Canon EOS 10D Digital SLRs

Canon EOS 10D Digital SLRs 

DESCRIPTION

Changeable lens digital SLR

  • Sensor: 6.3 megapixel CMOS
  • Max resolution: 3072x2048 pixels
  • File formats: JPG and RAW
  • ISO 100-1600 and ISO 3200 with ISO speed extension
  • Flash sync: 1/200 sec
  • Continuous shooting @ 3 fps
  • Storage media: Compact Flash Type I and II
  • Magnesium alloy body

  • USER REVIEWS

    Showing 1-10 of 86  
    [Jun 03, 2005]
    CLJohnson
    Expert

    Strength:

    - solid build - most controls handle well and are intuitive - good viewing screen - good viewfinder information display - lighted control panel - works well with L lenses as well as third party lenses - good battery life

    Weakness:

    - slow to wake up - does not accept new Canon lenses that are designed only for the Rebel and D20

    I purchased the 10D in the spring of 2004 as my first digital body. It is my 10th Canon body in 34 years. The shift to digital was a small challenge to me - but this camera made the shift enjoyable. I have yet to notice the focusing problems that so many have mentioned here. In fact, I find that the resolution is amazing. I was shooting with a variety of higher-end consumer lenses (Tamron SP and Sigma EX lenses) but am now selling all those and investing in Canon L lenses. But even with the less professional grade glass I found the camera to perform quite well. My biggest complaint is the lag in waking it up - tapping the shutter release doesn't always seem to do the trick the way I think it should. I sometimes wonder if it is responding or not. This can be a serious annoyance if it results in the loss of a quick shot. Overall, though, I have been satisfied. I cannot compare this to any other D-SLR other than the Rebel which I've handled some - but I've not used any of the higher grade bodies. I have to say I like it. It is a solid piece of equipment - for the first time in all my years of photography, I dropped my camera. Not just dropped it, but it slid off my shoulder onto a concrete floor of a parking garage. The Tamron lens did not survive - but the camera came away with a bit of a nick in the body - but works w/o the slightest problem. I doubt any of my film cameras (including my beloved F-1) would have done as well.

    Customer Service

    In my 34 years of shooting with Canon cameras and lenses, I have never had the need for servicing of my Canon equipment.

    Similar Products Used:

    Digital Rebel Film cameras: F-1, FTb, 7e (and so on)

    OVERALL
    RATING
    4
    VALUE
    RATING
    4
    [May 31, 2005]
    jhodges
    Intermediate

    Strength:

    Picture quality, low noise Build quality Price now Menu Ergonomical controls Numerous features, custom func. Speed, shutter response Cool remote capture utility It makes my 200mm lens a 320mm Many professional features (PC socket, N3 remote switches, 1/200 flash sync) Feels heavy-duty enough for the longer, heavier lenses (balance) If you can still find one, a great buy, an excellent camera for its time

    Weakness:

    Not 8 megapixel :) Slow RAW converter Slow power-up Slow write times (will notice when reviewing pics and if pushed to continuous shooting limit) Seemingly not fast enough to choose focus point, continuously focus and continuously meter at the same time (actually I wish I could make it choose from only three focus points like in the Elan II) It makes my 28-80mm lens a 45-128mm I'll need a new remote shutter release

