Canon EOS 30D 8.2 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera Body Only

Buy or not?

Strengths: The consumer camera did not get good ISO like Canon 30D yet, I have 20D, 30D, 5D.

Weaknesses: Loud shutter sound, not accurate AWB in yellow light, not all the images has good focus In low light even with AF light from the external flash & good lens with F2.8.

Summary: 2007-06-19 09:40:09 I am happy with it and I recommend it for any photographer, keep in mind that what is important the one behind the camera not the camera, but the camera could make our work better.

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The new camera will have:

Higher ISO with No grain (or noise), ISO 10,000 Olympus FE, ISO 6400 EOS-1D Mark III

Chips with Optical Image stabilization in all direction

Weatherproof function

3.5-inch LCD screen with high resolution

Good AWB auto white balance

Quieter shutter sound (Two modes): electronic (no sound) & mechanical.

Six steps or more for Battery charge level & warning flashing light for the end of the battery.

Fulltime Live View function like (Olympus E-510 SLR).

Bigger Sensor 1000 MP (one day), Kodak 39 megapixels (the KAF-39000)

Image Sensor Dust Protector.

Two memory cards in the camera useful for wedding if one is full you move to the second card (or internal memory stores inside the camera temporally until you have time to change the card).

The Sony F717 has the best AF in low light (use leaser or night shot).

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Now if you need it buy it, but if you are going to get upset when the next model comes with this futures wait

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I am a full time photographer

My specialty sport, wedding and other portraits

I have:

20D, 30D, 5D

24-70 F2.8, 16-35 F2.8, 70-200IS F2.8, II extender, 50 F1.4

Wedding done on 20D & 24-70 (Backup 30D, 16-35 F2.8, 50 F1.4)

Sport done on 20D, 70-200IS F2.8 & II extender (Backup 30D, 24-70 F2.8)

For enlargement with good light (studio or outside) I use 5D with 24-70 F2.8

D30 Review

Strengths: excellent build quality, good ergonomics, many professional quality features, takes great photos

Weaknesses: a few pros might prefer complete weatherproofing

Summary: Canon literature suggests that the 30D is designed for both professional photographers and serious amateurs. So I guess I’m a bit of both. Roughly three decades ago I paid for a chunk of my college education as a campus photographer. My instrument of choice was a Nikon F, using only high quality Nikkor glass. When film cameras had seemingly lost touch with an electronic world, I purchased my first digital - a Canon S50. This little marvel takes good photos and is small enough to stuff in a pant pocket.

Despite the advantages of the S50, I couldn’t help but long for the accuracy of an SLR viewfinder, a body that solidly fills your hands, and the fine ergonomics of full-sized 35mm. lenses. After reading every review, blog and forum I could find on the Internet, the upgrade decision came down to the Nikon D200 or the lower-priced Canons (i.e., the Rebel XT, 20D or 30D). In addition to sub-$2000 price appeal, all of these cameras have cropping factors of roughly 1.6, which translates into a 60% enlargement - a big plus for telephoto work. My love of Nikon made it difficult to eliminate the D200. The weather proofing of the D200 is a big advantage; but not as much as the outstanding Canon CMOS sensor, especially for low-light shots. I shot a few pictures with a Rebel and found it to be a nice camera for the money. However, the Rebel is smaller and less solid feeling than its magnesium-clad bigger brothers. At the time of this writing the Canon 20D is being replaced by the 30D and can be purchased for $200 to $300 less. None-the-less the 30D seemed the better choice, primarily due to a far more usable LCD, a professional quality shutter (100,000 photo rating), spot metering, and several small improvements of the kind typical of equipment from a follow-on generation.

