Question about canon 60d

[emilykiny62]

Hey guys,

I found a canon 60d at the pawn shop I’m thinking about buying for $100

Current setup is a6000 with both kit lenses(18-55 and 55210). I also have a sigma 60mm art fb 2.8.

I also have a Sony hx80 that I still don’t know if I am keeping.

I also have a eos rebel xs with kit lens.

The reason I want the 60d besides price, is that it’s weather sealed and also heard it’s an amazing camera for its age and I could set it up for portraits.

I am just looking on advice about this purchase. Can it do anything better than the a6000 besides mic, lighting and weather sealing?

Or should I just bag the idea of another camera and buy a new sigma 35 for my Sony.

I have about a $400 budget. That could go towards lighting and what not for canon.

Or the a cheaper lens for my a6000 and a ttf flash.

Thanks all

[Tronhard]

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@emilykiny62 wrote:

Hey guys,

I found a canon 60d at the pawn shop I’m thinking about buying for $100

Current setup is a6000 with both kit lenses(18-55 and 55210). I also have a sigma 60mm art fb 2.8.

I also have a Sony hx80 that I still don’t know if I am keeping.

I also have a eos rebel xs with kit lens.

The reason I want the 60d besides price, is that it’s weather sealed and also heard it’s an amazing camera for its age and I could set it up for portraits.

I am just looking on advice about this purchase. Can it do anything better than the a6000 besides mic, lighting and weather sealing?

Or should I just bag the idea of another camera and buy a new sigma 35 for my Sony.

I have about a $400 budget. That could go towards lighting and what not for canon.

Or the a cheaper lens for my a6000 and a ttf flash.

Thanks all

---

You have talked a lot about gear but not much about what you want to do with it, which is the major element in seeking to get equipment.  There are some questions worth considering in looking at any purchase of camera equipment.

What specificially is it about your current camera equipment that you find is holding you back?

Consider the kinds of things you photograph and the types of images you produce - e.g. large prints, small prints, images for media devices or for publishing on web pages.   You mention portraits as one application: is that your main subject.

I have the Canon EOS 60D and you will doubtless get comments about it being old and obsolete, but personally I like taking photos with it. see  THIS POST.   Coupled with the right lenes it can take great images.  But you would be investing in a new system and for portraits you will likely need to get a decent lens for the Canon.  Furthermore, since the body is 9 years old and coming from a pawnbrokers, how do you know the condition of the camera and its shutter count.  There are a lot of unknowns.

[Tronhard]

If you want full reviews and comparisons to relate the EOS 60D to the 50D and 7D (it's contemporaries), then look HERE and HERE .

The 60D doesn't have the magnesium body and the same level weather proofing of the 50D, but it does weathere and dust resistance, and it does have advantages over the earlier model including a fully-articulating screen, 63 metering points, vs 35 in the 50D, and extended ISO range.  The 50D had 15MP, the 60D has 18.   It also does basic video.  Used with reasonable competence it is a perfectly capable camera and (as Ernie commented) for $100 it's a low investment.  For portraiture quite bit depends on the lens you choose - in many ways the glass is more critical than the body.

The question is, would you he happy with the following results?  In part that depends on the output.  For smaller prints and for posting on electronic media and displays, then I would say most likely - but only you can answer that...

I actually shot, in available light, the following image with the 60D, using the Canon EF-S 15-85mm IS USM lens, with minimal post processing.  70mm, f/6.3, 1/4 sec (tripod mounted), ISO-200

This one was shot in available light, hand-held, using the EF-S 55-250 IS STM (kit lens), 79mm, f/7.1, 1/400sec, ISO-400

My comments about changing brands and checking the condition of the camera still hold and should be considered.   You need to be assured it works - especially if there is no return policy, so if you can get hold of a charged LP-E6 battery and a lens (plus an SD card of course), check it out in the shop.  Look for a lot of wear on the right-hand grip and on top where the shooting finger naturally lies.

There is a checklist of things to look at HERE 

[Ray-uk]

One of the biggest advantages the 50D has is AFM which was omitted on the 60D. This can be quite important for portraiture where you may be using lenses at wide apertures and require accurate focusing.

I had the 50D for quite a few years and my grandaughter had the 60D. I did a lot of hands-on comparison and believed the 60D to be a downgrade.

[ebiggs1]

"...believed the 60D to be a downgrade."

