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!
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!
Buy Canon EOS 30D 8.2MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) Now
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!
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!
Read Best Reviews of Canon EOS 30D 8.2MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) Here
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.
Want Canon EOS 30D 8.2MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) Discount?
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.
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