| Canon EOS 30D 8.2MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) | ||||||||||
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by Canon  Powered by a lithium-ion battery pack; stores images on CF cards Fully compatible with all EF and EF-S Lenses and a wide range of EOS system accessories (no lenses included) High- and low-speed consecutive shooting (5 frames and 3 frames per second, respectively) Large 2.5-inch LCD monitor that can be viewed at extreme angles up to 170 degrees 8.2-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 16 x 22-inch prints |
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| From the Manufacturer The Canon EOS 30D replaces the award-winning EOS 20D. It brings proven EOS technology to a new level, giving photographers an unbeatable photographic experience. The EOS 30D incorporates a host of new features with Canon's highly acclaimed 8.2-megapixel CMOS sensor and DIGIC II Image Processor. The EOS 30D includes enhanced operational features such as a new 2.5-inch LCD monitor, true spot metering, a durable new shutter mechanism, and Canon's Picture Style pre-sets (Canon's in-camera image processing standard), all in an sturdy, magnesium-clad body. The maximum number of images in a folder is increased from 100 to 9,999, while the in-built flash has been upgraded to match the 100,000 shutter cycle durability, an increasingly important feature in the digital age. With all these new features the EOS 30D is truly perfection, refined.
The EOS 30D features Canon's award winning CMOS sensor technology, with large 6.4µm2 pixels for wide dynamic range with low noise. Any remaining fixed pattern and random noise is dealt with by on-chip noise-elimination circuitry. A low-pass filter in front of the sensor reduces false color and moiré effects, while an infrared filter suppresses red fringing caused by sensor reflections and fog. The camera features Canon's DIGIC II processor now found across the digital EOS range. DIGIC II maximizes speed and image quality by processing uncompromisingly complex color rendition algorithms, clearing the buffer at high speed.
The EOS 30D has a high-precision, 9-point wide area AF system that uses both normal and high-precision focus depending on the aperture and available light. The 9 focus points can be chosen automatically or manually-selected using the 30D's intuitive, thumb-operated multi-controller.
The EOS 30D has a brilliant 2.5-inch LCD monitor with approximately 230,000 pixels. Adopted from Canon's professional EOS SLRs, this monitor not only displays more information, it can also be viewed at a greater angle (170 degrees) than many conventional LCD monitors. The full-featured shot information screen not only provides an RGB histogram, it can display the AF frame used. Magnification has never been faster. Magnification zooms to the focus point rather than the center of the image to check exposure and critical focus. It is also simple to jump quickly in image intervals up to 100. Menus are accessed at the touch of a button and feature larger text that is easier to read. Whether changing color parameters, setting up custom functions, organizing folders or setting white balance, the EOS 30D helps photographers get to their information quickly, so they never miss a shot. Every function optimized for fast RAW and JPEG capture
The EOS 30D lets you print beautiful photos with minimum time and effort - directly from the camera. It's compatible with Canon's SELPHY Compact Photo Printers, desktop PIXMA Photo Printers, and even third-party PictBridge-compatible printers. EOS: The system Battery grip Software The EOS 30D includes membership of Canon's online photo album, Canon iMAGE Gateway with 100 MB of space for image uploads and photo sharing. (Canon iMAGE Gateway is not available in all European countries.) Technologies Explained Picture Style The six pre-sets include: The User Defined pre-set can be used to store up to three customized pre-sets, or any of the pre-sets available for download from Canon's web site. DIGIC II To avoid the trade off faced by other manufacturers between camera responsiveness and image quality, Canon has created a processor so fast it can read, process, compress, and write image data back to the buffer between exposures. This allows for longer continuous bursts at maximum frame rates before the buffer fills. Moreover, each image can be subjected to the full complex processing algorithms required in order to deliver superb image quality. CMOS CCD sensors use a bucket relay system to transfer each pixel's accumulated electrical charge to a corresponding gutter. The operation is time consuming and draws considerable power, which limits battery life and generates unwanted heat, further increasing noise and lowering image quality. By contrast, signal conversion in Canon's CMOS sensors is handled by the individual amplifiers at each pixel site. Unnecessary charge transfer operations are avoided, vastly speeding up the process of getting signal to the image processor. Noise generation is reduced and power consumption limited. Digital Photo Professional Software Is the switch worth it?
