Pros: Excellent price point, improved focus, VASTLY improved image quality, ISO 3200
Cons: Still very pricey for what is basically an "amateur" base camera.
The Bottom Line: Lower price, faster ISO, image quality and focus improvements make this camera a VERY worthy successor to the D60, even though the sensor size and resolution are the same.
kweckstrom's Full Review: Canon EOS-10D Digital Camera
I love Canon lenses. First and foremost, that's what any person looking to enter the photography fray should be investigating FIRST. A lot of people make the mistake of getting caught up in "technical specs" of a camera body when it's not even the most important aspect in buying an SLR. Sure, it's important, but it's hardly the MOST important thing. It's ALL in the lenses you buy.
I'm always astounded at people who spend $1500 to $7000, only to throw junk lenses in an effort to cut costs. Granted, there ARE some good lenses at a very affordable price point (the 50mm f/1.4 for example). But a lot of people don't take the "other half" of your purchase when buying these cameras. They often buy cheapo sigma lenses that have huge zooms, slow "speed" (in aperture terms), and deliver soft images. Most of these people go to online forums like those at www.dpreview.com and complain about how their new Canon 10D that cost them $1500 delivers image quality that's less than the $500 consumer-level point and shoot they had before. They almost ALWAYS pin the blame on the BODY of the camera without ever THINKING that the lens they bought is a piece of junk.
But I digress.
Back in April of '02, Canon released the D60. It delivered 6.3 megapixels and basically most of the same features as the D30. The D30 was the first 3 megapixel SLR that broke many price barriers, making it attractive for a lot of amateurs in the film world to go to digital. The D60 improved on the D30 mostly in image quality, though giving up ISO 1600 speed and delivering a maximum of ISO 1000.
Now we have the 10D. The 10D delivers the same image size (6.3 megapixels) and has the same size imager. The CMOS imager used in the 10D is smaller than that of a 35mm film frame, so just like its predecessors you get a multiplier effect of 1.6x (a 100mm lens becomes a 160mm lens, etc). While this is a GREAT thing for nature photographers who can't get close enough to their subjects, it DEFINITELY limits you on the wide angle end. However, it must be said that super wide angle lenses on 35mm in general leave much to be desired. Even Canon's best 14mm prime wide angle lens (costs just under $2000) produces what I feel are very soft images. Quite honestly, if I want to do a lot of wide photography, i'll step up to Medium Format photography.
The 10D's image quality is vastly superior to the D60. While the image sensor is basically the same, improvements in the manufacturing process has allowed Canon to improve the body's usage specs. Gone is the ISO 1000 limitation. The max ISO of the 10D is now ISO 3200, though I must admit it's not incredibly usable. The only way I would recommend ISO 3200's use is if you REALLY need that extra stop of light and MUST get the shot in such adverse conditions.
That being said, all other ISO values (1600, 800, 400, 200, 100) are *STELLAR*! While ISO 1600 is grainy, this noise is easily mitigated with various photoshop filters or Neat Image (www.neatimage.com, I have also provided the author with noise profiles for use with the 10D). After a run with NeatImage at the least aggressive settings, an ISO 1600 photo easy has the look of an ISO 200 or 400 photograph when you compare the noise/grain. ISO 800 on the D60 is absolutely amazing. (Sample: http://www.weckstrom.com/dczoo/turtle.jpg) Virtually noise free. All ISO values below this has noise levels so low, they're not even worth mentioning. This noise level improvement is absolutely worth the cost in upgrading without a doubt.
The 10D also delivers a new and improved autofocus system. The D30 and D60 cameras were very heavily criticized for their slow and incredibly amateurish autofocus system. This is improved greatly in the 10D, offering 7 autofocus points which like on the D60 illuminate to show the active 'in focus' area(s). You can also select a focus point manually. The new autofocus system is *excellent*, though sometimes having "too many" choices is almost as bad as having "not enough" choices. Sometimes the 7 point system can be a little rough when determining focus points, but it's still a huge improvement over the D60.
Like the D60 and D30, it supports a focus mode called "AI Servo", which is a predictive autofocus system used for sports and high motion photography involving moving subjects. A nice addition here is the "AI Focus" option, that automatically switches between "single shot" and "AI Server" automatically based on the types of subjects you're shooting. I've used it, and it works VERY well in seamlessly changing focus operation for varying subjects.
The body itself gets an upgrade from its plastic/steel body in the D60 to a magnesium casing in the 10D. This makes the body far more sturdy than its predecssors, though I personally never had a problem with the build quality of the D30/D60.
The new DIGIC processor in the 10D improves overall operational speed on the 10D. While you are still limited to 3 frames per second in continuous shooting, you can now get 9 frames as opposed to 8 in the D60. The buffering has improved greatly, which allows you to almost always get in another shot even as the camera is writing out images to the memory card.
