30D arrived!

[Schniff]

My 30D arrived yesterday at work. The battery grip and cable shutter release arrived at the same time from HK. Unfortunately, I was working until 10Pm so there wasn't an opportunity to take it outdoors and give it a workover.

I played around with it a bit when I got home, to get used to the control differences from the 300D. My first impressions? After the 300D this camera is a revelation. It's as if every gripe I had fom the Rebel has been addressed. The JPEG buffer is quoted at 30, but with an ULTRA II card I can tell you it is a lot more than that. I love the fact that even when you fill the buffer up with 11 raw files, it only takes a second to empty it. This coming from a 300D where the raw buffer is only 4 and it takes 5 seconds (or something rediculous) to clear it! The custom functions are also very handy.

Can't wait to put this baby through its paces! My 300d is now on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7596612454&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1

[dreams]

Wow!, congrats on the purchase. i can just keep on dreaming and wait for the upgrade hehe. im sure u eager to play around with new toy.

[DaveB]

Lots of fun ahead for you with your new tool!

Coming from the 300D it would be a massive change: even the 20D is a huge change from the 300D.

[Killakoala]

It will certainly be interesting to hear your views on it after you have figured it out and tested it.

[Schniff]

Managed to get out this morning to shoot water birds for about 30 minutes with the 30D.
Very impressed! It was overcast, so I was shooting ISO 200-800. Mainly used partial and spot metering.
The lens was the Sigma 120-300 F2.8 with a 1.4 converter.

Main points and things I discovered:
- Slightly better noise performance than 300D (which itself is excellent)
- Metering is markedly better
- Dynamic range appears to be slightly better
- ISO in viewfinder is VERY handy
- ISO in 1/3 increments is handy
- I discovered why there are two "on" positions on the on/off switch. I accidently dialed in 1/3 exposure comp for about 20 shots - DOH!
- The autofocus did hunt a little in Servo - but I suspect thats got a bit to do with the combination of light conditions, and also the fact I was using the 1.4x.
- Custom function 13: selecting individual auto-focus points directly using the joystick ROCKS.
- 5FPS makes it very easy to fill up the card in quick time!
- I shot exclusively in RAW and did not lose a single shot due to waiting on the camera


I would say my number of keepers for this kind of shoot has trebled in going from 300D to 30D. I can definitely say that this feels like MY camera! I'm very happy.

Would like to post some pics but my only page is the stock one on Ozimages, so maybe I'll start one with smugmug or something and put some up.
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[DionM]

Scniff,

Enjoy the 30D.

I too learn the hard way about the 2 "on" positions. A blessing and a curse all in one

[PhilR]

Schniff,

sounds great. Can't wait until I can justify upgrading from the 10D.

Phil

[mR_CaESaR]

just a quick question regarding the iso in the viewfinder, is it a constant thing (so if you half press, it shows all iso, shutter and aperture) or do you have to press the iso button, then it shows up in the viewfinder and adjust accordingly (just like as you would with the 20D, you press the iso button, then have a look at the lcd and adjust using the bag wheel).

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[DaveB]

just a quick question regarding the iso in the viewfinder, is it a constant thing (so if you half press, it shows all iso, shutter and aperture) or do you have to press the iso button, then it shows up in the viewfinder and adjust accordingly

No it's unfortunately not a constant thing. Press the ISO button and it shows up (and you can change it). Press the ISO button again (or the shutter button) and it goes away.

The only change is that you don't have to take your eye away from the viewfinder.

[mR_CaESaR]

just a quick question regarding the iso in the viewfinder, is it a constant thing (so if you half press, it shows all iso, shutter and aperture) or do you have to press the iso button, then it shows up in the viewfinder and adjust accordingly

No it's unfortunately not a constant thing. Press the ISO button and it shows up (and you can change it). Press the ISO button again (or the shutter button) and it goes away.

The only change is that you don't have to take your eye away from the viewfinder.

hmmm thats pretty crap

I might as well do what i'm doing now with the 20D, i was really hoping it was the proper deal, but then again, it would mean that they have to change the whole viewfinder, which i don't think they are going to change anytime soon.

