Canon D60 vs Epson R-D1
The Canon EOS-D60 and the Epson R-D1 are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in February 2002 and March 2004. The D60 is a DSLR, while the R-D1 is a rangefinder-focusing mirrorless camera. Both cameras are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The Canon has a resolution of 6.3 megapixels, whereas the Epson provides 6 MP.
Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.
Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS-D60 and the Epson R-D1? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.
Body comparison
The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Canon D60 and the Epson R-D1. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.
If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Epson R-D1 is notably smaller (21 percent) than the Canon D60. Moreover, the R-D1 is markedly lighter (27 percent) than the D60. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the D60 nor the R-D1 are weather-sealed.
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. Both cameras have similarly sized sensors, but DSLRs have a larger flange-to-focal plane distance than mirrorless cameras, which imposes contraints on the optical engineering process and generally leads to bigger and heavier lenses. You can compare the optics available for the two cameras in the Canon EF Lens Catalog (D60) and the Leica M Lens Catalog (R-D1).
The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.
Camera Model |
Camera Width |
Camera Height |
Camera Depth |
Camera Weight |
Battery Life |
Weather Sealing |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price (USD) |
Street Price |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Canon D60 | 150 mm | 107 mm | 75 mm | 855 g | 620 | n | Feb 2002 | 2,999 | ebay.com | |
2. | Epson R-D1 | 142 mm | 89 mm | 40 mm | 620 g | .. | n | Mar 2004 | 2,999 | ebay.com | |
3. | Canon 10D | 150 mm | 107 mm | 75 mm | 850 g | 500 | n | Feb 2003 | 1,999 | ebay.com | |
4. | Canon 20D | 144 mm | 106 mm | 72 mm | 770 g | 700 | n | Aug 2004 | 1,499 | ebay.com | |
5. | Canon 30D | 144 mm | 106 mm | 74 mm | 785 g | 750 | n | Feb 2006 | 1,399 | ebay.com | |
6. | Canon 40D | 146 mm | 108 mm | 74 mm | 822 g | 750 | n | Aug 2007 | 1,299 | ebay.com | |
7. | Canon D30 | 150 mm | 107 mm | 75 mm | 750 g | 540 | n | May 2000 | 2,999 | ebay.com | |
8. | Canon Rebel | 142 mm | 99 mm | 72 mm | 649 g | 400 | n | Aug 2003 | 899 | ebay.com | |
9. | Canon T7 | 129 mm | 101 mm | 78 mm | 475 g | 500 | n | Feb 2018 | 449 | amazon.com | |
10. | Canon XC10 | 125 mm | 102 mm | 122 mm | 1040 g | 370 | n | Apr 2015 | 2,499 | ebay.com | |
11. | Contax N Digital | 152 mm | 138 mm | 80 mm | 990 g | 100 | n | Feb 2002 | 7,399 | ebay.com | |
12. | Leica X Vario | 133 mm | 73 mm | 95 mm | 680 g | 450 | n | Jun 2013 | 2,850 | ebay.com | |
13. | Nikon D50 | 133 mm | 102 mm | 76 mm | 620 g | 400 | n | Apr 2005 | 749 | ebay.com | |
14. | Nikon D70 | 140 mm | 111 mm | 78 mm | 679 g | 400 | n | Jan 2004 | 999 | ebay.com | |
15. | Nikon D70s | 140 mm | 111 mm | 78 mm | 679 g | 500 | n | Apr 2005 | 899 | ebay.com | |
16. | Nikon D100 | 144 mm | 116 mm | 81 mm | 780 g | 370 | n | Feb 2002 | 1,999 | ebay.com | |
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders. | |||||||||||
Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. 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
The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and 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 R-D1 is 8 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have format factors, respectively, of 1.6 (D60) and 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.
Despite having a smaller sensor, the Canon D60 offers a higher resolution of 6.3 megapixels, compared with 6 MP of the Epson R-D1. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 7.38μm versus 7.85μm for the R-D1). Moreover, it should be noted that the R-D1 is much more recent (by 2 years) than the D60, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units.
