Review: Canon EOS 60D
By Branko Miletic
OK, so what do you get when you add speed, durability, ease of use and a really big LCD screen to a full-featured DSLR camera? The Canon EOS 60D.
I have to admit that I’ve been a secret Canon-o-phile for many years – way back in the film days, nearly every camera I owned was a Canon and have yet to find anything wrong with the brand. My all-time favourite was the EOS500N- which 10 years ago cost me the princely sum of $850 – with a couple of extra filters and a carry-bag. I still have the docket mind you as I use this camera every now and then, which is a testament to Canon’s quality.
And so it is with the EOS 60D that the company has once again hit the figurative nail on the proverbial head with its technology and design. In some ways, it has created a sub-category- the ‘Creative Prosumer’ range. In other words, not quite yet professional, but high enough up in the prosumer end to make people think they are almost pros.
Getting back to the camera itself, it is the successor to the now-defunct 50D, what with HD video recording, a large flip out LCD screen but also goes down a notch in my book because of no more Magnesium alloy body—now the company has gone back to its love of plastic, so the EOS 60D may well feel a bit different to the 50D.
Taking pictures is a bit trickier than the 50D- this model has the dial with a button that needs to be pressed before it works. Tricky, however smart at the same time- no more accidently turns of the dial when snapping away.
The pictures I took were all JPEGS- and straight out of the bag, the EOS 60D took great snapshots- sunlight, wind and even rain caused no major problems. The camera is perhaps smarter than most suburban snappers so in that way, once you set it up, just fire away without a care in the world.
The EOS 60D comes with four artistic filters, which lets you get all creative with your shots and although they can only be applied after you have taken the shot, they were still fun to use. There is also a microphone jack and a variety of lenses that you can apply to this camera for more high-end work.
In many ways, the EOS 60D is the perfect DSLR for those that want to take really good pictures, HD video and what the option of extra artistic filters and the assurance of Canon reliability.
It is however, not all beer and skittles for the unit. First, by going to the plastic body, it does make this Canon snapper feel a touch cheap – which at $1,699 is hardly the case. Second, there is also the notion that Canon’s idea behind the EOS 60D was that it become the ‘everything camera for everybody’- which is not possible. Finally, if you are going to add creative filters, with the software on offer these days you can go the whole hog without just adding a few for the sake of eye candy.
Having said all that though, if Santa put the Canon EOS 60D under my Xmas tree this year, I would certainly not be upset.
Pros: fast, reliable, easy to use full-function DSLR
Cons: feels cheaper than the previous model, needs better creative filters and feels quite heavy considering the ubiquitous use of plastics.
3.5 Shacks out of 5
