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Dean Treml
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Registered: Aug 9, 2004
Location: Switzerland
Posts: 338
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Review Date: Apr 1, 2005
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $8,000.00
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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Durable, nice image quality, well featured & capable.
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Cons:
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Slow AF, noise at high ISO.
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OK, I bought a D30 shorthly after it was released so it cost a kings ransom (approx $5000 US) and I replaced it with a D60 2 years later, but if someone's looking for a good entry level DSLR there's not a lot wrong with the D30.
Battery life is excellent, it's well featured and handles a knock pretty well. Mine had 65,000 exposures put through it and had only set me back a US$200 repair in the time I had it.
The AF is slow, so it can be a bit of a lottery with moving subjects.
But most importantly, 3.2MP is not as bad as many may think.
It's relevant if you are a point & shoot person thinking of jumping up to a digital, while a lot of newer P&S digitals are 5+ MP, their sensors are smaller than the sensor on this camera so it will still produce a better end image.
For a hobby/family shooter it will produce an A4 print quite happily. I had a half frame crop (so effectively 1.6MP) used on a magazine cover with no visible image degradation - you cant tell that it's a digital shot.
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 Apr 1, 2005
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jay1hawker
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Registered: Jun 23, 2003
Location: United States
Posts: 2783
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Review Date: Mar 30, 2005
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Digital SLR using the EOS lens system line.
Long battery life with the Big Ed 3 battery pack.
Sharp jpg files for a 3.3 megapixel camera.
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Cons:
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Slow autofocus (likes to hunt)
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All things considered, this is a fun camera to use. The
pix that come out of it are really pretty good. I've
enlarged to 11x14 without to much problems. Going beyond
that is a definite challenge. If you buy one, purchase
the BG-ED3 battery grip. You can shoot for a couple of
hours and swap batteries out and keep shooting for more...
I upgraded to the EOS 10D not long after purchasing the
D30, but all-in-all, I was as pleased with my results on the
D30 as I was with the 10D. At Christmas, I upgraded to a
1D and as expected, it's leaps and bounds over the 10D and
the D30. But in a pinch, if I was just taking a portrait or
some fun shots, the D30 would work just fine.
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Mar 30, 2005
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mdude85
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Registered: Apr 11, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 5527
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Review Date: Dec 4, 2004
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $500.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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nice image quality, good battery life, intuitive menus, features
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Cons:
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terrible AF in low light, lots of noise at higher ISOs, smaller sensor size but what can you expect from a 4 year old camera?
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I bought this camera about 6 months ago, upgrading from a small Nikon P&S, and I am very happy with many of the results from this camera. Image quality is smooth and velvety, producing excellent results in situations where there are variable types of light in the same scene (such as when light filters in through windows into a darkened room). Of course lots of features for even the pros. Buffer seems a little bit slow, but burst rate is nice. Flash sync could be a little faster as well, but don't even get me started on the AF. Craps out even in halfway decent light (in restaurants, for instance). I would suggest getting an external flash and letting the AF assist light on that flash guide the lens, because the AF assist light on the D30 is very distracting to human subjects. Nice custom functions.
Nice bright LCD screen, good battery life (if you buy a new battery), intuitive menus and controls. Images are sometimes a little soft but this may be due to camera shake ... also, shooting at high ISOs (800 or 1600) produces a LOT of chromatic noise.
It might seem like I have more problems with this camera than I actually do... I quite like it because of all the features it offers. For the person willing to sacrifice the smaller CMOS sensor and slow AF for superior image quality even when compared to today's better digital SLRs at a fraction of the price, the D30 is still a great performer.
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Dec 4, 2004
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srvfm
Offline
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Registered: Sep 23, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 389
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Review Date: Dec 3, 2004
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $399.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Excellent picture quality
Good ISO range
Relatively fast buffer/write times (3 MP files)
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Cons:
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Slow AF
"Only" 3MP
No ISO in viewfinder
Dim LCD screen
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I've used this camera for a couple of months and have finally started to get used to it. I am really starting to enjoy using it and it is a real gem.
I started with a basic kit lens (35-80 f4-5.6) because it was cheap and I didn't know anything about lenses. My results were discouraging. Everything was underexposed and there was significant blurring due to slow shutter speeds. The autofocus did a lot of searching in moderate to low lighting. After learning a little about lenses and adjusting the ISO settings (something I rarely had to do with my Panasonic FZ-20 digicam), I put a Canon 17-40 L f/4 lens and took some shots. Wow, that was what I was looking for. With a touch of sharpening, even better. The autofocus was much faster as well.
So while this camera is a bargain at about $400 used, learn from me and don't skimp on the glass! You'll be much happier.
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Dec 3, 2004
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Javier Rey
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Registered: Jan 21, 2002
Location: Spain
Posts: 15275
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Review Date: Oct 24, 2004
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $3,000.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Solid, reliable, magic CMOS sensor, and a product really well finish.
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Cons:
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In their range and price NONE.