The Canon EOS-D60 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 1000. The corresponding ISO settings for the Epson R-D1 are ISO 200 to ISO 1600 (no boost).
In terms of underlying technology, the D60 is build around a CMOS sensor, while the R-D1 uses a CCD imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.
For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. 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.
Camera Model |
Sensor Class |
Resolution (MP) |
Horiz. Pixels |
Vert. Pixels |
Video Format |
DXO Portrait |
DXO Landscape |
DXO Sports |
DXO Overall |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Canon D60 | APS-C | 6.3 | 3072 | 2048 | none | 20.3 | 9.8 | 301 | 47 | |
2. | Epson R-D1 | APS-C | 6.0 | 3008 | 2000 | none | 21.1 | 10.4 | 564 | 55 | |
3. | Canon 10D | APS-C | 6.3 | 3072 | 2048 | none | 21.1 | 10.9 | 571 | 57 | |
4. | Canon 20D | APS-C | 8.2 | 3504 | 2336 | none | 21.9 | 11.0 | 721 | 62 | |
5. | Canon 30D | APS-C | 8.2 | 3504 | 2336 | none | 21.5 | 10.8 | 736 | 59 | |
6. | Canon 40D | APS-C | 10.1 | 3888 | 2592 | none | 22.1 | 11.3 | 703 | 64 | |
7. | Canon D30 | APS-C | 3.1 | 2160 | 1440 | none | .. | .. | .. | .. | |
8. | Canon Rebel | APS-C | 6.3 | 3072 | 2048 | none | 21.0 | 10.8 | 544 | 55 | |
9. | Canon T7 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/30p | 23.8 | 13.3 | 1684 | 81 | |
10. | Canon XC10 | 1-inch | 12.0 | 4000 | 3000 | 4K/30p | 21.7 | 11.8 | 197 | 61 | |
11. | Contax N Digital | Full Frame | 6.1 | 3040 | 2008 | none | 21.5 | 10.5 | 1283 | 59 | |
12. | Leica X Vario | APS-C | 16.1 | 4928 | 3272 | 1080/30p | 23.4 | 12.7 | 1320 | 78 | |
13. | Nikon D50 | APS-C | 6.0 | 3008 | 2000 | none | 20.9 | 10.8 | 560 | 55 | |
14. | Nikon D70 | APS-C | 6.0 | 3008 | 2000 | none | 20.4 | 10.3 | 529 | 50 | |
15. | Nikon D70s | APS-C | 6.0 | 3008 | 2000 | none | 20.4 | 10.3 | 529 | 50 | |
16. | Nikon D100 | APS-C | 6.0 | 3008 | 2000 | none | 20.4 | 9.9 | 394 | 48 | |
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age. |
Feature comparison
Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The D60 and the R-D1 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 adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Canon D60 and Epson R-D1 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.
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 D60 | optical | Y | 1.8 / 114 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
2. | Epson R-D1 | optical | n | 2.0 / 235 | fixed | n | 1/2000s | 1.0/s | n | n | |
3. | Canon 10D | optical | Y | 1.8 / 118 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
4. | Canon 20D | optical | Y | 1.8 / 118 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 5.0/s | Y | n | |
5. | Canon 30D | optical | Y | 2.5 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 5.0/s | Y | n | |
6. | Canon 40D | optical | Y | 3.0 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 6.5/s | Y | n | |
7. | Canon D30 | optical | Y | 1.8 / 114 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
8. | Canon Rebel | optical | n | 1.8 / 118 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 2.5/s | Y | n | |
9. | Canon T7 | optical | n | 3.0 / 920 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
10. | Canon XC10 | none | n | 3.0 / 1030 | tilting | Y | 1/2000s | 3.8/s | n | Y | |
11. | Contax N Digital | optical | Y | 2.0 / 200 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 4.0/s | n | n | |
12. | Leica X Vario | optional | n | 3.0 / 920 | fixed | n | 1/2000s | 5.0/s | Y | n | |
13. | Nikon D50 | optical | n | 2.0 / 130 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 2.5/s | Y | n | |
14. | Nikon D70 | optical | n | 1.8 / 130 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
15. | Nikon D70s | optical | n | 2.0 / 130 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
16. | Nikon D100 | optical | Y | 1.8 / 118 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one. |
One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The D60 has one, while the R-D1 does not. While the built-in flash of the D60 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.
