[Merlyn]

There are many items and features that I like about the Canon 30D over the 10D or 20D.The 30D has a larger and sharper 2.5in LCD monitor, a larger selection of ISO settings at 1/3 intervals that allows one to chose several ISOs between 200 and 400, where you might commonly shoot and it even goes much higher, from 100 to 3200. Changes to the ISO setting are shown in the viewfinder, and file sizes are shown in playback mode. It also comes with spot metering, something that I noticed is not available on the other Canon D series. Also included is a slightly larger image buffer, an RGB histogram function, a second lower speed continuous shooting setting (3 fps as well as 5fps), and a shutter mechanism that is supposedly good for 100,000 shots. This, I have heard, is from Canon building a better shutter for the 30D and with plans for its future cameras.

Shooting Programs include with the 30D are, Landscape, Close-up, Sports mode, Portrait mode, Night portrait and with Exposure Mode you get Bulb, Manual, Program, Automatic, Depth-of-field, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority and E-TTL II program flash. The preset Shooting Programs are great for the beginner, but can be reset to a pros personal preference, a nice feature.

One of the advantages of digital photography is being able to review a shot right after you take it. “Chimping� as it is now called; I love that word for some reason. If you blew it, you can re-shoot the scene then and there. The new, larger monitor makes reviewing images for sharpness much easier. Canon has also increased the viewing angle of the monitor so that you can easily view or “Chimp� the photo with your friends. It is also much easier to work with and see the menus. It is brighter and seems a lot easier to see out of doors then other monitors I have seen and used.

The increased shot buffer makes the 30D a better camera for action photography, at least for those who shoot RAW. Those shooting JPG also get an improved buffer as well. You can opt for the high speed flash cards but I do not believe they are necessary for the 30D. I have tried both extreme III and regular; both seem to work just as well. You can save a few $$$$s and buy other equipment.

The shutter release button is a tad more sensitive then some cameras. I usually leave my cameras in burst mode, since you can take just one photo at a time if you want to simply by being careful how hard and long you depress the shutter release. But I have noticed several instances when I shot a burst when I had only planned on taking a single image. This isn't really a problem, but it is noticeable. I shoot a lot of sport car races and it is useful to me, the reason I have for leaving the camera set to burst mode. I have also taken shots that were surprises when viewed later.

All the controls on the 30D are easy to use and very visible both on the monitor and the LCD located on the top of the camera. The LCD on top is a life saver for me especially at night, since you are able to press one little button to light it up with a nice yellowish soft light for viewing. No flashlight needed.

It took me a little practice to get use to which dials to turn to do what I needed, when I needed, such as setting ISO, shutter speed, etc… Playing with controls is half the fun of owning this great camera.

Auto image rotation on the Canon EOS 30D, I like. In other words, if you take a portrait-oriented shot with this option enabled, the picture will fill the LCD and be upright when the camera is in the same orientation as the shot was taken in. Compatible software applications will display auto rotated shots in the proper orientation once transferred to a computer, I like this feature.

Battery usage is something that has amazed me on the 30D. Outstanding. I purchased several extra Li-Ion batteries right after I purchased the camera, thinking I would need them, not. The battery life seems to be on the excellent side of the 10 scale.

I recommend the 30D with the 17-85 IS lens at purchase. You can’t go wrong. I would have included photos of the 30D, but the web is full of them.

I hope that this review leads you to buy the 30D so that you may enjoy its personality in your own way.


A few other added specs:

8.2-megapixel
Supports all Canon EOS series lenses, plus EF-S
3.5% spot metering mode.
0.15 second startup time (we measured ~0.1).
2.5-inch, TFT LCD with 230,000 pixels and a 170 degree angle of view.
White balance bracketing.
Shutter speeds from 1/8,000 to 30 seconds, and a Bulb setting for longer exposures.