The Canon EOS 60D was first announced in late August of 2010. With Canon's 18 megapixel sensor (which now sits in some variation across Canon's entire crop sensor DSLR line) and a semi-professional body, it was a great stepping stone camera for beginners and advanced amateurs who wanted to break away from the Rebel line into a camera that was geared more towards the budding professional.
For the last two and a half years as I've learned the art of photography, the camera that was always either in my hands or by my side was a Canon Rebel XS. As a beginner, it was all I thought I could need: an autofocus system, a working viewfinder/shutter system, and a (what I considered) whopping 3 frames per second burst rate. The camera didn't have much, and I didn't require much. At the time it was given to me, I didn't see myself progressing into a high level of knowledge, let alone into a professional career. As I took more pictures and studied other people's work, however, I fell in love with photography, both in the artistic and technical aspects. I began to put more and more effort into composition and technique, as well as understanding how my camera worked. I learned how to work a flash setup. I learned how to shoot RAW and process pictures in Adobe Lightroom. As I progressed in my abilities, I learned two things: 1) The camera doesn't make the photographer or the images, the photographer does. 2) With that said, the abilities of the camera can be limiting in certain environments, and a better camera make it easier to create said images and bolster your creative life/career.
I continued to shoot with the XS, acquiring any other equipment I could to bolster my creativity and help me create the images I wanted to make. I acquired 320 EX and 420 EZ speedlites, a 28mm f/2.8, a 50mm f/1.8, and a 70-210mm f/4, in addition to the 18-55 and 55-250 I had gotten with my XS. I also got a studio kit that included black and white backdrops, a frame to hold them, and two 110 watt/seconds strobes with stands and softboxes.
That set of equipment launched me into a semi-professional career, doing headshots and events of my own as well as assisting photographers to gain experience and make an additional paycheck. With my first few months of paychecks, I bought myself Canon's trusted 50mm f/1.4 to replace my grandmother's old 50mm f/1.8 Mark I she passed down to me when I got my camera. The 50mm 1.4 became my primary portrait/headshot lens, and it remains on my camera much of the time I use it.
With a sufficient arsenal of lenses, flashes, memory cards and editing software to support a new camera, I began surveying my options to see which model I wanted to upgrade to in the near future. After surveying Canon's current offerings and narrowing it down to models that fit my needs under $3,000, I was left considering the Rebel T3i or T4i, the 60D, or the 6D. I left the much-lauded 7D out of the running chiefly because I didn't want to invest in the CF card system, but also because I didn't need a body that heavy and professionally equipped. After getting the chance to work with a relative's 60D on two different occasions, I knew I wanted my next camera to be a semi-professional body, and not another Rebel. That narrowed my choice down to two models- the 60D or the 6D. The 6D impressed with it's full-frame-sensor-but-small-body factor, and the high-ISO noise performance was jaw-dropping. On the other hand, its focusing system was a bit minimal for a body that cost $2k, and the cheaper and fast-decreasing price tag on the 60D would leave more money for upgrading lenses or flash equipment. With that factor in mind, my dad and I placed our order at B&H for a 60D. After the first model that was shipped to us came with a huge scratch inside the viewfinder prism, B&H made the process of returning the dud and getting a new model near-painless. I had a new and perfect copy within a week.
2 1/2 Weeks and 250 pictures later, I could not be happier with the performance I'm getting out of the Canon 60D. While some people are waiting for the rumored-to-be-coming EOS 70D, there could not be a better time to buy a 60D, as this semi-professional gem sits at an all-time low price of $660 at Amazon and B&H. Few better bargains exist on the market right now than getting a camera that originally cost $999.99 body only for $350 less brand new.
Build quality of the camera is superb for anybody who's previously owned any of the Rebel series. Beyond the material (polycarbonate resin with glass fiber on an aluminum chassis) being a step up from the polycarbonate material of the Rebels, the grip is about twice as thick. For owners of the older rebels like myself, there's also a larger amount of "grippy" material on the front and back of the camera, giving it a much more secure feel in the hands.
As far as the other elements of build quality, the camera is a bit hit-and-miss. The viewfinder is just enough of an upgrade over the Rebel series to be noticeably brighter and bigger, which is great. The camera's one moderate con is the feel of the buttons. While the front and rear dials are both firm and give an assuring "click" when you move them, the buttons don't always ensure confidence. The top buttons next to the top LCD panel are easily the best on the camera, requiring the least amount of force to activate and feeling the most definite when you push them. The worst "button" on the camera is the 8-way directional pad enclosed within the rear dial, closely followed by the trash/delete button. Both of these feel squishy and don't give a definite "click" feel when pushed. While neither of these will be a serious problem once you get used to working the camera, it can slow down your working speed at times.
Image Quality, auto-focus and mirror/shutter functionality on this camera are superb. The shutter is significantly quieter than my XS ever was, more like a quiet "clunk" and less like a high-pitched whistle/flipping sound. While many have knocked the camera for shooting "only" 5.3 frames per second, I have found this is about all most people will ever need in everyday use. The only time you really need the 8 fps of the 7D or the 12 fps of the 1D X is if you are shooting sports or wildlife. Auto-focus is quick and snappy, locking on fast and accurately. I've primarily used my 50mm 1.4, where the USM motor of the lens shines when combined with the great AF. Servo/continuous is very good, keeping constant sharp focus on the subject at least 80% of the time. The image below was taken at f/1.4 and 1/1250, with the child swinging back and forth quite rapidly.
Focus was on the face, 100% crop:
Taken at ISO 1000
Taken at 4000 ISO
100% crop
On the whole, the Canon 60D represents a brilliant mid-size DSLR that still holds relevance after almost 3 years of life. While those considering a camera in the mid-hundred to $1000 bracket might choose to either wait for the 70D or go for either the T3i, T4i, or newly-announced T5i (all of which have an 18 megapixel sensor that is near-identical) for some the 60D will be the best choice. The higher-quality viewfinder and body will attract some, and for some the fact that you can fine-tune exposure by having ISO in third-stop increments over full-stop increments will make sense too. For me, it has proven to be everything I need at this point in my experience and career, and I highly recommend it to anyone considering a semi-pro DSLR.
Self-Portrait
