Reviews for Canon EOS 30D 8.2 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera Body Only

2.5" LCD - 3504 x 2336 Image - PictBridge - MPN: 1234B004

  • 4
  By member: testbyg - Mar 21, 2007

Buy or not?

Strengths: The consumer camera did not get good ISO like Canon 30D yet, I have 20D, 30D, 5D.

Weakness: Loud shutter sound, not accurate AWB in yellow light, not all the images has good focus In low light even with AF light from the external flash & good lens with F2.8.

I am happy with it and I recommend it for any photographer, keep in mind that what is important the one behind the camera not the camera, but the camera could make our work better.

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The new camera will have:
Higher ISO with No grain (or noise), ISO 10,000 Olympus FE, ISO 6400 EOS-1D Mark III
Chips with Optical Image stabilization in all direction
Weatherproof function
3.5-inch LCD screen with high resolution
Good AWB auto white balance
Quieter shutter sound (Two modes): electronic (no sound) & mechanical.
Six steps or more for Battery charge level & warning flashing light for the end of the battery.
Fulltime Live View function like (Olympus E-510 SLR).
Bigger Sensor 1000 MP (one day), Kodak 39 megapixels (the KAF-39000)
Image Sensor Dust Protector.
Two memory cards in the camera useful for wedding if one is full you move to the second card (or internal memory stores inside the camera temporally until you have time to change the card).
The Sony F717 has the best AF in low light (use leaser or night shot).
_____
Now if you need it buy it, but if you are going to get upset when the next model comes with this futures wait

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I am a full time photographer
My specialty sport, wedding and other portraits
I have:
20D, 30D, 5D
24-70 F2.8, 16-35 F2.8, 70-200IS F2.8, II extender, 50 F1.4
Wedding done on 20D & 24-70 (Backup 30D, 16-35 F2.8, 50 F1.4)
Sport done on 20D, 70-200IS F2.8 & II extender (Backup 30D, 24-70 F2.8)
For enlargement with good light (studio or outside) I use 5D with 24-70 F2.8

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Reply by member: overclockxp
Apr 10, 2007

Are you reviewing the Canon 30D or Canon's 50th generation of DSLR? You're review contained no information as to what you like or dislike about the 30D.

Reply by member: rbm163
May 22, 2007

what do you mean by "the new camera will have" ? when is it due out? will it be the 30d mark XX or will it have another number designater?
i am planning on buying a camera in the next few weeks, and would like to know how long i need to wait for the new version?

thanks

  • 5
  By member: ddriley - May 1, 2006

D30 Review

Strengths: excellent build quality, good ergonomics, many professional quality features, takes great photos

Weakness: a few pros might prefer complete weatherproofing

Canon literature suggests that the 30D is designed for both professional photographers and serious amateurs. So I guess I’m a bit of both. Roughly three decades ago I paid for a chunk of my college education as a campus photographer. My instrument of choice was a Nikon F, using only high quality Nikkor glass. When film cameras had seemingly lost touch with an electronic world, I purchased my first digital - a Canon S50. This little marvel takes good photos and is small enough to stuff in a pant pocket.

Despite the advantages of the S50, I couldn’t help but long for the accuracy of an SLR viewfinder, a body that solidly fills your hands, and the fine ergonomics of full-sized 35mm. lenses. After reading every review, blog and forum I could find on the Internet, the upgrade decision came down to the Nikon D200 or the lower-priced Canons (i.e., the Rebel XT, 20D or 30D). In addition to sub-$2000 price appeal, all of these cameras have cropping factors of roughly 1.6, which translates into a 60% enlargement - a big plus for telephoto work. My love of Nikon made it difficult to eliminate the D200. The weather proofing of the D200 is a big advantage; but not as much as the outstanding Canon CMOS sensor, especially for low-light shots. I shot a few pictures with a Rebel and found it to be a nice camera for the money. However, the Rebel is smaller and less solid feeling than its magnesium-clad bigger brothers. At the time of this writing the Canon 20D is being replaced by the 30D and can be purchased for $200 to $300 less. None-the-less the 30D seemed the better choice, primarily due to a far more usable LCD, a professional quality shutter (100,000 photo rating), spot metering, and several small improvements of the kind typical of equipment from a follow-on generation.

The Canon 30D has proven to be everything I’d hoped for. The viewfinder is bright and accurate. A 95% image is more than sufficient for most applications, although it’s difficult to understand why today’s manufacturers find it so difficult to design a 100% viewfinder. There is more than sufficient control between the usual Canon Basic Zone and Creative Zone; along with ISO, shutter speed, and aperture settings all with 1/3 stop resolution. Fully automatic operation is still possible and it works well, but who would buy such a camera and not tinker with the buttons? The focus is almost instantaneous, using nine points that can be selected and/or viewed in the viewfinder and LCD photo playback. The algorithms for selecting focus points automatically are remarkably good. It is clear that my skill for operating a manual focus at sporting events is now obsolete, particularly in a camera that can record at five frames per second and focus even faster.