The Canon 30D has proven to be everything I’d hoped for. The viewfinder is bright and accurate. A 95% image is more than sufficient for most applications, although it’s difficult to understand why today’s manufacturers find it so difficult to design a 100% viewfinder. There is more than sufficient control between the usual Canon Basic Zone and Creative Zone; along with ISO, shutter speed, and aperture settings all with 1/3 stop resolution. Fully automatic operation is still possible and it works well, but who would buy such a camera and not tinker with the buttons? The focus is almost instantaneous, using nine points that can be selected and/or viewed in the viewfinder and LCD photo playback. The algorithms for selecting focus points automatically are remarkably good. It is clear that my skill for operating a manual focus at sporting events is now obsolete, particularly in a camera that can record at five frames per second and focus even faster.

The ergonomics of the 30D reflect a camera that has been refined through years of development. The camera is easy and reliable to grip. The shutter release provides solid feedback. The black and white LCD and associated buttons on top of the camera are well chosen to offer access to the controls you are most likely to need while taking pictures. The dial next to the shutter release is particularly useful for use even while looking through the viewfinder. It would be nice to have a button on the camera’s top or front (instead of requiring the use of the configuration menu) to allow the flash to be used to aid focus and still not fire. This may seem unnecessary, but I’ve used this more than a few times on the S50. The controls on the back of the camera are (appropriately) for photo viewing and for establishing more fundamental settings. The 2.5 inch LCD has nice resolution of 230,000 pixels and an adequate viewing angle. The LCD has appropriate contrast; brightness is good for most usage and can be increased if needed. The color LCD provides extensive information, including RGB histograms, and is easy to read. The joystick control is convenient for navigating photos. The overall user interface - two dials, a joystick and several buttons - is relatively easy to learn, but I’ll bet a user interface expert could do better with one fewer dial.

Ultimately, the evaluation of a camera comes down to picture quality and the Canon 30D really delivers. The sensor is accurate, even at 1600 ISO. If you are fussy about things like sharpness, contrast, or saturation, then Picture Styles provide more than enough options. 8.2 megapixels won’t measure up in five years, but I have seen 11 by 14 studio quality pictures from 6 megapixel sensors, so 8 MP is enough unless you insist on shooting telephoto type pictures without a telephoto lens. Furthermore, Canon has fine glass available in the form of L Series lenses. In summary the 30D retains all of the things I loved about the best of film SLRs effectively updated and enhanced to get the most out of a modern DSLR.

Serious Upgrade!

Strengths: Screen Size, Durability, AF System, FPS (Frames Per Second) Rate, Canon EOS System

Weaknesses: 1.6x Lens Magnification Factor

Summary: I was hesitant to ditch my Canon 35mm SLR and join the digital revolution, so a year ago I bought the Digital Rebel XT to see how my existing Canon EOS lenses, flashes and accessories in the digital realm.

I was pleased with the Digital Rebel XT, but I missed some of the professional features on my 35mm SLR. I also felt that the XT was too small for my hands and felt poorly balanced when paired with Canon's professional lenses.

UPGRADING TO THE 30D HAS SOLVED ALL OF THOSE ISSUES!

The camera body is solid and much easier to grip.

The large screen is beautiful in any light.

It has professional features (such as flash sync port).

The motor drive is much faster than the XT even without the additional battery grip which I will soon buy.

I've used the camera for a couple of events already, and I'm loving everything about it except the lens magnification factor. The 1.6x factor takes away the wide angle usability of my very expensive and very awesome 24-70 f/2.8 L-series lens. That's really a minor complaint, however, since the problem will be solved when I pick up the 16-35 f/2.8 L very soon.

If you're looking at jumping into the serious digital photography from the ranks of film loyalists, or if your skills have outgrown the popular Digital Rebel, then this is the perfect camera for you!

Excellent DSLR

Strengths: 100K shutter system, 5fps continous shooting, 2.5" LCD

Weaknesses: Build-in flash is not too good

Summary: Except the build-in flash, I am totally satisfied with this camera. If you use any L lenses with the lens hood, the lens hood might block part of the flash and there might be a circular shadow appear in the picture. I use 580EX at all time, so no problem for me. I guess when you spend that much for a camera, you got be somehow serious. Please don't waste money on the bundle with EF-S 18-55 lens, buy the body only version or the bundle with EF-S 17-85 IS lens. I have EF 24-70 f2.8 L and EF 70-200 f2.8 L. EOS 30D works extremely well on these lenses.