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I understand that to speak of the Canon D30 compared with the DSLR of new generation is a little unjust: smaller resolution, slow focus in poor lighting conditions , etc.
But exist people that have seen something special in the "magic" sensor of this camera, something that gets that the pictures of the D30 have something special, still with eyeglasses of stocking quality. A miracle? : I don't know it. If to this we unite the solidity and reliability of all their components, we have a fantastic and powerful camera.
It is said that an image is worth more than a thousand words: my more than 5.000 images published in this forum have been taken with the Canon D30 and, usually, with a lens that has never been valued with justice: Canon 28-135mm IS USM. How many words are worth 5.000 images?
It is all that I can say of this authentic cult camera.
Do I need to add something more?
Javier
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Oct 24, 2004
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charlieboy
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: May 15, 2003
Location: United States
Posts: 1915
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Review Date: Sep 13, 2004
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $450.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Very affordable backup!
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Cons:
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None at the price. AF slow but consider it was the first of many DSLR'S
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Sep 13, 2004
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eyes
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Oct 23, 2003
Location: United States
Posts: 221
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Review Date: Sep 12, 2004
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $800.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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price. durability.
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Cons:
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none
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I love my D30. I bought it off ebay a year ago and have been happy with photography ever since. So many good reviews for such an old camera, and first generation camera to boot, means that Canon got something right.
When I upgrade (if I upgrade) to a newer camera, I might enjoy some neater features, but that can't beat image quality. I'll always have my D30.
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Sep 12, 2004
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butzer
Offline
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Registered: Jul 14, 2003
Location: Germany
Posts: 5
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Review Date: Aug 26, 2004
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $600.00
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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Very nice results, the pics have a special thing I really like, can be used like an ordinary slr. Power supply/consumption is very good.
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Cons:
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1.6x-crop factor.
AF is not up to standards - even my film-EOS 300 (rebel ?) is better.
Quite big (thick).
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After some months I finally made the decision to buy the D30: Quite cheap (2nd hand), felt much better in hands than the 300D. Much moire like a tool, not a toy. Got one like new for about 600,-
Fine results - they have a different feeling than other digital pics I made, more warmth perhaps, smoother. Although only 3 MP the results are really very good giving me very fine big prints. Some of them are better (quality-wise) than some 6 MP-pics of other guys-dslr I compared with.
I don't like the position of the on/off on the left side.
I don't like the AF.
Speed is enough.
Feeling/build quality is good - perhaps it's a bit too thick (compared to my film-EOS) to hold for a long time.
I have a Oly E-20 and I cannot see the benefits of the 5MP of the Oly compared to the 3 MP of the D30.
And I didn't use my best Canon lenses for this comparison !
Can I recommend it ? YES !
Are there better dslr ? YES, for sure - but at a much higher price-level !
Do I really need something better than the D30 ? NO !
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Aug 26, 2004
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jvilana
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: May 5, 2004
Location: Spain
Posts: 2
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Review Date: May 5, 2004
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $700.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Incredible image quality for a 3.1 Mp. Nice camera, nice feeling. For several years I had used a Nikon F90x, and I feel more confortable with D30. Very fast focusing with USM prime canon lenses.
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Cons:
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The only not enough good thing is the slow focus, or sometimes miss of focus in weak light. I try some lenses with a EOS 50 and I think focuses quickly.
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After using a Dimage 7i for two years, I was very unhappy with it. Mainly by strong noise in JPEG files, camera bloked for a few seconds using RAW, and the electronic viewfinder is unpleasant for me. Several month ago I bought a second hand EOS D30. I am very hapy with it, same feeling as film cameras, and in my oppinion image quality is better than the 5 Mp Minolta 7i. My printer is only A4, and I cannot enlarge and image to A3. Somebody make good photos in A3 size?, but it is able to make a good A3 print, Why do you need a 6 Mp.?
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May 5, 2004
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gisborn
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Apr 6, 2004
Location: Germany
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Apr 6, 2004
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Tough Body, excellent picturequality,
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Cons:
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None !
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Used it two weeks ago for 4 weeks in Tasmania. Rainforest, Rain, Sea and so on. Perfect camera for me for outdoorshooting.
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Apr 6, 2004
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mauii
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Jun 29, 2003
Location: Canada
Posts: 152
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Review Date: Jan 24, 2004
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $550.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Excellent picture quality, Build quality, Extensive menu / CF options
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Cons:
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Poor AF. Rebel Ti outperforms it here, bad pc cord/remote cover design, small viewfinder
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I bought my D30 a few months ago second hand. I had been keeping an eye on the UPS website tracking page in anticipation. As expected, the camera finally arrived midweek. The only damper on my enthusiasm was the $150 brokerige and duty UPS hit me with on delivery... I was quite steamed for a while with that one, but it was worth it. I opened up the box, and to my surprise, the camera was indistinguishable from a new one - looks like some people actually mean "like new" when they say it! I strapped on my 50mm 1.8 II, put in the battery and the 256mb CF card i had bought in advance and turned on the camera. The first major pro i noticed about this camera was that it was just like any other EOS camera. I didn't have to read the manual to figure out how to get things working! I uploaded my first picture to my computer and took a look in awe. The quality blew away anything i know a digital camera was capable of.
