Canon EOS 30

Set in the middle of the Canon range, this camera takes the best of the professional and amateur ranges. By reading its features chart, one might think it is not much different from the "amateur" range cameras under it (the EOS 300 series), but in fact, it really feels different. It is heavier, has a metal mount, is partially built of metal, and it looks far more "professional", while still being lighter than the EOS 3. While the EOS 300 series cameras chooses many parameters automatically, the EOS 30 gives you the choice to do it manually, and is intuitive enough to be mastered easily. The EOS 30 is said to be one of the quietest Canon cameras since the EOS 100. It was true for our copy at the beginning, but it changed when I tried to clean the mirror manually. Not a very good idea. The light metering system is very reliable and has almost never failed me, a world of difference with the D60. Same thing for the AF system. With the EOS 30, I have followed rather small birds in flight, while the D60 failed pitifully on a great blue heron! Of course, nobody's perfect and the EOS 30 would benefit from a more sturdy backdoor, a true spot metering or exposure compensation by third of IL instead of half, but I really love it and still use it despite having made the big jump to digital.