The ergonomics of the 30D reflect a camera that has been refined through years of development. The camera is easy and reliable to grip. The shutter release provides solid feedback. The black and white LCD and associated buttons on top of the camera are well chosen to offer access to the controls you are most likely to need while taking pictures. The dial next to the shutter release is particularly useful for use even while looking through the viewfinder. It would be nice to have a button on the camera’s top or front (instead of requiring the use of the configuration menu) to allow the flash to be used to aid focus and still not fire. This may seem unnecessary, but I’ve used this more than a few times on the S50. The controls on the back of the camera are (appropriately) for photo viewing and for establishing more fundamental settings. The 2.5 inch LCD has nice resolution of 230,000 pixels and an adequate viewing angle. The LCD has appropriate contrast; brightness is good for most usage and can be increased if needed. The color LCD provides extensive information, including RGB histograms, and is easy to read. The joystick control is convenient for navigating photos. The overall user interface - two dials, a joystick and several buttons - is relatively easy to learn, but I’ll bet a user interface expert could do better with one fewer dial.

Ultimately, the evaluation of a camera comes down to picture quality and the Canon 30D really delivers. The sensor is accurate, even at 1600 ISO. If you are fussy about things like sharpness, contrast, or saturation, then Picture Styles provide more than enough options. 8.2 megapixels won’t measure up in five years, but I have seen 11 by 14 studio quality pictures from 6 megapixel sensors, so 8 MP is enough unless you insist on shooting telephoto type pictures without a telephoto lens. Furthermore, Canon has fine glass available in the form of L Series lenses. In summary the 30D retains all of the things I loved about the best of film SLRs effectively updated and enhanced to get the most out of a modern DSLR.

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Reply by member: narrowscope
Jul 21, 2006

Note that it's called the 30D -- the D30 is really really old

  • 5
  By member: artirwinphoto - Jun 7, 2006

Serious Upgrade!

Strengths: Screen Size, Durability, AF System, FPS (Frames Per Second) Rate, Canon EOS System

Weakness: 1.6x Lens Magnification Factor

I was hesitant to ditch my Canon 35mm SLR and join the digital revolution, so a year ago I bought the Digital Rebel XT to see how my existing Canon EOS lenses, flashes and accessories in the digital realm.

I was pleased with the Digital Rebel XT, but I missed some of the professional features on my 35mm SLR. I also felt that the XT was too small for my hands and felt poorly balanced when paired with Canon's professional lenses.

UPGRADING TO THE 30D HAS SOLVED ALL OF THOSE ISSUES!

The camera body is solid and much easier to grip.
The large screen is beautiful in any light.
It has professional features (such as flash sync port).
The motor drive is much faster than the XT even without the additional battery grip which I will soon buy.

I've used the camera for a couple of events already, and I'm loving everything about it except the lens magnification factor. The 1.6x factor takes away the wide angle usability of my very expensive and very awesome 24-70 f/2.8 L-series lens. That's really a minor complaint, however, since the problem will be solved when I pick up the 16-35 f/2.8 L very soon.

If you're looking at jumping into the serious digital photography from the ranks of film loyalists, or if your skills have outgrown the popular Digital Rebel, then this is the perfect camera for you!

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  • 5
  By member: monaceio - Jun 4, 2006

Excellent DSLR

Strengths: 100K shutter system, 5fps continous shooting, 2.5" LCD

Weakness: Build-in flash is not too good

Except the build-in flash, I am totally satisfied with this camera. If you use any L lenses with the lens hood, the lens hood might block part of the flash and there might be a circular shadow appear in the picture. I use 580EX at all time, so no problem for me. I guess when you spend that much for a camera, you got be somehow serious. Please don't waste money on the bundle with EF-S 18-55 lens, buy the body only version or the bundle with EF-S 17-85 IS lens. I have EF 24-70 f2.8 L and EF 70-200 f2.8 L. EOS 30D works extremely well on these lenses.

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  • 5
  By member: Zang1975 - May 9, 2006

Great DSLR

Strengths: Canon Name and Reputation, Ease of use, 2.5 inch LCD

Weakness: The viewfinder is not 100%. Since I upgraded from the Digital Rebel, I was used to not having a 100% viewfinder. However, some people may find this as a weakness. Cost.

