In a fortnight that saw activity from all the major manufacturers Canon have launched their new 60D. It sits in the range above the 550D but below the 7D and 5DmkII in price, it has an 18 megapixel sensor and uses SDHC/SDXC cards. The camera was leaked as featuring an articulated screen ahead of its launch – this is a really nice addition for news video shooters. In addition it features manual video and audio controls much like the 5DmkII. Another great feature is the mode dial lock that will stop you inadvertently coming out of manual control – something I’ve been asking Canon about for a while. On paper at least this camera looks like a great option for those looking for a mid level DSLR with video, hopefully I can get one soon for testing.
To quote from Canon’s press release:
EOS Movies: Full HD video with complete control
Offering photographers the freedom to go beyond stills, the EOS 60D captures 1920x1080p HD video with a variety of user-selectable frame rates, including 30, 25 and 24fps, as well as 720p video at 60 and 50fps. Movie Crop mode is also available, recording with the central 640×480 pixel area of the sensor to create an effective magnification of approximately seven times the focal length of the lens.Full manual control in Movie mode allows photographers to employ their own exposure and focus settings and take advantage of the effects achieved from Canon’s wide range of EF lenses. An external stereo microphone terminal and the ability to adjust sound recording level ensures the audio track recorded matches the visual quality of the video, capturing broadcast-quality sound.
For those who want to share images with friends and family, an integrated HDMI port is compatible with Consumer Electronics Control (HDMI-CEC), allowing video and images to be viewed on any compatible HD-ready TV and controlled via the TV remote.
The company also launched a new fisheye zoom lens, a L series 70-300mm f4-5.6 zoom and a updated range of telephoto L lenses including the 300mm f2.8L IS II, 400mm f2.8L IS II, 500mm f4L IS II and 600mm f4L IS II.
You can download the full Canon press release here
