Canon EOS 30D vs Canon EOS 60D

      Canon EOS 30D

      Canon EOS 60D
      55
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      70
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      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Canon EOS 30D and the Canon EOS 60D, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Canon EOS 30D was introduced in April 2006 and Canon EOS 60D was introduced in November 2010. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Canon EOS 30D Highlights

      • 8.2 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 1,600 Native ISO
      • 9 Focus Points
      • 2.5" 230k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 5.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Built-in Flash

      Canon EOS 60D Highlights

      • 18.0 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 6,400 Native ISO
      • 9 Focus Points (9 Cross-type)
      • 3.0" 1,040k dot Fully Articulated Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 5.3 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash
      • Wheather Sealed Body
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Canon EOS 60D
      4. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      5. Screen and Viewfinder
      6. Sensor
      7. Photography Features
      8. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
      9. Other Features
      10. Physical Parameters
      11. For Different Types of Photography
      12. Evaluations
      13. Specifications  

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Canon EOS 30D and Canon EOS 60D.

      PROS

      Canon EOS 30D

      Canon EOS 60D

      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Video Capture
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Long Battery Life - 1100 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Canon EOS 30D

      Canon EOS 60D

      •   No Video Capture
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 8.2 Megapixel
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 59
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Canon EOS 30D

      Canon EOS 60D

      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Weight - 784 g (1.73 lb / 27.65 oz)
      •   Sensor Resolution - 18.0 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   -0.5 EV Min AF Detection
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.3 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 66
      •   Weight - 755 g (1.66 lb / 26.63 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Canon EOS 30D.

      Canon 20D
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      APS-C

      8 MP

      Canon 70D
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      APS-C

      20.2 MP

      Canon 10D
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      APS-C

      6 MP

      Canon 90D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      32.5 MP

      Canon 50D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      15.1 MP

      Canon 80D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon 77D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon 40D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      10.1 MP

      Canon 20Da
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      8.25 MP

      Canon 60Da
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Canon Rebel SL1
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Panasonic S5
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      Full Frame

      24.2 MP

      Advantage of Canon EOS 60D

      Canon 60D
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS 60D over Canon EOS 30D.

      Canon EOS 30D vs Canon EOS 60D
      Video Capture vs
      Higher Sensor Resolution 8.2 Megapixel vs 18.0 Megapixel
      Higher Native ISO 1,600 vs 6,400
      Higher Boosted ISO 3,200 vs 12,800
      Max Image Resolution 3504 x 2336 vs 5184 x 3456
      Face Detection vs
      Live View Autofocus vs
      Contrast Detection for Autofocus vs
      Screen Type Fixed vs Fully Articulated
      Larger Screen 2.5" vs 3.0"
      Higher Resolution Screen 230k dot vs 1,040k dot
      Live View vs
      Higher Viewfinder Coverage 95% vs 96%
      Higher Viewfinder Magnification (35mm equivalent) 0.56x vs 0.59x
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps vs 5.3 fps
      Multi-Segment Metering vs
      Center Weighted Metering vs
      Spot Metering vs
      Partial Metering vs
      Lower Min Metering +1 EV vs 0 EV
      Higher DxO Low Light ISO 736 vs 813
      Higher DxO Color Depth 21.5 vs 22.2
      Higher DxO Dynamic Range 10.8 vs 11.5
      Higher DxO Overall Score 59 vs 66
      HDMI Output vs Mini
      Microphone Input vs
      Environmental Sealing vs
      Lighter 784 g (1.73 lb / 27.65 oz) vs 755 g (1.66 lb / 26.63 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Canon EOS 60D.

      Canon 80D
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      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon 77D
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      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon 90D
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      APS-C

      32.5 MP

      Canon 50D
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      APS-C

      15.1 MP

      Canon 70D
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      APS-C

      20.2 MP

      Canon 40D
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      APS-C

      10.1 MP

      Canon 20Da
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      APS-C

      8.25 MP

      Canon 10D
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      APS-C

      6 MP

      Canon 20D
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      APS-C

      8 MP

      Canon 60Da
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      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Canon R50
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      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon 5D IV
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      Full Frame

      30.4 MP

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Canon EOS 30D Canon EOS 60D
        High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain)1/8000 sec1/8000 sec
        Built-in Flash
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Canon EOS 30D Canon EOS 60D
        Timelapse Recording
        Few Focus Points99
        No Image Stabilization
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi Eye-Fi Connection possible
        No Built-In Bluetooth

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Canon EOS 30D has a 2.5" Fixed screen with 230k dot resolution and Canon EOS 60D has a 3.0" Fully Articulated screen with 1,040k dot resolution. Fully articulated screen makes Canon EOS 60D selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting.

      Image cannot be displayed

      Canon EOS 60D with Fully Articulated screen


      Viewfinder

      Cameras have built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinders. Canon EOS 30D has 95% coverage with 0.90x (0.56x 35mm equivalent) magnification and Canon EOS 60D has 96% coverage with 0.95x (0.59x 35mm equivalent) magnification.

      Sensor

      Canon EOS 30D features a 8.2 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 22.5 x 15 mm and a total area of 337.5 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 1,600 and expands to 100 - 3,200 in boosted mode. Canon EOS 60D features a 18.0 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 22.3 x 14.9 mm and a total area of 222 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 6,400 and expands to 100 - 12,800 in boosted mode.


      Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

      Sensor size chart
      Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Canon EOS 30D can take pictures up to 3504 x 2336 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 2544 x 1696, 1728 x 1152 with 3:2 aspect ratios. Canon EOS 60D is equipped with DIGIC 4 processor and can take pictures up to 5184 x 3456 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 5184 x 2912, 4608 x 3456, 3456 x 3456, 3456 x 2304, 3456 x 1944, 3072 x 2304, 2592 x 1456, 2592 x 1728, 2304 x 1728, 2304 x 2304, 1920 x 1280, 1920 x 1080, 1728 x 1728, 1696 x 1280, 1280 x 1280, 720 x 480, 720 x 400, 640 x 480, 480 x 480 with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Cameras have Canon EF/EF-S lens mount. Due to their APS-C sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is equal to 1.6x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.6.


      No Image Stabilization

      The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Canon EOS 30D it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS 60D nothing can be done. On Canon EOS 60D it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS 30D nothing can be done.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Canon EOS 60D comes with LP-E6 battery pack with battery life of 1100 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Canon EOS 30D has a single CompactFlash (Type I/II) card slot. Canon EOS 60D has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Canon EOS 30D has Electronically Controlled Vertical-travel Mechanical Focal-plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec on Canon EOS 30D, and up to 1/8000 sec on Canon EOS 60D. Canon EOS 30D can shoot continuously up to 5.0 fps. Canon EOS 60D can shoot continuously up to 5.3 fps.


      Focusing

      Canon EOS 30D has 9 focusing points and Canon EOS 60D has Dual Pixel CMOS AF system with 9 (9 cross-type) focusing points. Canon EOS 60D has detection range from -0.5 to +18 EV.


      Exposure

      Exposure meterings of Canon EOS 30D and Canon EOS 60D range from +1 to +20 EV and 0 to +20 EV respectively and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±2 EV range on Canon EOS 30D and ±5 EV range on Canon EOS 60D. You can also do exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS 30D and exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS 60D.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 12.00 m at ISO 100 on Canon EOS 30D and 13.00 m on Canon EOS 60D. They also accept external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe to Canon EOS 60D. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/250 sec on both cameras.

      Physical Parameters

      Canon EOS 30D body has dimensions of 144 x 106 x 74 mm (5.67 x 4.17 x 2.91") and Canon EOS 60D body has dimensions of 145 x 106 x 79 mm (5.71 x 4.17 x 3.11"). Canon EOS 30D weighs 784 g (1.73 lb / 27.65 oz) and Canon EOS 60D weighs 755 g (1.66 lb / 26.63 oz).

      Canon EOS 30D

      Canon EOS 60D

      144 mm

      106 mm

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      145 mm

      106 mm

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      106 mm

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      106 mm

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      74 mm

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      79 mm

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      Size comparisons of Canon EOS 30D and Canon EOS 60D

      Canon EOS 30D and Canon EOS 60D for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Canon EOS 30D

      Canon EOS 60D

      AVERAGE
      63
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      GOOD
      80
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Canon EOS 30D

      Canon EOS 60D

      AVERAGE
      55
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      67
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.3 fps
      •   Long Battery Life - 1100 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Canon EOS 30D

      Canon EOS 60D

      POOR
      53
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      62
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.3 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Long Battery Life - 1100 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Canon EOS 30D

      Canon EOS 60D

      GOOD
      70
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      78
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Canon EOS 30D

      Canon EOS 60D

      GOOD
      74
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 784 g (1.73 lb / 27.65 oz)
      GOOD
      82
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 755 g (1.66 lb / 26.63 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Canon EOS 30D

      Canon EOS 60D

      GOOD
      73
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 784 g (1.73 lb / 27.65 oz)
      GOOD
      81
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 755 g (1.66 lb / 26.63 oz)
      •   Long Battery Life - 1100 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Canon EOS 30D and Canon EOS 60D and give them scores of 55 and 70 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Canon EOS 30D

      Canon EOS 60D

      OVERALL
      55
      OVERALL
      70

      Sensor

      Canon EOS 30D

      Canon EOS 60D

      AVERAGE
      66
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 8.2 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 59
      AVERAGE
      68
      •   Sensor Resolution - 18.0 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 66

      Photo

      Canon EOS 30D

      Canon EOS 60D

      AVERAGE
      61
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      AVERAGE
      68
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.3 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec

      Video

      Canon EOS 30D

      Canon EOS 60D

      BAD
      0
      •   No Image Stabilization
      BAD
      16
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit

      Focusing

      Canon EOS 30D

      Canon EOS 60D

      AVERAGE
      69
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      GOOD
      81
      •   -0.5 EV Min AF Detection
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Canon EOS 30D

      Canon EOS 60D

      AVERAGE
      67
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      GOOD
      83
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot

      Connectivity

      Canon EOS 30D

      Canon EOS 60D

      POOR
      41
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      GOOD
      75
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Canon EOS 30D

      Canon EOS 60D

      BAD
      39
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 784 g (1.73 lb / 27.65 oz)
      GOOD
      71
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 755 g (1.66 lb / 26.63 oz)
      •   Long Battery Life - 1100 shots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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