I upgraded to this camera from the Digital Rebel XT. I was very happy with my digital Rebel, so I wanted to stick with the Canon name. I didn't feel that I needed the more expensive Canon cameras (5D or 1D). In my opinion, the biggest selling point to this camera over the 20D is the 2.5 inch LCD. The large screen makes it much easier to review images in the field. Since I had been very familiar with the Digital Rebel, I didn't find the upgrade process to be difficult at all. If someone is new to the Canon line, I found it very easy to learn how to operate the camera. If you are upgrading from an existing Canon camera or looking for a new DSLR, I would highly recommended the 30D

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  • 5
  By member: overclockxp - Jun 28, 2006

Nice upgrades to the 20D

Strengths: Quiet Shutter, Huge LCD, ISO in Viewfinder

Weakness: Came with dust on the sensor!

The Canon 30D is not a huge improvement over the 20D but it has some nice amenities.
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The 2.5 inch LCD is awesome. That was the first thing I noticed, of course. And that was enough to hook me into buying it and selling the 20D. I haven’t had a chance to try out the new metering or the picture styles. Besides, once I upgrade my hard drive I’ll being shooting exclusively in RAW so picture styles won’t matter.
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Image quality is the same as the 20D. However, now ISO can be controlled in 1/3-stop increments so noise can be controlled very well depending on the lighting situation. Don’t be mislead by the number of megapixels the competitors offer. The more pixels packed into the sensor means a possibility of more noise. That’s why the full frame 1D series packs 16.7 MP and the 5D has 12 MP. If you were to pack that many pixels into a 1.6 crop factor sensor the noise would be horrible.
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The shutter on the 30D is quieter than the 20D’s. Thank you Canon! Although the shutter on the 20D never really bothered me as I don’t shoot during piano recitals or weddings (yet), if I ever do the quieter shutter will be worth it. Shutter life is published as 100,000 actuations, something new for Canon to make known publicly.
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ISO in the viewfinder finally! Thanks again Canon! This requires the press of a button on top while looking into the viewfinder which is kind of awkward. It will take a while to get use to all of this new fancy stuff but it is about time the ISO in the viewfinder happened.
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I can’t believe I spend $1,100 for a new camera and it comes with dust on the sensor. This was the same with the 20D. Can’t Canon clean these puppies before sending them out? And I am talking about a noticeable speck of dust right out of the box right smack dab in the middle of the frame. How annoying. So when you order your 30D be sure to order some Sensor Swabs and some Eclipse ethanol alcohol and a Giottos Rocket blower. Cleaning the sensor is super easy and instructions can be found all over the Internet.
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Construction wise the 30D is a very solid camera. I only handle the 30D with the camera strap around my neck. I don't plan on dropping it. The magnesium body is very sturdy.
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The 30D is a well balanced camera and can be used comfortably with many lenses. The Rebel XT was too small for my taste when used with anything heavier than the kit lens. The kit lens is a great way to get a cheap wide angle lens; however, buy one off ebay or the for sale forum on fredmiranda.com but just buy the body only and save.
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I like the 30D very much. Obviously. Many people ask around the forums on the Internet, "Which camera should I buy?" It depends. The only way to tell is to go and handle the different cameras. I prefer the weight and size of the 30D over the smaller XT series. Some people say get the XT and save for glass (lenses). I say get the camera that feels right in your hands.
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Another question people ask is, "Which lens should I buy?" Once again it depends. Are you going to shoot indoors or outdoors, landscapes or portraits, low light or lots of light, and what's your budget like? Lenses I use include the Canon 24-105 IS f/4, Canon 17-40 f/4 and Tamron 28-75 f/2.8. I really like the Canon 24-105. Talk about sharp. A friend of mine borrowed my Canon 24-105 and he liked it so much he ordered himself some L glass. The Tamron 28-75 is a handy lens for indoor or lower light situations but not wide enough to be used indoors for group shots. Other lenses I've used include the Canon 17-85 IS (not my favorite so I sold it - soft and barrel distortion), Canon 85 f/1.8 (sharp and great lens but a little long for my use), Canon 28-105 f/3.5-4.5 II USM (nice lens but I needed a wider aperture but it is a nice lens for not much money with a nice range and great for beginners).
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Accessories you’ll need:
another battery, wired remote, hand grip – buy from ebay
card reader – get a pen style from ebay
carrying case – Tamrac Velocity 5 fits great
flash – Sigma Super 500 DG
larger compact flash cards – I use 2GB Kingston Pro Elite and PQI 4 GB cards
lens filters – UV and Circular Polarizer
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Verdict: The 30D is an awesome, capable camera with borderline professional potential. The 30D with some L glass and you’re set for a photography adventure.

