Canon tonight unveiled the replacement to the EOS 50D. The EOS 60D catches up to recent Canon DSLRs with 1080p, H.264-encoded video and an 18-megapixel sensor. It also brings a first for any Canon DSLRby having a swivelling LCD screen. The one-megapixel preview LCD is a three inch display which can move horizontally, vertically and at angles to help shoot photos.
The 60D now has a new Multi-Control Dial that tucks a directional pad and a select button inside the regular quick control dial. Photographers can now handle some RAW processing and effects filters with captured photos, including color space, noise reduction and correction for barrel distortion or vignetting. Images can be resized on the spot, and the filters bring tricks such as tilt-shift or induce a deliberately soft focus. All edits create second copies and won’t damage the original image.
The camera has sensitivity of up to ISO 12,800, a nine-point autofocus system. Increasing the resolution has slowed the camera’s continuous shooting mode from 6.3FPS to 5.3FPS from the EOS D50. A 63-point metering system also represents a major upgrade from the 50D’s 35-point grid, and the viewfinder now provides a slightly larger 96 percent coverage. The electronic level from the EOS 7D has came to this unit, while storage has moved away from CF and to SD/SDHC/SDXC.
Canon plans to ship the EOS 60D at the end of September as a body-only version for the same $1,099 with an 18-135mm, f3.5-5.6 kit lens for $1,399. A new battery grip designed to match the 60D, the BG-E9, arrives at the same time for $270.
