Canon 60D versus Canon 30D

The Canon EOS 60D and the Canon EOS 30D are two enthusiast cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in August 2010 and February 2006. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The 60D has a resolution of 17.9 megapixel, whereas the 30D provides 8.2 MP. Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their size, their sensors, their features, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Canon 60D vs Canon 30D

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Canon 60D and the Canon 30D is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter. If you prefer, you can also use the toggle button to switch to a comparison in percentage terms (in this case, the camera on the left – the 60D – represents 100 percent across all the size and weight measures).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon 60D and the Canon 30D are of equal size. However, the 30D is slightly heavier (4 percent) than the 60D. It is worth mentioning in this context that the 60D is splash and dust resistant, while the 30D does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can find an overview of suitable optics in the Canon EF Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the 60D gets 1100 shots out of its LP-E6 battery, while the 30D can take 750 images on a single charge of its BP-511A power pack.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, just select a new right or left comparator from among the camera models in the table. Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Camera Body Specifications

	Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life (CIPA)	Weather Sealing (yes/no)	Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Canon 60D»	5.7 in	4.2 in	3.1 in	26.6 oz	1100	Y	Aug 2010	1,399	-		Canon 60D
	Canon 30D«	5.7 in	4.2 in	2.9 in	27.7 oz	750	n	Feb 2006	1,399	-		Canon 30D
	Canon 80D« »	5.5 in	4.1 in	3.1 in	25.8 oz	960	Y	Feb 2016	1,199			Canon 80D
	Canon 7D II« »	5.9 in	4.4 in	3.1 in	32.1 oz	670	Y	Sep 2014	1,799			Canon 7D II
	Canon 70D« »	5.5 in	4.1 in	3.1 in	26.6 oz	920	Y	Jul 2013	1,199	-		Canon 70D
	Canon T3i« »	5.2 in	3.9 in	3.1 in	20.1 oz	440	n	Feb 2011	599	-		Canon T3i
	Canon T2i« »	5.1 in	3.9 in	2.4 in	18.7 oz	440	n	Feb 2010	699	-		Canon T2i
	Canon 7D« »	5.8 in	4.4 in	2.9 in	30.3 oz	800	Y	Sep 2009	1,699	-		Canon 7D
	Canon T1i« »	5.1 in	3.9 in	2.4 in	18.3 oz	400	n	Mar 2009	799	-		Canon T1i
	Canon 50D« »	5.7 in	4.3 in	2.9 in	29.0 oz	800	Y	Aug 2008	1,299	-		Canon 50D
	Canon 40D« »	5.7 in	4.3 in	2.9 in	29.0 oz	750	n	Aug 2007	1,299	-		Canon 40D
	Canon XT« »	5.0 in	3.7 in	2.5 in	19.0 oz	400	n	Feb 2005	899	-		Canon XT
	Canon 20D« »	5.7 in	4.2 in	2.8 in	27.2 oz	700	n	Aug 2004	1,499	-		Canon 20D
	Canon 10D« »	5.9 in	4.2 in	3.0 in	30.0 oz	500	n	Feb 2003	1,999	-		Canon 10D
	Canon Rebel« »	5.6 in	3.9 in	2.8 in	22.9 oz	400	n	Aug 2003	899	-		Canon Rebel
	Nikon D7000« »	5.2 in	4.1 in	3.0 in	27.5 oz	1050	Y	Sep 2010	1,499	-		Nikon D7000
Convert to Metric

The camera’s price is obviously a critical decision-making factor. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The two cameras under review were launched at the same price and fall into the same market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison: Canon 60D vs Canon 30D

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the 30D is 2 percent bigger. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.6. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

In terms of chip-set technology, the 60D uses a more advanced image processing engine (DIGIC 4) than the 30D (DIGIC 2), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

Despite having a slightly smaller sensor, the Canon 60D offers a higher resolution of 17.9 megapixel, compared with 8.2 MP of the Canon 30D. This megapixel advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 4.31μm versus 6.42μm for the 30D). However, it should be noted that the 60D is much more recent (by 4 years and 6 months) than the 30D, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). Of the two cameras under review, the 60D has a notably higher overall DXO score than the 30D (overall score 7 points higher), which gives it an advantage in terms of imaging quality. This advantage is based on 0.7 bits higher color depth, 0.7 EV in additional dynamic range, and 0.1 stops in additional low light sensitivity. The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The 60D indeed provides movie recording capabilities, while the 30D does not. The highest resolution format that the 60D can use is 1080/30p.

Feature comparison: Canon 60D vs Canon 30D

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The 60D and the 30D are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Canon 60D, the Canon 30D, and comparable cameras. The full specs-sheets can be found in the camera manual or in the dpreview camera hub.

The 60D writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the 30D uses Compact Flash cards.

Both the 60D and the 30D have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on eBay. The 30D was replaced by the Canon 40D, while the 60D was followed by the Canon 70D.

Review summary: Canon 60D vs Canon 30D

So what is the bottom line? Is the Canon 60D better than the Canon 30D or vice versa? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Reasons to prefer the Canon EOS 60D:

• More detail: Offers more megapixels (17.9 vs 8.2MP) with a 48% higher linear resolution.
• Better image quality: Scores markedly higher (7 points) in the DXO overall assessment.
• More dynamic range: Captures a larger spectrum of light and dark details (0.7 EV of extra DR).
• Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (DIGIC 4 vs DIGIC 2).
• Broader imaging potential: Can record not only still images but also 1080/30p movies.
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.0" vs 2.5") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1040k vs 230k dots).
• More flexible LCD: Has swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (1100 versus 750) on a single battery charge.
• Better sealing: Is weather sealed to enable shooting in dusty or wet environments.
• More modern: Reflects 4 years and 6 months of technical progress since the 30D launch.

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS 30D:

• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in February 2006).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the 60D is the clear winner of the match-up (11 : 1 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the 60D and the 30D in practical situations. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased. This is why expert reviews are important. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog). The detailed reviews can be accessed by clicking on the site logo in the table header.

Review Scores

	Camera Model						Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Canon 60D»	Rec	79/100	4/5	5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2010	1,399	-		Canon 60D
	Canon 30D«	HiRec	HiRec	rev	rev	-	Feb 2006	1,399	-		Canon 30D
	Canon 80D« »	HiRec	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	1,199			Canon 80D
	Canon 7D II« »	Rec	84/100	4/5	5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2014	1,799			Canon 7D II
	Canon 70D« »	HiRec	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2013	1,199	-		Canon 70D
	Canon T3i« »	rev	77/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2011	599	-		Canon T3i
	Canon T2i« »	HiRec	77/100	4/5	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2010	699	-		Canon T2i
	Canon 7D« »	HiRec	84/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2009	1,699	-		Canon 7D
	Canon T1i« »	HiRec	74/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2009	799	-		Canon T1i
	Canon 50D« »	HiRec	HiRec	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2008	1,299	-		Canon 50D
	Canon 40D« »	HiRec	HiRec	4.5/5	rev	4.5/5	Aug 2007	1,299	-		Canon 40D
	Canon XT« »	80/100	HiRec	rev	rev	-	Feb 2005	899	-		Canon XT
	Canon 20D« »	-	HiRec	-	rev	-	Aug 2004	1,499	-		Canon 20D
	Canon 10D« »	-	HiRec	-	rev	-	Feb 2003	1,999	-		Canon 10D
	Canon Rebel« »	-	HiRec	-	rev	-	Aug 2003	899	-		Canon Rebel
	Nikon D7000« »	-	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2010	1,499	-		Nikon D7000

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

Other camera comparisons

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