Great DSLR

Strengths: Canon Name and Reputation, Ease of use, 2.5 inch LCD

Weaknesses: The viewfinder is not 100%. Since I upgraded from the Digital Rebel, I was used to not having a 100% viewfinder. However, some people may find this as a weakness. Cost.

Summary: I upgraded to this camera from the Digital Rebel XT. I was very happy with my digital Rebel, so I wanted to stick with the Canon name. I didn't feel that I needed the more expensive Canon cameras (5D or 1D). In my opinion, the biggest selling point to this camera over the 20D is the 2.5 inch LCD. The large screen makes it much easier to review images in the field. Since I had been very familiar with the Digital Rebel, I didn't find the upgrade process to be difficult at all. If someone is new to the Canon line, I found it very easy to learn how to operate the camera. If you are upgrading from an existing Canon camera or looking for a new DSLR, I would highly recommended the 30D

Nice upgrades to the 20D

Strengths: Quiet Shutter, Huge LCD, ISO in Viewfinder

Weaknesses: Came with dust on the sensor!

Summary: 2006-11-16 11:29:18 The Canon 30D is not a huge improvement over the 20D but it has some nice amenities.

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The 2.5 inch LCD is awesome. That was the first thing I noticed, of course. And that was enough to hook me into buying it and selling the 20D. I haven’t had a chance to try out the new metering or the picture styles. Besides, once I upgrade my hard drive I’ll being shooting exclusively in RAW so picture styles won’t matter.

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Image quality is the same as the 20D. However, now ISO can be controlled in 1/3-stop increments so noise can be controlled very well depending on the lighting situation. Don’t be mislead by the number of megapixels the competitors offer. The more pixels packed into the sensor means a possibility of more noise. That’s why the full frame 1D series packs 16.7 MP and the 5D has 12 MP. If you were to pack that many pixels into a 1.6 crop factor sensor the noise would be horrible.

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The shutter on the 30D is quieter than the 20D’s. Thank you Canon! Although the shutter on the 20D never really bothered me as I don’t shoot during piano recitals or weddings (yet), if I ever do the quieter shutter will be worth it. Shutter life is published as 100,000 actuations, something new for Canon to make known publicly.

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ISO in the viewfinder finally! Thanks again Canon! This requires the press of a button on top while looking into the viewfinder which is kind of awkward. It will take a while to get use to all of this new fancy stuff but it is about time the ISO in the viewfinder happened.

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I can’t believe I spend $1,100 for a new camera and it comes with dust on the sensor. This was the same with the 20D. Can’t Canon clean these puppies before sending them out? And I am talking about a noticeable speck of dust right out of the box right smack dab in the middle of the frame. How annoying. So when you order your 30D be sure to order some Sensor Swabs and some Eclipse ethanol alcohol and a Giottos Rocket blower. Cleaning the sensor is super easy and instructions can be found all over the Internet.

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Construction wise the 30D is a very solid camera. I only handle the 30D with the camera strap around my neck. I don't plan on dropping it. The magnesium body is very sturdy.

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The 30D is a well balanced camera and can be used comfortably with many lenses. The Rebel XT was too small for my taste when used with anything heavier than the kit lens. The kit lens is a great way to get a cheap wide angle lens; however, buy one off ebay or the for sale forum on fredmiranda.com but just buy the body only and save.

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I like the 30D very much. Obviously. Many people ask around the forums on the Internet, "Which camera should I buy?" It depends. The only way to tell is to go and handle the different cameras. I prefer the weight and size of the 30D over the smaller XT series. Some people say get the XT and save for glass (lenses). I say get the camera that feels right in your hands.