There are probably many people out there who are thinking about buying this camera to upgrade. If you own a 10D then the choice is pretty easy, as you get extra MP plus new features. However, what if you own the XT, is this a worthwhile upgrade? The answer is that it depends if you need the new features. Based on my personal experience, however, the answer is a resonating yes! Also, if you are trying to decide between buying the XT or the 20D, take a look at the 30D. The 30D offers a great combination of features that you won't find in those two cameras. SIZE MATTERS: yes my hands are big and I don't like holding the XT. In fact, that's what made the 20D appealing back when I was shopping for my first digital SLR, but it didn't offer much more than that. On the other hand, the 30D size is perfect with a much solid feel than my XT and I get more features with the 30D. BIGGER LCD: The new 2.5 inch LCD screen (up from 1.8) is so much better than the one on the XT. Now I can look at the picture I have taken and actually see some details. That's very important because it cuts down on nasty surprises that I couldn't otherwise spot while shooting with the XT. IMAGE PARAMETER: is awesome! I know how to set parameters on my XT to suit the shooting situation (portrait vs. nature for example). However, many of my friends who own the XT don't bother to make any changes. With the 30D, however, changing the parameters is as easy as dialing in what you are shooting. You set it on portrait and no more over saturated pictures of your friends! This new feature makes the professional level 30D extra friendly for amateurs. 1/3 ISO STOPS: That new feature makes taking test shots with the 30D much more enjoyable than with the XT. Hence, no more soft images with low shutter speed or too much depth of field with high aperture. Instead you can sacrifice an extra 1/3 stop of ISO and achieve correct exposure! Aside from those four great improvements there are few nice features here and there. As for all other aspects of photography, like auto focus and light metering for example, this camera will not disappoint you. It beat my XT in every aspect, except price! Therefore, if you are comfortable making the investment get this camera, it rocks! PS. ABOUT THE KIT LENS: I personally don't like the kit lens because it focuses slowly, renders colors poorly, and produces marginally sharp pictures. I say marginaly because it's a shame to couple the awesome 30D with such a low performance lens. Instead I would buy the body only and invest few hundred dollars in an excellent prime or a decent zoom. If you are new to photography, however, and not sure what to buy instead of the kit lens consider buying the 50 1.8 Canon lens along with the kit lens. That lens will serve as a good reference point for what you are missing by using the kit lens. Furthermore, the 50 mm lens goes for only $70 new. Use both lenses, learn the difference, and from there decide if it's worth it for you to buy different lenses. Good luck either way. UPDATE APRIL 6: The 30D auto focus is superior to the Rebel XT. Generally speaking when I am out shooting in the forest preserve I make sure I take few exposures of the same scene without changing the composition. I do that because very often the camera would focus on the wrong object and render my pictures useless. The 30D on the other hand is better it focuses on the right object more often. It's just "smarter" in focusing, which mean that now I can take pictures of more scenes with my 512MB memory card. Prior to that, I had to fill up the card with multiple pictures of the same scenes. UPDATE APRIL 30: Three new features have come in handy so far. Those are spot metering, controls layout, and ISO display in the viewfinder. SPOT METERING: can be very useful in taking landscape images. From my experience, the evaluative metering found on the XT and 20D (more so in the XT) tends to create over exposed pictures in tricky situations. I usually take few exposures that are underexposed to combat this. Now with this new feature I can point at the object of interest, obtain an exposure reading, and then recompose and take my picture based on that reading. Thanks to spot metering this new approach provide accurate results and is much more convenient than filling up the memory card with several exposures of the same scene. CONTROLS LAYOUT & ISO DISPLAY: Those two new features go hand in hand, as it's very easy to use the two wheels on the back and on the top of the camera to change settings that most important of which is (yup you guessed it) ISO speed. Once you change the ISO speed you will see the speed value being illuminated in the viewfinder, truly a piece of mind! Perfect upgrade from 300D (Digital Rebel)
I resisted the urge to upgrade to the 20D from the 300D (Digital Rebel) but couldn't resist the 30D. I have used the 300D for weddings before and found that I was often waiting for the buffer to clear - even when shooting jpegs. 3 huge advantages of the 30D are: 1 - no worries shooting at ISO 800 - even 3200 is usable, (the 300D is ordinary above 400) 2 - 5 frames/sec (the 300D only has a 4 pic buffer @ 2.5 frames/sec, so rapid shooting with it is almost a non-event) 3 - Spot metering (300D you have pretty much no control over the metering used, and certainly no spot meter). That's just a short list of the advantages of this camera over the 300D. I shot a wedding with the 30D last weekend and I was never waiting for the camera to catch up, and could have given it more than I did. I highly recommend it as an upgrade to the 300D. I'm keeping the 300D as a backup d-slr, but hope I don't have to use it. I loved the 300D, but I won't miss using it after using the 30D. IMO, STILL the best buy for the money!
This camera offers a few well considered improvements over the 20D it replaces. The sensor and processor are the same so the image quality will not differ one iota, BUT an enlarged LCD monitor, spot metering, vastly improved shutter life and ISO displayed on the viewfinder are worthy improvements easily justifying the upgrade from the 20D. If one is considering an upgrade from the 10D my advice would be to definitely go for it. The 20D and 30D both have the "instant on" feature and this represents a vast improvement over the 10D. The 10D was felt by many to have focusing issues and though I did not have any significant problem with my 10D in that regard the 30D represents a substantial improvement in this area. Canon still is not offering (in this price range) a camera with eye control or 45 focusing points, BUT the nine focusing points that ARE offered are well placed and the camera focuses quickly and surely resulting in tack sharp photos. The pictures this camera takes are simply beyond belief. Beautifully saturated, tack sharp, NO, and I mean NO noise at 400 or below and barely discernible noise all the way up to 1600 ISO. For all practical purposes 1600 ISO is an entirely usable speed resulting in fantastic pictures. What Canon has accomplished in reducing noise and increasing pixel density proves that they are, for now, the technology leader. Canon for now is doing a better job at controlling noise than Nikon though Nikon with the D200 comes pretty darn close except at 800 ISO and above. The new flash system, ETTL II, available first on the 20D is a vast improvement over previous systems. The in camera processing results in exceptional and pleasing pictures. This camera has a fixed continuous shooting rate which was not present on the 20D. The megapixels stay constant