What about the Canon 30D?

As some of you know I'm probably going to end up buying the D80, but I just started researching the Canon 30D, it's ISO performance is so superior to what I've seen from the D80, and it's only $180 more for the body only. How do it's other features compare to the D80?

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• Kevin

You might want to consider buying the 30D at Costco for $1,300 + Ship.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11118105&search=canon%20camera&Sp=S&Mo=14&cm_re=1-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ns=P_Price~1~~P_SignDesc1&N=0&whse=&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=All&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=canon%20camera&Ntt=canon%20camera&No=1&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1

If you don't like it you can return it for a refund or exchange at a later date. By that time they may have the Nikon D80 in stock & you might have changed your mind.

The 30D is a much larger and heavier camera than the D80. Otherwise, I have seen pictures posted in a review that appear to make it the champion of low light photography at what is now a very reasonable price.

All the best.
--
Favorite slogan: Photographers take pictures, not cameras.

The D50 has better IQ and SNR than a 30D for less than 1/2 the price. The D80 will be very close to the 30D as well. Save your money and buy a nikon.

Duncan

DuncanM1 said:

The D50 has better IQ and SNR than a 30D for less than 1/2 the
price. The D80 will be very close to the 30D as well. Save your
money and buy a nikon.

Duncan

Click to expand...

Ok

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• Kevin

Tweekie said:

As some of you know I'm probably going to end up buying the D80,
but I just started researching the Canon 30D, it's ISO performance
is so superior to what I've seen from the D80, and it's only $180
more for the body only. How do it's other features compare to the
D80?

Click to expand...

The Canon 30D is a nice camera however it simply does not have the room to grow and the features Nikon's offer. Even Canon's 30D Spot metering is inferior to the Nikon D50 Spot metering. The 30D Spot metering only occurs in the Center of the frame, this does no good if your subject is focused any other AF point. So with the 30D you must meter on the center, lock the exposure then reframe. where as the Nikon's you simple frame and shoot the metering is done where you need it.
http://nickmjr.smugmug.com/
Nick M

NickMJr said:

the Nikon's you simple frame and shoot the metering is done where
you need it.

Click to expand...

yes.. let me know the no. of keepers you get with Nikon/Canon's off center focus point acquisition/tracking..

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I see dead pixels

--I was always a Canon man and thought there was none better I guess I was wrong. I sold all my Canon gear about a month or two ago and recently bought the 50. i loved that camera but sold it for the 80. If I had to chose I would take the 80 followed by the 50 then the 30. The 30 is an awesome camera but there's just something about owning a Nikon

Tanglefoot47
Tulalip Wa.

I'm in the same boat as you. However the fact that the Canon has no purple blooming on long exposures will probably lure me to the 30D, as I do a lot of night photography. The Canon also has 5fps, cleaner high ISO, MLU, & smaller image files. However, I like the Nikon body and ergonomics better, and thats an important factor too. Although I wish they had stuck with the larger D70 style body. The Canon isn't too bad in this regard. Pick up both of them at a store and see which one you like best.
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Daily Photos of China ---> http://www.xanga.com/jessewarren

I nearly got the 30d myself.

you can get the d80 with nikon's kit lenses which are reasonable - canon's kit lenses are poor, so your total system cost will be higher with the 30d. thats what made me go nikon - i will choose expensive glass later according to how i grow in the hobby.

The d80 is positioned lower in marketing terms, but you get a much better viewfinder, 2 more autofocus points (which I think are easier to control on the nikon), a dedicated button for White balance control, more advanced flash system and a beautiful up-to-the minute menu tree on rear lcd.

I think the 30d and D80 are very similiar in size, so they are substitutes for people with similiar handling preferences. the d80 has larger buttons.

I'm considering not even getting the kit lens at all and just the Nikon 50mm F1.8, and a nice zoom later.

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• Kevin

in that case, go for canon. its 50mm is cheaper and more importantly, when you get more glass, you will have more and cheaper choices. For example, nikon has nothing like the 17-40, in that it offers nothing at that price and quality. Later, if you go full frame, it will give you a nice wide angle. I also think the 17-55 IS offers more value for money than nikon's 17-55.

I went nikon because I wanted a good starter lens + camera combo which is sadly, not offered by canon.

I went into Jessops this weekend and handled both the D80 and the Canon 30D for the first time.

The D80 is a great camera to use and feels really good in the hand, I was very impressed. I can't comment on IQ, as I didn't have a card to take away and shots of camera bags and my foot aren't the best way to judge anyway! Also, having been a Pentax DS user for almost 2 years, I really appreciated the fast AF. Overall, from those 5 minutes I was very impressed

Then she handed me the 30D and my first impression was "wow, that's nice". The added weight and size, it felt good, a bit more (sorry...)manly??? I dunno, just nice and chunky. BUT, I didn't find it as intuative as the Nikon. Changing settings on the body didn't come as natural as with the Nikon.

