Canon EOS 30D (body only)

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Reviewed by: Lori Grunin

Reviewed on 3/21/06    Updated on: 10/3/08    Release date: 3/15/06   

Editors' note: Changes in the competitive landscape for digital SLRs as well as the release of a newer model have prompted us to adjust the ratings for this camera twice. In September 2007, we dropped the Design and Performance ratings to 8, for a new overall rating of 8.0--and removed its Editors' Choice designation. More recently, we dropped the Features rating to 6, for a new overall rating of 7.6.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it--that seems to be Canon's approach to its EOS 30D, the follow-up to its perennial favorite, the EOS 20D. Aside from a few performance tweaks, the Canon EOS 30D is the same camera as its predecessor. (For complete details of the 20D/30D, read the EOS 20D review; in this piece, I address mainly the enhancements that differentiate the 30D.) It has the same well-balanced, magnesium-alloy body with its intelligently laid-out controls; an almost identical set of pro-level, extremely customizable features; and roughly the same, excellent performance. Also, thanks to the identical 8-megapixel CMOS sensor and image-processing system, it yields the same superb photos, especially at high-ISO sensitivity settings.

I accidentally shot this photo at ISO 3,200, but thanks to the EOS 30D's excellent noise performance, I was still able to produce a satisfying print at 13x19.

Among the few key enhancements to the 30D, Canon has upped the number of sequential frames that you can capture in continuous-shooting mode to 30 JPEG or 11 raw shots, from 23 or 6, respectively; however the 5fps rate remains. In practice, however, it typically delivered 14 raw shots until the buffer slowed it down, as well as essentially an unlimited number of highest-quality JPEG shots, albeit at a clip of 3.5fps. Generally, unless you're shooting very fast action such as car racing, that kind of burst-shooting performance should suffice.

Additionally, the 30D now has a real spot meter, though the 3.5 percent metering circle isn't quite as tight as other models' 2 percent. Though that might sound like a quibble, it means you won't see as much of a difference between the 30D's 9 percent partial metering mode and the spot meter as you would between other cameras' metering modes. Canon has also added the ability to set ISO sensitivity in 1/3-stop increments; ironically, that would be more valuable if the 30D's high-ISO performance were worse. It does help, though, when you need more exposure latitude for very fine control over your depth of field.

The larger 2.5-inch LCD has a wider viewing angle than that of the 1.8-inch model on the 20D, which always comes in handy for reviewing your shots with onlookers. And Canon's Picture Styles are a good way of organizing the myriad custom settings--sharpness, tone, saturation, and contrast--that the camera has always allowed you to control. Finally, Canon rates the shutter durability on this model for as much as 100,000 cycles. I did not test this claim, for obvious reasons.

There are a few aspects of the 30D that Canon didn't change but that could have used an update. The battery didn't last for the length of one of my shooting sessions, or about 250 photos. The lens still casts a shadow when using the onboard flash at wide-angle focal lengths with some lenses. And the viewfinder still shows only 95 percent of the scene. Nonetheless, it remains the top-notch model that the 20D was.

If you don't need the better continuous-shooting performance, spot metering, or the larger LCD, you might as well save about $200 and buy a 20D while you still can.

Shooting speed in seconds  
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

Raw shot-to-shot time

Typical shot-to-shot time

Shutter lag (dim light)

Time to first shot

Shutter lag (typical)

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (silver)

0.4 

0.3 

0.2 

0.2 

0.2 

Canon EOS 30D

0.4 

0.5 

0.6 

0.3 

0.4 

Nikon D70s

1.1 

1.1 

0.6 

0.6 

0.4 

Olympus Evolt E-330

0.8 

0.8 

0.7 

1.7 

0.5 

Nikon D200

0.9 

0.8 

0.3 

0.6 

0.8 

Typical continuous-shooting speed in frames per second  (Longer bars indicate better performance)

Typical continuous-shooting speed

Nikon D200

4.1 

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (silver)

3.8 

Canon EOS 30D

3.1 

Nikon D70s

2.8 

Olympus Evolt E-330

2.1 

Basic Specs

Product Specifications:
Product Description: Canon EOS 30D - Digital camera
Product Type: Digital camera - SLR
Dimensions (WxDxH): 5.7 in x 2.9 in x 4.2 in
Color: Black
Supported Flash Memory: Microdrive , CompactFlash
Sensor Resolution: 8.2 megapixels
Focus Adjustment: Automatic , Manual
Red Eye Reduction: Yes
Microphone: None
Viewfinder: Optical - Color - Fixed eye-level pentaprism
Display: LCD display - TFT active matrix - 2.5 in - Color
Supported Battery: 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery - 1390 mAh ( Included )
Product Basic Spec:
Video input type: Digital camera
Sensor resolution: 8.2 megapixels
Optical sensor type: CMOS
Light sensitivity: ISO 3200 , ISO 100-1600 , ISO auto (100-400)
Gross sensor resolution: 8,500,000 pixels
Still image format: RAW , JPEG , RAW + JPEG
Camera Flash: Pop-up flash
External flash terminal: Hot shoe , PC terminal
Exposure metering: Spot , Evaluative , Partial (9%) , Center-weighted
Exposure compensation: ±2 EV range, in 1/2 or 1/3 EV steps
Display type: 2.5 in LCD display
Weight: 1.5 lbs
Manufacturer Warranty: Limited warranty