at 8.2 million pixels. Many may be disappointed that the MP count was not increased and feel that perhaps a nominal increase to 10MP would have better justified an upgrade. Canon obviously feels that noise and other features are more important at this point than raw MP's and I would agree. The holy grail of digital photography is now dynamic range. And while this camera offers no improvement in dynamic range I think we can expect to see such improvements in future offerings from Canon and the other manufacturers. One of the greatest things about digital photography is the ability to build a digital dark room for next to nothing. With the included Photoshop Elements you are well on your way to producing pictures that you could only have imagined in the pre-digital days. I am able to recoup pictures that I never would have considered salvageable before this camera. And while Elements is a great program and more than adequate for most needs I would recommend considering Photoshop CS2 for those who intend to plumb the depths of this hobby. Another thing I like about Canon is the lens system which IMO is second to none. Also, Canon continues to innovate at a furious pace driving the price of these digital cameras relentlessly downward. This camera is being introduced at a lower price than either the 10D or the 20D. The 5D is plummeting in price and is approaching my "strike point" for purchase. I expect that we will see a sub $2000 10 MP camera with a full frame sensor in the next 18 months. Such are the economics of digital photography. It would seem that Moore's law is driving the prices down inexorably. So, I LOVE the 30D! LOVE Canon. And LOVE digital. All in all I'd say I'm a pretty happy camper! Excellent mid-range DSLR
I had many high expectations when I purchased my 30D. I was surprised to find that it exceeded them all. The image quality is better than I expected, the low-light focusing capabilities, burst capabilities, easy to use controls, easy to understand menu, etc... All around a solid DSLR. I would encourage anyone thinking of buying this camera to go ahead, you'll love it. Although I LOVE this camera, there are a few MINOR things I dislike: 1) The small sensor bothers me. It's great on the telephoto end, making my 300mm lens effectively a 480mm lens, but I shoot a LOT of stuff with a 28mm, which is effectively a 45mm lens. 2) Incompatibility with older Canon Speedlites, including my 540EZ. I believe that it is simply software that Canon could have easily included to allow EZ speedlites to work, but they make money by selling stuff, including their EX line of speedlites. The camera and EZ speedlites communicate with each other, the camera knows it has a flash, the speedlite knows what focal length lens is on the camera, it also knows the shutter speed and the aperture, but it won't fire in ATTL mode. It will, however, fire in manual mode, so now I just use my EZ speedlite in manual mode. 3) The viewfinder is a little cumbersome with eyeglasses. I know there is a diopter adjustment, but I'm too blind to work without my glasses. It is taking me some adjusting to get used to it, but it is still usable. 4) In bright-light situations (outdoors), the LCD display in the viewfinder is difficult to see. I expected it to have an automatic variable brightness level similar to film EOS cameras I own, but it stays the same dim level regardless of light. I haven't found a way to manually make it brighter either. Having said all that, I am still EXTREMELY pleased with the camera. If I had it to do all over again, I would still buy it and be just as enthusiastic about it. I truly love this camera. I thought that I would still shoot just as much film prior to buying this, but I am now anticipating my film usage to drop quite a bit. One last thought on battery life. I can't believe how long the batteries last! I bought two extra batteries with it anticipating similar battery life to previous digital cameras I've owned, and thought I should have bought more. I think I could have gotten by on just one, two at the most. One battery will last me all day (and then some). The battery could easily run through 500+ pictures. Much better than what I expected from a EOS 20D upgrade
A lot of reviewers have advocated the pixels count to be not a worthy reasons to upgrade. They claimed that 30D is just a 20D with a larger LCD. After 250 shots in low light and tried out the auto focus at 1250 ISO, I proved to myself that it is a worthy upgrade in many aspects: 1) The LCD validated the picture's focus completely 2) I lost none of the focus on 250 shots on a stage rehearsal 3) The low light perfomance and high ISO performance are just excellent. Comparing to 30D, I would lost 20-30% shots due to out-of-focus. 4) The larger buffer in allowing you to take rapid 5 shots/per sec is just increditable. Based on the above reasons, I felt that the upgrade from 20D to 30D is well justified. Amazing camera - upgraded from the 10D
I upgraded from the 10D - skipping the 20D completely. Here are a few of the highlights, for people considering the switch: The viewscreen is larger. Really, can't tell you how important this is. Great for checking focus, color, and so on. The images are larger - now you can crop more, keeping enough pixels to print large. Noise is greatly reduced at ISO's above 200 - 400 is almost no noise, and even 1600 ISO on the 30D has less noise than the 10D's 800 ISO. Much larger image buffer, just hold down the shutter release and watch it go. Shutter's louder than the 10D. Even if you have to eat ramen for a month to pay for it, you should really get this camera as an upgrade to your 10D. Two Words - "Ah" - "Mazing"
Ok, I cheated... But this camera really is AMAZING! I hummed-n-hawed for quite a while before I pulled the trigger. Well...I think I just retired my Nikon F4s...and I LOVE that camera! It got to me just before my son's performance in "A Midsummer Nights Dream." This is not my first digicam but I have NEVER, NEVER, EVER taken one to use at such an event. They rarely (read: never) ever seem to handle low light and I've NEVER had a usable image from the stage. With all the good things I read about the 30D I took a BIG chance and took it to the play...and it only. I snapped 70-odd shots and was amazed at how well they all turned out. The cast has been thrilled. They hired a photographer but he only shot "set" photos/portraits...nothing while the play was going. Simply amazing. The next weekend I took it out and ran it through its paces. I can't get over how many "keepers" I had. And the level of control is nothing short of stunning. I'm a control freak when it comes to photography...and the 30D has it in spades. All in all, I don't think there is a better camera in its class. I'd even go so far as to say that I prefer it over the 5D! (Which is why I got it in the first place.) You really have to go out of your way to get more...1Ds Mark II anyone..? For the record, the lenses I purchased have been pretty sweet as well. I got the EF-S 10-22...if it weren't for the "S" it would probably be an "L" lens for sure. I also picked up an EF 24-70 2.8L as my main lens. That's what I shot the play with. Great lens that one. Lastly I grabbed an EF 70-200 2.8L and what a beauty that is. I agree will a previous post...even if you have to eat ramen for a month: Go for it! Best money I've spent in quite a while. Solid build, superb quality
