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Canon D30 Comparison Review

The Canon EOS-D30 is a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera that was announced in May 2000 and is equipped with an APS-C sensor. It offers a resolution of 3.1 megapixel.

camera

Is the Canon D30 a good camera? The D30 has a Camera Elo of 825. This rating puts the D30 below average of all digital single lens reflex cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (APS cameras), the D30 also ranks below average. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 2.5-star performance rating. – Well, the Canon D30 is more than 23 years old, and there have been many other good digital cameras released since 2000.

Headline Specifications
Canon D30
Digital single lens reflex
Canon EF mount lenses
3.1 MP, APS-C Sensor
no Video
ISO 100 - 1 600
Optical viewfinder
1.8 LCD, 114k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
3 shutter flaps per second
540 shots per battery charge
150 x 107 x 75 mm, 750 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

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Body comparison with a credit card

The physical dimensions of the Canon D30 relative to a credit card are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Canon D30 vs credit card front
D30 versus credit card top view
D30 and credit card rear side

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Canon D30 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

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Body Specifications
#   Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Canon D30 150 mm 107 mm 75 mm 750 g 540 n May 2000 2,999ebay.com
2.
 
Canon 77D 131 mm 100 mm 76 mm 540 g 600 n Feb 2017 899ebay.com
3.
 
Canon 200D 122 mm 93 mm 70 mm 453 g 650 n Jun 2017 549ebay.com
4.
 
Canon 5D Mark IV 151 mm 116 mm 76 mm 890 g 900 Y Aug 2016 3,499 amazon.com
5.
 
Canon 80D 139 mm 105 mm 79 mm 730 g 960 Y Feb 2016 1,199ebay.com
6.
 
Canon 40D 146 mm 108 mm 74 mm 822 g 750 n Aug 2007 1,299ebay.com
7.
 
Canon 30D 144 mm 106 mm 74 mm 785 g 750 n Feb 2006 1,399ebay.com
8.
 
Canon 20D 144 mm 106 mm 72 mm 770 g 700 n Aug 2004 1,499ebay.com
9.
 
Canon 10D 150 mm 107 mm 75 mm 850 g 500 n Feb 2003 1,999ebay.com
10.
 
Canon 300D 142 mm 99 mm 72 mm 649 g 400 n Aug 2003 899ebay.com
11.
 
Canon D60 150 mm 107 mm 75 mm 855 g 620 n Feb 2002 2,999ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Canon D30 was launched in the US market at a price of $2,999. 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. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors 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. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Canon D30 features an APS-C sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.6. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Canon D30 among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

Canon D30 sensor measures

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for most cameras. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

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Sensor Characteristics
#   Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Canon D30 APS-C 3.1 2160 1440none........
2.
 
Canon 77D APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p23.613.397178
3.
 
Canon 200D APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p23.613.4104179
4.
 
Canon 5D Mark IV Full Frame 30.1 6720 44804K/30p24.813.6299591
5.
 
Canon 80D APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p23.613.2113579
6.
 
Canon 40D APS-C 10.1 3888 2592none22.111.370364
7.
 
Canon 30D APS-C 8.2 3504 2336none21.510.873659
8.
 
Canon 20D APS-C 8.2 3504 2336none21.911.072162
9.
 
Canon 10D APS-C 6.3 3072 2048none21.110.957157
10.
 
Canon 300D APS-C 6.3 3072 2048none21.010.854455
11.
 
Canon D60 APS-C 6.3 3072 2048none20.39.830147
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.
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It should be noted that unlike many modern cameras, the D30 does not provide the possibility to capture videos.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the D30 has an optical viewfinder that provides a field of view of 95% and a magnification of 0.54x. The tables below summarize some of the other core capabilities of the Canon D30 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

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Core Features
#   Camera
Model
Viewfinder
(Type or
000 dots)
Control
Panel
(yes/no)
LCD
Specifications
(inch/000 dots)
LCD
Attach-
ment
Touch
Screen
(yes/no)
Max
Shutter
Speed *
Max
Shutter
Flaps *
Built-in
Flash
(yes/no)
Built-in
Image
Stab
1.
 
Canon D30optical Y1.8 / 114 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
2.
 
Canon 77Doptical Y3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 6.0/s Y n
3.
 
Canon 200Doptical n3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n
4.
 
Canon 5D Mark IVoptical Y3.2 / 1620 fixed Y 1/8000s 7.0/s n n
5.
 
Canon 80Doptical Y3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/8000s 7.0/s Y n
6.
 
Canon 40Doptical Y3.0 / 230 fixed n 1/8000s 6.5/s Y n
7.
 
Canon 30Doptical Y2.5 / 230 fixed n 1/8000s 5.0/s Y n
8.
 
Canon 20Doptical Y1.8 / 118 fixed n 1/8000s 5.0/s Y n
9.
 
Canon 10Doptical Y1.8 / 118 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
10.
 