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  • 5
  By member: ong1p - May 13, 2006

Canon 30d

Strengths: Great image quality, canon brand and quality, many lenses, strong build quality

Weakness: nothing

This is my very first DSLR camera. After having taken approximately 200 shots immediately after getting it, I can see the great differences. There are so many functions and features that I'd have to learn with this camera, but from the initial perspective, it was worth the investment.

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  • 5
  By member: cshsia - Jun 13, 2006

Amazing Camera

Strengths: Spot Metering, 2.5 inch LCD

Weakness: Price (relative to 20D)

I have been a long time user of Canon point and shoot cameras, but now that all my colleagues are taking amazing pictures with their SLRs, I decided to get one of my own. After testing their EOS 20D extensively, I decided to go for the latest model.

The camera feels very solidly built, all the buttons and features are placed at the great locations, the result of years of refinement. The new 2.5" LCD is sharp and bright. And the pictures I've taken so far look excellent. The body feels quite light, so once a heavy lens goes on it, the feel is a bit front heavy. Overall a great value if you want the 2.5" LCD and spot metering, otherwise it's the same camera as the 20D with minor body changes.

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  • 5
  By member: rcheung07 - Jul 20, 2006

Canon 30D Review

Strengths: Build Quality, Comfort when holding in hand, 2.5 inch display, Ability to reading ISO in the viewfinder.

Weakness: Not a 100% viewfinder. Little bit on the pricey side.

This was an upgrade from a Rebel XT. I'm still a beginner photographer but the move from XT to 30D was a good one. The feel and build quality is just to much better. I went hiking with the XT and I just couldn't hold the XT in my hand for a long period of time but that changed with the 30D due to the bigger grip and rubber feel. The weight is also much more balanced when using long range lens ex: 70-200 f4, etc vs. the lightweight XT. Great purchase over the XT.

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  • 5
  By member: jyim - May 1, 2006

Great camera

Strengths: Professional quality; easy to use; large LCD is a huge bonus

Weakness: None so far

This is a great camera that captures quality photos (assuming you know how to take good shots). The functions/settings are easy to use and situated well on the camera. What stands out about the 30d is the 2.5 inch LCD. It's huge! You're able to get a better feel for the image that was captured without having to zoom in.

In sum, this is a great camera for anyone wanting to get a dSLR. I highly recommend it!

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Reply by member: calvin300
Jun 1, 2006

Have you tried the monochrome feature? If so, How did it print?

  • 5
  By member: Inua89 - Jun 29, 2006

Canon 30D - Great camera!

Strengths: Great build quality, 2.5" LCD, picture quality, 5 fps burst speed, loads of features and settings.

Weakness: None so far.

This is my first digital SLR. I previously had a Canon A1 35mm camera that I loved. I really liked the ability to go from fully automatic to fully manual with that camera. The point and shoot digital cameras that I have also had are nice but I wanted something more - and the ability to change lenses.

I was considering the Rebel XT and the 20D. The Rebel XT is a nice camera but when I compared it to the 20D I thought the build quality was noticeably less solid. Because I want this camera to last me a long time I decided to go with the 20D. The 20D also had some other nice features. The only thing I felt the 20D lacked was a larger LCD and just as I was getting ready to order it I heard about the 30D with the bigger LCD! The 30D also had a slightly faster burst speed, a longer shutter life and a few other slight improvements.

I bought mine as a body alone along with a 28-135 IS lens. I felt the 18-55 lens was fairly cheap and I lean more towards telephoto shots than wide angle so I picked the 28-135 instead of the 17-85 IS. So far I have been very happy with the 30D and lens. I am not a professional - I just take pictures for fun. I think the image quality is excellent and I have had no problems with the camera. My Canon dealer told me that the "megapixel war" is about over and I fell that, realistically, 8.2 MP is plenty for me. I will probably never do 16 X 20 prints although I'm sure the 30D would do a fine job with it. The camera has a lot of features and settings and for an enthusiast level photographer like me, it will take me a long time to learn all that the camera can do. I think the manual is fairly easy to read so that will help and the included software is easy to use.

The only other camera I would consider over the 30D is the Nikon D200. The Nikon is 10 MP and has gotten some excellent reviews. However, it's a couple hundred dollars more expensive and once you're at that price, for only a couple hundred more than that you can get another camera a little better still. I drew the line at the 30D and have been very happy I did. It's an excellent camera and one I hope to have for a long time.

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  • 4
  By member: tonytone30 - Jun 26, 2006

Canon 30D SLR

Strengths: Quality construction, nice big LCD, fast burst, option packed, huge lens options, price, image/color quality, price, long battery life, good "raw" software, price.