I used to have Rebel XT which felt really small on my palm and it has that plasticy-feeling. Since I can't afford a full-frame DSLR (such as Canon 5D or 1Ds), upgrade to 30D is a major step for me since it has more solid build compared to XT, bigger LCD monitor, higher shutter speed (1/8000 sec), Picture Style, spot metering, and other added features. If you can afford it, it's a great DSLR and a great 350D upgrade
As the title says, if you can afford this, do it -- and this is coming from a Digital Rebel XT/EOS 350D owner. I love digital cameras. But I hate configuring them. For example, I've got a Sony T33 credit card camera that because of its small size, I've got to fiddle with the dumb menu. I'm farsighted, which means I need my glasses to see the menu, and ... arrgh. I own the Digital Rebel XT/350D and like many things about it, but I have never liked having to play around with it to configure the manual settings. And that's a real drawback, because I think you'll find that once you own a DSLR like one of the Canons or Nikons then you won't be shooting "automatic" all that much. But searching through the menus and trying to puzzle out what combination of button presses sets the ISO to 1600 so you can get those fireworks shots just ain't no fun. Get ahold of a 20D or 30D and spend 20 minutes with the manual, just once. The overall idea of the control layout will make you smile, and throw away the manual. Honest. Of course, that's not the only benefit of the 30D. For one thing, PictureStyles makes more sense to ME, anyway, than does the more common approach to exposure presets. The significantly larger LCD makes reviewing shots actually possible on the LCD, and the bigger LCD means bigger text -- better for us farsighted guys. I do wildlife pictures and portraits where it's great to motor-drive 20 or 30 shots at a go, and the 30D supports that. And I grew up with hand-held spot metering, so its return in the 30D is wonderful. However, if you ARE thinking of upgrading from a 350D, be aware of a few things. First, you've got to re-buy your wired and wireless remote controls at outrageous prices. All of the power stuff, including the AC adapter, your batteries, any battery chargers and the 350D's battery handle will require new purchases. One more thing that is a bit annoying: despite the fact that Microsoft has announced that 32 bit's on the way out, the four included photo applications run badly or not at all on my copy of XP x64 edition. There are workarounds, of course, but it's blasted annoying. Whether you stay with a current camera or upgrade, I wish you the best of luck with your digital photography. Even with the worst on-board menus, it still beats developing negatives in the closet! Wonderful camera, high quality picts- great focus spots!!!
I have had this camera for about a month. It's made my old Minolta digital obsolete. I use the Canon 30D everywhere I go. You won't find any better camera. The multi-spot focus is great. It almost guarantees great picture every time you aim and shoot. I would recommend this to everyone, from beginner to advanced photographer. One years worth of use...
I have now had this camera for one year. I have two lenses: the Canon 50mm mk.II, and the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS. Pictures come out good and after editing I have printed out 20x30s and they look perfect! Be advised, you will need some experiance with photography, because buying a camera like this and keeping it on auto is the biggest waste of money i've ever heard of. If you intend to use a flash, buy a canon speedlight because the internal flash eats up a lot of the 20D's really super long battery life and is not so powerful. High ISOs on this camera still look good, ISO3200 even! This is a SLR camera. That means that the lenses are interchangable. Zoom is all optical on the lens, and the only 'live preview' you will get is in the optical viewfinder. The LCD screen is for reviewing the photos and changing menu settings.' One Amazing WOW-Factor Camera
I consider myself an amateur/semi-pro photographer who uses my photo equipment for travel pics for the most part. I wanted to move from film (EOS-3 and EOS-1V) to D-SLR and have waited many years to do so. I could neither justify $4K or $8K for the two high-end cameras either for cost or use. Then the 5D came out and I seriously considered it because it was a true pro-level camera for photographers truly not in the business. And, it has a FF CMOS to boot--no FOVCF to deal with. Then, Canon brought out the 30D and after doing the comparative homework, the quality is, for the most part, equal and sometimes better than the 5D. For those of us who are not in possession of 300mm+ lenses, the 1.6 FOVCF is super, except, of course, for ultra-wide FOVs. But camera to camera, function to function, versatility to versatility, or any other category you might wish to compare, the 30D is a superlative camera and a photographer's dream. This camera is truly "WOW! to the MAX." For those who think that having a pop-up flash should NEVER be on a pro level camera, think again! It's a true plus. With 5FPS for use at sporting events or other fast-moving venues vs. 3FPS for the 5D, this makes the 30D all the better. So, the 30D along with the unbelievable EF-S10-22mm f/2.5-3.5 USM lens, the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, the EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS UMS, the EF100 f/2.8 macro USM, the Battery Grip BG-E2, the Speedlite 580EX along with the Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX and/or the Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX, which is the total equipment I have in my bags, you can't do better. Oh, I am sure Canon will soon come out with a 40D, but I can't imagine what they could add without moving to the 5D level-camera. In fact, we may soon see the demise of the SLR with less than a FF CMOS, so I advise that if you want the advantages of the 1.6 multiplier SLR, get this camera now. Don't wait; there's no reason to do so and at $1500 give or take, it's very inexpensive for what Canon gives us in return. What I have not told you is that I purchased both the 30D and the 5D and returned the 5D--for the reasons I iterated above. And I don't regret it, even for a minute. Nikon can't come close to this camera. There are far more Nikon to Canon convertees than Canon to Nikon and it's for cameras like the 30D that has caused this to occur. Friends of mine that were diehard Nikonites are now Canonites. And I am not aware of any of them who have regretted the move. The (almost) Perfect Digital SLR
I was always reluctant to switch to digital from film, but last year I tested the waters and bought a Digital Rebel XT. I found that on the job I would opt for my digital more and more until I finally quit bringing my film rig along with me when shooting on location. I've just recently upgraded to the 30D, and I can say now that this is almost the perfect digital SLR. I love the professional features that the XT lacked, and the 30D also feels much more solid. It balances much better with Canon's professional lenses, and the 2.5" screen makes more of a difference than I thought it would. The only negative point is that the 1.6x lens magnification factor robs my 24-70 f/2.8L lens of its wide angle capabilities, so I will probably have to buy the 16-35 f/2.8L in order to cover the wide angles I need for some indoor photography at weddings and for photographing music acts in small clubs. That's really a minor complaint that's easily remedied, though, so I very confidently give the 30D my full recommendation for photographers of all levels and abilities. Not so sure.....
