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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> Is the 30D Worth it?
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08/16/2006 10:40:45 PM · #1
Ok I've found my cheapest place to get a 30D to be around $1150 give or take, and the cheapest place to get a 20D aroudn $880 so my question is "is the 30D worth around $300 more?" I will be using the camara for weddings, seniors, family, and sports. I also love to take photos of landscapes. So which is better save the money for a new lens or the newest body?

I need your help

thanks
shane
08/16/2006 10:58:09 PM · #2
I was in the same boat not all that long ago. I liked some of the features that were on the 30D, but not on the 20D. (the big one being spotmetering). I was willing to pay that extra $$$ for that feature alone.

Good luck making the call though, it was pretty tough for me.
08/16/2006 11:02:09 PM · #3
I moved from the 300D to the 30D, and then gota 20D as backup/second body for weddings.

if picture quality is the barometer then it may not matter. If you count ergonomics then the 30D has some advantages that are nice to live with - picture styles, bigger LCD, 2 drive mode speeds, spot meter, longer battery life (i've gotten as many as 1400 shots on one charge).

I like picture styles, but I shoot raw 99.9% of the time and if you use DPP or most other RAW convters you can still use pic styles. Not so if you are a JPG shooter, so teh 30D may matter more if you prefer JPGs.

Wait a couple of weeks and see what canon's coming out with for the fall - perhaps something new that will drive the prices lower?

here is a 30D shot, ISo 800 with no noise reduction, JPG shot from last week. Great camera, great dynamic range.

08/16/2006 11:16:50 PM · #4
While we are on the topic, how does the actual physical feel of the 20D and 30D compare, holding it in your hands? Are they about the same build? I ask because, it just so happens I was at a store today checking out cams, I liked the feel of the 30D, a lot, but they didn't have a 20D there.

Message edited by author 2006-08-16 23:18:30.
08/16/2006 11:18:40 PM · #5
Originally posted by taterbug:

While we are on the topic, how does the actual physical feel of the 20D and 30D compare, holding it in your hands? Are they about the same build?


Yeah. I shoot with both at weddings - different lenses on each, and can't tell which i'm holding unless i look at the LCD size.
08/16/2006 11:56:50 PM · #6
Originally posted by eckoe:

(the big one being spotmetering). I was willing to pay that extra $$$ for that feature alone.


I shoot Nikon right now. I've considered a 20d in the past. It really doesn't have spot metering?
Tell me it does have center weighted???
08/17/2006 12:10:21 AM · #7
It has eval, center weighted and partial area (9% I believe).
08/17/2006 01:01:55 AM · #8
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:


Dude you were in Philly and didn't tell us?

:(
08/17/2006 01:46:26 AM · #9
I think the 30D pays it shelf back if you are planning to use it longer than just a year or two, because it has a new long life shutter.
Other advantages are the better RAW buffer and bigger LCD, as already stated above...
Well, and the spot metering???

If you don’t need these, buy 20D and save the price difference for the high quality lenses instead.

After you, it’s the lens that makes the picture, not the body...
08/17/2006 01:50:39 AM · #10
I own a 20D, my friend a 30D. Popular Photography did a side by side comparison of the 20D and 30D a couple of issues ago and if you look at the specs on the two cameras, they are SOOO similar with a couple of exceptions that it really is not worth it in my opinion. Yeah, the screen is bigger, but with DSLR's you don't use those much except for changing settings occasionally. Besides, chimping is so not cool. Other than that difference, the few others are invisible to the eye (they beefed up the shutter for example) during normal use. Frankly, save the 300 for something better--like a nice CF card or two...or three...or a nice lens, just about anything else, and go with the 20D.

Message edited by author 2006-08-17 01:51:54.
08/17/2006 03:02:16 AM · #11
hi, i think first of a you need a decent wide angle lens and a good flash like sumtin' like 580 EX (or maybe used 550 or new 430 will do)

hope i helped
08/17/2006 06:52:13 AM · #12
My number one reason - Buffer Size
//www.bobatkins.com/photography/digital/canon_eos_30D_review_2.html (can't get a link in for some reason)

Other reasons:
Spot metering
Large LCD (I can quickly view the image and histogram at the same time)
Longer battery life

Either one you choose is going to be a huge improvement over the 300D. I pretty much stopped taking pictures over the last two weeks waiting to get mine back. Using the 300D was painful - like suddenly having to drive a go cart in place of a mustang.
08/17/2006 07:18:44 AM · #13
Personally, if you can afford it, I would go for the 30D.

There are just about enough improvements to make it worth paying the extra.

