Magic Lantern Guides(r) Canon EOS Elan II/IIe

The most important part of photography is knowing your camera. This is far more informative than the basic manual that you receive when you buy a camera. It teaches you how to use the camera, and teaches a lot of concepts of photography as well. It also covers lenses and speedlites. It is a great resource for someone that is considering buying the camera.

The book does an excellent job of providing the amateur / intermediate photographer with the necessary knowledge to take fantastic photos. The camera is quite powerful and the book helps the user leverage its capabilities far better than the original manuals.

If you are new to 35mm photography or just new to cameras with automated features this book gives much better explantations of the camera's features than the Canon manual. I keep the book with me whenever I'm using the camera, at least until I get thoroughly familiar wtih it.

After you read the instruction manual that comes with the Elan2, then study the Magic Lantern Guide. See how it all fits, and then reread the book. Expect to spend some time with this book, the Elan2e has over 20 buttons and 6 dials and most of the setting have multiple arrays (2x3x2=12 possiblities). Best chapter is the TTL exposure.

This book in the wonderful Magic Lantern series covers the full functions of the Canon EOS Elan II and IIe cameras in a non-technical, conversational style. It's a quick and easy read and after you get through this book, you will fully understand all the features of this great camera, from basics as how the authors recommend holding the camera to features like the auto-focus and understanding the Creative modes to advanced topics such as how to set multiple exposures and auto-exposure bracketing. It also describes the usage and features of a large number of the most commonly-used Canon lenses, flashes and accessories that will work with this camera. (This last part is why I give it only a '9' because, although very informative, it reads almost as close to a sales brochure as a usage guide.) If you own this camera, this is the best ~$20 you will spend on it.