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Another question people ask is, "Which lens should I buy?" Once again it depends. Are you going to shoot indoors or outdoors, landscapes or portraits, low light or lots of light, and what's your budget like? Lenses I use include the Canon 24-105 IS f/4, Canon 17-40 f/4 and Tamron 28-75 f/2.8. I really like the Canon 24-105. Talk about sharp. A friend of mine borrowed my Canon 24-105 and he liked it so much he ordered himself some L glass. The Tamron 28-75 is a handy lens for indoor or lower light situations but not wide enough to be used indoors for group shots. Other lenses I've used include the Canon 17-85 IS (not my favorite so I sold it - soft and barrel distortion), Canon 85 f/1.8 (sharp and great lens but a little long for my use), Canon 28-105 f/3.5-4.5 II USM (nice lens but I needed a wider aperture but it is a nice lens for not much money with a nice range and great for beginners).

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Accessories you’ll need:

another battery, wired remote, hand grip – buy from ebay

card reader – get a pen style from ebay

carrying case – Tamrac Velocity 5 fits great

flash – Sigma Super 500 DG

larger compact flash cards – I use 2GB Kingston Pro Elite and PQI 4 GB cards

lens filters – UV and Circular Polarizer

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Verdict: The 30D is an awesome, capable camera with borderline professional potential. The 30D with some L glass and you’re set for a photography adventure.

Canon 30d

Strengths: Great image quality, canon brand and quality, many lenses, strong build quality

Weaknesses: nothing

Summary: 2006-07-17 17:18:59 This is my very first DSLR camera. After having taken approximately 200 shots immediately after getting it, I can see the great differences. There are so many functions and features that I'd have to learn with this camera, but from the initial perspective, it was worth the investment.

Amazing Camera

Strengths: Spot Metering, 2.5 inch LCD

Weaknesses: Price (relative to 20D)

Summary: I have been a long time user of Canon point and shoot cameras, but now that all my colleagues are taking amazing pictures with their SLRs, I decided to get one of my own. After testing their EOS 20D extensively, I decided to go for the latest model.

The camera feels very solidly built, all the buttons and features are placed at the great locations, the result of years of refinement. The new 2.5" LCD is sharp and bright. And the pictures I've taken so far look excellent. The body feels quite light, so once a heavy lens goes on it, the feel is a bit front heavy. Overall a great value if you want the 2.5" LCD and spot metering, otherwise it's the same camera as the 20D with minor body changes.

Canon 30D Review

Strengths: Build Quality, Comfort when holding in hand, 2.5 inch display, Ability to reading ISO in the viewfinder.

Weaknesses: Not a 100% viewfinder. Little bit on the pricey side.

Summary: This was an upgrade from a Rebel XT. I'm still a beginner photographer but the move from XT to 30D was a good one. The feel and build quality is just to much better. I went hiking with the XT and I just couldn't hold the XT in my hand for a long period of time but that changed with the 30D due to the bigger grip and rubber feel. The weight is also much more balanced when using long range lens ex: 70-200 f4, etc vs. the lightweight XT. Great purchase over the XT.

Great camera

Strengths: Professional quality; easy to use; large LCD is a huge bonus

Weaknesses: None so far

Summary: This is a great camera that captures quality photos (assuming you know how to take good shots). The functions/settings are easy to use and situated well on the camera. What stands out about the 30d is the 2.5 inch LCD. It's huge! You're able to get a better feel for the image that was captured without having to zoom in.

In sum, this is a great camera for anyone wanting to get a dSLR. I highly recommend it!

Canon 30D - Great camera!

Strengths: Great build quality, 2.5" LCD, picture quality, 5 fps burst speed, loads of features and settings.

Weaknesses: None so far.

Summary: This is my first digital SLR. I previously had a Canon A1 35mm camera that I loved. I really liked the ability to go from fully automatic to fully manual with that camera. The point and shoot digital cameras that I have also had are nice but I wanted something more - and the ability to change lenses.

