The time to upgrade has come. Welcome to the EOS 30D
11th April 2007
The title of this blog is a little misleading. I want to clarify something from the outset - make no mistake, the Canon EOS 350D is a great camera. Not just for newbies into the D-SLR market - it actually is a very good camera for amateur enthusiasts. Having said that, why would there be more expensive models if it weren't for better quality, so I felt it was time to upgrade. I toyed with the idea of an EOS 5D (considering I was using the equivalent in film years ago) but budget constraints taken into account (and also the potential 3D/7D/5D MK II replacements?) I decided to go with the more enhanced EOS 30D. I've been playing with it now for two weeks and I must say, it did take me a while to get used to the new tabless menu system, but I now find it to be really intuitive with the jog shuttle control which does everything! Initial look at image quality was a significant improvement, but I know that this will become even more evident after I learn the multitude of features the 30D has to offer over the entry level models.
Whilst the megapixels are the same, the image quality is significantly better. I've found a much more accurate tonal and colour response and the sharpness of the pixels is noticeably better. The main benefit is the metering abilities - I'd forgotten how important spot metering was to me, and unfortunately the lack of it is a major drawback with the entry level models. It's been refreshing having this feature. Combine that with a maximum ISO 3200 sensitivity and 1/8000 shutter speed, the 30D gives a lot more options with varying light conditions.
For nature (and sports) photography, the 5fps burst is also an advantage oer the 3fps. And the nine point AF system (as opposed to the seven) gives more control over your focussing.
The negatives... Hmmm. A couple, but to be fair, none that really detract from the quality of the final result. Mainly cosmetic issues, which are standard with Digital SLRs. The 2.5 inch LCD monitor is great, but once again, even at highest brightness it can be hard to see. The rubber cover for the USB & remote compartment can be a nightmare to close properly (I can imagine over time this will get worse). And of course it's still not a full frame camera (but then again, what D-SLRs are unless you go to a 5D or above, and then you're talking big bucks!)
All in all, it's relatively early to judge completely as I need to take another 5,000 photos with this one, but at initial glance, the purchase has been well worthwhile. The camera inspires more confidence than the entry level models. I'm looking forward to upcoming photo shoots to see how well it performs under artificial lighting.