EOS 60D Notes [CR2]

[dilbert]

Hmmm, a plastic fantastic!

Combine this with the all plastic 50mm/1.8mkII and you've got a very lightweight camera that can take excellent pictures! Will not be a problem to hold steady inside your favorite church and shoot without a flash on wedding day.

You could pack this thing as a second body and your pack would likely not notice the weight (although it will feel the missing space.)

I've hauled an EOS 500 around Europe for 3 months when I first got into photography and there was no issue at all with either the camera's weight or the pictures it took. Never broke. Still got it, sitting in the cupboard.

I"ve since had two magnesium-alloy digital SLRs with black bodies and after about a month of owning them, the paint starts to rub off along the bottom edge of the camera! argh!!! But I guess that is the difference between owning a camera that stays in the cupboard vs owning a camera and taking it out every weekend to use in places where you want it over your shoulder so that you don't miss "the moment".

If the DSLRs had all plastic bodies and the paint never rubbed off, they wouldn't look as "used" and would have a higher resale value later in their life.

How many whiners here have owned both a plastic and a magnesium alloy body EOS camera and subjected them both to high levels of wear and tear?

[gkreis]

My take is that the addition of the swivel screen made them rethink the materials. The camera could get heavy with all the metal required to make the screen mechanism.

Either way, for me, feature set and IQ matter more than materials: plastics are truly amazing stuff these days.

Cheers

(Hmm, that last sentence made me sound old... oh well)

+1

If they bring this camera in at $1000-$1100 and it has exciting new features and improved IQ, then that is probably the right move to go plastic.  After all, there is the 7D with the features more of interest to a semi-pro or pro.  And quality plastic is tough enough for the weekend prosumer, right?

[gkreis]

Due to the falling value of the US dollar relative to the Yen, to keep pricing like the 40D and 50D, Canon must adopt cheaper production cost such as plastic bodies.

This is the 5 year trend of the USD vs. Yen

http://www.forecast-chart.com/usd-japanese-yen.html
 
When the 40D and 50D were introduced in September 2007 and 2008, the yen 100+ per dollar. Today, it is ~80 yen per dollar, a 20%+ decrease in the value of the USD. The forecast I've seen do not suggest it will reach the 100+ yen/dollar level any time soon. Its easy to blame Canon if they go with plastic bodies, but they have to do what they have to do given its produced entirely in Asia.     

Let's make them over here....  we need employment.  They make Honda and Toyota over here, right?

[rrcphoto]

I’m told that the 60D will NOT be a magnesium body. This would definitely separate it from the 7D.

If that was the only thing that was said .. or whispered .. then it does not preclude a full metal chassis, simply not mag alloy.

so the construction could be similar for instance to the EOS-3 level of durability - which I don't think any would complain.

[Richard]

Due to the falling value of the US dollar relative to the Yen, to keep pricing like the 40D and 50D, Canon must adopt cheaper production cost such as plastic bodies.

This is the 5 year trend of the USD vs. Yen

http://www.forecast-chart.com/usd-japanese-yen.html
 
When the 40D and 50D were introduced in September 2007 and 2008, the yen 100+ per dollar. Today, it is ~80 yen per dollar, a 20%+ decrease in the value of the USD. The forecast I've seen do not suggest it will reach the 100+ yen/dollar level any time soon. Its easy to blame Canon if they go with plastic bodies, but they have to do what they have to do given its produced entirely in Asia.     

Let's make them over here....  we need employment.  They make Honda and Toyota over here, right?

One of the big differences is the cost of transportation of autos vs. cameras, a factor that makes domestic production of autos make more sense.  IIRC, Canon has done a large expansion in their Taichung factory in Taiwan that I'd think they would favor over setting up shop in the US. 

[c.d.embrey]

Recent plastic bodies have used SD cards, does this mean that the 60D will use SD cards? Seems like Canon wants to shift away from CF cards, The Top of the Line Canon 1Ds III uses 1 CF and 1 SD card, while the Top of the Line Nikon D3x uses TWO CF cards.

I have too many SanDisc Extreme IV cards to buy a camera that uses Inferior SD cards.

[wuschba]

3 month ago, I was in 2 photo-shops asking about buying a 550D compared to a 7D. I as well visited some forums asking the same Question. Everybody told me to buy a magnesium-body, the arguments went from better pictures over more starchiness (which should be better... somehow...) over better protection against moisture to "it's just another feeling - you just don't want to go back from a 20D to a plastic body". So the body was the main reason I didn't buy a 550D then, and too much functions (for too much money) where the reasons I didn't buy a 7D.

[ajman]

If a plastic body somehow allows it to have a bigger grip, I'm for it.

Any thoughts out there about whether the 60D will have wireless remote?

