10D/D60 question

[steve_munoz]

Considering making the plunge into digital by buying a used D60 or

10D. I currently shoot with the Elan 7 film camera and scan

everything with a 4000DPI scanner, so I am used to the digital

workflow, just with a long wait time that I have grown tired of.

 

I have a 28-105 3.5-4.5 USM, a 50 1.8, and a 70-2004L. The lens that

I am worried about not working with the 10D is the 4L. I have heard

alot of complaints of it front/back focusing on the left or right side

of the frame. Also, does anyone know if the remote trigger from the

Elan 7 will work on the 10D/D60? $50 is alot for just a little

trigger that the 10D goes with.

 

Also, is it worth the extra $250-300 dollars for the 10D over the D60?

I think i like the 10D better because its closer to the Elan 7, which

I love, exept for the fact that film takes forever to develop, scan,

and keep dust free. I love shooting, but I dread taking shots to

learn from or shots of things that I dont know will work because of

the time/cost of film.

 

Any input from people going from the Elan 7 to either the D60 or 10D

would be appreciated, but anyone with experience with either or both

of these would be helpful aswell. Most interested in how the camera

handle in comaparison with the Elan 7 (size, weight, autofocus speed,

shutter response, viewfinder, button layout.... etc.)

 

 

Thanks

 

Steve

[jonas_gustavsson]

I would go with the 10D if I were you, solely based on the greatly improved autofocus. I came in from an Elan IIe and it is hard to get used to the hunting in low light of the D60. The other big reason to get the 10D, I think, is the significantly lower noise levels at high ISO. I went with the D60 just because I had some older Sigma lenses that didn't like the 10D. Nicer cameras both of them, but I would say that 10D is easily $300 nicer for somebody in your situation, particularly considering that you may get a portion of that difference back when reselling down the line. Have fun with your dSLR!

[jon_austin]

I never owned an EOS film body, but I did have a 10D and it worked extremely well with my 70-200/4L. If you're satisfied with your lenses on the film body, if one works fine on the used 10D you buy, they should all work. IMHO, the 10D focussing issues were greatly overblown. Since you're buying used, you just need the opportunity to test the body you plan to buy with your lenses.

 

One of my work colleagues has the D60, and I would agree that the 10D is definitely worth the incremental $$.

 

As for the remote switch (trigger), $50 is a bit steep for it, but there are 3rd-party alternatives available, starting at around $15 or so, and by many reports here, they work fine.

 

Best of luck finding a good used dSLR to buy.

[steve_munoz]

Well I plan to buy from Adorama, KEH, or B&H, all reputable stores with good customer support. I dont want to risk a 500 or 700 dollar purchase on ebay or some personal reseller. I'm sure there are great resellers, but I am not into gambling on expensive (at least for me) equipment.

 

Steve

[conraderb]

remember that b/c of the retail price at the time, the previous owner of a D60 was probably a fairly serious user and that the camera is probably high mileage, compared w/ the 10D, which was very popular among enthusiasts.

 

conrad

[grant g]

When I was upgrading from the 300D, I was also looking at both the D60 and 10D. AF, reduced noise, and metal body were reasons why I went with the 10D. I also had a used D30, so I knew how the D60 would handle ergonomically...I'm glad I went with the 10D.

[jeff_delisio]

I don't know what your budget is, but have you considered the Digital Rebel 350? I purchased one for my wife w/o kit lens and it was under $800 (and now there is a rebate on now as well). This is an excellent camera.

 

Many have remarked on its size, but I have not found it too small to handle. I have a 20D but also have an Elan 7 laying around and while the layout is somewhat different on the rebel, I am able to switch back and forth between cameras (rebel and 20D) with minimal cognitive dissonance. Many folks also seem concerned about its light weight and durability. So far we have had no problems even when hauling it around trekking in the mtns. of Ladakh. We've had the film Rebel with us on many travels (because of its lightweight) and it has survived in some pretty extreme conditions and multiple lens changes.

[icephoto]

I made the jump from the Elan 7e/CoolScan IV to the 10D for many of the same reasons that you want to make the jump. Most of my work ends up in electronic format anyway and the price of developing where I'm at is cost prohibitive. Some answers to your questions...

 

Image Size: If you're currently scanning at 4000 dpi, you're going to see a significant difference in the size of the image when you go digital. Can't imagine too many uses for a full 4000 dpi image that can't be handled with the 6Mp, but it depends on how you're using them.

 

Lenses: I would not worry too much about the 70-200. Focus issues in specific places can be fixed by selecting a focus area. What you will find with the 28-105 is that you will instinctively want to turn the zoom past the 28 because what you see in the viewfinder is not nearly as wide as you are used to on the 7. A wider angle lens (17-40 as an example) will probably be in your future.

 

Shutter Release: No inexpensive answer. The 7/7e release was a wonderful bargain that you will not find on the 10D.

 

Dust: You're still going to have issues with dust. Unfortunately the 10D seems to be a manget for it. Almost any used 10D you're going to find will probably all ready be breeding the stuff inside the chamber. Would strongly recommend getting the VisibleDust brushes.

