Canon EOS 300V - saved by the bell

November 12, 2023

Canon EOS 300V - saved by the bell

I like to have Canon EOS 35mm SLRs in my collection. It allows me to share my modern day EF lenses and other Canon accessories with the old cameras. My first Canon EOS 35mm SLR was a 300V. It was released in 2002 as an upgrade to the Canon EOS Rebel series cameras. Basically, this camera could do a lot of stuff; it also had the fastest autofocus and most advanced auto exposure in its class and the plastic lens mount in previous models was replaced by a steel mount in this model.

Some months ago whilst on a trip to Victoria, I noticed the camera starting to play up. After taking a photo, the viewfinder would black out and the battery icon would flash. I replaced the batteries but, the viewfinder would still black out and the battery icon would keep flashing. The blacking out of the viewfinder didn't always cover the viewfinder. Sometimes it would leave a blacked out portion on an angle across the viewfinder which prompted me to consider that it was the Shutter Curtain getting stuck or damaged. Once I had removed the film from the camera, I tried it again; this time with the camera open. I was able to view the working of the shutter curtain and it was working as it should.

Jumping onto Google I searched for the symptoms I was experiencing and found that the problem of the flashing battery icon and the blacking out of the viewfinder was also an indication of a mother board failure within the camera. I was a bit disappointed but, hey, the camera was 20 years old and I had no idea how it had been used with previous owners. I hadn't paid a lot for it and considered I had probably got my moneys worth out of it. I didn't throw it out straight away, thinking that I still may be able to salvage it at some stage. I did keep the older original kit lens though.

A few days later I found a Canon EOS 300 in Facebook Marketplace. It was an excellent price but body only. This camera was released in 1999 so, it was a few years older than the one it was replacing. It was in very good condition, the original owner had shelved it in favour of a digital and it hadn't had much use. Luckily I still had the original kit lens (Canon EF 28-90mm f4-5.6) from the 300V to put to use on it. Imagine my surprise when I got it home, put that original kit lens on and experienced the same exact problems as the 300V. I removed the original kit lens and put on my Canon EF 50mm f1.4 lens. The camera worked properly with no problems. I then retrieved the 300V from the back of the cupboard and put the Canon EF 50mm on that camera. It also worked properly! Not trying to get hopes up, I changed the EF 50mm to an EF 85mm and the 300V worked properly for that lens also. Just to be sure, I put the original kit lens on the 300V and, sure enough, it played up. Just for good measure (and a bit of curiosity) I put the original kit lens on to my Canon 90D and the digital camera froze and came up with an error message. The problem had been the original kit lens all along and not the Canon 300V body! I am looking for a replacement for that 28-90mm zoom lens now, it was a good size for the camera and I don't have an equivalent EF 'digital' lens to replace it.

So, now I have 2 Canon 35mm SLRs. I took the recently acquired Canon EOS 300 out to the Broke Village Festival with the Canon EF 50mm f1.4 attached. I loaded it with my last roll of original Fuji Acros 100. That was a bit sad because it was my favourite B&W film. I haven't tried its replacement yet, I want to try some other B&W films before I get Acros V2. It was a fun day and I took some great photos using the 50mm. This was one of the first rolls of film that I scanned myself with my latest piece of kit - an EPSON Perfection V850 Pro scanner. I am so happy with this scanner. It gives me more control over my own work and I love the results.

Anyway, here are the results from the Canon EOS 300, Canon EF 50mm f1.4 and, Epson V850 scanner.