First of all I won't get into all the features on this camera, that's been covered enough. I agree with everything that was said concerning those features. I'm also happy that there are those that think this camera is the best thing ever. Where my disappointment takes place in the photos themselves. I'm not a newcomer to photography (I started in 1955), nor am I new to digital. I have the Fuji S7000 (6.3MP) and the pictures it produces are fantastic. I assumed if I were to upgrade to 8MP or 9MP things would be even better. I spent the better part of three weeks researching and reading everything I could get my hands on. Everything I read about the 30D was overwhelming, so I purchased one. I would like to say that in the past seven weeks I've shot 3700 photos and barely half of them are equal to my S7000. That's not to say I haven't produced some very creditable shots. I have. It's just that I expect the majority of them to be that way. If I were to have shot the giraffe, that a customer attached, with my S7000 you'd be able to see every hair. The birds shots would have been more distinct. You'd not only see the individual feathers but the patterns in the feathers as well. When I spend $1400 on a camera I expect it to produce unequaled photos. I'll continue to use it, but for those photos that are must have's I will more than likely use my Fuji S7000. I still have all my 35mm SLR's and both of my twin-reflex type cameras. I'm finding it hard to give them up. I got my first digital camera five years ago. It was only 1MP and I grew tired of the shots it produced. So I kept upgrading. It's been a good trip. I'm not sorry I bought the Canon 30D because I can change lenses, which I cannot do with my Fuji. But I'm not thrilled...yet. Since I wrote my review some time ago my 30D began acting up. It would only take time exposure shots. No matter what setting I chose to put the camera in it would only take a time exposure. Needless to say the shots I attempted were a disaster. I tried everything imaginable and nothing worked. As a last result I contacted Canon Service Representative and we went over a dozen different scenarios with no result. Finally, I was directed to send it directly to Canon with a letter explaining the problem. In less than a week I had the camera back and it appears to be working fine. I have to commend Canon for their fast and thorough corrections to the problem at no charge to me because it was still under warranty. Also, I've noted since my first review of this camera that if I put the camera on a tripod the shots come out a little better; however, I don't have to do the same with my other cameras. I still don't feel like I should have to do it with this camera...but I'll live with it for now. I gave the camera 4 stars, because a distinct photo means a great deal to me. I would have rated 3.5, but there are a lot of features that are noteworthy. Best bet for family sports enthusiasts!
The 30D is more than a simple upgrade to the stellar 20D camera, it's now a workhorse. The shutter has been upgraded to 100,000 exposure lifecycle (this is the standard rating of when you'll effectively wear the camera out beyond economical repairs). Combined with the metal construction, this will easily last several years in the hands of an advanced photographer, and can deliver professional results (although not as weatherproof or bulletproof as the Mark II series). The inclusion of the "picture styles" will be warmly appreciated from old time film users who liked different coloring and sharpness levels dependent on the subject. If you don't like Canon's settings, you can tweak them, or download addition styles from their website. Handling and performance are top-notch, and Canon offers the widest selection of lenses available today. This kit lenses is a good value for the money, but you might consider the EF-S 17-85 if you're budget allows. Black and white in Camera instead of post production
If you are anything like me and love Black & White Photography, but don't want to do a lot of processing, this camera is great. The larger screen and the "film type" options are the main differences between this and the 20D and for my money well worth it. You get beautiful black and white results that have much more dimension than usual with a digital camera. I've been shooting with it for a month or so now and really love everything about the camera. I purchased it as a second body and an upgrade to my Rebel XT. I couldn't quite justify the money for the 20D, but with the added "film style" options on the 30D I felt I was getting another dimension that would justify the second body. Now I can carry them both hiking with the dog, have a short lens on one and a long on the other and not have to risk my sensor with in field lens changes. Aside from the black and white being much better than any other I've seen with a digital camera the "landscape film" setting, not the fully automatic picture setting, but the film one really makes the greens in your landscapes pop. The "standard" setting gives you beautiful, accurate colour and great skin tones. I haven't had a chance to play with the other two settings much. The camera is blindingly fast, I have to be careful to not fire off five or six shots the thing is so fast. The alternate 3 fps setting is a nice option to have if you have a slower lens and want to give it time to focus in a sports type situation. The only draw back I had was the size and weight of the 30D compared to my Rebel. I however, am one of the few people I know or have read about that felt the Rebel was the perfect size for my hands. Most people felt they had to add a battery grip onto the Rebel to have enough space to hold on to it. The 30D is much bigger and heavier and that takes some adjusting to, but I have been able to shoot great hand held stuff after just a little bit of aclimization. The battery life is also exceptional. I am still shooting on the original charge of the battery after a month of use. Going back to the black and white, you can also add "filters" to the monochrome settings that save you the cost of getting a red, yellow, orange or green filter to further bring out depth in different situation. I just love this camera. I would rather take the picture I want in camera than go home and play with an exposure that isn't what I had in mind with software and I really feel that I can with this camera. Total die hard Canon fan and started out with a point and shoot Canon two years ago. The quality on that was amazing and with this camera your imagination is your only limitation. I am also bad about reading instruction manuals and find that the menus are pretty intuitive and easy to use. I know I am not utilizing all the potential of this baby and I am still taking amazing photographs! This camera is well worth the money for the serious amature. canon 30d
