Buying a 60D Tomorrow...not a 7D...wise?

M

Mavoz

Well-known member
Hi,
Our local camera shop has a very special deal on the entire range of Canons...currently have a 40D but really want the video feature of a HDSLR.

I'm thinking the 60D is the one to get over the 7D because:

* Articulated screen will be very useful for video
* Difference in quality of both videos and stills is probably impossible to tell
* Money spent on a better lens far wiser and more noticeable
* Camera is lighter
* 60D has manual audio
* In a couple years another new generation of DSLRS will come with all manner of video improvements...don't over spend now.

(Probably the only feature of the 7D that does make me wonder is the weather proofing...given that I am planning to do a short documentary with the camera in India next year.)

How does this logic sound?
Is the 60D a wise choice?
 
Go for it and don't look back.
I've been shooting the 550D since it came out in March along with an EX3 and it's paid off a few times over. The 60D has all that was missing from the 550 and if that was available I'd have bought it.
As for now I'm waiting to see what the next 5D has before upgrading, but you can't go wrong with any of these cameras as long as you have something to put in front of one.
Forget the weather proofing, you have to protect all cameras and lenses from the elements unless it's called Nikonos.
 
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ROCKMORE said:
Go for it and don't look back.
I've been shooting the 550D since it came out in March along with an EX3 and it's paid off a few times over. The 60D has all that was missing from the 550 and if that was available I'd have bought it.
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A million times this. I couldn't agree with you more.
 
Yah I would go with the t2i or the 60d if it is for video only. If you also do photography then maybe you can justify the cost of a 7D on the photography end. If you are really looking to save money for glass I would just get a t2i, I cannot confirm any problems but I have heard of a few with the 60d since it just came out and all. Either way though you can't really go wrong with any of them.
 
thetvirus513 said:
If you also do photography then maybe you can justify the cost of a 7D on the photography end.
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Seconded.

The 7D is more expensive in part because of the second DIGIC IV chip, which allows faster processing of still images, so you can shoot at higher frame rates - of course, depending on your card's speed. (That might sound odd if you are not a still shooter, but 7D photos have 9 times the resolution of video and the ability to be shot in RAW, so they demand a much stronger processor system to realize the 8 fps shooting capability of the 7D.)

Edit: I think the 60D might use 1 DIGIC V chip...can't remember exactly.
 
jscottprice said:
Seconded.

The 7D is more expensive in part because of the second DIGIC IV chip, which allows faster processing of still images, so you can shoot at higher frame rates - of course, depending on your card's speed. (That might sound odd if you are not a still shooter, but 7D photos have 9 times the resolution of video and the ability to be shot in RAW, so they demand a much stronger processor system to realize the 8 fps shooting capability of the 7D.)

Edit: I think the 60D might use 1 DIGIC V chip...can't remember exactly.
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thanks for all the great replies....

I will certainly be using the camera for still photography as well...but frankly my 40D had already been serving me well for that...in my experience lenses are the thing that make the biggest difference....

the fps is actually slightly faster on my 40D than the 60D...but apart from shooting the occasional athletics carnival I haven't really needed the extra speed...in fact if anything the higher setting is a bit of a pain in terms of it working at machine gun speed and being a bit of 'overkill'....(often restrict this)

I guess if I knew a 7D Mk II or a 5DMKIII was coming just around the corner I'd rethink...but that probably isn't likely for a little while yet.

Thank you...60D sounds great.
 
I just went 60D over 7D because I can live without these things:

What you lose:
HD video out during record
Micro AF Adjustment
100% viewfinder
18 Af Points (vs 9 on 60D)
Weather sealing
Compact flash

What you gain:
Articulating LCD
SDXC and SDHC cards (cheaper and don't affect performance, also cheaper fast readers)
Interchangable focusing screens for fast aperture primes (ef-s screen)
Cheaper
Newer model less likely to be replaced before the 5Dii, probably will hold more resale as a percentage of purcahse price
 
between T2i, 60D, and 7D here is how i would justify it.

if you are buying for personal camera, i would say T2i. decent FPS, great sensor, compatible with every other EOS bit of kit, HD is great, SD** cards are pretty cheap, price is great.

if you are buying for video as primary camera, i would say 7D. full HD out over HDMI during record (it really is a BIG deal, and i shoot with 3 T2i's and 2 XH A1's), AF adjustment, 100% viewfinder

I really cant justify the 60D's existence; there is no reason i would buy one. either i live with the T2i's SD out during record and have 2 b-roll cams, or use one 7D and have full HD during record. its not THAT much cheaper than 7D, and its FPS is right in the middle, sensor is same as the T2i, AF is on-par with T2i, basically all you get is a rotating screen and 1.6 more FPS, for $375 more than the T2i. Or $600 more for the 7D.

I say save the cash; the 60D isnt really a justifiable upgrade from the T2i for most stills and the same performance for video, and if its the FPS you are after, again the 7D is where to look.
 
I have to disagree and say the 60D is a huge step up from the t2i in handling.

Bigger sturdier body
much bigger, brighter VF
interchangeable focus screens
bigger battery (same as 5D and 7d)
Dedicated buttons for key features
Kelvin color temperatures
1/3 stop iso increments (less noise)
top LCD
 
The battery is a huge improvement over the T2i. I don't know if it was just a one time thing, but the battery in my 60D lasted two times as long as the 7D. I shot a wedding where my co worker was shooting a 7D and he went through 2 batteries before I even had to go through one. There are probably other factors that contributed, but the dual processors really drains the 7D battery. For a single processor camera like the 60D, the LP-E6 lasts forever!
 
saneproductions said:
I have to disagree and say the 60D is a huge step up from the t2i in handling.

