My Initial Thoughts on the Canon 60D Announcement – It’s No 7D But it Looks Interesting

Canon introduced us to the much-anticipated 60D this week. Of course all we have is a news release. I have no opinion about how this camera performs, since I have never used it. That won’t stop many Internet reviewers and commenters by the way – they will have already passed complete judgment on the camera even though they’ve never seen it, touched it, used it or can find anyone who has :)

But on paper, the 60D has some interesting features. When I posted the link to the Canon press announcement, I received many Tweets from Twitter users asking if it’s a 7D replacement.

1. It is NOT a 7D replacement. It’s a low to mid-range camera coming in at a price below that of the 7D.

2. It has an articulating LCD display. This is a cool feature and I’d like to see it on other Canon cameras in the future.

3. The frame rate is a competent 5.3 FPS – not as fast as the 7D but very close.

4. Better audio control for video than the 7D.

5. Faster shutter sync than the 7D (250/th of a second.)

6. Same battery as the 7D and 5DMKII – a brilliant move since it makes shooters more likely to pick the 60D as a backup body.

7. New 8-way joystick controller.

8. Only program or auto mode available when shooting video. This is a real disappointment to video shooters.

9. Not a 100% viewfinder like the 7D.

10. No lens AF micro adjustment.

The 60D looks to be a very competent camera, but in my opinion, on paper at least, those who look at it as a possible 7D replacement are missing the point. Canon isn’t about to introduce a $1099 (body-only) camera that would favorably compare and compete with its hot-selling and more expensive 7D.

When the camera becomes available, Photofocus will obtain a body for testing purposes and post a review.

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This post sponsored by the Digital SLR Store