awesome camera i had a rebel xt which was very nice too but i like the larger body and construction of this one. Incredible DSLR Camera
I'm new to SLR photography, yet some of the photos I have been able to capture on "assisted" mode have been wonderful. This is an amazing camera. The main reason I went with the 30D over the RebelXT is because of the better build quality. The camera is very solid and the shutter has been built to last 100,000 clicks. The battery life is AMAZING. Coming from a wimpy Sony Cybershot (where battery life was 70 minutes with a lithium-ion), I'm blown away. I've taken hundreds of pictures, looked at all of them on the LCD monitor, and the battery still barely takes a hit. Canon includes a lithium ion battery along with a charger, which also blew me away (considering I had to special order $150 worth of parts from Sony for a battery, charging pack and cable). NOTE: I'd recommend buying the BODY ONLY and put the extra $150+ towards a better lense. The kit lens is decent, but I regret that I didnt buy a better lense with it. minor criticisms
Pics are excellent. Manual and options are at first daunting but just jump in and try. The on/off switch is not easy to grasp as it's nearly flush with surface. Right grasp is a little shallow for we women with finger nails but I adjusted. Haven't found easy way to disengage flash despite 8000 ISO setting. I ended up using my Powershot A95 which does great job with ambient light and no flash in museums or staged performances. Main advantage is being able to capture shots with rapid shutter response but it is heavier and bulkier than A95 which also gets excellent results. Didn't notice charger included in kit so ordered extra battery and charger from outside source through Amazon and now it is more costly to return than to keep both. Also would have appreciated a scratch resistant LCD monitor as mine got scratched by belt buckle on first day of use. Excellent SLR
There's not a whole lot to say that hasn't been said on all the reviews that are out there for this camera. I absolutely love it. I was seriously considering the 20D but the larger screen, and the added options made me go for this one and I don't regret it a bit. The body feels very well built, and changing settings on it is extremely friendly (even for Canon first timers like me), you can change shutter speed/aperture, ISO and Auto Focus point, all in seconds and without taking your eye away from the viewfinder, absolutely brilliant. I would highly recommend this camera to anyone that's considering buying it. It's well worth the money. Continuing the 20D tradition
The EOS 30D isn't much of an upgrade from the 20D, with a few new features such as true spot metering. If you've already got a 20D, you might as well sit tight and wait for the next generation. (The EOS 5D isn't really an upgrade option for 20D owners if they own many EF-S lenses.) However, the 30D is a major step up for those who own the original Digital Rebel or Rebel XT. It offers a more advanced body, faster operation, and a broad range of customization features. However, I recommend getting the 17-85 IS lens over the 18-55 kit lens, for sharper results and the steadiness of image stabilization. Great Camera absolutely LOVE IT
I love this camera, i upgraded from the EOS 20D in May of this year and have already taken 10000 pictures with the 30D this camera is great and if you are a serious photographer you should think of getting one. I purchased the body only as i already had canon lenses and at 5 frames per second great for shooting in RAW Format. review work at [...] it looks like 20d
I am planning to buy a 30d body but the picture on this page makes me confused. it looks like a 20d though it says 30d on the body. can smn explain this??? Love this camera
I've read all the other reviews and I don't have much to add that hasn't been said before. I just wanted to join in the chorus of positive reviews and say that I love this camera. I originally bought the Digital Rebel XT and found that I wasn't happy with that camera for a few reasons which I will detail below. I upgraded to this camera and have to say that it was a great move. This camera is worth every penny and is definitely a great upgrade over the XT for the following reasons: - Much better manual shooting. Manual shooting with the XT is an exercise in compromise and frustration. With the dual wheels, this camera enables you to shoot in manual much more easily. - Much larger and more detailed LCD dispaly allows at-a-glance look at settings - Body is bigger than the XT and fits in my hands much more comfortably (I have large-ish hands) - No need to push the "Set" button when making changes to camera settings like ISO, WB, etc. This doesn't seem like a big deal when you read it, but when you actually use the camera and change settings quite a bit to match your desires, the quicker you can make the changes, the better chance you have of getting the shot. All in all, this camera is an absolute gem. I highly recommend it. Love It
I have mine about a month now & took it on vacation where I put it thru a lot of use. I really like it. I got about 500 pics out of one charge on the battery. Quality is great. Used it in all modes. The speed at which I could take multiple frames, great. No complaints, wouldn't trade it for anything. I have had mine for 6 months
First I shopped around a lot and settled on the 30D. This camera has not let me down at all. I have taken over 10,000 photographs (Not all good) But have gotten some great shots. I am still learning different things with photography and every time I want to try something new the Canon 30d is capable and grows with me. I now have 3 lenses with most of my range and have not at any time regretted my decision buying this camera. It is very easy to use also. Get the Rebel XTi (from a 30D owner)
All the reviews praising this as the best Canon DSLR for the cost were posted before the Canon Rebel XTi was introduced. I own the 30D and I am very pleased with it, however I also bought it a few weeks before the Rebel XTi was fully announced. The Rebel XTi has more megapixels than the 30D (10 vs 8) and the XTi has a self dust cleaning system which the 30D does not have. The only true reason to choose the 30D over the XTi is if you are a serious sports photographer and need 5 frames per second (30D) instead of 3 fps (XTi). Another major distinction between the two bodies is the size. The XTi is much smaller than the 30D. Some love this, while others with large hands prefer the larger size of the 30D. Since the XTi is about $[...] less than the 30D I would have to advise you to get the XTi. For your knowledge I own the Canon Rebel XT and the Canon 30D. I haven't found anything I can't do with it!
