I am a semi-professional photographer who normally shoots with the Canon 1 series digital bodies. As much as I love the 1 series, there are times when I want to use a smaller body. Years ago I had the 10D and loved the feel of the camera and quiet shutter but hated the slow start-up and image review. I upgraded to the 20D but returned it because of the awful sounding shutter and small LCD. Still wanting a small body to compliment my big and heavy 1D bodies, I was very happy when Canon released the 30D. It has a quieter shutter, a larger 2.5 inch lcd for viewing your histogram after a shot, and spot metering. It feels a little better in your hand as well, though not quite as solid as the 10D did. I had my first 30D converted to shoot IR (infrared) earlier this year and recently picked up another 30D due to the bargain prices now. A lot of people dumped their 30D bodies when the 40D came out but I am not all that impressed w/ the 40D (3 inch lcd has poor resolution, dust cleaning is a gimic) and didn't see paying another $400 for the additional 2 megapixels as being worth it. To me, the 30D at the current price point is a real bargain for such a nice camera. You can see pictures I have taken with the 30D, 30D-IR and 1D Mark II at my blog: http://www.visualperceptions.info/ I highly recommend the Canon 30d to professionals and serious amateurs looking for a solid well performing camera. Nikon has some nice bodies too but the visible noise in their images is much higher and I think Canon has a much wider range of lenses so I'd recommend Canon over Nikon for someone just starting out that doesn't have a lot of money already invested in lenses.

Over the years as my paycheck as grown so has the cost of my cameras. I have had many digital cameras. Up to this point they have all been point and shoots. The last camera I purchased prior to the 30D was the Canon S2IS which is a great camera by the way. But the S2 just made me want a professional camera. One that I could control manually. I dug deep in my pockets and purchased the 30D with the kit 18-55mm lens and the kit 70-200mm telephoto lens. The camera is great. It is almost like a teaching tool in that it allows you to learn how to take professional photos and when you're in need of quick snapshots you can easily revert back to auto mode. The camera has more bells and whistles than I care to explain but if you're a novice photographer looking to make the next step I think this is a great camera. I've had the chance to shoot with some other more expensive lenses and now I know that the real money is in the lenses. I plan to have this camera body for many years. As I learn more about photography I'll invest in better lenses.

I have been a Canon fan ever since I purchased my Canon AE-1 back in 1981. Although that camera was fantastic for its time, this EOS 30D is the new standard by which all cameras within the reach of the general public should be judged. If you purchase an "L" Series lens with it, you'll be absolutely floored by the quality of the images you can produce. For people who have only used point-and-shoot cameras, this camera may at first seem a bit large, but trust me, you will immediately find this to be an advantage in terms of the stability you gain by having more surface area to hold. It feels like a glove. Once you get used to it, holding your point-and-shoot will feel quite awkward. The camera encompasses such a broad range of creative control that the absolute novice can take it right out of the box and start photographing in 5 minutes (don't forget to buy a compact flash card since one is not provided by Canon). The possibilities of creative potential offered by this camera are only limited by your skill and creativity as a photographer/Photoshop user. My recommendation to people buying a digital camera of this calliber for the first time is to also purchase a book specific to this particular camera to learn its features in depth. One book I highly recommend is 'Canon EOS 30D Guide to Digital SLR Photography' by David D. Busch published by Thomson Course Technology PTR.

For those not familiar with the canon line the 10D came first, then the 20D, then the Rebel (aka 300D)then there were the really high end bodies with astronomical price tags that I won't mention. Later came the revamped rebel the 350D and the Xti and the revamped 20D known as the 30D. Each body has slightly different specs and megapixels, the Xti has the new 10 megapixel sensor but for me anyhow it just doesn't have the features I need. My primary purpose for my cameras is shooting karate tests for my school, I shoot in a gymnasium with mixed lighting (and not much light either, this camera can shoot in the equivalent of ISO 3200 with very acceptable results, especially if used with a product such as noise ninja to correct noise issues) and have had to learn to get around mixed lighting issues but primarily I need the 5 fps offered by the 20D/30D and the more expensive canon bodies that I sure can't afford on my salary. The Rebels and the 20D/30D have a "C" sized sensor which means that any 35mm lens you put on this body has a magnification factor of 1.6 so a 10 mm lens works a lot closer to 20 mm than ten mm etc. The C sized sensor also means that Canon and other lens manufacturers can take some design liberties with the back of the lens (of course this also means these special lenses won't work on a standard body just on a c sensor body). The 20D is a very capable camera for anyone that wants to shoot fast sports or weddings etc. The 30D has a lot of little tweaks that make an already excellent product even more capable. The 20D has been discontinued as far as I know but you can still find them new on ebay etc., given a choice go for the 30D, they've revamped the shutter mechanism, revamped at least one of the focusing modes, the lcd is bigger and brighter, and to me anyhow, it just feels a lot spunkier when I shoot with it (and the 20D was already incredibly spunky). I haven't had a chance to shoot my usual subject with it yet but just from a few snaps her and there it seems to expose a little darker at least outdoors in the shade. I was going to wait for the 40D but I got a chance at a floor model 30D for an unbelievable price and so I grabbed it knowing the new 40D would not be as cheap in the forseeable future. The big difference with the 40D will be the new 10 megapixel sensor. I really enjoy my camera, I think the canon glass is generally overpriced especially for the professional L series lenses. Take a look at the Sigma EX or EX DG line before deciding on canon glass, they're generally just as fast as the canon lenses at focusing and one heckuva lot cheaper.

