If the stories are to be believed about production having stopped on the D30, AND the rumors of a 6MP $3500 SRP camera, then it would make sense if they are going to also be making a "Digital Rebel" or slightly scaled down D30 shooting at a lower price point.
I WAS believing that the D60 was not going to be available until the fall based on previous Canon announcement patterns, but if the stories of the D30 being gone are true, then Canon BETTER have the D60 ready to go soon (I doubt they would have stopped making the D30 unless the D60 is ready to go), or else they would be doing (in old PC terms) an "OSBORNE" (Osborne computers announced a new and improved model that obsoleted their old model but that they were late in delivering and went bankrupt).
If they can pull it off with the two new models, they would have a very compelling and very stong line up:
1D - Photojournalist and Sports camera at $5000. Good resolution and high speed firing with their best focusing system.
D60 - 6-MP at $3500 with 3 to 5 FPS, and a good AF system but not as good at the 1D. This camera is for "advanced amatuers" and pros that want quality of the image more than absolute speed of shooting.
Digital-Rebel - About 3 to 4 MP with 3 FPS at about $1200 to $1500 SRP. Maybe a scaled down body and features of the D30. Entry level Digital SLR. Get people hooked on Canon Lens system. Reading the rumor mill, Canon was thinking about a 2MP Digital Rebel, but my guess is that would be too hard to sell as an entry level camera (look at the questions this forum gets on the D30 versus the 5MP Point and shoots).
It is a classic marketing move to introduce a new product with more features than the old product at about the same entry point as the old product, AND/OR to offer about the same features at a lower price. A D60 and Digital-Rebel would do both of these at the same time.
A Digital Rebel would be close enough to the D30 to make the D30 nearly redundant. The current D30 owners would have a comfortable roadmap up to the D60. About the only people they disappoint is those that want a second identical D30.
Anyway, that ismy reading of the tea leaves.
Karl
As I've read in this forum some Dealers are giving out informations
about the upcoming D60. It was rumored a 6MP, CMOS, 1,2 factor
camera.
So I called my Dealer here in Germany and asked about the D60 (and
the discontinuing of the D30) and he told me he isn't allowed to
tell me something, I should tell him what I've heard.
I told him I heard 6MP, CMOS, and 1.2 Factor and he told me yes but
I won't tell you when.
Seems that we're getting pretty close on the details.
Frank
I still don't understand why it has to be a REPLACEMENT - why would
a 6mp not be an addition to the dSLR line? A 6mp CMOS will likely
be priced somewhere between the D30 and 1D, so the D30 would still
fill a niche. The only other reason the D30 will be discontinued
is there will be a new entry-level digital EOS along with this D60.
Mark
--Karl
