After dreaming about a Canon EOS XXD for almost 2 years, my wishes have finally come true. Today, on this beautiful - and frickin’ freezing - winter day, my Canon 30D has arrived. Thus, it upgrades my old 300D after exactly 2 years of use.

I am very pleased with the folks at B&H (with whom I’ve had dealings before) for sending everything in good shape and nicely packed. Apart from the 30D body (I didn’t get the crappy 18-55 kit lens since I already use a much better Canon 10-22), I also ordered the BG-E2 grip (very useful thing), a Sandisk Extreme IV CF (rated at 40MB/s, woohoo!!) and a remote cable release (very handy in most tripod situations).

I got all this for a pretty good price. For those of you waiting for the 40D (or whatever the successor to the 30D will be called) I suggest not to hold your breath. The 40D will most probably have a 10MP sensor (not such a big gain over the 30D’s 8MP) and also the sensor cleaning system that debuted in the 400D. Of course, it will probably be priced at around $1300. The 30D by comparison is slightly more than $1000 after deducting the $100 Canon mail-in rebate. So in my opinion it’s a much better deal.

Having used the 300D for such a long time, the new 30D seems strange and wonderful at the same time. It feels much more sturdy and the magnesium case has a very professional weight to it. It feels like a “tool”. The 2.5″ LCD screen looks huge compared to the 300D’s puny 1.8″, being also brighter and easier to view from sharp angles.

Another great improvement (for me) is the big wheel present in all the semi-pro and pro Canon cameras. It’s a true joy to use. Navigating through menus and options is a breeze. This is coupled by the much faster Digic II processor which practically makes everything almost instant - from start-up, to card writing, to focusing, to navigating between images.

I also want to mention the viewfinder which is larger, brighter and clearer than the one on the 300D.

I have a feeling that this camera will be my best friend in the next few years. My good old 300D will be retired as of this day. “You have served me well my friend but now it is time for you to depart. You have been a faithful companion these past years and the God of Cameras will guarantee you a spot in Camera Heaven. May the dust rest on your sensor at the end of your days and may your shutter rest in peace, eternally!”

This entry was posted on Monday, December 4th, 2006 at 11:10 pm and is filed under Canon EOS 30D, Review. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.