Canon 300Doptical n1.8 / 118 fixed n 1/4000s 2.5/s Y n
11.
 
Canon D60optical Y1.8 / 114 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
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One convenient feature of the D30 is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

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Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS-D30 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
#   Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Canon D30Y- / ----1.0---
2.
 
Canon 77DYstereo / monoY-mini2.0YYY
3.
 
Canon 200DYstereo / monoY-mini2.0YYY
4.
 
Canon 5D Mark IVYmono / monoYYmini3.0YY-
5.
 
Canon 80DYstereo / monoYYmini2.0YY-
6.
 
Canon 40DY- / ----2.0---
7.
 
Canon 30DY- / ----2.0---
8.
 
Canon 20DY- / ----1.1---
9.
 
Canon 10DY- / ----1.1---
10.
 
Canon 300DY- / ----1.1---
11.
 
Canon D60Y- / ----1.1---
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Further information on the features and operation of the D30 can be found in the free online Canon D30 Manual or on the Canon support site.

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Expert reviews

While the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the D30. 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 following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

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Review Scores
#    Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Canon D30......+ +.... May 2000 2,999ebay.com
2.
 
Canon 77D4.5/5..4/582/1004.5/54/5 Feb 2017 899ebay.com
3.
 
Canon 200D4/5+ +4/578/1004.5/54.5/5 Jun 2017 549ebay.com
4.
 
Canon 5D Mark IV4.5/5+ +4/587/1004.5/54.5/5 Aug 2016 3,499 amazon.com
5.
 
Canon 80D4/5+ +4.5/584/1004.5/54.5/5 Feb 2016 1,199ebay.com
6.
 
Canon 40D..+ +..+ +4.5/54.5/5 Aug 2007 1,299ebay.com
7.
 
Canon 30D..+ +..+ +o.. Feb 2006 1,399ebay.com
8.
 
Canon 20D......+ +.... Aug 2004 1,499ebay.com
9.
 
Canon 10D......+ +.... Feb 2003 1,999ebay.com
10.
 
Canon 300D......+ +.... Aug 2003 899ebay.com
11.
 
Canon D60......+ +o.. Feb 2002 2,999ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.
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The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Canon D30 FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the D30.

What is the technology behind the imaging sensor in the Canon D30?

The camera features a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Canon D30?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 1600.

What is the life expectancy of the shutter in the Canon EOS-D30?

Canon does not publish a shutter rating for the D30. Yet, shutters in comparable cameras from other manufacturers are said to be good for at least 50 000 actuations. It should be noted, though, that this number represents a Mean Time before Failure. The shutter might fail earlier, or it might last longer. Anyway, in order to exhaust an expected shutter life of 50 000 shots over, say, three years, one would have to take about 50 pictures each and every day.

Does the Canon D30 feature an autofocus assist light?

Yes, the camera has a lamp built-in that can illuminate the subject and improve autofocus in low-light settings.

What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Canon D30 for flash photography?

The D30's flash sync speed is 1/200 sec.

Which battery does the Canon D30 use?

The camera gets its power from the BP-511 (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

Is there a vertical grip available for the Canon D30?

Yes, Canon offers the BG-ED3 as an optional accessory to facilitate shooting in portrait orientation and to provide additional battery power.

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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    Specifications Summary
    Camera Model Canon D30
    Camera Type Digital single lens reflex
    Camera Lens Canon EF mount lenses
    Launch Date May 2000
    Launch Price USD 2 999
    Sensor Specs
    Sensor Technology CMOS
    Sensor Format APS-C Sensor
    Sensor Size 22.0 x 14.9 mm
    Sensor Area 328 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 26.6 mm
    Crop Factor 1.6x
    Sensor Resolution 3.1 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 2 160 x 1 440 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 10.29 μm
    Pixel Density 0.95 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability no Video
    ISO Setting 100 - 1 600 ISO
    Screen Specs
    Viewfinder Type Optical viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 95%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.54x
    Top-Level Screen Control Panel
    LCD Size 1.8 inch
    LCD Resolution 114k dots
    LCD Attachment Fixed screen
    Touch Input No touchscreen
    Shooting Specs
    Focus System Phase-detect AF
    Manual Focusing Aidno Peaking Feature
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/4000s
    Continuous Shooting 3 shutter flaps/s
    Shutter Life Expectancy50 000 actuations
    Silent Shootingno E-Shutter
    Time Lapse Photographyno Intervalometer
    Fill Flash Built-in Flash
    Storage Medium CF cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Single card slot
    Connectivity Specs
    External Flash Hotshoe
    Studio Flash PC Sync socket
    USB Connector USB 1.0
    HDMI Port no HDMI
    Wifi Support no Wifi
    Body Specs
    Battery Type BP-511 power pack
    Battery Life (CIPA)540 shots per charge
    Body Dimensions 150 x 107 x 75 mm
    (5.9 x 4.2 x 3.0 in)
    Camera Weight 750 g (26.5 oz)

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