Released in August 2010, the Canon 60D digital SLR camera became an immediate favorite among both entry-level and advanced photographers. Both in design and features, it is definitely a step up from the 50D. I was able to test this camera and overall, I was very impressed with both its performance and its feel. Let’s take a look at some of the 60D’s features.
The core features of the Canon 60D are of the level of quality that can be expected from Canon. It shoots images at an incredible 18.0-megapixel resolution, made possible by its APS-C sized CMOS sensor. With a brand new DIGIC 4 Image Processors, the 60D captures images in superb detail and it can do this at a little over 5 frames per second! At today’s price of this camera, you really can’t ask for more than that. However, I would have liked to see a twin processor in this camera, such as the one in the Canon 7D.
One unique and brand new aspect about the 60D that I think is absolutely great is its pull-out fully rotating 3-inch LCD screen. This allows you to get shots at angles that would be very difficult or even impossible to achieve with a traditional fixed-position screen. No more getting dirty laying on the ground to get that perfect shot. Just twist the screen and you’re done! And if the size and flexibility of this LCD screen weren’t awesome enough already, it displays your images at more than 1 million pixels in unbelievable detail. I became a big fan of the 60D after using this screen and not surprisingly, for many photographers at his been one of the top reasons to buy this camera.
So what else is different from its predecessors, the 50D and 550D? Well, it is a little bigger, but overall the look has remained mostly unchanged. However, the feel is certainly a little different. To me, the buttons seemed to be of lower quality than those of earlier Canon models. However, the buttons are still well-placed and easy to use. It has a nice one-touch straight to live-view button that can be used for video as well. I really enjoyed its quick menu system, which allows for very quick navigation through the most important features.
Another thing that was new to me are the in-camera editing options. It gives photographers the ability to edit images with the camera itself. You can edit things like white balance, brightness adjustment, auto-lighting optimization, ISO speed, color space and much more. There are also a couple of “creative filter” presets that can be quite handy. The best about the in-camera functions is that is non-destructive, which means that if you make any changes to an image, it is saved as a new JPG file and the original JPG remains unchanged.
There isn’t much to say about the built-in flash. It has a guide number of about 13, making it powerful enough for most situations. Unless you are shooting in unusual conditions, this flash should typically perform very well.
It should be said that the Canon 60D deserves to be complemented by a decent lens. The lenses that are typically sold with this camera do not match the outstanding performance of its sensor and so I recommend buying just the body of this camera and finding a more high-end multi-purpose lens that will not compromise the performance of the 60D.
All in all, being a little faster, shooting at a little higher resolution, featuring one of the best APS-C sensors Canon has made in a long time, and having a very well-balanced feel, the Canon 60D certainly stands up to its competition. It currently sells for as little as $939.95 (body only), which surely makes it the best “value for money” SLR camera on the market today.
Thank you for reading this Canon 60D review, I hope you enjoyed it.