Upgrading a Canon DSLR – Meet the Canon 60D

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Meet the Canon 60D.  I am a long time lover of Canon.  Our first digital camera was a Power Shot. We upgraded the  Canon Power Shot to Canon Rebelt XT – then on to the  Canon 40D and now Canon 60D.  After 10 years of upgrades, I can still say WOW.

Upgrading a Canon DSLR

Photography for me is an art and love. I’ve tried the professional route, but felt like I was selling my soul. Stupid, right? All that to say – when it came time to upgrade I looked at the reasons for my upgrade and then laid out my options to make my decision. Here were the decision factors leading up to the purchase of the 60D.

Canon 40D Headed for Retirement

My Canon 40D just not running like it use to. My camera lives with me. I think the 40D was ready to take a nap.

HD Video

The Canon 60D shoots 1920×1080 video resolution – that’s HD Video baby!  I am shooting more and more video for the blog and in life. I have a Canon Powershot SD780 that I typically use for video, but I let me kids use it – needless to say, I can no longer remove the SD card. The idea of carrying 1 camera makes me super duper happy.

Lighter Body

I was initally turned off by the idea of  a plastic body from inital reviews.  Well the body was magnesium alloy but is actually  polycarbonate – which is super strong and LIGHTER plastic.  After lugging around the last week, I can say YES – the new body on the 60D is a positive.

Swivel Screeen

The swivel screen is really cool. You can swing it out – which is ideal for video. My kids love looking at themselves as I shoot video.

Great Low Light Shooting

I don’t know if I just jacked up my settings on the 40D or what, but the 60D is SNAPPY. Low light shooting is a breeze.

Cost

I am in this for fun and justifying the 7D just wasn’t in the cards.  I really try to be practical with big purchases.  I didn’t want to purchase just to upgrade slightly. After testing, reading reviews, looking at both the Canon 7D and the 5D then laying down the prices next to one another…. it was a no brainer.  If I wanted to upgrade my camera and not intend to make a full-time living off of it, the Canon 60D is the answer. This is Canon’s Prosumer answer. I have to agree it fits that need for me. I want more than a Rebel but not willing to pay mondo.

The Canon 60D Compared to the Canon 7D

The next camera up in Canon’s line of DSLRs is the Canon 7D.  Here is the side by side comparison (from Amazon)

Canon 60D

• 18.0-megapixel CMOS sensor and DIGIC 4 Imaging Processor; ISO 100-6400 (expandable to 12800)
• Improved EOS HD Video mode with manual exposure control; Vari-angle 3.0-inch Clear View LCD monitor
• 5.3 fps continuous shooting; enhanced iFCL 63-zone, Dual-layer metering system
• Compatibility with SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards (not included); please note that the EOS 60 is not compatible with CF memory cards

Canon 7D

• 18.0-megapixel CMOS Sensor and Dual DIGIC 4 Image Processors for high image quality and speed
• Advanced HD movie mode with manual exposure control and selectable frame rates
• Intelligent Viewfinder with 100 percent field of view; 19-point, all cross-type AF system equipped with dual diagonal cross-type sensors
• Capture images to CF Card Type I and II, UDMA-compliant CF cards (not included)

The Haves and Have Nots

Here is a run down of what the 7D has that the 60D doesn’t, and like wise:

Memory Card:

View Finder:

Continuous Shooting Spped:

Size & Weight:

AF Microadjustments:

Locking Mode:

Flash Sync:

Was It Worth The Upgrade?

I’ve been shooting with the Canon 60D for a week now and have to say I’m in LURVE. The camera is a lot snappier than my 40D. It’s lighter. The video is absolutely AMAZING. This blows the little Powershot video away. So far the only downside is the need for a bigger hard drive. The videos are mondo, as well as the RAW files – but thats expected – and lovely at the same time.

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