And just because the Nikon is smaller and lighter, for some, this will be a very good thing

So walking out of the shop I found myself quite surprised. The D80 had turned my head and for that I can only say well done to Nikon. I think there will be a lot of people that buy it based on those first 5 minutes, and I wouldn't blame them

My circumstances may well dictate that I end up with the Canon (possible partnership with a friend who already shoots Canon = half price lenses , but I would happily recommend the Nikon to anyone
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I'm so bored!

Tweekie said:

As some of you know I'm probably going to end up buying the D80,
but I just started researching the Canon 30D, it's ISO performance
is so superior to what I've seen from the D80, and it's only $180
more for the body only. How do it's other features compare to the
D80?

--

• Kevin

Click to expand...

Maybe you should also ask the same question on the canon board as seeing some of the responses here are total BS you'll probably get a more even view on things if you include the BS of the canon board.

My reaction: D80 is not in the same league as 30D. D80 should be compared to 400D and 30D to D200. So if you are willing to give the extra money to 30D and you have a use/want its extra's you should do it. Otherwise take a look at 400D in your comparison and decide.

Just checked pricing of D80 + 18-200VR vs 400D + 17-85 IS + 70-300 IS. C = 130€ more but you do get optically better lenses with more range. I would pay that 130€. But only you can decide this for yourself nobody here can do that for you.

D80 has just hit the shelves. You can't honestly think this'll be the final price? 30D is practically 20D which was a bit on the elderly side and Canon couldn't raise the price very much from that. And 30D has been on the shelves for quite some time, so it's only natural that the price difference at this time is not big. Wait a couple of months so that the child diseases are solved and the prices brought closer to 400D... I'm strongly recommending that.

30D is a good camera, granted. I've hand-holded it and it feels even more sturdier than my D70 - the ergonomics are good, I presume, but my hands are accustomed to Nikon so I can't really tell. One thing that bugged me was the viewfinder. It was narrow :/ I don't wear glasses, but I felt I had to move my eye a bit to see everything in the frame. I've tried D200 around million times and I can say there's a noticeable difference.

I don't think 10mp sensor can catch many details that a 8mp wouldn't. I, personally, can only laugh at the idea of going from 8 to 10 like they did with the 400D. Images come out way softer from what I've seen. The same thing that happened with D200. The lenses are just no up to it in many cases.

I hope I could help you with your decision!

Janne Mankila

cheddargav said:

Then she handed me the 30D and my first impression was "wow, that's
nice". The added weight and size, it felt good, a bit more
(sorry...)manly??? I dunno, just nice and chunky. BUT, I didn't
find it as intuative as the Nikon. Changing settings on the body
didn't come as natural as with the Nikon.

Click to expand...

30D is nice! But, like you said, the handgrip and the shape are personal things, and didn't quite feel good to my hands. That's not to say the camera wasn't well built, though. But then... After several months of waiting...

I tried the D200!! If I may use your words, I'd describe the camera as way more 'manly' than what I've ever used. Apart from a film F3, perhaps... The surprise was anything but small when I noticed that (having read Phil's review two times) I was changing all the different modes from metering to focusing to ISO to single shot quite naturally under ten seconds when I got to hold it. It felt even more intuitive than my D70, which I've used for 18 months now, and which was my first real camera, ever... But having said that, my budget won't necessarily let me indulge myself... Got to go with D80, poor me..

Janne Mankila

DuncanM1 said:

The D50 has better IQ and SNR than a 30D for less than 1/2 the
price. The D80 will be very close to the 30D as well. Save your
money and buy a nikon.

Click to expand...

OK Duncan

I dont want to flame you or question the D50 that i own myself, BUT...

Your statement is wrong at best. D50 is a very good performer, and unbeatable value for money but to suggest that D50 gives better IQ than a 30D just shows that you are not basing your statement on facts here.

Its VERY hard to claim that D50 is superior to the 30D on IQ. The D50 might be absolutely good enough, but it isnt superior to the 30D i think you got that argument upside down.

I DONT want a heated debate so if you want to discuss this please base your arguments on facts and go after the ball not the man.

Best wishes

Jakob

Tweekie said:

As some of you know I'm probably going to end up buying the D80,
but I just started researching the Canon 30D, it's ISO performance
is so superior to what I've seen from the D80, and it's only $180
more for the body only. How do it's other features compare to the
D80?

Click to expand...

OK I am all for that kind of question but you run the risk of getting flamed here :0).

From what i can see the D80 will have far better ergonomics, Nikon is really king here. A very nice house. Offcourse its difficult to talk about the IQ I think i will give that a rest untill the review on this site, if that will ever appear.

Just out of the top of my head what the D80 offers better than the 30D is something like this:

Better viewfinder, better ergonomics, more compact, more dedicated buttons, viewfinder gridlines, superior flash control (built in flash commander).