Weakness: No IR transmittal from the box, not weather sealed, fully automatic setting can mismeter in bright sunlight.

Great camera at a great price. That being said, I think that a wiser purchase would be the Nikon D200 for a few hundred more you are getting a weather sealed camera and several other goodies. If you are commited to canon with lenses like myself, the 30D is a smart buy. I am upgrading from a rebel XT and this was a no brainer. You will feel the difference when you pick it up but very much so when you press the shutter. It is very different from the XT. I would equate it to the difference between when a Ford door closing and when a Lexus door shuts. Its a big difference and you can feel, hear, and see the difference.

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  • 5
  By member: Cliff P. - Nov 3, 2006

A Better Camera Compare to 20D

Strengths: 1. Images focus very consistence, keep rate is higher. 2. Large LCD screen 3. Good In-Camera processing, like sharpening.

Weakness: Images is a bit dark

My 20D has a big problem. Image keep rate is very low. For some reason, even on L lens no matter Prime or Zoom, most of the images taken were soft. But there’re always very few piece were outstanding sharp, not much though. 30D fixed this issue, all images were consistence and in-camera sharpening make it perfect to print, means less work on post-processing. Large LCD is also a plus for most of the user. But don't know why compare to 20D, photos seem a bit dark, maybe just happen to my copy, so I always keep + 1/3 on AE bracketing. After 3 days, I sold my 20D. A nice upgrade for me!

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  • 4
  By member: xiliu - Aug 14, 2006

good product, but lens are more important

Strengths: spot metering is quite handy

Weakness: the LCD is only large, but not very clear

The overall performance is quite good so far. But if you are on a budget, get a 350D, and put more money on lens. A better lens is more important.

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  • 4
  By member: eskee207021 - Jun 8, 2006

Canon EOS 30D SLR Digital Camera + 50mm F1.8 Canon...

Strengths: For a 8.2 MP DSLR, the price is reasonable. provide almost same amount of features from 5D. Very attractive 2.5" LCD. Good noise control than Nikon 70s.

Weakness: Can't give pictures as sharp as taken from Nikon.

Sharpness control does a little help to achieve the same sharpness that Nikon provides. The Noise control from Canon definitely leads my way to get 30D instead of taking D200. Of course, the trade off is not getting sharp pictures. Getting L serie lents that can provide excellent sharp images however they are way expensive. Good budget set on the market. If Canon can provide higher-amount on rebate that could increase the Canon's DSLR market.

http://ai.pricegrabber.com/uploaded_images/000000-000999/000406.jpg   http://ai.pricegrabber.com/uploaded_images/000000-000999/000407.jpg  

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  • 2
  By member: drkshen - Jun 6, 2006

I had 20d and upgrade to 30d for bigger LCD

Strengths: bigger LCD, spot meter

Weakness: LCD color is not right. when i shoot white card, the image come out more green yellow on LCD

I am very disappointed on the new canon 30d that i got.
it does not have the same basic feeling from 20d. The 30d should be better, but after many hours test, it doesnt seems right to me.
The LCD color turn more green yellow on LCD.

I have read many post from dpreview, some ppl claim that the purple flower turn blue color from LCD. and he called canon, which told him he shouldn't rely on the LCD color. always rely on the final prints. (what a BS, if photographer dont rely on LCD, how r we going to determinate the WB is good).

I noticed 30d has more "noise" than 20d. this is what i feel but didnt have chance to do the test, so i am not too sure.

also, this 30d was freezed 3 times when i take event last weekend. the 1st time, it shows error 99. 2nd and 3rd time
everyting is not working and the red light stay on for a minute until i removed grip.
the funny thing is, i opened the battery door the red light still on, and i removed both batteries the red light still not goes off, until i removed the battery grip.


I have sent my camera to canon repair center today,
hope they can fix my problem. 30d sux~
if u have 20d keep it or you can sell to me!

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Reply by member: drkshen
Jun 6, 2006

if you want to check your LCD color is right.
shoot a white paper and check to see
it should not have any other color beside white or gray color

(although my LCD color is bad, but the image on my computer is good, you also can use photoshop to check if your image contain other colors)

another problem is preflash fill
i really dont know about this function for
this function sounds like it, be4 you take the photo you can preflash on your subject to get the better exposure

but if the person wear black clothes, and preflash fill exposure will turn out too bright.
if the person wear white clothes, and preflash fill exposure will turn out more under.

you never get the good exposure from preflash.

and i dont have this kind problem w/ my 20d





  • 1
  By anonymous - Nov 26, 2007

EOS 30d Still Broken afterr three months

Strengths: Great camera, for the first three weeks, when it worked. Battery life is unbelievable. Used for over 1000 shots in one day, with well over half of them with flash and did not have to recharge.