Am hoping to upgrade nearer Christmas and your question is something I have been considering for a while too, I have decided to go for the 30D
08/17/2006 07:39:22 AM · #14
In APril I went through the same delima, I held and shot with both. Looked at them, and all the features, and the biggest things that made me buy the 30D over the 20 were start up time, near instant, and the bigger screen and the picture styles. This along with huge buffer for Jpeg as well as raw settings made it all worth the extra money for me.

MattO
08/17/2006 08:11:46 AM · #15
Originally posted by taterbug:

While we are on the topic, how does the actual physical feel of the 20D and 30D compare, holding it in your hands? Are they about the same build? I ask because, it just so happens I was at a store today checking out cams, I liked the feel of the 30D, a lot, but they didn't have a 20D there.


Hi Tater,
The feel of the 20D and 30D is nearly identical.

I love the 30D, and gave my 20D to my 16yr old intern to play with. I hated the 20D the entire time I used it, (maybe mine is just a "lemon"), and so far, find nothing about the 30D that I don't love.

Linda
08/17/2006 10:49:18 AM · #16
Originally posted by dahkota:

My number one reason - Buffer Size
//www.bobatkins.com/photography/digital/canon_eos_30D_review_2.html (can't get a link in for some reason)

Other reasons:
Spot metering
Large LCD (I can quickly view the image and histogram at the same time)
Longer battery life...


I'd agree. Spot-metering, to me, is an essential feature I have never been able to do without. I've missed it terribly on the 10D. The difference between 9% (partial) and 3% (spot) marks the difference between recording a scene or subject vs. creating one.
08/17/2006 11:33:30 AM · #17
Originally posted by _eug:

Originally posted by Prof_Fate:


Dude you were in Philly and didn't tell us?

:(

For two hours...and it was like this

the entire time, so we left.
Very nice people everywhere. Boring food and bad service most places (we stayed out in pottstown) compared to Pittsburgh. Come on over and I'll show ya!
08/17/2006 11:44:30 AM · #18
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:

For two hours...and it was like this

the entire time, so we left.


Ah, I remember that day well...

Originally posted by Prof_Fate:

Very nice people everywhere. Boring food and bad service most places (we stayed out in pottstown) compared to Pittsburgh. Come on over and I'll show ya!

Where were you eating! Philadelphia is a restuarant town. My wife says there are so many good restaurants here, that you can eat in in a different restaurant every meal and not find a bad meal. ;)
08/17/2006 12:53:48 PM · #19
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:

Very nice people everywhere. Boring food and bad service most places (we stayed out in pottstown) compared to Pittsburgh. Come on over and I'll show ya!

Where were you eating! Philadelphia is a restuarant town. My wife says there are so many good restaurants here, that you can eat in in a different restaurant every meal and not find a bad meal. ;) [/quote]

last thursday was the wet afternoon.
We also visited up toward centralia/ashland/catasaqua. Tried a couple of mcdonalds, a subway, a lonestar steakhouse (served us moldy food! we didn't have to pay, but thenn we didn't eat much of it) and a friendly's. How a chain / franchise restaurant can screw up the formula i don't know, but they can. My wife's friend in Catasaqua says it's the Pa Dutch side of the area - bland food rules or some such.

BTW, traveling with little kids sucks, food wise. (ages 2 1/2 and 5 1/2). They can't get out what they get at home, and evn if you get close it's pricey as hell.

The Philly steaks we had were at Sammie's or Sonny's on I think market st - about a block up on the same side as the franklin house/PO museum. Ordered one thing (cheese steak hoagie (includes lett and tomato), got another (cheese steak, w/o lett and tomato), and they rang it up wrong (managed to put peppers and onions on the rootbeer and forgot the one steak..but of course wouldn't accept their error and give the food away). At least it was good.

Gas/tolls/parking cost $225 for 4 days - 4 nights at the hotel was $280...gas/tolls/parking costs too much!

Message edited by author 2006-08-17 12:55:15.
08/17/2006 12:58:38 PM · #20
Go for it - I love mine.

I do still use my 300D - and yes, it's a lot clunkier and slower than the 30D, but it's still a viable option when I don't want to risk the 30D (like bike riding, or traveling for a day or two).

And I am amazed at the battery life over the 300D. That's with an IS lens, which also sucks power!
08/17/2006 12:59:21 PM · #21
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:

... BTW, traveling with little kids sucks, food wise. (ages 2 1/2 and 5 1/2). They can't get out what they get at home, and evn if you get close it's pricey as hell.

The Philly steaks we had were at Sammie's or Sonny's ...

Ah! Yeah the tourist food isn't that good. Sorry to say.

Originally posted by Prof_Fate:

Gas/tolls/parking cost $225 for 4 days - 4 nights at the hotel was $280...gas/tolls/parking costs too much!

OUCH!

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