Canon Announces EOS 60D

[c.d.embrey]

The main problem with the 60D is the name. If they had called it a D600/T3i no-one would have complained.

People were expecting a continuation of the xxD series, but that is not what Canon delivered. By lowering frame rate, removing Micro Adjust, removing PC socket, switching from CF cards to SDHC cards, keeping the same focus system as the 40D and switching from a Magnesium body Canon has removed the 60D from the prosumer ranks . Now it is just a consumer Rebel with a different name.

The 60D is not a bad camera, but it is one that I have NO INTEREST in buying.

My 40D is a great camera, but, in hind sight, I'm really sorry that I didn't buy a D300.

[unruled]

http://www.dpreview.com/previews/canoneos60d/

some concrete info btw (yes, plastic over metal construction)

With the 60D Canon has unashamedly moved the X0D range out of the 'semi pro' bracket and instead focused on the enthusiast photographer looking to upgrade from their Rebel. As a result, it's not the obvious continuation of the 30D - 40D - 50D pattern that its naming might suggest. Rather than being a direct upgrade replacement for the 50D, it's perhaps better understood as a 'Super Rebel.'

totally agreed.

Plastic body shell (8% weight saving)

only 8%? wow. Give me back mg please. If it was 25% or more we would be talking.
I also just realised the joystick is replaced by that weird jog dial. Wow... yet another reason I don't like this :/

[teko]

Also agree ^

This should've been named 600D instead. It's more appropriate. People will just think 60 > 50, but in reality, this seems like a small downgrade from 50D.

I heard some high grade plastic can be as good/better than metal, but not sure what kind of plastic they use for this. If it's the same quality as the low-end Rebels, then I won't like it :|

[unexposure]

I don't really understand the loads of complaining about the pricing, comparing 60D to T2i and 7D.

At B&H Photo,
7D Body sells for about 1500$
T2i Body sells for about 900$
60D Body sells for about 1100$

seems quite realistic pricing to me, considering the upgrades from model to model.


What I really do like, is the flip-LCD. The point is: If you never had one in extensive use, you won't miss it. But if you had, then there are so many ocassions you wished you had one.

[carlspackler]

The main problem with the 60D is the name. If they had called it a D600/T3i no-one would have complained.

People were expecting a continuation of the xxD series, but that is not what Canon delivered. By lowering frame rate, removing Micro Adjust, removing PC socket, switching from CF cards to SDHC cards, keeping the same focus system as the 40D and switching from a Magnesium body Canon has removed the 60D from the prosumer ranks . Now it is just a consumer Rebel with a different name.

The 60D is not a bad camera, but it is one that I have NO INTEREST in buying.

My 40D is a great camera, but, in hind sight, I'm really sorry that I didn't buy a D300.

what he said.

[traveller]

The people that have written about the specs of the 60d showing that Canon repositioning its model line-up are IMHO spot on.  Camera launch prices are always ridiculous, they will drop to below the equivalent of what the 50d sold for (remembering to factor inflation and exchange rate differences into the equation).  There are plenty of advantages of a 60d over a 550d when you compare the two. 

If you don't like the specs of the 60d, then you are probably a 7d customer without realising it: come on, if you're reading this site then photography is your hobby -treat yourself! The real comparison here should be between the 60d and the Nikon D90 (and Sony A5XX series).   

The danger seems to be that Canon are two years behind Nikon (D300 -> 7d; D90 -> 60d), rather than leading the market.  The trouble I see brewing for Canon, is if Nikon do make the D7000 with the specs that have been rumoured elsewhere.  But let's wait and see: can (or will) Nikon really make the D7000, with 7d/D300s like specs, for the price of a D90 (60d)? If they can Canon are truely up a certain creek without a certain implement, if they can't (or won't) then expect to see the howls on this forum repeated at Nikonrumors!

[kubelik]

canon seems to be betting that photographers are more well off than ever before and over the next few years will be moving everything one tier up the market ladder.

I don't want to be a pessimist (although I think I share everyone's feelings about the downshifted 60D and the 25% to 50% price increase in next generation lenses, which is far from happy) so I'm trying to figure out where Canon is going with all this...

it seems like Canon is trying to shrink the "semi-pro" level as small as possible, and is moving away from a continuous-tiered system to a two-class structure: consumers vs. professionals, with a wide chasm in between.  it seems the former rumor regarding this same setup for canon's lens lineup may not have been so far off the mark after all; the lens releases also seem to be morphing into either EF-S or L-series, with nothing in between.  I thought it was unbelievable at the time, but after seeing a fisheye L, and a 70-300 variable aperture L, I'm really not so sure the EF-S/L dichotomy isn't the new hierarchy within Canon.


is surrendering the "middle class" section of the market good?  is Canon hoping that by moving its whole professional lineup further upstream it can establish a Leica-like reputation and following?  what do you think?

[scw]

Just as Canon announces the new 60D DSLR Camera for release in September, FutureShop www.futureshop.ca/en-ca/home.aspx posts a front page ad online for a Canon 60D kit & boasts to be the only retailer in Canada to offer the 18-135mm kit. Now that is gonna frustrate as many people as when we found out the 60D body is now "polycarbonate" PLASTIC! not Magnesium.


