I bought the Elan 7NE this past May after my Rebel 2k bit the dust down in Mexico. I recently also upgraded to the 28-105 USM after using the kit 28-80 for the past 4 years, and I can say the extra money for the lens is well worth it. The learning curve on the Elan is pretty steep if you haven't had exposure to that type of camera before, as my mother is now learning after using a Canon FTb for the past 25 years. I think the main thing is getting used to all of the exposure controls and all of the extra 'goodies' available. I love having mid-roll rewind with the tongue of the film left out of the canister, and the mirror lock up is a great feature. The only issue i've had so far is that at 4fps, you can go through a lot of film really fast if you're shooting sports or wildlife.
As far as the eye control is concerned, I also haven't had any issues using it, even with my glasses. Although mostly I have it off, and just focus and recompose a shot.
The all-metal body makes things a little heavier, especially if you're running with good lenses, but that is a small trade off for a well-built frame.

If I had had the money at the time, i probably would have bought myself a 10D or something comparable, but for my purposes, the Elan is definitely high enough quality.

-Chris