 

Size/Weight: 10D is heavier and less comfortable in the hand.

 

10D v D60: Oh heck yes go with the 10D. I tried a D60 after using the 10D for about three months and I found the D60 to be slower and less capable. Figure that the newest D60 is significantly older than the oldest 10D. I would also add that, as an example, one of the better retailers keeping used equipment as a 10D used around $650, where they have a D30 at around $420. About $230 difference. I'd guess that the price difference is going to be closer to $150-200.

 

Button Layout: Shutter is where you expect it. Doing things like bracketing are on the LCD screen as opposed to up top. The transition will not be a difficult one.

 

Focus Speed: Significantly faster, less hunting.

 

Viewfinder: In my opinion it is not as good, but others will argue with me.

 

Overall: I did not find the move to be a huge learning curve. The 10D is like shooting slide film when it comes to exposure, so bracketing is probably more important. The biggest thing is that I found that I spent more time shooting and less time scanning. I was doing only basic scans and it was taking me 1-1.5 hours per roll of film. Now it takes me a couple of minutes to empty a 1Gb card containing the equivalent of 4 rolls of film (144 shots or so).

[mark u]

RE:Remotes:

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00ESc4&tag=

[daniel_taylor]

"The lens that I am worried about not working with the 10D is the 4L. I have heard alot of complaints of it front/back focusing on the left or right side of the frame."

 

If you mean that one side of the frame will be in focus while the other side is not, with a "flat" subject (i.e. not a subject at an angle where the front/or back would exceed DoF), then this has nothing to do with the camera. This would be a lens element alignment issue, and would require a fix by Canon. If you're not seeing this in your film shots, then your 70-200 is fine.

 

If you mean that the left and/or right AF points will front/back focus, I think it would be odd to just have one or a couple focus points do this. From what I've read they typically either all do or do not. In any case, Canon can recalibrate the camera and lenses. Having said that, I *really* think that the front/back focusing issue is way over blown. People come up with silly tests (rulers with several marks falling under one focus point; poor lighting conditions; macro focusing) that challenge passive AF in general, then freak out when focus is not absolutely perfect at the equivalent of 40" enlargement (100% in Photoshop).

 

I own both the Canon 10D and the 70-200 f/4L (along with the 17-40L and 50 f/1.8; I've used the 28-105 on it as well). My 70-200 f/4L is my favorite lens, and the images produced by the combination are awesome.

 

I too would pick the 10D over the D60. You might also want to give a new Rebel a look.

[andrew robertson]

You should go with the 10D. It is built like a brick shithouse, has a decent RAW buffer,

works nicely at high ISO, and is fine for large prints. The AF is, in my experience, very fast

and accurate, with similar speed to my 1n!

 

Most of the reports of AF problems are from people who either don't know or care to learn

how AF works. It's fine.

[steve_munoz]

Well I've heard that some have had problems with focusing with the 70-200 4L with the 10D. This article on the lens, posted by a photo.net member, talks about this issue half way down the page.

 

http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/frary/canon_ef70-200usm.htm

 

This is my biggest worry going with the 10D. The 20D is out of my price range, and I don't think I want to go with the Rebel because of the lack of the rear control wheel, and less robust build. I plan on keeping the camera forever, and making it a backup once I can afford something nicer later on. I want something that can handle some abuse. I think the 10D fits this need for me, but not if I can't focus well with my favorite lens.

 

Steve

[j_robinson2]

Remember that February is about the time Canon should be announcing NEW stuff. Possibly the replacement for the 20D. If you wait just a bit you might find the prices on the 20D dropping a lot and the 10D not as great a buy as the 20D.

[andrew robertson]

I owned the 70-200 f/4L, and it was OK, but the 135 f/2.8 SF is cheaper and sharper.

 

But I never had focus problems with my 70-200 f/4L. Most people don't realize that AF on

any AF camera works the same - the target is going to be within the DOF of the lens at full

aperture, not exactly in the middle of the DOF. There are a lot of people out there who

expect far more out of AF than it can ever give them. No wonder they are disappointed.

[steve_munoz]

I was wondering how the 20D and 10D compare in size, weight, button layout, ergonomics. I can't find a shop in town that has a 10D I can handle, and I don't like buying cameras before I get to hold one in my hand and see how it fits. I can go to the local BestBuy and mess around with the 20D, but I want to know if its close to what the 10D looks, feels, weighs like, and also that the buttons are about the same location.

 

Steve

[daniel_taylor]

Another vote for the 10D plus 70-200 f/4L. Excellent body and lens. I still haven't upgraded the body, and probably won't until I can afford the 5D.

 

I've had no problems with focusing with any of my lenses. Personally, I think the focusing issue was way overblown with a lot of "focusing issues" being nothing more than people not knowing the limitations of AF and/or using invalid tests, all magnified by the fact that they were viewing 100% and 200% in Photoshop (equiv. to 40 and 80 inch prints) rather than looking at normal prints.

 

"I owned the 70-200 f/4L, and it was OK, but the 135 f/2.8 SF is cheaper and sharper."

 

OK? Just OK? Mine consistently produces extremely sharp, contrasty images. I love it!