Weakness: After a few uses, it died and is in for third repair. Worked for three weeks, has not for three months, and canon will not extend the warranty for the 25% of the year it has not worked.

Bought August 13 2007, used for two weekends, died on September 3, 2007 received by canon for repair for the third time on November 8. Today is November 26, I had to call to get status, canon claim they need my lens and CF cart for the repair, but Never requested it.

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  • 5
  By member: hgannon - Jan 8, 2008

Great overall

Strengths: -Very fast autofocus system -Variable frames per second -Easy to navigate controls -Navigation wheel and Jump button make menu/photo navigation much quicker -Magnesium body

Weakness: -Not 100% weather-proof -Slightly heavy

I found the image quality of the 30D to be quite good, with accurate colours, clear pictures, and an excellent auto-exposure. The only downside to the picture quality is when using the Auto White Balance setting, it's not always accurate - namely with the flash and under tungsten lighting. This is easily corrected however, by changing the White Balance Setting using the handy controls on the top of the camera.

The camera has a nice feel, with sturdy construction and a very solid build. The downside to this is it's a little bulky and slightly less portable than the Canon XT or XTi (which have similar features). The magnesium body and plastic casing seem durable - I've dropped the camera from small heights (by accident of course!) a few times and had it hit things like doorframes while it was hanging on my shoulder; so far I've done no damage to the camera whatsoever. It's also been outdoors in both wet and dusty weather with no noticeable effects.

The last single feature I'll mention is the option of selecting a single frame rate, three frames per second, or five frames per second. For average use, I've started to find 5 fps too fast; however it's perfect for sports photography or photos at the races.

Overall, the 30D has been an excellent camera with few flaws. The one single comment I have contra the 30D is I feel the 40D would now be a better value - 10 megapixels is better than 8, the automatic sensor cleaning is fantastic (which the 30D doesn't have), and the menu is a little more user friendly. Considering the 40D wasn't available when I purchased the 30D, I have no regrets. There will always be something newer, faster, etc.

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  • 4
  By member: touristguy87 - Dec 15, 2007

good, solid Canon DSLR

Strengths: It just does what it is supposed to do and goes on, letting you shoot without worries.

Weakness: slightly bigger than the 400D lack of programmable Auto-ISO and NR is a bit outdated

I've been struggling with a 400D for about 6 months now. I don't know why, I just never took a look at this camera until I got thoroughly exasperated and frustrated with the unreliable focus on my 400D plus the price recently came down to $900 or so, for a new 30D body, plus, I realized that I just had to get something faster than ISO1600. It is a solid upgrade over the 400D, better in every way except that I liked the controls better on the 400D, I have to admit that I don't like the control panel. It works better, shoots better, makes less noise, is faster, the batteries work longer...not to mention that it focuses much better and more reliably. It's making me lust after a 5D, actually, but I'm not about to drop $2300 on one. But if you are interested in taking the DSLR plunge, skip the 400D and buy this camera. The 400D is nice (certainly it can take shots that you can't take with a P&S, handheld) but it is about half of what you want and it just misses focus too much. First and foremost, you want it to get a good focus. Second, you don't want it to miss focus. Third, you want the focus to be accurate. The 400D is just not capable of doing this on a reliable basis and it is in fact a little too slow for my tastes, without ISO3200.

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Reply by member: touristguy87
Dec 15, 2007

now what tipped me over the edge, let me tell you...I recently went to Istanbul twice. On my first trip I lost some shots due to bad focus, while I was out on the Bosphorus, which basically means landscape shooting, and it was dark, kinda hazy overcast day, actually it did begin to rain on us while we were out there, and this meant a lot of long-distance wide-angle shots while moving, of targets that are dark or gray but basically dingy to begin with. Buildings, mosques, houses so forth, but from long distance. This is not the kind of shot that is going to focus well on any camera, especially a DSLR and DSLRs are noted to not focus as reliably as point and shoots (they tend to put an emphasis on speed over focus accuracy, they are very picky by nature, in terms of what they will focus on). So ok I chalked that up to exactly that: dark, small low-contrast subjects being shot in dark conditions. I kept looking over my shots and I saw that I had some problems with shots taken indoors at the Dolmabache Palace, sort of the same thing but these were hardly "dark" areas, they were just low-contrast shots, rooms full of upholstered furniture, etc. So I went again a month later, taking many of the same shots (because of course I wanted to replace the bad ones). And I just kept noticing that it kept missing focus on shots that just weren't all that hard. Rooms full of books. Well-lit rooms with upholstered chairs. Wide-open rooms full of people, furniture, rugs, stuff...shots that just should not have been missed. Normal, everyday stuff, really. When it started to miss focus on city streets, taking shots of people who were right in front of me, buildings right in front of me, maybe 6 feet away, I had enough of it. I am not going to deny that it was still hitting about 80% of the shots. But it was the 20% that it was missing that was driving me nuts. Again, it's not "awful". But it's just not "good". And definitely not confidence-inspiring. If you tend to overshoot like I do, mostly it's a bonus, but occasionally it misses a shot that you really want. Which is partly why I tend to overshoot in the first place. Then I started to have to overshoot just in case it missed focus, I was already using AEB to get a good exposure because I couldn't trust the camera exposure to match the scene (hey: 0EV is going to give you a bright shot regardless of the lighting conditions), and things just got to be crazy. I'd have 90 shots of stuff that I wasn't really interested in and then the one or two shots that I really wanted, would be out of focus. When that happened enough I had to try something new. And I took a chance and got the 30d even with this thinking that it shared the same AF system with the 400D. But so far, I have been pretty happy with the AF accuracy on the 30D. It has really tamed this Sigma 18-200 lens.