Me too!  The small updates in certain specs were not enough, to me anyway, to call it an upgrade body compared to what Canon didn't keep or upgrade.  IMHO, I never see the articulated LCD screen as a upgrade or feature. I am too old school I guess.

[Tronhard]

Canon was quite transparent about the fact that they changed the line of XXD cameras from a second pro-level to that of a pro-sumer or enthusiast level - they wanted to create a clear difference between the XXXD (or Rebel - consumer) level the XXD (enthusiast and pro-sumer) and the XD (pro) level bodies: particulalry 7D, released in 2009 and obviously competing with the 50D. 

To quote the DRP introduction to the 7D:

"The EOS 7D is an excellent addition to Canon's range of APS-C DSLRs that is, in terms of build quality, speed of operation, ergonomics and image quality, a cut above Canon's previous APS-C flagship, the EOS 50D. Its eight frames per second continuous shooting speed and highly flexible AF system, coupled with an 18Mp CMOS sensor with formidable high ISO capabilities make the Canon EOS 7D one of the finest APS-C DSLRs that money can buy."  That body DID have AFM.

So the 50D was no longer relevant as a flagship model and the numbering of the 7D as part of the 'pro' XD range confirmed that it was intended to take over that role.  So Canon either had to abandon the XXD line or reposition it, and that meant  changes in the structure and features of the camera range to create that differentiation.

To quote DPR's review of the 60D:

"The arrival of the EOS 7D, with its highly configurable 19-point AF system and 8 frames per second continuous shooting capability changed much of this - here was a 'mini 1D' that drew the attention of many people who previously would have been X0D customers. However, the price tag (a 30% premium over the 50D at launch) pushed it beyond the reach of most people who weren't making at least a bit of money from their photography.

The 50D (and by extension the X0D range) was starting to look somewhat redundant: expensive (and in some ways outdated) compared to the rebel T2i (EOS 550D), underpowered compared to the EOS 7D. It seemed obvious that Canon needed something to balance out the EOS range to fill the big gap between the Rebel and the 7D. And so we have this, the EOS 60D."

In many significant ways the 60D offered a reasonable upgrade to the 50D in that context and was necessary to keep the line alive, competitive and relevant, both with its own brand and competitors.  While the Auto Focus Micro-adjustment might have gone, I would question how many people in the intended market would make use of that - surely that would depend on the type of images being captured and the lenses being used.  What it gained was not, IMHO, insigificant: a 20% increase in MP,  increase in metering points (from 35 to 63), switch to SD cards, IR control and 1080p video - which encouraged the use of the flip screen; something I prefer even though I don't shoot video as it allows me to protect the screen when not needed and I can shoot very low without getting on my fragile knees.  All of these were reviewed positively at the time.

I bought, and still use, 3x 60D bodies for a fairly lengthy project in Canada that involved a lot of wilderness work and shooting of wildlife and portraiture: they did a fine job then and still do now.

[ebiggs1]

If I were given the choice of buying an older camera and it was between the 60D and the even older 50D, I would pick the 50D every time.  I didn't see the 60D as a improvement over the previous X0D Canon cameras.  But hey if its only a hundred bucks why not? It is and was aimed at the enthusiast market. I am not sure about how weather sealed it is?

[BurnUnit]

Being the first Canon DSLR with an articulated LCD screen is what finally motivated me to invest in the 60D as my first, and still primary, DSLR. I'd shot for several years with a G5 and quickly learned to appreciate the flexibility of using it for waist level and overhead shooting. And as already mentioned, the extra protection for the LCD when closed against the camera body.

The 60D also has the built-in ability to wirelessly operate and communicate with Canon Speedlites and seemingly with many third party flashes. I'm not sure if any other xxD series Canons have that ability. The continuous shooting speed is sufficient for my needs. The battery is the same as the ones used in my G5. And even after using it for several years I still occasionally find it has some features and abilities that I wasn't aware of. And I'm still impressed with its low light performance.

For a 10 year old design (antique by digital standards) I still consider it to be a well-spec'd camera. But there's nothing magical about it and not knowing the history and true condition of this particular camera it's not something you'd want to sink much money into.

[Tronhard]

I agree with both your comments on the 60D in general and the risks of buying one from a pawn shop. I have kept up with the tech as it has changed: so 7d, 7DII, 80D, 90D etc. but there is something about how the 60D sits in my hands. Perhaps because it comes with good memories, who knows, but I shall continue to enjoy shooting with mine, and I hope you do too!