[dilbert]

3 month ago, I was in 2 photo-shops asking about buying a 550D compared to a 7D. I as well visited some forums asking the same Question. Everybody told me to buy a magnesium-body, the arguments went from better pictures over more starchiness (which should be better... somehow...) over better protection against moisture to "it's just another feeling - you just don't want to go back from a 20D to a plastic body". So the body was the main reason I didn't buy a 550D then, and too much functions (for too much money) where the reasons I didn't buy a 7D.

Let me put it to you this way: you went to a store asking a salesman whether you should buy a cheap camera or an expensive camera and he recommended the expensive one.

Gee, I wonder why? Could it be because they make more money from selling the 7D than they do from the 550D?

All he has to do is make up some bullshit excuse that sounds plausible and you're sold! A salesman is a salesman, whether he's selling used cars or new cameras.

[gkreis]

3 month ago, I was in 2 photo-shops asking about buying a 550D compared to a 7D. I as well visited some forums asking the same Question. Everybody told me to buy a magnesium-body, the arguments went from better pictures over more starchiness (which should be better... somehow...) over better protection against moisture to "it's just another feeling - you just don't want to go back from a 20D to a plastic body". So the body was the main reason I didn't buy a 550D then, and too much functions (for too much money) where the reasons I didn't buy a 7D.

Let me put it to you this way: you went to a store asking a salesman whether you should buy a cheap camera or an expensive camera and he recommended the expensive one.

Gee, I wonder why? Could it be because they make more money from selling the 7D than they do from the 550D?

All he has to do is make up some bullshit excuse that sounds plausible and you're sold! A salesman is a salesman, whether he's selling used cars or new cameras.

Most important to me on my 40D were the controls and displays.  I like the mag body, but truthfully, as long as it is quality plastic, I just want that spin wheel, the joystick, etc. For me, that separates the xxD from the XXXD series.

[cdcooker]

from one of the spy pics, I think this 60D will use SD card in stead of CF card.  There is no seam on the side of the 60D near the eyelet of the neckstrap.  If there is a CF card door, there should have a seam for the door on those exposed area between his fingers.  I think the SD card door is underneath his fingers.

[LukeS]

Some of the modern composites are insanely strong; stronger then metal and lighter.  If done right with proper weather sealing I am all for a composite body.

[match14]

I think it will be made from the same plastic as the EF-100mm f/2.8L IS USM.

[that1guy]

I cannot understand why people try to put different camera into "Pro", "Semipro (Pro-am)" and "Amatuer". Are they based on reliability?functionality? price? sensor size? metal vs platsic body?or status?? For me they are all artificially drawn fussy grey lines.I am sure that if you pick any of the above 6 criteria, you can find a sample to reverse the role between the Pro and the amatuer. With DSLR, the electronics will fail without warning.Therefore any pro will have  at least one spare body all the time. So the reliabilty will be out of the picture. The newest plastic body camera have more function than the "pro' model even from a year ago. Also the 5D II is priced around $2500. So the line for functionalty, sensor size and plastic body  is really burred. Due to the relative cheap price of ALL DSLR. People can buy any model as long  as they want it and can afford it. So the line for price and status also become burred.  A lot od amature are using pro model for that reason. So why should we try to bin the differeent models? May be the only thing left the price and status to show off.

I find that the best way to determine if it is a pro camera is to check the 6 inches behind the viewfinder

Seriously though...there are always some people who have more camera than ability...that is true of a lot of things.  Not everyone who has a Porsche really knows how to use everything on that car.  For a lot it is a status symbol, you're right.  But there are also some poeple who really know how to use them to their full potential.

There are still people who think that a good camera will help them take good pictures and so they buy way more gear than they need.  I was a professional photographer for 5 years (by professional, I mean that is how I made all of my money), and I still take photo jobs on the side now, and one of my biggest pet peeves is when someone will say "wow, that is a great picture...you must have a good camera!"  That is as insulting as telling a cook "the meal was great, you must have an awesome oven!"

Sorry, I got off on a tangent there.  You are kind of right though, the line really is blurred.  Two of those 5 years I was using a 20D almost exclusively...by the standard definition, not a "professional" camera (I occasionally used a 5D for family portraits for the extra resolution).  A lot of pros only care about the final result and the cost...they are willing to pay for a better camera if they need it (ex: wedding photographer needing the faster AF and low light performance of a 1D series), but if they don't, they sure won't spend their money on it because they are interested in profit, not fancy cameras (that's why my boss got us 20Ds).

[wuschba]

Let me put it to you this way: you went to a store asking a salesman whether you should buy a cheap camera or an expensive camera and he recommended the expensive one.
 he's selling used cars or new cameras.

Year, thats what I thought, too. So the Q is: Why wait for the 60D and not go for a 550D? I prefer a good sensor with high ISO-values and don't need an articulate screen, so why buy the 60D then?