Canon unveils the EOS 30D
Published Tuesday, February 21, 2006 by Aarya Srinivas.
Canon announced the EOS 30D today. There were widespread speculations that it woule be called the 30D or 35D. Canon put all these speculations to rest today. So whats new with this camera? Has it got enough to abandaon the 20D and upgrade to the 30D? Well, it depends on what one is looking for in an upgrade. Let us see whats different and new with the 30D. Here are the pictures, before we go on to the features.
At the face of it, heres whats the same as the 20D
Whats New?
Verdict - Well, some of them might upgrade to the 30D because they are early adapters. I for one, dont see any significant changes from the 20D. The reason I would be happy is that, the prices of the 20D will go down now, and that would let me upgrade from my 10D to a 20D.
At the face of it, heres whats the same as the 20D
- Same Image Sensor as the 20D
- Same 8MP as the 20D
- Same 9 point AF system, same as the 20D but with a better Algorithm
- Compatible with 20D accessories including the BG-E2 battery grip (thank god!)
- 1/8000 max shutter speed
- E-TTL II Flash Exposure Control
- 1/250 flash sync speed
Whats New?
- Bigger 2.5 inch rear LCD
- Parameters menu replaced by Picture Style menu
- ISO between 100 and 1600 can be selected in 1/3 stop increments
- ISO can now be seen in the viewfinder (high time Canon had that feature)
- Better Burst Depth: 11 frames for RAW, 30 for Large Fine JPEG and 9 for RAW+JPEG
- Shutter rated for 100,000 cycles
- FEL indicator in the viewfinder
- 3.5% Spot Metering mode... getting closer to Nikon on this.
- 0.15 second camera startup time (in the 20D it was 0.2 seconds)
- A more-precise 4-increment battery charge indicator
- No more new folders created every 100 photos; in the 30D, a folder can hold 9999 photos
- Improved Jump function
- Refined multicontroller operation
Verdict - Well, some of them might upgrade to the 30D because they are early adapters. I for one, dont see any significant changes from the 20D. The reason I would be happy is that, the prices of the 20D will go down now, and that would let me upgrade from my 10D to a 20D.
I have / want a digital camera too...
Published Sunday, February 05, 2006 by Aarya Srinivas.
Thats the latest fad of this century. Camera companies are pushing digital cameras down the throats of the common man these days. Most of us feel like a moving target when we have so many choices and such good AD agencies behind each of these brands. I have been tracking the world of digital cameras for quite a few years now, and I have many friends asking me this question... "Which Camera should I Buy?".
One thing that people dont realise is that this is not an easy question to answer... The most common question...."Which is the best camera to buy today?". Well, you do get a Hasselblad with a digital back which is only around $30,000 (USD), so why dont you buy that?
Ok, lets get realistic now... when I am posed with a question like that, I ask the person, what are you looking for in the camera? They usually say....6 or more MEGAPIXEL. Oh please please please....lets get this straight....more megapixel does not mean better pictures. If you are just going to print say 6x4 prints... even a 2 MP camera would be fine.
Ok i guess I was digressing quite a bit from what i started with. Let me make a list of points to keep in mind when buying a digital camera. These are just my views and is not some comprehensive list... just a guideline that might / might not be of help.
One thing that people dont realise is that this is not an easy question to answer... The most common question...."Which is the best camera to buy today?". Well, you do get a Hasselblad with a digital back which is only around $30,000 (USD), so why dont you buy that?
Ok, lets get realistic now... when I am posed with a question like that, I ask the person, what are you looking for in the camera? They usually say....6 or more MEGAPIXEL. Oh please please please....lets get this straight....more megapixel does not mean better pictures. If you are just going to print say 6x4 prints... even a 2 MP camera would be fine.
Ok i guess I was digressing quite a bit from what i started with. Let me make a list of points to keep in mind when buying a digital camera. These are just my views and is not some comprehensive list... just a guideline that might / might not be of help.
- Dont go by higher Megapixel unless you want to print huge posters
- See if you can get a camera where the LCD screen can be folded into the camera, thus protecting the LCD. (These are only for Point & Shoot cameras)
- Batteries.... these are the killers in digital cameras. Try to get cameras which are power friendly. Also its better to get cameras that use simple AA batteries. If you are stuck in some godforsaken place with the battery drained... you can atleast have a hope of getting a few alkaline batteries to run through the day.
- Digital Zoom is just a gimmick... If the ad says 4000x digital zoom....they are just conning you. optical zoom is what really counts. thats what the lens is capable of zooming. digital zoom is nothing but cropping the picture, you can do that on your computer.
- Research - Do a lot of research before you buy your digital camera. Try to avoid implusive buying. You dont want to regret later now do you? Go through lots of sites like www.dpreview.com, www.dcresource.com. Read various forums, see what actual users think about their camera.
- Brand - No, I am not a brand guy, but when it comes to photography, its better to go with the tried and tested brands. Guys like Nikon and Canon have been making cameras for eons now, and to a great extent know what they are doing. Try to avoid brands who are just venturing into the digital camera space, you might just be a guinea pig then.
All About Photography
Published by Aarya Srinivas.