Having previously owned a rebel Ti, the AF of the D30 was suprisingly SLOW compared to this cheap rebel body. The viewfinder of the D30 was also very noticably smaller than that of the Ti. I felt restricted when trying to compose a scene. I felt like i was liiking into a box, not at the actual picture! Eventually i got used to these shortcomings and learned to work around them.
The D30 is a very tough camera, Dont let its age or price fool you. I have subjected it to 8 strait hours of -20 conditions while shooting 700 pictures on a battery and a half. It has endured light drizzle and snow and its still kicking! This is a very durable camera that you would not regret buying as a way to get into digital or as a backup camera.
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Jan 24, 2004
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chrishierons
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Nov 13, 2003
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 511
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Review Date: Jan 1, 2004
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $600.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Excellent digital camera for general use and learning photography; Cheap; Good for A4/A3 prints; Will not sell...will keep as a backup even when replaced for a digital version of the EOS 3 or an s/h 1D/1Ds.
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Cons:
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AF sometime slow when compared with an EOS 3 ... but good in good light which is when I use it most;
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Jan 1, 2004
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frank2001
Offline
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Registered: Apr 19, 2003
Location: United States
Posts: 1173
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Review Date: Jun 29, 2003
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $750.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Feels like a Real Film Camera
SMOOOTH pictures
1.6x multiplier
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Cons:
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AF is a little slow in low light
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For what it's worth, I'll share my experience with you.
I am an advanced amateur and have always preferred EOS cameras. I owned a couple of Nikons, but went back to Canon. My last was the Elan IIe.
Played with a digital at a trade show and got hooked. That was way back when 1 megapixel was the newest. I went through many many digital cameras looking for one to replace film altogether.
Never could totally replace that Elan though until the D30.
Of the many prosumer cameras, I had liked the Olympus interface best as it is more like a camera and less like a camcorder or electronic device. A lot of brands I played with at the store, fall into that category and many probably prefer it.
Anyway, I finally broke down and bought a Grey D30 after the price had dropped to near $2K. I really loved it. It was like shooting with my old EOS but with digital and no film.
Sold it when the D60 was announced. Don't know why. Anyway the D60, of course never arrived.
I used the Olympus C-5050 in the interim and it was the best P&S digital I had tried.
Finally got on an advanced pre-order list for the 10D and got one of the first shipped.
Well, IMHO, for my needs the D30 was better. I think the pictues have a buttery smooth texture when viewed on screen, which is what I do most or printed, plus I had seen the prices plummet to way below what I figure they are worth.
I sold the 10D for what I paid for it and bought a used D30.
I love it!
Maybe I'll upgrade someday, but for now this is the perfect SLR for me.
Digital has given me a whole new interest in a long time hobby plus made me a better photographer
Frank in Atlanta
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Jun 29, 2003
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camerapapi
Offline
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Registered: Oct 15, 2002
Location: United States
Posts: 4923
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Review Date: Jun 9, 2003
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Due to the fact that it was in production over 2 years ago the prices are now acceptable and comparable to the high end consumer cameras. The quality of the images is excellent.
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Cons:
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Poor AF in low light and most difficult to use for action shots. I have had a lot of problems with the tendency of the camera to impart a red cast to the captures, especially when using "cloudy" white balance.
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This is my first digital SLR and it is a great camera considering that the technology is now old. I never understood the custom white balance setting and it never worked for me, maybe not the camera but me.
The red color cast, mainly on cloudy days is annoying though perfectly correctable with PS.
Images are excellent at ISO 100 and 200 but noise is noticeable at higher settings but very acceptable.
AF is not the best but usable. I cannot recommend the camera for action photography. I wish I had a lower factor than 1.6 or a full negative frame which now is out of the reach of the amateur. I do miss my wide angle photography.
William Rodriguez
Miami, Florida.
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Jun 9, 2003
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sasc
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Jan 9, 2002
Location: United States
Posts: 96
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Review Date: Apr 24, 2003
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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I am still happy with mine. It took me some time to learn to get the best output from it. I never had an auto focus slr so nothing to compare the auto focus with. I usually use manual with my bird shooting. I have interpolated crops of photos up as much as 4 times and gotton excellent prints on inkjet. I would think a good dye sub would be even better
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Cons:
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Apr 24, 2003
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oldsouth
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Jan 5, 2003
Location: United States
Posts: 174
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Review Date: Apr 2, 2003
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Great picture quality for the price. Solid construction.
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Cons:
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Old technology. Not enough resolution compared to the new cameras. Poor low light focus. High ISO's have too much noise.
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Was awesome when it first came out. Still makes great pictures compared to 90% of the cameras out there.
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Apr 2, 2003
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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33
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55843
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Oct 26, 2010
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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85% of reviewers
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$1,011.86
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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8.53
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9.20
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8.8
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