Reply by member: touristguy87
Dec 15, 2007

now a few notes about the 30d other than the AF. One it is about 2 inches wider than my 400D so it will not sit in the same bag the same way. It's not tall enough to be a problem (so the bigger grip is free) but the body is too wide for my bag. Second, now, I've shot a 400D for 6 months, run probably 20k frames out of it, and I had the 30D for a night and I took it out shooting for hours and still never figured out how to change the exposure except to use manual mode, or to change the F# in manual mode. I tried everything that I could think of, every button-push and combination that came to mind in 6 hours or so, of shooting. No dice. Then I looked it up in the manual...first, to change the exposure in any of the creative modes, you have to use the control wheel AFTER pressing the shutter-release halfway. Now, does this make any sense? No. You can't just use the exposure button and set the exposure offset...that changes, but it doesn't affect the offset used during shooting. It will revert to what you set using the above method. Second I hate that dumb status LCD, the light only stays on for 6 seconds and of course at night it has to be turned on manually, there is no "eye-start" for it like with the 400D. Third to change the F# you again use the control wheel and the on switch has to be in the "unlock" position but I swear that I tried that a dozen times last night and it didn't work. Ever. I tried it the first time today while reading the manual and it worked fine. This tells me that there's some "functionality" that the camera loses while sitting in the box, that requires it to be running for a while to get back. Fourth the buttons on this thing are much smaller than on the 400D and those buttons were a little too small, definitely too small for use with gloves. I can barely hit these buttons at night with my fingers.

.....
other than that I like this camera. I wish that I could tune the in-camera NR but so far the jpegs seem to have a fair degree of both chroma and luminance noise, which tells me that Canon is leaving a good deal of noise in the image, which means that I probably couldn't beat the in-camera NR, and I know this from experience. You never want to get rid of all the noise with NR, that is a guaranteed way to kill the fine-detail. Still, I would like to do all the NR in PP and not have it be "half-processed" by the camera. So it would be nice to be able to just shut it off entirely without reverting to raw mode. But, for an 8MP camera, the raw files are only 4x as large as the Lfine jpegs, and this camera certainly has enough buffer to allow me to shoot raw freely. I can live with that. ..................

I would say that it's a good, solid camera...getting a little long in the tooth...I have no desire for LiveView, as long as the LCD isn't articulated you might as well just use the viewfinder. I would rather it support the infrared remote but the wired remote works from behind the camera. I can think of a lot of features that it could have but the ones that it does have are pretty good. If you want the latest and greatest features (like, per-cell A2D like with the A700 sensor or focus micro-bracketing or micro-focus adjustment), be prepared to cough up more money.

Reply by member: touristguy87
Dec 17, 2007

...ok so I took the plunge and bought an a700...they only had the body, at the store I went to (seems that they are selling like hotcakes) so I had to get a tamron 75-300 lens to go with it. That was $1500 right there.

this is a day after I bought a 30D for $900 from that store, shot it one night, wasn't all that enthused with the high-iso performance, did a little more research...what I saw was that the a700 had about half the noise at ISO1600, and even less noise at ISO6400 than the 30d at ISO1600.

So far I'm quite impressed with it.

For one, ISo6400 is tres cool. Even if it's a little noisy in this camera (recall the old P&S days where "ISO400" was fairly noisy? That's what ISO1600 is like on the a700. Shooting jpeg. ISO3200 is fine.

Second, the jpegs may not be "full of fine-detail" but they look ok to me on my computer screen.

