Review of Canon 60D

Written by Photography

The Canon 60D has been my companion for roughly half a year now. I have used it quite extensively and have tested out the standard features of the camera. Below is a breakdown of how I feel the camera performed.

Image Quality
Equipped with an 18 mega-pixel CMOS sensor, the image quality of the 60D is reasonably good. The smaller size of the sensor does not allow for major vignetting. Since the sensor is smaller than that of a full frame DSLR, the depth of field is noticeably affected. At lower ISO (i.e. 100-1000) the noise levels are low, but once you go above 1200 there are noticeable grains on the screen.

Build Quality
Unlike the 50D or the 5D MkII, the 60D is not built from magnesium alloy but rather from aluminium and polycarbonate resin. This makes it lighter but arguably weaker. Many dislike the downgrade from the magnesium alloy body, but personally I think it’s a plus. I find the 5D MkII and even the 1D to be very durable, but unnecessarily heavy. Unless you plan to drop your DSLR camera, a magnesium alloy body is not necessary.

Body
The 60D has received some changes from the 50D. The button layout has changed quite a bit. Since it is my first DSLR I cannot argue that the layout is uncomfortable to get used to. From my experience, I think the layout is great. The only downside was the unity of the thumb wheel and the 8 direction joystick. The 3″ rotating LCD screen is very helpful. It helps to properly compose low or high angled shots. The pop-up flash is good as well. Truthfully speaking it cannot be used as main light, but thoroughly helps to fill in shadows and other dark spots. Since I have big palms I find it necessary to use a battery grip. With the battery grip, taking vertical (portrait) oriented pictures is much easier on my wrists. Also the camera fits a lot better into my hands. As you might have guessed, the battery grip also helps to balance the camera when a heavy lens is attached to it.

Overall Rating
Whether you are purchasing your first DSLR or upgrading from an entry level DSLR, the 60D is sure to please. A 5.6 frame per second burst mode, illuminated top LCD screen, vari-angle LCD screen, and 18 MP sensor are just some of the features to be enjoyed. Overall the camera receives an 8.5/10 in terms of bang for your buck.