Bigger sturdier body
much bigger, brighter VF
interchangeable focus screens
bigger battery (same as 5D and 7d)
Dedicated buttons for key features
Kelvin color temperatures
1/3 stop iso increments (less noise)
top LCD
Click to expand...

The swivel lcd screen on the 60d is worth the price of admission alone. Now you have all iso increments, white balance temperatures , many other things + manual audio. I cannot stress how great manual audio is on the Canon 60d. I used myc amera on two shoots with it and compared to the t2i it's simply better x2 if not more. The t2i is an Excellent camera, but the value has gone down since the introduction of the 60d. The 60d simply feels more solid and professional. Nothing wrong with buying a t2i, 60d or 7d. The video is basically the same on all of them, but the way they handle and feel is different so that choice is yours.

Personally I don't have to crawl on the ground anymore like I used to with my t2i, for ME that was/is enough reason to purchase the 60d. Also I do not like the 7d lcd screen what so ever as it has less resolution + smaller than the t2i/60d.
 
life4eva said:
The swivel lcd screen on the 60d is worth the price of admission alone. Now you have all iso increments, white balance temperatures , many other things + manual audio. I cannot stress how great manual audio is on the Canon 60d. I used myc amera on two shoots with it and compared to the t2i it's simply better x2 if not more. The t2i is an Excellent camera, but the value has gone down since the introduction of the 60d. The 60d simply feels more solid and professional. Nothing wrong with buying a t2i, 60d or 7d. The video is basically the same on all of them, but the way they handle and feel is different so that choice is yours.

Personally I don't have to crawl on the ground anymore like I used to with my t2i, for ME that was/is enough reason to purchase the 60d. Also I do not like the 7d lcd screen what so ever as it has less resolution + smaller than the t2i/60d.
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Well I'm now a 60D owner! Thanks for all the advice! Over at Dpreview some guy likened the plastic body to the Glock! Think that got me over the edge;)

I really liked the idea of the swivel screen and manual audio too...battery is charging now!

Thanks all!

*Update:

Getting pretty late here...but have had a quick play...immediate impressions are:

* Love the swivel screen...can see a lot of uses for it
* Body is a fair bit smaller than my old 40D....one thing I hadn't thought of is the fact I have big hands...but we'll get used to it.
* Camera seems a lot more responsive than my 40D...and the LCD seems a massive improvement...very sharp and clear.
* Shallow depth of field is incredible!! (With just the 1.8 50mm I took a few shots of a coffee cup...is amazing to see the cup in focus and the handle blur into the background.

Have got to do some more reading on how one is supposed to focus this thing....just use manual? I tried doing the half shutter depress as I would for a photo..but just got a bunch of clicking sounds. Shall read and learn.

Anyway thanks for all the assistance....much appreciated.
 
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One other thing that most people don't discuss, is that you can see the histogram in video mode, which makes it a lot easier to set your exposure. You can't see it while recording, but you can pull it up beforehand to make sure you aren't losing your highlights.
 
Mavoz said:
Have got to do some more reading on how one is supposed to focus this thing....just use manual? I tried doing the half shutter depress as I would for a photo..but just got a bunch of clicking sounds. Shall read and learn.
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If the 60D behaves anything like the 7D in Live View mode, the clicking you are hearing when you half depress the shutter release is the lens's servo motor in the act of pulling focus on whatever object you have set your white box on. It takes a very, very long time to autofocus in Live View relative to looking through the view finder. It also fails a lot when it shouldn't. But it is still a useful tool when you are shooting with a shallow depth of field.

Most of the time, however, I'm manually setting my focus. It's just easier and faster.
 
"I really cant justify the 60D's existence; there is no reason i would buy one. either i live with the T2i's SD out during record and have 2 b-roll cams, or use one 7D and have full HD during record. its not THAT much cheaper than 7D"

I agree 100%. The 60D has some nice features, but the T2i's still a significant better over all value, and the savings leaves capital available for monitor, lenses, stabilizer, etc. If you want full resolution HDMI monitoring, a solid camera body, and a professional still camera, the 7D is worth the extra change. The 60D is Mr. In-Between.

I have a T2i, and will either buy a second or step up to the 7D or the next version of the 5D.

I'm sure you will be very happy with your 60D. The articulating screen and manual audio controls will come in handy.
 
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Just thought I'd provide an update to this thread...I've now had the 60D for about a week..have used it to film my 1 year old daughter and also a small music concert as part of my work.

I am absolutely loving this camera!

On the video side the quality is excellent. It is so convenient to have a video camera of such great quality bolted onto my SLR. Being able to make full use of a variety of Canon lenses for filming is amazing.

On the photo side the quality does seem quite a step up from my 40D....I've been more consistently nailing the shot...sharp..clear..great in low light.

For video the Adjustable LCD screen is, for my uses, an absolutely fantastic feature to have.

While sometimes when the shot is more static it is not needed so much...but as soon as you want to adjust the camera to various heights for creative shooting it is so useful to be able to rotate the screen and not have to be constantly moving your body to a position where you can see the screen from behind the camera.

Of course if you are a user who wants the extra quality of a dedicated external monitor then you don't need this...but if you want mobility I think the 60D screen is 'worth the price of admission' alone!

Probably my only criticism is flicking from video mode to "P" or "AV" still photo mode is a little clumsy because you've got to give the dial a near full rotation...but that is really only a small inconvenience.

Thank you for all the recommendations for the 60D..I am loving it!
 
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Not to hi jack the thread but the OP seems to have gotten the cam anyway. but.... a 7d has full 1920 x 1080 out the HDMA while recording?????? I didn't think any of the canons did.....Am I wrong?
 
it is not true 1080p, but a strange format halway between 720 and 1080 I heard. 7D is the only camera that doesn't drop down to 480p during record.
 
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