Canon EOS 30D 8.2MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)
by Canon
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon EOS 30D 8.2MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)
Customer Review: First impressions: Swoon
Summary: 5 Stars
I Got this from Adorama via Amazon, along with what I considered to be a bare essentials kit for this beginner on a $1,500 budget: Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras, Sandisk Ultra® II CompactFlash® Card 2GB, extra battery Canon BP511A 1390mAh Lithium Ion Battery Pack for Select Digital Cameras and Camcorders, a couple of filters, Slik Professional Universal Deluxe Tripod with 3-Way Panhead and Panoramic Photo Guide, Lowepro Topload Zoom 2 - Holster bag ( for camera ) - TXP, TXP ripstop - black, navy blue, Domke J-803 Digital Satchel Camera Bag, Canvas, Black.... Great price, great delivery; I had not taken into consideration that the tripod would be as heavy and bulky as it is (not a con though), which added to the delivery price, but that's my fault.
What made me take the plunge was a combination of the lower price once the 40D was out; research which led me to better appreciate the value of a good lens first, a good camera second; and the fact that the Canon Rebel line never felt right in my (6 feet tall) hands.
First impressions? Swoon... It had been a long time since I had been wowed by anything electronic - computers lower one's expectations by that much, I guess. What I appreciate and will be obvious to any pro:
- It feels like a well made quality product; great ergonomics, if a tad heavy;
- It takes the picture "right now" with the manual modes, which is a major reason why you would buy this instead of a "point and (eventually) shoot";
- You can unleash your creativity by fiddling with the dozens of parameters; I just read Ken Rockwell's excellent online tutorial and feel like I've been liberated: I'm getting the type of pictures I want after only a couple of days of playing with it.
My main concern was getting blurry pictures because of my somewhat shaky hands; the combination of a fast lens and tinkering with shutter speeds and exposure has saved the day.
Does the 40D do more things? Sure. Is it better? Not until you are able to master the endless combinations this amazing camera affords; only then does it begin to make sense, for a beginner at least.
Customer Review: If you can afford it, it's a great DSLR and a great 350D upgrade
Summary: 5 Stars
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!
Customer Review: Best SLR camera for low light photo in its class. Great for parents with active kids.
Summary: 5 Stars
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.Customer Review: A simply superior DSLR
Summary: 5 Stars
I have owned the Rebel XT for a little over a year now. As soon as the XTi was announced, I decided I would upgrade to that new camera. I owned the BG-E3 grip (which is made for the XT and XTi) and four batteries, plus I had a year of experience with the XT, so I felt the XTi was the best upgrade path. The XTi also offered 10mp and sensor cleaning. It had the nine-point AF system and the 2.5" LCD.
But this is a review for the 30D, right? Right. Although the XTi is the direct upgrade for the XT, I did wish for something a bit bigger in my hands. Also, I was looking for something with a bit more of a robust build. I'm not hard on my gear, but it's nice to know that it can take it if need be. The XTi didn't, to me, offer that. And despite only having the opportunity to hold the 30D at Best Buy with the "don't steal me stick" hanging beneath it, I really liked the feel. It doesn't have the 10mp or the sensor cleaning of the XTi.
Wait! This IS a 30D review - right? Right!
If you've shot with the XT, then the rest will mean something to you. The 30D is far more robust and sturdy. It feels like the SLR's of old - the AE-1 or A-1 I used to have. The XT feels somewhat more like a SLR point and shoot. The 30D is bigger - a bunch bigger. I don't need the grip on the 30D like I did on the XT to make it feel like an SLR.
The 30D has some functional advantages to go along with the tactile ones: higher ISO settings for low light shooting; a higher top shutter speed for bright settings or freezing REALLY fast action; spot metering for those light-challenging shots; faster continuous shooting for catching the perfect expression or just the right angle on moving subjects; a MUCH better battery for almost double the shots between charges and a top LCD for shot settings.
Heck, I even like the shutter sound more!
I'm not putting down the XTi - it's a great camera! If the MP's matter to you or you like the sensor cleaning, those are things the 30D doesn't offer. The size might appeal to you if you want a smaller body. It's lighter, too. These are advantages.
The 30D is the bridge between the pro systems and the pro-sumer systems. It offers much of the best of both worlds. And it feels really good in your hands!
No regrets at all.
Customer Review: Beyond Great camera.
Summary: 5 Stars
I'll be Frank, the Canon EOS 30d is a masterpiece of machinery. I have had the camera for about four months, and i have next to no complaints. here are some pros and cons of the Canon 30d:
Pros
a) You get superior build quality. You get a body made of Magnesium Alloy, instead of plastic like the lower-quality entry level Nikon and Canon Digital SLR's. It does not feel ' cheap ' which is pretty reassuring. The weather-sealed body is definitely important.
b) You get a top status LCD screen. Most entry-level cameras don't come with Status LCD screens, this is usually something seen solely on Mid-range cameras. It is really handy when it's very bright outside. You see all of the relevant information.
c) Great performance at high ISO's. This camera performs exceptionally at all levels of sensitivity, from ISO one hundred to thirty two hundred. At 3,200, the images are relatively noise-free, which was a surprise to me. Try cranking up the ISO to 3,200 on the D40, You will surely not be happy with the results.
d) Fast Shooter. The 30d shoots at a fast five frames per second, which is considerably rare for a camera in this price range. The D40 shoots twice as slow. Even the Nikon D90 and The Canon 5d Mark II shoot slower than the 30d, surprising right? The burst speed is really convenient sometimes. With a fast sports lens, this would be the perfect camera for the soccer-mom.
Those are the basic Pros.
Cons
a) The only Con i can think of is that it does not have a self-cleaning sensor. Here in the Bahamas it is hard to obtain the supplies needed to clean a sensor, so it would have been good for Canon to have incorporated a self-cleaning sensor into the body. If you have sensor-cleaning supplies, this won't be a problem. Cleaning the sensor can be quite an endeavor for some.
This is a really good camera, i would seriously suggest it. You don't have to pay for more expensive cameras when you will get better performance with the Canon 30d. Although this camera was released a few years ago, it is still fierce competition to today's Digital SLR's.
Nathan Grammatico
Photographer.
nathangrammatico@yahoo.com