manuals/eos-rebel-s-ii/
    
• Canon EF Zoom 35-80mm f/4.5-6.6 II. A compact little consumer zoom. Excellent optical condition with hood. $60 with shipping or Y6,500. $40 / Y4000 if bought at the same time as the body above.

   

Technical Details

About Canon

Canon started out its life as Seiki Kohgaku Kenkyuujo (Precision Optical Research Company). Its first goal was to produce domestic inexpensive Leica clones, and it released the Kwanon, its first camera in 1934. Interestingly, they used Nikon lenses since Nikon was already established as an optical lens manufacturer and was not making any of its own camera bodies at that time. Canon soon gained the ability to make their own lenses and never looked back. Nikon also went on to produce some reasonably popular cameras of its own as well.

The name 'Canon' comes from the Buddhist deity Kwanon and early Canon cameras were actually spelled 'Kwanon' and the lenses were named 'Kyasapa' after another deity.

Side note: Canon is my favorite Japanese company along with Honda. I actually interned for Canon Japan (ok, Canon Sales Japan, a part of the Canon keiretsu) during a summer in college and loved my coworkers to death. They keep coming out with innovations that take your breath away.

On the Net

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