    Wanting to get into photojournalism, I decided to get a camera that would allow me to take an unlimited number of photos without worrying about how much film I was using up (I need to practice). I have 4 Canon mount lenses, so I first thought about the 20D (too expensive yet) and the Rebel XT (too small, don't like the controls). Fortunately, Camera Casino had a 10D left over for the same price as the XT. The feel of that camera over the Rebel XT is much more comfortable. The menus on the larger bodies are simpler thanks to the large wheel on the back. Controlling aperture in manual and exposure in other modes is easier. Now I just need to be quicker with it. Setting drive, meter, WB, ISO, others is just so, so much easier than the Rebel XT menu. I often wish the 10D would wake up quicker when it falls asleep, otherwise it is plenty quick for me. The quick reaction of the shutter is fine for sports and action. After my Rebel 2000, I'm just happy to be able to take a picture even if the camera isn't necessarily focused. It's been interesting trying to figure out how the camera is metering or why people's skin often turns pasty and what it's trying to focus on. The first time I used the camera was at a hockey rink and it seemed like every picture was out of focus and exposure seemed to vary wildly. Another 10D user suggested I just select the center focus point, and I tried setting to manual exp. That seemed to work much better. As for color, thank goodness for RAW. I shoot in raw almost all the time. Though the program Canon gives you for dealing with raw files is slow, it is otherwise easy to use and gives good results. Anyone who wants to flip through their CRW or CR2 files quickly should get Irfanview. It's only an image viewer, but it's small and free to download. Without any plugins it will flip through CRW files in a snap. With the plugin and Canon's dll's, you can flip through CRW and CR2 files in full size a lot faster than in Canon's FileViewer. I haven't had many of my digital pictures printed yet, so I don't know if my monitor just ruins colors or if I just have to be more aware of minute color changes. I'm guessing the latter. This camera is forcing me to be a lot more aware of many things, and that's a good thing. I'd prefer to think of the nuances of the 10D as challenges than flaws. I'm sure my camera is working properly to Canon's specs. It was brand new after all.

    Customer Service

    none so far (on any Canon product)

    Similar Products Used:

    Canon Rebel 2000, Elan II Olympus C-60

    OVERALL
    RATING
    5
    VALUE
    RATING
    5
    [Jan 23, 2005]
    Christiano
    Professional

    Strength:

    Shutter is noise free(its a MUST in some areas and countries! Good strong size perfect ergonomics larger than the 20 d (good for BIG L and SIGMA PRO lenses) Lighter than 1 D Good battery life better PRO FEEL and handling,than 20 d. strong magnesium build house.. price is super..

    Weakness:

    slow start up time only 7 focus points..but it works now!(=05 series and ..further...

    I am very eager to inform you that this is a good camera in many aspects.More than i first asumed.(and admits) You see,the first example 10D i got had some focus problems which was unaccetable.The serial number was o3 series ;according to some users it has some fabric faults.As i had written in a former review i had the same experience. Well,some time ago i had tried Sigma Ex Lenses with a 10 D serial number 05,a camera i lended from a friend. Guess what? its the best pictures ive seen for long.We then tried his lenses versus some Canon;on my new 20D cam and found that the Sigmas was unsharp and blurry on the 20D but perfect on the 10D! what a mess. To make a long story short;i have now bought an almost new ser. 05 (Demo )and is happy. The Canon 10 D is perfect with the Sigma lenses ( this day i use the following: 12-24f4,5-f5,6 .,24-70 f2,8.,70-200 f2,8 and the latest 100-300 f4) with PRO result every time for my clients.The pics this combo gives is perfect exposed and Focused. Confused? i was ,but now im happy its a new life for the famed 10 D in my arsenal.A camera i was about to give up. Its funny to end up in this situation though as i have recently invested in a new 20 D and use them both equally for the time being in the favor of the 10 D. IF i should choose between the new 20 D and this wonderfull 10D i would save the dollars and buy Sigma for a number of good reasons,and a 10D. All in all it is a very good camera,and mine is a keeper now.

    Customer Service

    this model i bought now ....nope..

    Similar Products Used:

    Canon 30 D,60 D,1 D, 1 D mk 2,20D,Nikon 1d

    OVERALL
    RATING
    4
    VALUE
    RATING
    5
    [Jan 09, 2005]
    nianys
    Intermediate

    Strength:

    Tons of customizable settings. Excellent look and finish, "pro" feel. Well balanced in size/weight.

    Weakness:

    No option to have a grid in the viewfinder. Slow to wake up. Slow to display pictures and terrible delay before pictures look clear on the LCD panel. Poor autofocus in less than perfect lightning conditions. Overall sharpness and color rendition.

