Another list of what's new in the EOS 30D vs the 20D

Here is another list of what's new in the Canon EOS 30D (compared to the 20D), from the Rob Galbraith site:

• A new 2.5-inch, 230,000 pixel rear LCD monitor with wide viewing angle

• Canon's more flexible Picture Style menu, which replaces the Parameters menu of the 20D

• Sharpening of in-camera JPEGs can be turned off, which is a first for a Canon entry-level or midrange digital SLR

• ISO 100-1600 is now selectable in 1/3 stop increments

• ISO can be set without taking one's eye away from the viewfinder

• Increased burst depth: 11 frames for RAW CR2 shooting, 30 for Large Fine JPEG and 9 for RAW+JPEG

• A more-durable shutter that's rated for 100,000 cycles

• A slightly-shortened mirror blackout time of 110ms; Canon's specification for shutter lag remains the same as the 20D at 65ms

• Viewfinder information now includes a dedicated Flash Exposure Lock (FEL) indicator

• Switchable High-Speed Continuous (5 fps) and Low-Speed Continuous (3 fps) frame rate settings are now included

• An Auto setting in the Long Exposure Noise Reduction Custom Function

• The ability, like several more-pricey Canon digital SLRs, to simultaneously apply long exposure noise processing to one picture while capturing another

• The addition of a 3.5% spot metering mode

• 0.15 second camera startup time

• A more-precise 4-increment battery charge indicator

• Reduced energy compensation, for a promised improvement of 10% more frames per charge

• No more new folders created every 100 photos; in the 30D, a folder can hold 9999 photos

• A new automatic rotation option that enables verticals to not be rotated on the rear display but appear rotated in compatible browser software on the computer

• The ability to zoom in on a photo in Quick Review mode

• During playback, the image+shooting data screen will display either an RGB or Brightness histogram, file size and will optionally display AF markings

• Improved Jump function

• Refined multicontroller operation

• More-detailed error code information, which now appears on the rear LCD monitor (in addition to the top LCD panel); the camera settings information screen will also display Images Failed to Transfer when the WFT-E1/E1A is in use and a transmit error occurs

• More ways to wake the camera up from an Auto Power Off snooze

• Direct image transfer from the camera to a computer using the PTP protocol

• A revamped software package that includes Digital Photo Professional (DPP) 2.1, EOS Utility 1.0 (a new image transfer, camera settings and camera control application), Image Browser 5.6 (Mac) and ZoomBrowser EX 5.6 (Windows); DPP adds user-settable noise reduction and support for RAW files from the Canon EOS D2000 and D6000

• New and potentially useful direct printing capabilities (plus a dedicated direct print/image transfer button)

Note that a 3.5% metering spot would be expected to have 62% the diameter of the 9% ("Partial") spot.

For those who missed it elsewhere, the pixel dimensions are the same as on the EOS 20D, as is apparently the burst rate.

Note also that. wlthough the ISO sensitivity value appears in the finder as it is being set, it does not appear there at other times.

This new machine is indeed "the 20D N".

Best regards,

Doug

Visit The Pumpkin, a library of my technical articles on photography, optics, and other topics:

http://doug.kerr.home.att.net/pumpkin

'Make everything as simple as possible, but no simpler.'

(nt)

Thanks for the nice, concise summary.

I think if Canon had named this camera the 20D Mark II, everyone would be quite happy with the improvements. But because it's officially called the 30D, they think it should have more.