Wonder if a firmware would be able to do that to the 20D

[birddog114]

just a quick question regarding the iso in the viewfinder, is it a constant thing (so if you half press, it shows all iso, shutter and aperture) or do you have to press the iso button, then it shows up in the viewfinder and adjust accordingly

No it's unfortunately not a constant thing. Press the ISO button and it shows up (and you can change it). Press the ISO button again (or the shutter button) and it goes away.

The only change is that you don't have to take your eye away from the viewfinder.

hmmm thats pretty crap

I might as well do what i'm doing now with the 20D, i was really hoping it was the proper deal, but then again, it would mean that they have to change the whole viewfinder, which i don't think they are going to change anytime soon.

Wonder if a firmware would be able to do that to the 20D

mR_CaESaR,
So what you said the 30D is not upto what we expected for? and not much value to upgrade from the 20D.
How's your opinion on the 5D?

[mR_CaESaR]

mR_CaESaR,
So what you said the 30D is not upto what we expected for? and not much value to upgrade from the 20D.
How's your opinion on the 5D?

well i was hoping to have the viewfinder to display everything that is needed, but that would mean i third wheel as well, i was (probably am still) pretty close to selling my 20D to upgrade for the 30D, but my main factors were the iso in the viewfinder, and if its really like the way explained, then its not really worth the upgrade, sure the spot metering would be nice, rgb histogram, 2.5" lcd, 1/3 increment for iso, but i'm really starting to think i should wait for a 40D or maybe 50D.

As for the 5D, i've always thought its in a class of its own, never would i buy the thing, its just waaaaaaaaaay to expensive, and i've always said that the 30D is a crop version of the 5D.

I don't plan on going full frame anytime soon too though, i've got my wide angle fix with the 10-22 and i'm going to be investing in the 17-55 f2.8 IS soon enough, so i'm going to be crop for a loooooooong time

If i could afford the 5D and i've got a whole arsenal of L lenses, then yes, i would go for it, 4.5k is a lot for a person like me who isn't a pro, and i'm also not the very best photographer out there, i guess the 20D/30D will do me until i strive for full frame, never shooting film before i don't know what i've missed or missing out on, so thats a bit of a plus

edit: it seems the 5D has the same type of viewfinder (except that its brighter and larger) then the 30D, ie. iso is not viewed automatically, it seems of all the cams i just had a look at (20D, 30D, 1DsMKII, D50, D70, D100), the D200 is the only view finder that has metering mode, iso, shutter and aperture all built into the viewfinder. I guess us canon users have to get used to remembering/checking what metering mode and iso we're using BEFORE looking through the viewfinder (ahahhah i'm just starting to realise this now , although i have always known that nikon was the best at ergonics, i felt this when i held a D70 before buying my 20D)

[DaveB]

well i was hoping to have the viewfinder to display everything that is needed, but that would mean i third wheel as well, i was (probably am still) pretty close to selling my 20D to upgrade for the 30D, but my main factors were the iso in the viewfinder, and if its really like the way explained, then its not really worth the upgrade, sure the spot metering would be nice, rgb histogram, 2.5" lcd, 1/3 increment for iso, but i'm really starting to think i should wait for a 40D or maybe 50D.

Maybe so. For some people's use the 20D has all the bits they need.

The smaller ISO increments was a plus for me, and while the change to ISO display could have been "more complete" it's still a plus for me (I"ve complained to Canon Aus about it since the D30 came out!).
The RGB histograms are also a plus for my work, and wouldn't be feasible on a screen as small as the 20D's.
The bigger (effective) buffer in RAW is also a plus for me, along with the better (to my testing so far) AI Servo focussing. The faster burst performance of the 30D is very noticeable to me: it really does stay at 5 fps (whereas the 20D can be a bit slower depending on focus settings).
The fact that NR can be applied on long shots without needing double the exposure time is also a benefit for some of my work.
The quieter mirror-slap is nice, although I wouldn't have regarded it as critical, and I haven't used the spot-metering so far.