In the camera's "software" improvements category, they have also improved the preview function. Another bone D60/D30 owners picked was the LCD preview which didn't offer enough zoom-in capability to evaluate critical focus. The result was basically not knowing if you had to retake the shot. It's very difficult evaluating focus on a small LCD screen, and was nearly IMPOSSIBLE with Canon's restrictive magnify function. This problem goes away entirely with the 10D, which gives you the ability to zoom in a full 200%. You can now evaluate focus and know for sure if you "got the shot".
The layout of the 10D has also changed. The power switch has been relocated, and there are now some additional function buttons. One of the things I miss is the ability to change the ISO value on the fly using the thumbwheel on the D60. Now they have a button to change the ISO value, but it's a REALLY pain in the butt to do so as I can no longer use the thumbwheel to do it. Maybe Canon will throw out a firmware patch that will allow this again.
The informational LCD screen on the top of the camera has a new color backlighting (yellow, as opposed to blue/green on the D60). It's very readable and offers a ton of information on the camera's current settings. The viewfinder LCD is identical to the D60's aside from the additional focus points. One of the things I wish Canon would stick in the viewfinder autofocus is the current ISO setting. The color LCD has improved as well and appears to sport a higher resolution. The menu system is largely the same as its predecessors aside from the "Custom Functions" menu, which allow you to set values for things like Mirror Lockup, 1/3-1/2 stop exposure settings, etc. Personally I don't think the menu system is any better than it was in the D60, however it is also no worse.
The camera comes with a USB cable, a video out cable, a charger, manuals and software, and a single BP-512 battery. One of the accessories that I miss is the dual battery charger in the D30/D60. The charger that comes with the 10D is a single battery charger. Since I have a battery grip that uses 2 batteries, it's a bit annoying to have to charge one then swap. However, the battery life in the 10D is improved thanks to the DIGIC processor. Batteries in this camera last forever, easily 500 shots on a single charge (single battery, no BG-ED3 grip). Though I certainly recommend the BG-ED3 battery grip not only for the extended shooting time, but for the portrait oriented buttons.
Speaking of portrait operations, another little improvement is a sensor that detects whether the camera is in portrait or landscape mode. You no longer have to rotate your images in your imaging software. A small thing, but it's a really nice touch.
Flash functions are pretty much the same, and a serious photographer would never really use the built-in flash. It's harsh, it causes red-eye and stinks in general. But this is pretty much the case on all cameras with a built-in flash. Buy a high-quality bounce strobe, you won't be disappointed. I personally use the Canon 550EX, but there are many other models to choose from.
These big technical improvements are certainly impressive. However, the biggest improvement Canon made with the 10D is its price. At a $1500 street price, we are finally starting to approach the magic mass-market-friendly price of $999. With any luck, next year's model will sport an 11 megapixel full frame sensor and have that price point. This is important, because as I said before - a lot of people buy these expensive cameras and forget that they have to put quality lenses on it. In the digital photography age, the most important thing is image quality. Everyone is looking for "Tack Sharp" images for a next-to-nothing price. Well, I have news for you. A 6.3 megapixel image is BIG. And with that kind of resolving power, you NEED a quality lens if you want to do the sensor justice.
I'm NOT saying you have to run out and buy a set of Canon's highest quality "L" class lenses (though I did and never looked back or regretted my decision). But you have to do due diligence on the message boards and review forums to know which lenses are most desirable for most circumstances. Another thing to remember is that when you buy a camera body, you're also buying into a whole system, not just lenses. Accessories, flashes and the like are all tailored to the body you buy and are usually not interchangeable. The plus side to all this is that they will usually all work just fine when you upgrade. Case in point, the battery grip that came from the original D30 still fits (and works) on the D60 and 10D. My flash and lenses have not changed and all behave in ways I expect.
As for the included software, I cannot review it as I do not use it. As such, I can't comment on the included USB drivers. It comes bundled with a limited version of Photoshop and their own Zoombrowser software, but I opt to use PhaseOne's Capture One software for Digital SLR's. I highly recommend this piece of software for your new 10D. Please note there are two versions: the LE version and the FULL version. You do NOT need the full version with the 10D as the FULL version is more geared towards pros that use the Canon 1Ds in tethered mode and include some extra filters that are targeted at the 1Ds' slight moire issues. The difference in cost is large ($99 for the LE version, $999 for the full version) as well.
Some suggested accessories for this camera include a USB 2.0 or firewire reader (the 10D still only supports USB 1.1, no USB2 or Firewire suppport), the BG-ED3 battery grip, a remote shutter (theres a couple models, but I personally use an RS-80N3), a high quality tripod (I prefer Manfrotto), and a high quality ball head that's rated at 15 pounds or more.
I have no problem recommending this camera to anyone who is willing to buy into Canon's lens system. Canon offers a large variety of lenses for every budget. That isn't to say every lens canon makes is superb, some are not. But they are far better overall than Sigma or Tamron lenses in my opinion. In fact, if you look at pictures of other photographers at sporting or media events, you ALWAYS see the trademark white/beige "Canon L-class" lenses dominating over other types of bodies/lenses. There's definitely a reason for that. Canon is arguably the best for the 35mm format.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1400 This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Solid Enough for a Professional
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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