The D60 writes its imaging data to Compact Flash cards, while the R-D1 uses SDHC cards.
Connectivity 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-D60 and Epson R-D1 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.
Camera Model |
Hotshoe Port |
Internal Mic / Speaker |
Microphone Port |
Headphone Port |
HDMI Port |
USB Port |
WiFi Support |
NFC Support |
Bluetooth Support |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Canon D60 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 1.1 | - | - | - | |
2. | Epson R-D1 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
3. | Canon 10D | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 1.1 | - | - | - | |
4. | Canon 20D | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 1.1 | - | - | - | |
5. | Canon 30D | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
6. | Canon 40D | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
7. | Canon D30 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 1.0 | - | - | - | |
8. | Canon Rebel | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 1.1 | - | - | - | |
9. | Canon T7 | Y | mono / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
10. | Canon XC10 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | mini | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
11. | Contax N Digital | Y | - / - | - | - | - | FW | - | - | - | |
12. | Leica X Vario | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
13. | Nikon D50 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
14. | Nikon D70 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 1.0 | - | - | - | |
15. | Nikon D70s | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
16. | Nikon D100 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 1.1 | - | - | - |
Both cameras feature a PC Sync terminal to control professional strobe lights, which will be appreciated by studio photographers.
Both the D60 and the R-D1 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The D60 was replaced by the Canon 10D, while the R-D1 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the D60 and R-D1 can be found, respectively, in the Canon D60 Manual (free pdf) or the online Epson R-D1 Manual.
Review summary
So what is the bottom line? Is the Canon D60 better than the Epson R-D1 or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.
Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS-D60:
- Easier setting verification: Features an LCD display on top to control shooting parameters.
- Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/4000s vs 1/2000s) to freeze action.
- Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (3 vs 1 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
- Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
- More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in February 2002).
Advantages of the Epson R-D1:
- Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (2.0" vs 1.8") for image review and settings control.
- More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (235k vs 114k dots).
- More compact: Is smaller (142x89mm vs 150x107mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
- Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 235g or 27 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
- More modern: Reflects 2 years of technical progress since the D60 launch.
If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the match-up finishes in a tie (5 points each). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.
In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the D60 or the R-D1 perform in practice. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.
Expert reviews
This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.
Camera Model |
AP score |
CL score |
DCW score |
DPR score |
EPZ score |
PB score |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price (USD) |
Street Price |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Canon D60 | .. | .. | .. | + + | o | .. | Feb 2002 | 2,999 | ebay.com | |
2. | Epson R-D1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | Mar 2004 | 2,999 | ebay.com | |
3. | Canon 10D | .. | .. | .. | + + | .. | .. | Feb 2003 | 1,999 | ebay.com | |
4. | Canon 20D | .. | .. | .. | + + | .. | .. | Aug 2004 | 1,499 | ebay.com | |
5. | Canon 30D | .. | + + | .. | + + | o | .. | Feb 2006 | 1,399 | ebay.com | |
6. | Canon 40D | .. | + + | .. | + + | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Aug 2007 | 1,299 | ebay.com | |
7. | Canon D30 | .. | .. | .. | + + | .. | .. | May 2000 | 2,999 | ebay.com | |
8. | Canon Rebel | .. | .. | .. | + + | .. | .. | Aug 2003 | 899 | ebay.com | |
9. | Canon T7 | .. | o | 3.5/5 | .. | 3.5/5 | 3.5/5 | Feb 2018 | 449 | amazon.com | |
10. | Canon XC10 | .. | .. | .. | 80/100 | .. | .. | Apr 2015 | 2,499 | ebay.com | |
11. | Contax N Digital | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | Feb 2002 | 7,399 | ebay.com | |
12. | Leica X Vario | 3/5 | .. | .. | .. | 4/5 | 4/5 | Jun 2013 | 2,850 | ebay.com | |
13. | Nikon D50 | .. | 78/100 | .. | + + | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Apr 2005 | 749 | ebay.com | |
14. | Nikon D70 | .. | .. | .. | + + | .. | .. | Jan 2004 | 999 | ebay.com | |
15. | Nikon D70s | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 5/5 | Apr 2005 | 899 | ebay.com | |
16. | Nikon D100 | .. | .. | .. | + + | o | .. | Feb 2002 | 1,999 | ebay.com | |
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available. |
Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. 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. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.