What the 30D offers is to me two things: Great high iso performance as you mention yourself, and speed. The 30D will give you 5 fps wich for me is quite tempting. If you dont care about speed and high isos D80 looks like a killer. If high iso performance is pivotal then i would go Canon, but wait to the review is out.

Another thing that might be better for the Canon 30D is that it seems to be more "forgiving" regarding exposure. I cant say that for sure but i have been told that people shooting 30D dont have to juggle the exposure compensation so heavyli as i do on my D50 but i might be wrong.

Basically I think that the 30D just offers class leading IQ at high iso and Nikon offers classleading ergonomics and usability. Its your choice. I myself is very tempted to make the Nikon to Canon move, havent decided yet. For me to stay on Nikon the D80 has to be on par with the 30D for general and high iso IQ. I would hate to schwitch though i just love the way Nikon makes houses.

And just a final note. To say that the D50 is superior to the 30D on shear IQ is just plain silly. Its great though, and incredible value for money and considering the price difference, the difference in IQ might be ridicolous small, but still claiming that its better than the 30D just isnt a serious remark.

Best wishes

Jakob

..then I would go for the 30D.

It has 5fps, which is handy for sports, and it also has a metal lens mount - I understand the D80 is plastic - now I've nothing against plastic bodies but prefer metal to hold the lens.

The viewfinder is nicer on the D80, and it looks to be a great 'general use' camera.

The 30D though will likely perform a touch better in some more challenging shooting situations.

Really, between the Nikon and Canon ranges, if you look at the prices they dovetail very nicely, and regardless of if you are swapping brands an extra bit of money tends to buy you a bit extra.

Tweekie said:

As some of you know I'm probably going to end up buying the D80,
but I just started researching the Canon 30D, it's ISO performance
is so superior to what I've seen from the D80, and it's only $180
more for the body only. How do it's other features compare to the
D80?

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• Kevin

Click to expand...

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Regards,
DaveMart

'Just a wildebeast on the plain of life'
Please see profile for equipment

slipstream said:

My reaction: D80 is not in the same league as 30D. D80 should be
compared to 400D and 30D to D200. So if you are willing to give the
extra money to 30D and you have a use/want its extra's you should
do it. Otherwise take a look at 400D in your comparison and decide.

Click to expand...

Hi

I just have to critisize you argument a bit here. The reason is that to me you use a type of argument that is very common but doesnt make any sense in my world.

This thing about what camera should be compared to what camera doesnt make any sense at all. The original poster compares the d80 and the 30D so that is the relevant comparrison. This offcourse is completely individual and it doesnt make sense to tell him that that comparisson is wrong. If these are the cameras hes considering then offcourse those are the cameras to compare.

The only reason why you state that they are not in the same league is that the 30D is slightly more expensive. What other logical reasons would you give that they are not in the same league ?

The 30D is superiour in some areas regarding the D80, the D80 is superiour on many others towards the 30D. The D50 might be superiour to 30D in some senses, the 400D can be superiour to D200 in others.

Sorry but your logic about which compares to which is completely flawed as i see it.

Best wishes

Jakob

J Mankila said:

cheddargav said:

Then she handed me the 30D and my first impression was "wow, that's
nice". The added weight and size, it felt good, a bit more
(sorry...)manly??? I dunno, just nice and chunky. BUT, I didn't
find it as intuative as the Nikon. Changing settings on the body
didn't come as natural as with the Nikon.

Click to expand...

30D is nice! But, like you said, the handgrip and the shape are
personal things, and didn't quite feel good to my hands. That's not
to say the camera wasn't well built, though. But then... After
several months of waiting...

I tried the D200!! If I may use your words, I'd describe the
camera as way more 'manly' than what I've ever used. Apart from a
film F3, perhaps... The surprise was anything but small when I
noticed that (having read Phil's review two times) I was changing
all the different modes from metering to focusing to ISO to single
shot quite naturally under ten seconds when I got to hold it. It
felt even more intuitive than my D70, which I've used for 18 months
now, and which was my first real camera, ever... But having said
that, my budget won't necessarily let me indulge myself... Got to
go with D80, poor me..

Janne Mankila

Click to expand...

Exactly, websites and camera spec sheets can tell you a lot about a camera, but they can't tell you how it will feel in the hand.

I said it before I handled the D80, and I'll say it even more now I have - they will sell plenty of that camera. It's perfectly priced, really well specced and handles very nicely.

That's not to say I wouldn't love to have a Canon 30D of course, cos I would, and probably will - I was very impressed with the build, but that Nikon is damn nice

Your experience with the D80 and the D200 sums up exactly what Nikon wanted to achieve - the D80 offering (on paper) almost everything the D200 does, but they know that if you handle both, you'll feel the difference and want the D200!!

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I'm so bored!