Recommended lenses: For a walk around lens the canon 28-135 IS is a great lens. For shooting stuff that can be close or medium far look at the 17-85 IS and the sigma 10-20 EX DG (good landscape lens too). The IS system is great because it will correct camera shake to a point and allows you to handhold at shutter speeds not normally possible. The kit lens 17-55 is ok but there are much better choices, avoid it if you can.

Flash units: The canon 580EX is a great flash but also check out the metz af-58 1C for professional class units, the built in flash is not really suited for anything but snaps if you ask me.

Other stuff you want: IS lenses suck batteries like candy. You want the BG-E2 or one of the generic equivalent battery grips (ebay). It makes the camera a lot more stable, easier to hold and repeats some common controls when shooting vertically.

Several extra batteries: I like the Lenmar rapid charger (comes with a 12V car cord too) for these batteries and buy a few extra off ebay (check the seller rep and be sure they are 7.4 volt packs not 7.2 volt packs--full price these batteries are ridiculous but you can get them reasonable on ebay from third party manufacturers)

Several large fast compact flash cards: Full sized images take a lot of space, this camera has large buffers so you almost never have an issue but buy the 80-150X high speed cards, you'll be glad you did (warranty generally better on them also). I've used Lexar and ridata and sandisk extreme with no issues in this camera, buy a few medium sized 2G-4G ones not one huge one (card errors can wipe the whole card but that's rare).

Nice bag: The 20D/30D are somewhat weatherized but it's still not something you want to get wet. Hlliburton makes some very nice metal cases with foam inserts to protect your expensive gear. You might also want a special cover for shooting in inclement weather that lets you control the camera and keeps the water off it.

Digital wallet? If you shoot a lot and are away a long time a digital wallet with a notebook hard drive installed will let you clean off your cards and reuse them while storing your images on the internal hard drive. These can be found on ebay pre assembled or in kits just add your own hard drive and away you go.

Lots of hard drive space or a product like Roxio and a DVD burner: You need to store your hard won images securely. I have mine on three hard drives for redundancy you could also use a RAID setup or back up to DVD (but the size of DVDs you need a lot of those to backup lots of images) at least until such time as most normal people can afford the new blue ray and media backing up to single layer DVD will take a while. Dual layer DVD holds twice as much but the media is a lot more expensive. When you choose a software make sure it's one that will chain the backup for you automatically, it's a big hassle to figure out what will fit on a DVD manually.

This camera is perfect for my needs. Any more than 8 megapixels makes for file size that chew up my computer's hard drive capacity too quickly. The options and controls give me all the flexibility I could desire in taking pictures. The 5 frames per second exposure rate is great for Little League picture taking, capturing all the action needed. The 1.6 focal length multiplier is also great for my needs, making all of my lenses effectively 60% longer (I don't need wide angle shots often, and am content with panoramas when needed). The low noise, high ISO capabilities have been fantastic to date, and the high shutter speed capability has allowed me to take some great low depth of field exposures on bright days with an f2.8 lens. Highly recommended.

I am very pleased with my decision to purchase this camera. As a newbie to the

world of SLR photography I wasn't sure I should spend as much money as I did on

this camera. I can't compare it to other cameras due to my lack of experience

but I can say that finding my way around the different controls has been very easy.

This has allowed me to experiment and learn quite a bit in a short time. The speed of this camera is

amazing for taking action shots. Catching my kids in action has been a breeze

compared to using our other point and shoot digital camera.