Other camera comparisons
Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make your choice using the following search menu. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.
Specifications: Canon D60 vs Epson R-D1
Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.
Camera Model | Canon D60 | Epson R-D1 |
---|---|---|
Camera Type | Digital single lens reflex | Rangefinder camera |
Camera Lens | Canon EF mount lenses | Leica M mount lenses |
Launch Date | February 2002 | March 2004 |
Launch Price | USD 2,999 | USD 2,999 |
Sensor Specs | Canon D60 | Epson R-D1 |
Sensor Technology | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor Format | APS-C Sensor | APS-C Sensor |
Sensor Size | 22.7 x 15.1 mm | 23.7 x 15.6 mm |
Sensor Area | 342.77 mm2 | 369.72 mm2 |
Sensor Diagonal | 27.3 mm | 28.4 mm |
Crop Factor | 1.6x | 1.5x |
Sensor Resolution | 6.3 Megapixels | 6 Megapixels |
Image Resolution | 3072 x 2048 pixels | 3008 x 2000 pixels |
Pixel Pitch | 7.38 μm | 7.85 μm |
Pixel Density | 1.84 MP/cm2 | 1.63 MP/cm2 |
Moiré control | Anti-Alias filter | Anti-Alias filter |
Movie Capability | no Video | no Video |
ISO Setting | 100 - 1,000 ISO | 200 - 1,600 ISO |
Screen Specs | Canon D60 | Epson R-D1 |
Viewfinder Type | Optical viewfinder | Optical viewfinder |
Viewfinder Field of View | 95% | 100% |
Viewfinder Magnification | 0.54x | |
Top-Level Screen | Control Panel | no Top Display |
Rear LCD Size | 1.8inch | 2.0inch |
LCD Resolution | 114k dots | 235k dots |
LCD Attachment | Fixed screen | Fixed screen |
Shooting Specs | Canon D60 | Epson R-D1 |
Focus System | Phase-detect AF | Manual Focus |
Continuous Shooting | 3 shutter flaps/s | 1 shutter flaps/s |
Fill Flash | Built-in Flash | no On-Board Flash |
Storage Medium | CF cards | SDHC cards |
Single or Dual Card Slots | Single card slot | Single card slot |
Connectivity Specs | Canon D60 | Epson R-D1 |
External Flash | Hotshoe | Hotshoe |
Studio Flash | PC Sync socket | PC Sync socket |
USB Connector | USB 1.1 | no USB |
HDMI Port | no HDMI | no HDMI |
Wifi Support | no Wifi | no Wifi |
Body Specs | Canon D60 | Epson R-D1 |
Battery Type | Canon BP-511 | Epson EU-85 |
Body Dimensions |
150 x 107 x 75 mm (5.9 x 4.2 x 3.0 in) |
142 x 89 x 40 mm (5.6 x 3.5 x 1.6 in) |
Camera Weight | 855 g (30.2 oz) | 620 g (21.9 oz) |
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