I upgraded from the Canon Digital Rebel (grey body) to this because I was ready to take my photography to a new level. One thing I like most about this camera is it's flash compenstation. I purchased the 430ex flash with it because I was tired of having to use the built in flash and always getting those hard shadows on the wall. More megapixels doesn't mean it's better
Someone in this site is trying to tell us that the Rebel XTi is a better camera, partly because the Rebel has more megapixels. For those who truly know digital cameras, having more than perhaps 6 or 8 megapixels is important only if you plan on blowing your images up to "poster size", or if you are a pro who knows how to crop images & use all those pixels. And truthfully, how many of you really plan to do that type of stuff? To say that the Rebel XTi is better than the 30D because it has more megapixels and is smaller is not the best advice. Any Canon DSLR is going to give you great images, if know how to use it. For those of you who are trying to decide which camera to buy, you really need to go to a camera store and ask to handle each camera. While you're at it, ask yourself how it feels in your hands. Is it too bulky & heavy for you? Is it too small and hard to handle? Does it have the features you want such as spot metering, which the Rebel XTi does not have? I handled the Rebel recently. It is rather small. The grip is rather small. I have medium-sized hands (male). I felt like I could not get a secure grip on the camera (without a lens). I felt that...with a large lens...the Rebel would be difficult to hang on to. On the other hand (no pun intended), the 30D is a fairly large camera. But, it's easy to hold securely. The 30D is a terrific DSLR. It has all the features 95% of us need. My final bit of advice? When you buy a semi-pro camera such as this 30d, it only makes sense to also buy good lenses for it. And we're talking about hundreds of dollars for nice lenses. It makes no sense at all to buy a great camera and then use cheap lenses on it. If you are a point & shoot photographer, you probably don't need "this much" camera. Save your hard-earned money and try a Rebel or a pocket camera, or maybe the Canon S3 IS. Best DSLR for the Money!
I have had my Canon Eos 30D for about a week and after 500 shutter actuations I am completely addicted to photography. I bought the 17-85mm Canon lens and it takes phenomenal pics especially using the software and post-processing in RAW. I also have a 70-300mm lens for sports/outdoors/nature and bursts of 5fps are a beautiful sound. I bought the Camera through Dell and with rebates currently this is the best deal out there! Strongly recommend. Pay the extra $$$ and get this over the Rebel XTI. You won't be disappointed! Value for the money
This can be a very easy to use camera. Simply by using the auto mode and composing your pictures properly you can get very good JPEG images. It also can be about as complicated as you want to make it. It has many advanced features on it. I have been shooting 35mm for about 32 years. My most recent before this one being an Elan II E about 7 years ago. It's still working also. The 30d is my first digital and I absolutely love the camera. I generally work in the aperture priority mode with a tripod at 100 ISO when shooting landscape. But, the camera is very capable in auto mode as well without the tripod. I like to shoot RAW so that I can tweek things a bit, but the JPEG images are very acceptable. It also works extremely well for portraits. It actually is better than the 35mm to me because it has very low noise even at higher ISOs. 1600 looks about like 800 film to me. This is a very good value for the money in my opinion. The D30 is amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am so pleased with this camera! There's really nothing negative I can think to say about it! I also own the Cannon XT. I use both for wedding photography as well as family portraits and I am so impressed with the color quality of the D30! Well done CANNON! Canon EOS 30D 8.2MP Digital SLR
This camera is incredible. I ordered it for my husbands birthday and he is just begining to figure it all out. There are so many great features. One of the best is how quickly you can take digital pictures. Our other digital cameras have a lag time between shots, but not this one. The pictures are crisp and it is easy for even a novice like me to use. I highly recommend this camera if you want to take digital photography to the next level. It is one of the best! Canon 30D
I compared a number of pro-sumer cameras and became firmly convinced this was the best camera for the money. Although Nikon at one time was considered the premier camera for the professional, they now take second stage to Canon not only for engineering, but for the quality of the lens, innovative and user-friendly design, and overall quality. I have used the camera for approximately one month and have been delighted. Having talken pictures for over 35 years - including professional - and always using Minolta equipment for all of those years, I am truly enamored with this Canon camera. Best SLR camera for low light photo in its class. Great for parents with active kids.