Canon 60D by Sweet Cheeks Willie â„¢, on Flickr


scw

[daizone88]

I think Canon did intend this to compete with the Nikon D90 level series as the D90 is/was one of Nikon's best selling cameras if I remember correctly.  This could be a big hit for people who are looking to move up from the point and shoot world.  Because if Nikon does bump up the specs of the D90 then that would leave a pretty large gap in their lineup between the D3100 and the D90 replacement.  However if Nikon does bump up the specs of the D90 to where the old Canon XXD line, placing it around the D300s level.  I think it would be smart for nikon to release a sub $2000 full frame camera in the form of the D300s successor, especially with their new annoucement of the 28-300 for full frame (which is like the 18-200 super zoom for cropped).  Why else would they announce such a lens targeted more towards the prosumer/consumer?  I have a feeling it should be an interesting couple of next months until everything for this year is mapped out and everything is out on the table.  I think Sony could be the dark horse in this race though with the announcement of their newest cameras, if they can work the quirks out of them in their next refresh.  The AF on their video is pretty fast from the demonstration videos I've seen.  What will ultimately determine I think is the pricing of this camera and the pricing of what Nikon will have to offer by the end of this year too.

[mivaho]

About the presets, the 7d still has the [green=full auto] [P=program] mode and [CA=creative auto] modes. Trust me that those would suffice for her. I've never ventured into the presets as I find they don't do anything special whatsoever. Personally I'd say set it to full auto or program mode with auto iso, done.

That said, the 50d is a great cam and maybe you can even get it a little cheaper now that the 60d will be coming out. I myself have the 40d and love it.
(ook nederlander btw :p)

Hi unruled,

Yeah I agree with the mentioned presets on the 7D, but the other consideration was the price Not needing video (they have special hardware for that these days ) and the 50D being half the price of what the 60D will do in September it was a no brainer since seeing the feature list on the 60D today.

Just ordered it an hour ago at konijnenberg should be on its way tomorrow

Looking at the comparing list at dpreview I see no improvements I need on the 60D that makes up for double the euro's

Advised a co-worker today to do the same

They should have made it a 600D

SeeYa,

Michel

[gkreis]

Microadjustment is pretty useless and will do more harm than good. So I can understand why they removed it.

Then why is it in the higher priced models?  Are you predicting it will be removed from all future Canon models?

Does anyone know if the focus tuning that Canon does when you send in a lens and body (say a 40D) is essentially the same thing as micro focus adjustment in the 7D, 50D, etc.?  If it is essentially the same then it is NOT useless.  I am amazed at what they tuning of my lenses with my 40D.  It went from I didn't want to take pictures to me marveling at their sharpness.

O dear! Why bother reading useless comments and moreover answering those? Of course microadjustment is useless because...hmmm... just because I have a tremendous need just to say something!!!!

This review really dinged Canon for the lack of Microadjustment. I hope these kinds of points in reviews will cause Canon to consider a firmware update to add it...

  http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/E60D/E60DA.HTM

[Mark D5 TEAM II]

It seems like many are getting their panties up in a bunch over this new release. From a purely marketing and product differentiation viewpoint, the 60D specs are actually spot-on. Remember that the previous xxDs all had an MSRP (at time of release) of $1300-$1500. The Rebels were around $800-$900. The 60D has an MSRP of $1100. The 7D was $1700 when it was launched. So the specs are of course between the Rebels and the 7D. It's up to the buyer if there is any 60D feature or set of features that is worth the extra $200 from the Rebel, or if he feels there are some 7D features that aren't worth the extra $600 for his use.

Personally I'm not interested in the xxD line anymore since Canon has decided to reposition it lower to compete more directly with the Nikon Dxx line. Also, those rumored D95/D7000 specs look too good to be true, like a Noink fanboi's wet dream. That spec is stupid since the D300s is a current model, no one would buy that more expensive model if it gets trumped by a camera $700 less (assuming the Dxx line stays at $1100 like the 60D).  Heck, they couldn't even get their fantasy specs consistent. For example: the most ardent Noink fanboi on DPR, pandalee, keeps repeating that the D90 successor would have 17-pt. AF, not the 39 as mentioned by some here.

[Mark D5 TEAM II]

My personal 60D dealbreakers are: no AF Microadjust, shift to SD cards, keeping the 40D/50D 9-pt. AF sensor, single-axis electronic level, and single Speedlite commander. The first one and the latter two seem like mere deliberate crippling, it's not as if Canon would save any money by doing that. But again, they designed the 60D to a certain price point, and they are successful in that. Seems like a lot of the whining is based on the wish to have a 7D for $600 less . That is as silly as expecting the D95/D7000 to be a better D300s for $700 less.

[J]

My personal 60D dealbreakers are: no AF Microadjust, shift to SD cards, keeping the 40D/50D 9-pt. AF sensor, single-axis electronic level, and single Speedlite commander. The first one and the latter two seem like mere deliberate crippling, it's not as if Canon would save any money by doing that.

This hits home with me. AF microadjust doesn't cost them any physical parts. The crippled commander is especially puzzling as it means Canon deliberately deviated from their existing designs to make it. But not only that, but wouldn't supporting more Speedlites encourage more Speedlite buying? You'd think so, right?

[Canon 14-24]

My personal 60D dealbreakers are: no AF Microadjust, shift to SD cards, keeping the 40D/50D 9-pt. AF sensor, single-axis electronic level, and single Speedlite commander. The first one and the latter two seem like mere deliberate crippling, it's not as if Canon would save any money by doing that.

This hits home with me. AF microadjust doesn't cost them any physical parts. The crippled commander is especially puzzling as it means Canon deliberately deviated from their existing designs to make it. But not only that, but wouldn't supporting more Speedlites encourage more Speedlite buying? You'd think so, right?

Going by the assumption enthusiasts in the Rebel/xxD market have no need for it OR by the assumption that it would take away sales from the 7d and to set the bar between both camera models.

In other thinking I would suppose spec-wise this would be the T3i like others mentioned and the 7d a 60d, but then again doing so wouldn't stop the complaining of people saying it's out of their price ranges.