All-up those were enough things for me to upgrade, but I don't think that anyone should "look down their nose" at you if you decide to stay with the 20D for a while longer!

[mR_CaESaR]

All-up those were enough things for me to upgrade, but I don't think that anyone should "look down their nose" at you if you decide to stay with the 20D for a while longer!

its the complete opposite on another forum (which i won't name), its always like "why upgrade for? save your money and buy glass? whats stopping you photographically with your 20D?" blah blah blah

The way i see it, if i can get 1500 or there abouts for the 20D (which i doubt i would, even with 3 years warranty left), then 500 or so is not that much for those upgrades you listed, the increased buffer alone would be nice.

But then again, 500 is a 85mm prime choices choices choices.

[Sheila Smart]

just a quick question regarding the iso in the viewfinder, is it a constant thing (so if you half press, it shows all iso, shutter and aperture) or do you have to press the iso button, then it shows up in the viewfinder and adjust accordingly

No it's unfortunately not a constant thing. Press the ISO button and it shows up (and you can change it). Press the ISO button again (or the shutter button) and it goes away.

The only change is that you don't have to take your eye away from the viewfinder.

Canon, in its supreme wisdom, did the same thing with the 5D - much to my amazement as it was one thing that kept coming up in forums - where is the constant ISO in the viewfinder when the 20D came out? I am sure this was visible in the old D60 - or does my memory fail me! That said, the 5D handles high ISO (1000) without any problem.

Cheers
Sheila

[DaveB]

it was one thing that kept coming up in forums - where is the constant ISO in the viewfinder when the 20D came out? I am sure this was visible in the old D60 - or does my memory fail me!

Your memory's failing you.
None of the D30/D60/10D/20D/300D/350D show the ISO in the viewfinder in any mode.

[Sheila Smart]

Damn

[rmp]

Got a 30D so my 20D is now official backup body.

I wanted the 30D primarily because of the greater burst buffer. 11 shots in RAW is a big difference to 6. The "shots remaining" display is often at only 9, but in practice it does work out to 11. The 3fps option will no doubt be useful at some point too. I'm finding now I stop burst shooting before the camera runs out of buffer, which is the way it should be.

The bigger screen is great, much easier to assess the sharpness and quality of the shot.

1/3 step ISO steps are good too, and that was another reason for the upgrade. The pixel peepers are worried about whether the intermediate ISO stops are "real" or not, but who cares, they work.

I never cared much about spot metering so haven't used that.

ISO available in the viewfinder, once you press the button, is good.

There's some silly PictBridge button which for me is a total waste of space. That button should be customisable. I'd make it 2-stop AEB or something like Mirror Lockup, which is still buried in a Custom Menu.

Has Picture Styles. Don't care.

Do care about no longer storing only 100 images in a directory! About time! Now all we need is user-definable names a la the 1D! That'll save a bit of hassle when coming back from a shoot.

Seems to do everything just as well as the 20D. It's hard to say but the focus might be even a little better.

Of course, there are things I want that aren't there. More megapixels isn't one. Quite happy with 8, thanks. But I would like the thing weatherproofed. Also some customisable buttons, ISO always in the viewfinder and at least 6fps with an 18 RAW buffer (yes, I know the 1Ds exists, but it doesn't exist within my budget). Variable timer would be good too.

Is slightly heavier and larger. Doesn't make any difference relative to the 20D.

RGB histogram is of interest but nowhere near the essential list. Don't often have time to study it anyway.

The shutter is good for 100,000 cycles. Well, by the time I'm there I expect we'll be at the 60D and I'll have upgraded.

I'm not sure this will be a worthwhile upgrade for 20D owners. In my case I really needed the extra burst range, and the security of a second body. Without a need for either of those I don't think the upgrade could be justified and the money would be better spent on lenses or other accessories. But if you're coming to this level of DSLR then the 30D is definitely worth a look.

I'm glad I bought one.