    This camera has received a lot of positive reviews and I certainly don't mean to trash it. But as an early digital camera user I was in fact pretty disappointed with it. I have had a Fuji S1 before, that had tremendous image quality and was very user friendly but the ergonomics were horrible for my small hands, not to mention the fact it's ugly as pond slime. I switched to a Nikon D100, which I kept for two years. Operation was smooth and very quick with the D100 and it produced very decent images for me (even though I used horribly cheap glass). The one negative thing about it was sharpness, and yes it can be corrected in post processing but I like an image to be good right out of the camera, like the S1 can make. The 10D has the best ergnomics of the three DSLR's I owned, is the "prettiest", and has a very nice solid, pro feel to it. Too bad operation doesn't match looks in its case ! Wake up is slow and the palyback mode is horrible, the camera displays the images all fuzzy at first and it takes a good trhee seconds each to get sharp. Which means whenever you shoot and want to know whether the pic is OK you need to wait those agonizing three seconds, for each and every shot ! This is pretty aggravating. Sharpness is a definite issue, and I do agree with other reviewers who expect a $1500 camera to produce sharp images. AF was excellent in bright light, very sluggish in low light. Lots of back focusing. I think I tried all possible combinations of settings (which this camera is very good at letting you do) to produce images that would suit me, but unfortunately after three months of use I just decided to let it go and go back to a Fuji S2. Overall there is a lot to play with on this camera, lots of custom functions, but that doesn't make up for the general unability to produce a majority of great images.

    Customer Service

    Didn't need it

    Similar Products Used:

    Fuji S1 Nikon D100

    OVERALL
    RATING
    3
    VALUE
    RATING
    3
    [Aug 31, 2004]
    Christiano
    Professional

    Strength:

    Its a little bit more PRO than Consum camera for a little money YOU get a lot of a camera for little money.

    Weakness:

    back focus (if you have a bad sample)

    Just went back from Olympic Games,Athens(lot of photographers walking with this pearl) BUT,guess what tickled me most?;Focus problems.This is the main issue which i have hated this pearl so much for! and you know what? i think its also a lens problem as well? maybe,the lenses(glass) is so sensitive to this matter so it cant focus properly IF the 6.3 mill pix sensor isnt tuned properly to the lens and therefore >crop>badly and make a lot of distortion to the image(read =blur),in short; lot of colleagues discuss this matter,it should have been solved from the very beginning and wewill ll see in the near future IF the new D20 is better in this area. well,back to OL games ; i took a lot of sport pix using the D10;and it could slightly hang up with the big D1 i also got with me regarding fastness and especially focus BUT it did make a lot better image than the old D1 i think(photoshop CS) In fact most of the pix i sold was made with the 10D because the files is sooo nice. What can i say about this cam? well,for some ocassions i will recomanded it very much,IF you got time and space for making and composing a good pic,i mean please remember the D30?!! the D10 is still far better! right folks? So If you look for a good rigid strong camera you can now buy a cheap used D10 without to much hesitation,remember to test it out for back focus probs! Good luck

    Customer Service

    nope

    Similar Products Used:

    d30 , d 60(better pics than D10)d1,d1 mk 2

    OVERALL
    RATING
    4
    VALUE
    RATING
    4
    [Aug 22, 2004]
    pixelpunk
    Intermediate

    Strength:

    ->Image quality ->Negligable shutter lag. ->Autofocus with USM lenses is quick (although not always accurate). ->3fps in 9-frame bursts is great for action. ->Easy to use controls and menus. Lots of options to suit your taste. ->magnesium alloy body. 'Bout time Canon put that into their 'prosumer' bodies.

    Weakness:

    ->Front/back focusing problems!! I've resorted to manually choosing the focusing points or using the manual override ring on my lenses. I could send it in to Canon to get it fixed...but I'd miss it terribly... ->USB 1.1 connection is slower than molasses rolling uphill. Get a USB 2.0 or Firewire reader and save your sanity.

    Besides the focusing problems (that can be worked around), this is a fantabulous little machine. This camera produces great quality images at all ISOs. At ISO 100-200 images are silky smooth and surprisingly sharp even before applying unsharp mask! Noise control is great at ISO 400, OK at ISO 800 and only really a problem (depending on the scene, print size and your taste) at ISO 1600-3200. Exposure latitude is like that of slide film, so you'll have to meter more carefully (or set an exposure compensation) in order to avoid blown out highlights and poor color rendition that other users seem to be having problems with. Shutter lag is negligable. Autofocus (although sometimes innacurate) is quick with USM lenses, and the 3fps performance for up to 9 consecutive frames is great for action. OK so the 1.6x factor is kind've a pain for wide angle shots, but how else was Canon going to pack SO MANY fantastic features and keep the price down? Invest in some ultra wide primes or zooms - problem solved. Speaking of which, for THE best pciture quality never EVER skimp out on the glass! Buy the BEST lenses that your budget will allow. In fact, you could always get a second or third job, rent out a room in your house, play the lotto, or take out that second mortgage you've been thinking about and go for an arsenal of "L" lenses! But I digress... BOTTOM LINE: Try it. You'll like it.

