My Canon 30D DLSR camera arrived today from B&H Photo, along with the Canon lens system.
Canon had a rebate program running until Feb. 19 on the 30D, 5D, flashes and most auto-focus lenses, so I decided to try out Canon and B&H for the first time.
UPS let the rain soak one part of the outer box, but fortunately B&H packed it fairly well, using a box within a box and plastic cushioning. The inner box was ok and the contents were fine. (Pro cameras and lenses look tough outside, but even a little moisture is bad news inside.)
Ordering from B&H is a pleasure because they have one of the nicest online stores on the web and good inventory on-hand. Note that they have an extra credit card validation step. They bill your card, then they call you, then you must call them back, before they actually ship an order. My order was very complex, but everything ordered was in the box. All the rebate forms seem to be in order.
The only wrinkles I experienced with B&H were that they left a validation message with the wrong phone number (one digit off), their customer service numbers have limited hours, and their main phone number tells you to hang up and call another one of about 5 other phone numbers. So I used their online Live Help to sort all that out.
I normally use a Nikon D200 DSLR camera and the Nikon lens system.
My first impressions are:
- The Canon 30D body feels like a plastic toy, especially the thumbwheels, compared to the metal-body D200. The Canon BG-E2 grip does add a little more weight to make it feel more substantial, and gives men’s right hand a pinky-finger rest.
- 30D has about 5 fewer buttons (making it a computer inside a camera body) than the D200 (which still feels like a traditional knobby SLR with CSM, AE and focus mode switches)
- The Canon viewfinder indicators are in the opposite order of Nikon, but still along the bottom, which is fortunate for my eyes.
- Canon has some nice, all-metal L pro lenses with silky smooth zoom rings.
- Canon normally makes lenses with 58mm and 77mm filter-mounts, while Nikon goes for 52mm and 77mm, plus the odd 67mm and 72mm
dpreview.com: Canon EOS 30D Review
the-digital-picture.com: Canon BG-E2 Battery Grip Review
Canon Camera Museum