My 2 year old is really active and my point and shoot camera cannot keep up with him. And I also don't like the washout look when I uses flash. So I researched about which SLR will best meet my needs, mainly catching fast action, candid moments and low light photos without flash. The Canon 30D comes up top on the list. It has the best high ISO performance in its class (better than Nikon and Sony). And when I combine the 30D with the fast zoom lens EF-S 17-55 mm f/2.8 IS, the result is amazing. I can stop any action in daylight, capture every candid expression of my 2 yr old with the fast burst mode, and take indoor or night photos without using flash or tripod. Portraits are also excellent with sharp image and beautifully blurred background (bokeh). Even the dimly-lit decors of the Disneyland Haunted Mansion came out superb when we went there for the Halloween party at night, without flash or tripod. This is really an important factor for me to buy this camera, as taking pictures with a tripod is not an option when your subject is an active 2 yr old. But you will need a good lens to make this work well. If you use a cheap kit lens, then it will probably not matter which camera you pick. Remember that these 3 are all very good cameras and the small differences in image quality you see in reviews are apparent only when they use the best prime lens (not the kit lens)and crop the pictures to magnify the details. The Sony is a very good choice if you are on a budget and don't need low light performance (use flash and save money). The Nikon has more custom function than Canon, and it is really as good as Canon. They both have their strength and weakness. Canon just happens to have slightly better high ISO performance and that suits my need better than Nikon. To be fair, I should mention that the Nikon D200 tops most reviews as the camera of the year, beating the Canon 30D overall. But the D200 is a bit too advanced for an amateur like me, better suits someone more serious about photography. The D80 is like a "mini" D200, but slower. So it really boils down to what you really need and how much you want to spend. Shooting in low light without flash will need good high ISO performance, a good fast lens (with wide aperture, usually expensive), and image stabilization. If that's what you want, the Canon 30D with the EF-S 17-55 mm f/2.8 IS will not disappoint you. Good product with some limitations
I bought a 30D along with the 580ex flash. I have always bought Canon products (point-and-shoot, SLR film). I used this product for a couple of weeks and thought it did have some limitations. The biggest drawback was underexposed flash images in full auto mode. The most frustrating part was that they look great on the screen during review but, when you look at them on the computer, they are very underexposed. I know that this would not be a issue if I captured the images in RAW format. I however want to primarily shoot family pictures in JPEG and not edit every picture. I searched the web and saw that numerous people had the same problem and they changed to the program mode with a +3/4 to +1 exposure compensation. Outdoors, the full auto mode seemed to meter fine. I understand that most users of this type of camera would not have an issue with and enjoy customizing each setting but, I want my wife to be able to be able to pick the camera up and take a decently exposed flash picture of our two year old using full auto mode. I even exchanged the camera for another one and had the same issue. I used a Canon 24-105, Canon 17-85 IS and a Tamron 17-50/2.8 lens and had the same issue. I made a very tough decision to move over to the Nikon D200 with SB-800 flash. It takes very clear and accurate exposed pictures in full auto mode with the flash. The build quality is also a lot better. It does cost more though but, I think it's worth it. Bottom line though is that this camera takes great pictures outdoor and indoor with flash using exposure compensation. If you take mostly indoor family pictures like I do, the full auto mode is useless and you'll need to make corrections to the settings or with editing software. Very good camera overall
I had no investment in a DSLR but narrowed my choices to the Canon 30D and the Nikon D200. I had always wanted a Nikon. The D200 is definitely a joy to hold and it did take good pictures (I tried both at a camera store before I bought the 30D). I did a lot of research (more than I care to admit!) and there was no conclusive evidence that one camera had a clear edge over the other. Depending on your specific needs, one camera may be "slightly better" than the other. After trying out both cameras, I was convinced the 30D was as good a fit for my needs as the D200. For "value for money" the 30D was a clear winner over the D200 (I got mine when Canon had the Cash in with Canon promotion going). Also, as a beginner to SLR I found the 30D with its fully automatic and scene modes easy to start out with. I don't expect to use the scene modes or the full auto mode after a week or two. I expect to quickly graduate to the creative control zones. But to use as a family camera, the quick scene modes are very helpful. If you expect to use it more on a professional basis it'd probably not matter. Additionally, when I checked it out at the store, I noticed the Canon 30D focused sharply almost every time. The D200 did not at least a few times. I'd take this with a grain of salt though since it was a brief trial at a store. But I thought I'd share my experience. It may have just been an anomaly with the actual equipment I tried out. Do I still find the Nikon D200 to be a great camera? Absolutely! Do I regret having bought a Canon 30D? Absolutely not! The decision swinger in my case was really the "money factor". I was more than willing to spend up to $300 more for the Nikon D200. But when the difference became $550 it no longer became justifiable for my Christmas gift to myself:-) My purchases included the Canon 30D [...], Canon 17-85mm EF-S IS USM lens [...], and a SanDisk Extreme III 2GB compact flash card [...] I plan to add an external flash to this soon, and will consider eventual lenses after I determine that the camera is a long-term keeper. Glad I bought it
Camera: I have owned this camera practically since it came out on the market, and at the time it looked like an expensive proposition, especially when compared to Nikon D50, Canon Rebel XT, or an used 20D. I am glad I got this one, however. No doubt, the other DSLRs take fine photos, and all have much lower noise and faster reaction time than a point-and-shoot. Here is what made the difference for me: - Better controls: There are ergonomically placed buttons and scroll wheels to control just about everything you care about in this camera. Not so with the Rebels, which is what I upgraded from - changing ISO alone used to drive me nuts :) - ISO 3200: Comes handy for poorly lit indoors shots, esp. with slow lenses; I only use external flash with my DSLR and I don't carry it with me most of the time, so high-ISO is a big deal. It is grainy but not as bad as the Nikons at high ISO. Lenses: The kit lens is not that bad, so get it if this is your first SLR. It is a very useful range, especially for travel and casual stuff. However, it is neither very wide for some indoors and architectural shots, nor fast enough for many flash-free low-light situations. You may want to look at the 10-22mm and 50mm lenses, respectively. I am currently looking for a faster one-piece replacement of the kit lens - the Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 looks like an option. If you have the money, do some research on what else Canon, Tamron, and Sigma offer in the 16-55 ranges. | ||||||||||