Doug Kerr wrote:

Here is another list of what's new in the Canon EOS 30D (compared
to the 20D), from the Rob Galbraith site:

• A new 2.5-inch, 230,000 pixel rear LCD monitor with wide viewing

angle

• Canon's more flexible Picture Style menu, which replaces the

Parameters menu of the 20D

• Sharpening of in-camera JPEGs can be turned off, which is a first

for a Canon entry-level or midrange digital SLR

• ISO 100-1600 is now selectable in 1/3 stop increments

• ISO can be set without taking one's eye away from the viewfinder

• Increased burst depth: 11 frames for RAW CR2 shooting, 30 for

Large Fine JPEG and 9 for RAW+JPEG

• A more-durable shutter that's rated for 100,000 cycles

• A slightly-shortened mirror blackout time of 110ms; Canon's

specification for shutter lag remains the same as the 20D at 65ms

• Viewfinder information now includes a dedicated Flash Exposure

Lock (FEL) indicator

• Switchable High-Speed Continuous (5 fps) and Low-Speed Continuous

(3 fps) frame rate settings are now included

• An Auto setting in the Long Exposure Noise Reduction Custom Function

• The ability, like several more-pricey Canon digital SLRs, to

simultaneously apply long exposure noise processing to one picture
while capturing another

• The addition of a 3.5% spot metering mode

• 0.15 second camera startup time

• A more-precise 4-increment battery charge indicator

• Reduced energy compensation, for a promised improvement of 10%

more frames per charge

• No more new folders created every 100 photos; in the 30D, a

folder can hold 9999 photos

• A new automatic rotation option that enables verticals to not be

rotated on the rear display but appear rotated in compatible
browser software on the computer

• The ability to zoom in on a photo in Quick Review mode

• During playback, the image+shooting data screen will display

either an RGB or Brightness histogram, file size and will
optionally display AF markings

• Improved Jump function

• Refined multicontroller operation

• More-detailed error code information, which now appears on the

rear LCD monitor (in addition to the top LCD panel); the camera
settings information screen will also display Images Failed to
Transfer when the WFT-E1/E1A is in use and a transmit error occurs

• More ways to wake the camera up from an Auto Power Off snooze

• Direct image transfer from the camera to a computer using the PTP

protocol

• A revamped software package that includes Digital Photo

Professional (DPP) 2.1, EOS Utility 1.0 (a new image transfer,
camera settings and camera control application), Image Browser 5.6
(Mac) and ZoomBrowser EX 5.6 (Windows); DPP adds user-settable
noise reduction and support for RAW files from the Canon EOS D2000
and D6000

• New and potentially useful direct printing capabilities (plus a

dedicated direct print/image transfer button)

Note that a 3.5% metering spot would be expected to have 62% the
diameter of the 9% ("Partial") spot.

For those who missed it elsewhere, the pixel dimensions are the
same as on the EOS 20D, as is apparently the burst rate.

Note also that. wlthough the ISO sensitivity value appears in the
finder as it is being set, it does not appear there at other times.

This new machine is indeed "the 20D N".

Best regards,

Doug

Visit The Pumpkin, a library of my technical articles on
photography, optics, and other topics:

http://doug.kerr.home.att.net/pumpkin

'Make everything as simple as possible, but no simpler.'

Doug Kerr wrote:

Here is another list of what's new in the Canon EOS 30D (compared
to the 20D), from the Rob Galbraith site:

• A new 2.5-inch, 230,000 pixel rear LCD monitor with wide viewing

angle

....
So, are you at all tempted to upgrade your 20D?
--
Misha

....that this is not an impressive list of changes (all for the good) is not really a photographer. I will not trash my 20D and run out and buy the new one. It is nice to know that it will be waiting when the time comes.
--

When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence. - Ansel Adams

Kinzie Roos wrote:

....that this is not an impressive list of changes (all for the
good) is not really a photographer. I will not trash my 20D and run
out and buy the new one.

but right now.. I agree.. the changes are all meaningful.. much more important than just cramming more megapixels in there..

I think that the reason so many are disappointed is because there is no single "earth shattering" improvement. Perhaps they are overlooking the fact that the 20D was and is a pretty darn good camera. Heck, they even lowered the price a bit!
--

When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence. - Ansel Adams

Did anyone catch this on the Canon 30D Specifications page:

Self-timer 10 sec. delay, 2 sec. delay with C.Fn-12-1 (mirror lockup)

Is this something that the 20D already has, or is this Canon's way of supporting MLU in a straightforward way?