Thinking of buying one, just for the heck of it. What should I expect? Will it be any better than my EOS 450D (quicker auto focus, better metering, etc)? Are my EF-S lenses backwards compatible with the EOS 1?
Are you talking about one of the film EOS-1 models or one of the EOS 1D* models? Either way, it depends on which model within the line you’re considering – there’s a HUGE difference between the original film EOS-1 ca. 1989 and an EOS-1D Mark III… But an EF-S lens wouldn’t work on any of them.
I am talking about the EOS 1 film camera. More specifically I would be more interested in the 1V model, the last of the line.
The 450D is marketed as the Xsi here in the states. (I own the Xt, or 350D.)
Your lenses are not necessarily backwards compatible. There are digital only lenses, which are designed to work with the smaller CCD sizes in some cameras. The benefit of these lenses is that they are usually much cheaper than the ones designed for full sized sensors.
I would suggest checking out the fine folks over at B&H ( www.bhphotovideo.com ) and looking for your exact lenses to determine if they’re compatible. If you got the lenses with the starter kit, I would imagine that they’re not.
Good luck.