Canon 30D review by Dsresource
Jeff Keller from Dcresource has an excellent review on the much anticipated Canon 30D. Although the Canon 30D is an upgraded 20D, the improvements are not as large as the Nikon D200 is to the Nikon D100. Beside the softer images and a less bright LCD, the Canon 30D still gets a top rating from Jeff. Here's a conclusion of his review.
"The Canon EOS-30D is an excellent midrange digital SLR. While it’s new features aren't exciting enough to get this 20D owner to run out and upgrade, those who are moving up from point-and-shoot or entry-level D-SLRs should definitely give the 30D a look.
From most angles the 30D looks just like its predecessor, the EOS-20D. But take a look at the back of the camera and you'll see the most noticeable difference: a large 2.5" LCD display. While the screen isn't as bright or sharp as the one on the Nikon D200, it's still much nicer than the one found on the 20D or Rebel XT. The 30D is very well put together, with a metal core and solid plastic and rubber outer shell. The controls are well-placed, and Canon hasn't gone overboard with buttons. Some of the controls, like the four-way controller and playback zoom buttons, are downright useful. Like the 20D before it, the 30D supports both EF and EF-S lenses, and the 1.6X focal length conversion ratio is unchanged.
The 30D is a power user's dream camera, with tons of manual controls and custom settings. You've got all the usual manual exposure controls plus class-leading white balance controls. The camera now has the same Picture Styles menu as the EOS-5D, which lets you quickly change things like sharpness, color, and contrast. If you're not an enthusiast, don't fret: the 30D has an auto mode and several scene modes as well. The camera is fairly easy-to-use, too.
People buy digital SLRs for their great performance, and the 30D delivers in this area. From its near-instant startup speed to the "shoot as fast as you can compose" shot-to-shot speeds, the 30D is a screamer. The continuous shooting mode is excellent, and now you have two speeds to choose from, in case 5 frames/second is too fast. Low light focusing was both accurate and responsive, thanks to the camera's flash-based AF-assist system. Battery life is also very good and about 10% better than on the 20D.
Photo quality was excellent on this 8.2 Mega pixel camera. Photos were well-exposed, with accurate colors, very low noise levels (even at high ISO sensitivities), and minimal purple fringing. As is the case with most D-SLRs, photos are on the soft side straight out of the camera, and you can compensate for this by increasing the in-camera sharpening a bit. One thing that really got nailed home during my time with the 30D is how important lens quality is. I bought the Canon 17 - 85 EF-S lens a few months back, and have been less than thrilled with its sharpness -- and you'll see the results in the photo gallery. Slap on some better glass and you'll get much sharper photos, as the photos taken with my 50 mm lens attest.
There really aren't any major negatives to talk about here. The only thing that pops into my head is that the 30D isn't a very exciting upgrade over the 20D. Then again, that camera didn't need a lot of improving in the first place.
The EOS-30D earns my highest recommendation, and its right up there with the Nikon D200 as a best-in-class midrange D-SLR.
What I liked:
* Excellent photo quality (with the right lenses)
* Very low noise, even at high ISOs
* Solid, well designed body; useful playback zoom buttons
* Large 2.5" LCD display
* Full manual controls, including nice white balance controls
* Robust performance, especially in terms of continuous shooting
* Great low light focusing
* All the expandability you'd expect from a D-SLR; two ways to attach an external flash
* USB 2.0 High Speed support
* Impressive software bundle; camera can be controlled from Mac or PC
What I didn't care for:
* Images on the soft side straight out of the camera; some lenses just exacerbate the problem
* LCD not as bright/sharp as the one on the Nikon D200
Some other digital SLRs worth looking at include the Canon EOS-20D (still available for $1299), Fuji FinePix S3 Pro, Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D, Nikon D200, Olympus EVOLT E-500, and the Pentax *ist DS2.
As always, I strongly recommend trying the EOS-30D and its competitors before you drop the big bucks on a digital SLR! "
Click here for the full review.
"The Canon EOS-30D is an excellent midrange digital SLR. While it’s new features aren't exciting enough to get this 20D owner to run out and upgrade, those who are moving up from point-and-shoot or entry-level D-SLRs should definitely give the 30D a look.
From most angles the 30D looks just like its predecessor, the EOS-20D. But take a look at the back of the camera and you'll see the most noticeable difference: a large 2.5" LCD display. While the screen isn't as bright or sharp as the one on the Nikon D200, it's still much nicer than the one found on the 20D or Rebel XT. The 30D is very well put together, with a metal core and solid plastic and rubber outer shell. The controls are well-placed, and Canon hasn't gone overboard with buttons. Some of the controls, like the four-way controller and playback zoom buttons, are downright useful. Like the 20D before it, the 30D supports both EF and EF-S lenses, and the 1.6X focal length conversion ratio is unchanged.
The 30D is a power user's dream camera, with tons of manual controls and custom settings. You've got all the usual manual exposure controls plus class-leading white balance controls. The camera now has the same Picture Styles menu as the EOS-5D, which lets you quickly change things like sharpness, color, and contrast. If you're not an enthusiast, don't fret: the 30D has an auto mode and several scene modes as well. The camera is fairly easy-to-use, too.
People buy digital SLRs for their great performance, and the 30D delivers in this area. From its near-instant startup speed to the "shoot as fast as you can compose" shot-to-shot speeds, the 30D is a screamer. The continuous shooting mode is excellent, and now you have two speeds to choose from, in case 5 frames/second is too fast. Low light focusing was both accurate and responsive, thanks to the camera's flash-based AF-assist system. Battery life is also very good and about 10% better than on the 20D.
Photo quality was excellent on this 8.2 Mega pixel camera. Photos were well-exposed, with accurate colors, very low noise levels (even at high ISO sensitivities), and minimal purple fringing. As is the case with most D-SLRs, photos are on the soft side straight out of the camera, and you can compensate for this by increasing the in-camera sharpening a bit. One thing that really got nailed home during my time with the 30D is how important lens quality is. I bought the Canon 17 - 85 EF-S lens a few months back, and have been less than thrilled with its sharpness -- and you'll see the results in the photo gallery. Slap on some better glass and you'll get much sharper photos, as the photos taken with my 50 mm lens attest.
There really aren't any major negatives to talk about here. The only thing that pops into my head is that the 30D isn't a very exciting upgrade over the 20D. Then again, that camera didn't need a lot of improving in the first place.
The EOS-30D earns my highest recommendation, and its right up there with the Nikon D200 as a best-in-class midrange D-SLR.
What I liked:
* Excellent photo quality (with the right lenses)
* Very low noise, even at high ISOs
* Solid, well designed body; useful playback zoom buttons
* Large 2.5" LCD display
* Full manual controls, including nice white balance controls
* Robust performance, especially in terms of continuous shooting
* Great low light focusing
* All the expandability you'd expect from a D-SLR; two ways to attach an external flash
* USB 2.0 High Speed support
* Impressive software bundle; camera can be controlled from Mac or PC
What I didn't care for:
* Images on the soft side straight out of the camera; some lenses just exacerbate the problem
* LCD not as bright/sharp as the one on the Nikon D200
Some other digital SLRs worth looking at include the Canon EOS-20D (still available for $1299), Fuji FinePix S3 Pro, Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D, Nikon D200, Olympus EVOLT E-500, and the Pentax *ist DS2.
As always, I strongly recommend trying the EOS-30D and its competitors before you drop the big bucks on a digital SLR! "
Click here for the full review.
posted by vdaswong at 2:02 AM
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