For the past month, I've been using the Canon EOS 30D as my primary camera, and I love it. I've taken over 5,000 photos with it. I actually got a bit sad when I had to send it back to the good folks at Canon PR. In the span of 30 days, I've come to regard this camera as an old friend, and that's high praise coming from me. Why? Because it works. It works as advertised, and doesn't let me down, no matter what the shooting conditions are. I know that when I take it out of the bag, it's ready to go, and I know what kinds of photos I'm going to get with it — great ones — provided I do my part as a photographer.
Before you go on, just in case you're not familiar with my reviews, I need to explain something. I focus on real world use when I look at a camera. That's what matters to me. Lab tests are nice if you shoot in a lab. Yes, for the most part, they can give you a good idea of a camera's capabilities. But I'm interested in the performance of a camera in the unpredictable conditions of everyday use. How well does it do when I use it as a primary camera, for a whole month, in widely varying conditions (cold, warm, dry, humid, wet, sunny, evenings, nights, mornings, noons, afternoons; you get the idea)? With that in mind, here's what I look for in a great DSLR:
- A decent amount of resolution (8 megapixels or above)
- Low or non-existent noise at higher ISO (I tend to shoot a lot in low light and do not like to use a flash)
- High-quality sensor (ability to produce great photos across varying conditions when coupled with good lenses)
- Great body with a great grip
- Ease of use (well-placed buttons and controls, easy to navigate menus)
- Big, clear viewfinder
- Good battery life
- Good screen size (at least 2.5")
- Fast auto-focus in various lighting conditions, along with ability to choose various focus points
- Good automatic exposure (expose photos correctly when in automatic or semi-automatic modes)
- Fast drive (at least 3 fps)
- Video out, PC terminal, remote
Did the 30D deliver on all these conditions? Absolutely. It even exceeded some of them. Read on for the details.
I won't list all of the specs. Nobody bothers to read them anyway. If you need to look something up, they're readily available on the Canon USA website. I will, however, list the important specifications below, and I'll refer to them throughout my review:
- 22.5 x 15.0 mm APS-C CMOS sensor, 1.6x crop factor, 3:2 aspect ratio
- 8.2 megapixels (3504 x 2336 pixels)
- Compatible with all EF lenses, including (of course) EF-S lenses
- ISO range: 100-1600 in 1/3-stop increments, expandable to 3200
- Shutter speeds from bulb, 30 - 1/8000 seconds, tested to 100,000 exposures, 65ms lag
- Drive speeds: self-timer, one shot, 3 fps, 5 fps
- Viewfinder: fixed pentaprism, 95% coverage vert./horiz., 0.9x magnification, 20mm, -3.0 to +1.0 dioptric adjustment
- LCD: 2.5" diag., 170-degree viewing angle, 230,000 pixels, 100% coverage
- Formats: RAW, JPEG, RAW + JPEG
- DOF preview, mirror lock mode, data verification
- Battery life: 900-1,100 shots
- Dimensions: 144 x 105.5 x 73.5mm
- Weight: 700g (body only)
- Operating temperatures: 32-104°F/0-40°C
I always like to ask myself what makes a camera special or different. Where does it fit in? What's the point? The answer here is that the Canon EOS 30D is a mid-level DSLR that fits in between the Canon Rebel line and the Canon 1D line. No, I haven't forgotten the 5D — it fulfills a different purpose, and is meant as a less expensive version of the 1Ds Mark II. The 30D has the same sensor size (APS-C) and can use the same lenses (EF/EF-S) as the Canon Rebel cameras, while providing capabilities more akin to a 1D Mark II N camera: faster drive, better battery life, a very nice magnesium alloy body and grip, better low light sensitivity, and similar controls (Quick Control dial, for example). That means that if you own a Canon Rebel and you want to move up, the 30D is your best bet. You'll be able to keep using your old EF-S lenses while gaining pro-level capabilities similar to the 1D Mark II N.
Article comments