    Customer Service

    Haven't used it yet.

    Similar Products Used:

    First 'real' DSLR. The closest thing to this that I've used are the Elan 7 and 1v.

    OVERALL
    RATING
    5
    VALUE
    RATING
    4
    [Jul 27, 2004]
    Michael J Hoffman
    Expert

    Strength:

    Intuitive operation for those familiar with the EOS camera system.

    Weakness:

    Sharpness Exposure Loss of Highlight Detail

    This is a follow-up to my original review of this camera. After one full year with the 10D I am less than pleased. Critical sharpness is unattainable with images from my camera - and it is not a focus issue it is a sharpness issue. Exposure, even when using partial metering, is all over the place. Highlights can only be saved at the expense of shadow detail and added noise. I do not recommend this camera at all. I'm back to my EOS 1N, Tri-X and chemical processes and I am glad to be done with digital. Nice to have the full field of view of my 28mm lens back, too!

    Customer Service

    Did not need it for this camera. The flaws inherent to this camera do not seem to be from manufacturing defects. At its best this camera just performs poorly by my standards.

    Similar Products Used:

    Various Canon film bodies.

    OVERALL
    RATING
    2
    VALUE
    RATING
    1
    [Jul 25, 2004]
    Jim Snyder
    Expert

    Weakness:

    The camera has some flaws. It does not pick up pastel yellow or blue except as white. The depth of field preview button is too small and hard to find. The sensor site size needs to be larger to reduce noise better.

    I have used this body with a Canon 180mm f/3.5 for the past year and a half. I have read other reviews and the positives match my own.

    Customer Service

    I have done my own sensor cleaning with no significant problems.

    Similar Products Used:

    Canon EOS3

    OVERALL
    RATING
    5
    VALUE
    RATING
    5
    [Apr 24, 2004]
    gcookie
    Expert

    Strength:

    Images appear to be as good as 4000dpi scans on my FSCanonscan 4000. Many like features standard with other digital cameras that in some ways puts it ahead of film, Histogram is one, 1.6x if you shooting long. Solid construction. If your an old Canon guy transfering over is easy!

    Weakness:

    Came out of the box with the top view screen half working. Quality Control too me is an issue!

    I seem not as thrilled with this camera as some. For $1400 dollars this camera is missing some features that seem basic. View Screen replacement and spot meter comes to mind (sure would like a grid like my EOS3). I guess I can overlay grid patterns on the screen. Great idea anyone sell them?

    Customer Service

    Bad! 3-4 Weeks turn around time. Hope you have a spare! Sending back to seller. This is the second Pro Canon camera that I brought new and came out of the box bad. Canon needs to take lessons from the American Auto makers, at least they woke up.

    Similar Products Used:

    Power Shot G1 Great little camera! At least it works out of the box.

    OVERALL
    RATING
    4
    VALUE
    RATING
    4
    [Mar 07, 2004]
    agp
    Expert

    Strength:

    Reasonably priced. High quality results. Wide range of lenses - I do almost all my shooting with a Canon 17-40, Tamron 28-75 (superb), Canon 135 f2 and a very old and battered Canon 300 f4L. It is superb for sport - contre-jour shots show a kind of radiance.

    Weakness:

    Converting RAW format to TIFF (slow) Overexposes. I've set -1½ stops compensation. Just read an article saying that overexposure is better, and is then modified on the computer, so it may not be a fault - will try this.

    Having been delighted with the D30 I had used for some time, I traded up to the 10D. The camera has been a real workhorse, and the pictures are of consistently high quality. Menus easy to use, and the 3200 ISO has helped me out of tricky situations on several occasions! Set to ISO 100, the quality is stunning. With a little unsharp mask on the computer, the pictures print beautifully (biggest print so far - A3).

    Customer Service

    No need

    Similar Products Used:

    EOS D30.

    OVERALL
    RATING
    5
    VALUE
    RATING
    5
    Showing 1-10 of 86  

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