Canon EOS 60D Announced; Preview by Digital Photography Review

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.dpreview.com/news/1008/10082620canoneos60d.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.dpreview.com/news/1008/1...canoneos60d.asp</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Canon has unveiled the EOS 60D mid-level DSLR, replacing the EOS 50D. However, following the launch of the EOS 7D, the 60D has been repositioned in the market, so isn't a simple upgrade to its predecessor. Instead the 60D is a smaller camera featuring an articulated screen and plastic body shell and utilizing SD memory cards. It combines the 18MP CMOS sensor and 1040k dot 3.0" LCD from the EOS 550D (Rebel T2i) with the AF system from the 50D."</em></p><p><em><span><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1282836616.usr15670.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></span></em></p><p>The 60D is a the latest in a long line that stretches back from the D30, and in a way it returns to its roots as a mid-range DSLR camera. While 50D users will probably want to upgrade to something like the 7D or even the 5DII, the 60D is a compelling purchase for those who want something a little more advanced than the 550D, while not spending too much. It's certainly a nicely specified camera, and while smaller, the grip certainly looks more usable than the on on the 550D!</p>

[Jason Dunn]

Canon got the screen right more so than Nikon on the D5000...it makes sense to have the screen flip out rather than down.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Yea, that's partly due to Canon more willing to break their UI consistency more willingly than Nikon's; to the left of the LCD screen is a row of buttons, and Nikon probably didn't want to remove that, but Canon felt otherwise.

[Jason Dunn]

Yea, that's partly due to Canon more willing to break their UI consistency more willingly than Nikon's; to the left of the LCD screen is a row of buttons, and Nikon probably didn't want to remove that, but Canon felt otherwise.

That's a really interesting point that I hadn't considered - Nikon doesn't put buttons below the screen on the consumer level cameras, so having it swing down made sense to them...but it makes less sense to me as a user. :(

[ptyork]

Yea, that's partly due to Canon more willing to break their UI consistency more willingly than Nikon's; to the left of the LCD screen is a row of buttons, and Nikon probably didn't want to remove that, but Canon felt otherwise.

From what I've read, Canon DEMOLISHED their UI consistency with that funky, tiny jog/d-pad thing. I'm incredibly ho-hum (if not disappointed) with this camera. Aside from still not QUITE understanding why you need this between the t2i and 7D, why the sad 9-point cross AF at this level and in this decade? And SD only? And a PLASTIC shell? AND, it is about to be majorly trumped by the D7000 if even some of the rumors are true. Especially in the video department with continuous AF.

Now, that said, I guess it is just about smack-dad in between the t2i and 7D, which does make SOME sense, even if it meant actually making a move from the 50D to the 60D a downgrade. And will the D7000 come in at USD $1099 for the body? That is doubtful. So, maybe it's just "meh" instead of "blech". ;)