In summary, I highly recommend buying this camera.

I really can't say anything other than THIS CAMERA IS AMAZING. As a professional photographer, this does everything I could ever ask for a camera to do. The software is a bit tricky.. I lost a few shots in the beginning trying to convert files, but once you get that down, it's smooth sailing. If you're looking for an SLR, you'll fall in love with this one.

I have owned the Rebel XT for a little over a year now. As soon as the XTi was announced, I decided I would upgrade to that new camera. I owned the BG-E3 grip (which is made for the XT and XTi) and four batteries, plus I had a year of experience with the XT, so I felt the XTi was the best upgrade path. The XTi also offered 10mp and sensor cleaning. It had the nine-point AF system and the 2.5" LCD.

But this is a review for the 30D, right? Right. Although the XTi is the direct upgrade for the XT, I did wish for something a bit bigger in my hands. Also, I was looking for something with a bit more of a robust build. I'm not hard on my gear, but it's nice to know that it can take it if need be. The XTi didn't, to me, offer that. And despite only having the opportunity to hold the 30D at Best Buy with the "don't steal me stick" hanging beneath it, I really liked the feel. It doesn't have the 10mp or the sensor cleaning of the XTi.

Wait! This IS a 30D review - right? Right!

If you've shot with the XT, then the rest will mean something to you. The 30D is far more robust and sturdy. It feels like the SLR's of old - the AE-1 or A-1 I used to have. The XT feels somewhat more like a SLR point and shoot. The 30D is bigger - a bunch bigger. I don't need the grip on the 30D like I did on the XT to make it feel like an SLR.

The 30D has some functional advantages to go along with the tactile ones: higher ISO settings for low light shooting; a higher top shutter speed for bright settings or freezing REALLY fast action; spot metering for those light-challenging shots; faster continuous shooting for catching the perfect expression or just the right angle on moving subjects; a MUCH better battery for almost double the shots between charges and a top LCD for shot settings.

Heck, I even like the shutter sound more!

I'm not putting down the XTi - it's a great camera! If the MP's matter to you or you like the sensor cleaning, those are things the 30D doesn't offer. The size might appeal to you if you want a smaller body. It's lighter, too. These are advantages.

The 30D is the bridge between the pro systems and the pro-sumer systems. It offers much of the best of both worlds. And it feels really good in your hands!

No regrets at all.

I purchased this camera a few months ago and have taken about 3000 pictures with it. I am a serious amature. I enjoy nature pictures, gardens, flowers, mountains and my children and grandchildren. It does all of these very nicely. I have paired the camera up with the EFS 17-85 IS lens and find they work well for me. The canon sensor is excellent. I range up to ISO 1600 occasionally and often use 1000 for indoor flower shows and in museums. It gives excellent results and sometimes I further improve the pictures by using Noise Ninja. I have tried all of the picture settings but really like 'Standart Setting' the best as it just looks the most real to me. You do have a lot of choices though if you like to experiment. The camera/lens combination has a solid feel. I am definitely hands on and appreciate the 4 different light metering systems. I use the average metering the most with spot metering second and I do use the others at appropriate times. For my landscape and flower shows I believe I generally get within 1/3 stop of what I consider the 'correct' exposure. Photoshop does the rest but there isn't generally much to do. White balance works well. In the mixed indoor light of flower shows AWB gets pretty close and a little adjustment out of curves or levels tweeks it to my satisfaction. About the Canon IS lens. I got it because with age I was having difficulty getting a really steady shot at slow shutter speeds which I need to use indoors where I don't want to use flash. I have had very good results down to 1/10 second hand held and that in combination with a ISO of 1000 does a great indoor job and grain is not a problem.

The camera came with a dirty sensor. It had a lot of dust bunnies that showed up in the skies. After getting tired of clonning them out I got the Copper Hill Sensor Cleaning Kit and in one afternoon I cleaned the sensor 3 times and I have the cleanest skies around now. It is regrettable that Canon delivers the camera with a dirty sensor but it is a solvable problem the $30 Copper Hill Kit is needed just like a lens cleaning kit so get one.

I have other Canon lenses which also work fine on the camera. I am very happy with it.

This camera is more than I imagined it would be and I'm still learning. This isn't for a beginner. It is wonderful for an advanced intermediate getting serious about their work. It was easy to handle. Heavy but not as bad as I'd heard. I love it. I've had great reviews and my results have been professional.

I would recommend buying a high quality lens. The lens in the kit is very average at best. Good mostly for practice.