Third, it is nice to get a real lens again...that Sigma 18-200 DC OS is not very sharp wide-open, and this 75-300 is just fine F4-F5.6.

I have to admit, once you make the break and pony up the extra dosh to get into this body, the rest is all downhill, in terms of price. And without a doubt it takes nice photos at high ISO.

Reply by member: touristguy87
Dec 19, 2007

well, this is a trade that I have made with few regrets.
First the a700 is at least 50% faster than the 3D with the same noise, and none of that "streak noise" that you see in the 30D at ISO3200 (which is really ISO4000).

Second the focus works a little better (though this depends on the lens as much as on the camera), third the settings don't change through a power cycle, fourth I can get cheaper, better lenses because the CCD-IS system works great.

On the downside the a700 seems to be a tad less sharp than the 30D, and the shutter isn't as quiet nor does the battery last as long. I'll bet the batteries on the 30d last for days. Plus I like the way that the exposure metering works on the 30D, it's very simple, you turn it down to -1EV, your shot will be -1EV low. The a700 is a bit flaky about this. There were a lot of good things about the 30D but in the end it just doesn't have the horsepower to run with the a700.

Reply by member: touristguy87
Dec 24, 2007

...last but not least I got the SAL18-250 for the Sony A700 which just seals the deal. This is an awesome lens. The lens alone made the trade worth the money, it is what I always wanted for the 400D but could not find. What is so awesome about it? It's sharp across the frame at all focal lengths, even wide-open, so the focus is very good...a lot better than the 400D with the Sigma 18-200...there's no need to run DxO on it, to do lens correction. It has a little barrel-distortion at 18mm but otherwise it's practically flawless.

  • 3.0
  reviewgist.com - Dec 22, 2009

ReviewGist for Canon EOS 30D / EF-S 17-85mm IS Digital Camera

Image is Excellent according to 35 Digital Camera experts. -- "incredibly sharp and rich image quality"-shutterbug.com -- "the image quality is excellent."-techradar.com -- "Photo quality was excellent on this 8.2 Megapixel camera."-dcresource.com Read more to find expert opinions on more features like Video, Optics, Interface, Battery, etc.

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  • 3.7
  TopTenREVIEWS.com - Feb 9, 2009

Canon EOS 30D

Canon EOS 30D receives an overall TopTenREVIEWS score of 2.95 out of 4.00. It is ranked the #8 Professional DSLR digital camera of all time. The overall rating represents an intelligent balance of features, value as a function of price to features, and a summary of reviews from a variety of sources. The TopTen REVIEWS' formula gives a picture of important consumer features, market value, and a...

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  • 4.2
  testseek.com - May 7, 2008

Canon EOS 30D

Testseek.com has collected 50 expert reviews for Canon EOS 30D and the average expert rating is 84 of 100. The average score reflects the expert community’s view on this product. Click below and use Testseek.com to see all ratings, product awards and conclusions.

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  • 4.5
  letsgodigital.org - Mar 20, 2007

Canon EOS 30D

The concept was already solid as could be, but with the introduction of the Canon EOS 30D, Canon have once again clearly asserted and strengthened its roots and their position. There are virtually no points that might cause any form of hindrance for the user, which, in our opinion, is an excellent performance indeed. A superb camera!

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  • 4.0
  cameralabs.com - Jul 31, 2006

Camera Labs – Canon EOS 30D review

Canon’s EOS 30D may be little more than an evolutionary step forward, but it’s crucial to remember it improves upon a camera which most agreed was already excellent. While it may have been more honest to describe it as a 20D Mark II, the 30D remains a great camera which is enjoyable and rewarding to use, while delivering lower noise levels than its rivals. There may be few existing Canon...

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  • 4.0
  Macworld.com - May 19, 2006

Canon EOS 30D Digital SLR

The Canon EOS 30D is a welcome upgrade to an already great camera. The larger LCD screen and new features will directly affect everyday shooting, while the lower price tag will give you an extra $100 to spend on lenses.

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  • 4.5
  DCResource - Mar 22, 2006

DCRP Review: Canon EOS-30D

The Canon EOS-30D is an excellent midrange digital SLR. While its 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.

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  • 5.0
  Digitalcamerainfo.com - Nov 30, -0001

Canon EOS 30D Digital Camera Review

At 8.2 megapixels, with a 5-frame-per-second burst, a 9-point autofocus system, and Canon's DIGIC II processing chip, the 30D matches its predecessor, the Canon EOS 20D, specification for specification. However, the 30D has a 2.5-inch LCD, which makes the 1.8-inch unit on the 20D look like a postage stamp. The 30D also boasts revised menus and image parameters, and a $1400 list price, $100 lower...

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