I was considering the Rebel XT and the 20D. The Rebel XT is a nice camera but when I compared it to the 20D I thought the build quality was noticeably less solid. Because I want this camera to last me a long time I decided to go with the 20D. The 20D also had some other nice features. The only thing I felt the 20D lacked was a larger LCD and just as I was getting ready to order it I heard about the 30D with the bigger LCD! The 30D also had a slightly faster burst speed, a longer shutter life and a few other slight improvements.

I bought mine as a body alone along with a 28-135 IS lens. I felt the 18-55 lens was fairly cheap and I lean more towards telephoto shots than wide angle so I picked the 28-135 instead of the 17-85 IS. So far I have been very happy with the 30D and lens. I am not a professional - I just take pictures for fun. I think the image quality is excellent and I have had no problems with the camera. My Canon dealer told me that the "megapixel war" is about over and I fell that, realistically, 8.2 MP is plenty for me. I will probably never do 16 X 20 prints although I'm sure the 30D would do a fine job with it. The camera has a lot of features and settings and for an enthusiast level photographer like me, it will take me a long time to learn all that the camera can do. I think the manual is fairly easy to read so that will help and the included software is easy to use.

The only other camera I would consider over the 30D is the Nikon D200. The Nikon is 10 MP and has gotten some excellent reviews. However, it's a couple hundred dollars more expensive and once you're at that price, for only a couple hundred more than that you can get another camera a little better still. I drew the line at the 30D and have been very happy I did. It's an excellent camera and one I hope to have for a long time.

Canon 30D SLR

Strengths: Quality construction, nice big LCD, fast burst, option packed, huge lens options, price, image/color quality, price, long battery life, good "raw" software, price.

Weaknesses: No IR transmittal from the box, not weather sealed, fully automatic setting can mismeter in bright sunlight.

Summary: Great camera at a great price. That being said, I think that a wiser purchase would be the Nikon D200 for a few hundred more you are getting a weather sealed camera and several other goodies. If you are commited to canon with lenses like myself, the 30D is a smart buy. I am upgrading from a rebel XT and this was a no brainer. You will feel the difference when you pick it up but very much so when you press the shutter. It is very different from the XT. I would equate it to the difference between when a Ford door closing and when a Lexus door shuts. Its a big difference and you can feel, hear, and see the difference.

A Better Camera Compare to 20D

Strengths: 1. Images focus very consistence, keep rate is higher. 2. Large LCD screen 3. Good In-Camera processing, like sharpening.

Weaknesses: Images is a bit dark

Summary: My 20D has a big problem. Image keep rate is very low. For some reason, even on L lens no matter Prime or Zoom, most of the images taken were soft. But there’re always very few piece were outstanding sharp, not much though. 30D fixed this issue, all images were consistence and in-camera sharpening make it perfect to print, means less work on post-processing. Large LCD is also a plus for most of the user. But don't know why compare to 20D, photos seem a bit dark, maybe just happen to my copy, so I always keep + 1/3 on AE bracketing. After 3 days, I sold my 20D. A nice upgrade for me!

good product, but lens are more important

Strengths: spot metering is quite handy

Weaknesses: the LCD is only large, but not very clear

Summary: The overall performance is quite good so far. But if you are on a budget, get a 350D, and put more money on lens. A better lens is more important.

Canon EOS 30D SLR Digital Camera + 50mm F1.8 Canon Len

Strengths: For a 8.2 MP DSLR, the price is reasonable. provide almost same amount of features from 5D. Very attractive 2.5" LCD. Good noise control than Nikon 70s.

Weaknesses: Can't give pictures as sharp as taken from Nikon.

Summary: 2006-06-21 14:05:04 Sharpness control does a little help to achieve the same sharpness that Nikon provides. The Noise control from Canon definitely leads my way to get 30D instead of taking D200. Of course, the trade off is not getting sharp pictures. Getting L serie lents that can provide excellent sharp images however they are way expensive. Good budget set on the market. If Canon can provide higher-amount on rebate that could increase the Canon's DSLR market.