Canon EOS 60D

$699
  • 17.9 MP
  • APS-C CMOS
  • 3" LCD
Released August, 2010
The 60D is in many ways a great camera; it's fast, with a great feature set, especially for video, and produces excellent photos and videos.
Rated 81% by by c|net (Jan, 2011)

Conclusion Check out the Canon EOS 60D

63%
72%
67%
View Details
35%
52%
52%
View Details
63%
70%
66%
View Details
85%
87%
83%
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First reviewed December, 2011

Features Key features of the Canon EOS 60D

Back view of Canon EOS 60D

17.9 MP

APS-C

Like the EOS 550D, movie shooting is accessed on the main shooting dial.
Rated 79% by by DPReview (Nov, 2010)

megapixels

0 MP
24.1 MP

17.9 MP
24 MP
30 MP
18 megapixel (The 18 megapixel 60D is an amazing camera; I'm still discovering the differences), some of which are listed below.
EOS 60D by Tooncesmom
All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 18 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which produces an average image size of 7Mb.
EOS 60D by Photography Blog (Oct, 2010)

sensor size

Canon EOS 60D
Nikon D90
Nikon D7000
With an APS-C sensor the 60D can't produce the very shallow depth-of-field footage that the 5D Mark II offers but still gives much more control in this respect than most movie cameras on the market.
EOS 60D by DPReview (Nov, 2010)
I personally use manual lens so sometimes I feel like a 5Dc or a 5DII will be better with a bigger view finder and full frame sensor would be better for portraits.
EOS 60D by Edmund (Mar, 2012)

viewfinder size

Canon EOS 60D
Nikon D3200
Nikon D5200
It gains the same wider exposure scale as the viewfinder, as well as a 6-level battery indicator plus manual focus and IR remote release icons, but loses file size / quality and white balance indicators (although oddly there's a vestigial white balance fine adjust reminder).
EOS 60D by DPReview (Nov, 2010)
The most glaring difference not easily seen in online reviews is the increase in viewfinder size.
EOS 60D by powerop (Jul, 2011)

body size

145 x 106 x 79 mm
125 x 96 x 77 mm
127 x 97 x 79 mm
The light weight is also a plus for some one that wants a light but strong body for field work or for dragging into the back country where weight counts.
EOS 60D by Robert-L.-Taylor--SaltyBob (Dec, 2010)
The weight - This camera has more size and weight than the XS did, although it feels way better in my hand.
EOS 60D by Mike_311 (Feb, 2011)

focus points

0
51

9
39
60
Taking self-portraits (with the gf) using the swivel screen takes the guesswork out and was enjoyable, since the optional contrast-detect was much faster than phase-detect (plus it chooses the focus points for you).
EOS 60D by powerop (Jul, 2011)
Focusing is quicker than my T1i and I love that I can change focus points quickly in advance modes.
EOS 60D by N.-sharma (Nov, 2011)
 

Performance Real world tests of Canon EOS 60D

DxOMark image quality

Canon EOS 60D
Nikon D5200
Nikon D7100
With being used to a point and shoot this is like night and day and I'm sure there is many things I can do better or different but for a picture lover this is a awesome camera and would recommend the camera and purchasing it from Sunset Electronics.
EOS 60D by Jordon (Jul, 2012)
While I was not able to find any obvious variance in picture quality between the 2 cameras, I did find that pictures taken with the 60D at ISO 1600 had noticeably more noise than those taken with my T3 (using the same lens, same camera settings (on-board NR and ALO disabled), same lighting and test subject, all RAW shots taken on a tripod).
EOS 60D by Suntoryjim (May, 2012)

DxOMark low light performance

Canon EOS 60D
Nikon D5200
Nikon D7100
Sure some lenses focus faster or are better in low light but most of us can just hold down the shutter and use a flash.
EOS 60D by 4America--4america (Mar, 2011)
The camera itself can take pictures at ridiculously low light conditions: I mounted my Contax 50/1.4 lens on the 60D (with an adapter) and took a photo of a deer, without flash, AT MIDNIGHT.
EOS 60D by C.-Vaccari

shutter lag

0 ms
253 ms

283 ms
208 ms
300 ms
It focuses fast, and I love having little to no shutter lag like you get with your average point-and-shoot camera.
EOS 60D by Cece--Not-So-Usual (May, 2012)
I'm amazed how easy it is to take pictures due to the greatly reduced shutter lag.
EOS 60D by Joel-Cleare (Oct, 2011)

continuous shooting

5.3 fps
3.7 fps
4 fps
The faster continuous burst rate of 5.3 vs 3.7 fps is noticeable, but the main difference is that the buffer size for the 60D is much bigger than the T2i to increase your chances of getting that perfect shot.
EOS 60D by powerop (Jul, 2011)
But don't take my word for it, don't be swayed by pixel peepers on forums, instead check out the camera sensor tests at dxomark to verify this.-Continuous Shooting Speed: While the 60D can't shoot a blazing 8 frames per second like the 7D, it can shoot a respectable 5.3 fps which is generally a more useful rate, and is a higher rate than the T2i rate of 3 fps.-Size and Weight: The 60D is larger and heavier than the T2i but smaller and lighter than the 7D.
EOS 60D by dojoklo (Sep, 2010)

battery life

1,100 photos
440 photos
440 photos
I am surprised at the length of the battery life.
EOS 60D by black-gorilla--book-lover-extraordinaire (Jul, 2011)
The battery life is much longer than the Rebel.
EOS 60D by Beth-Disharoon (Mar, 2011)
 

Our analysis How does it stack up against its top 10 competitors

pros

  • HD video
  • Generic
  • Gives you more flexibility when framing your shot
  • Great for recording movies
  • Opaque
  • Built in flash
  • 755 g
  • 145 x 106 x 79 mm
  • 1/8000 s

cons

  • 2.5 fps
  • APS-C
  • 66.0
  • 22.2 bits
  • 0.59x
  • 3"
  • 96%
  • 813 ISO
  • Aug, 2010
  • 11.5 ev
  • 12,800 ISO
  • 5.3 fps
  • 9
  • No automatic HDR
  • 253 ms
  • 17.9 MP
  • None
  • 9
  • 85.41%
  • No geotagging included
  • None
  • No automatic stitching

Reviews Word on the street

Rated 79%
Read the review (Nov, 2010)
Although the EOS 60D retains the many of the ergonomic features of the 50D (not least the large, comfortable hand grip), its handling is significantly revised.
Rated 90%
Read the review (Oct, 2010)
We'd still recommend paying the extra cash, though, principally for the 60D's excellent vari-angle screen, better viewfinder, secondary LCD screen and control dial, speedier burst shooting, more refined movie mode, and much more intuitive control layout and handling.
Rated 81%
Read the review (Jan, 2011)
It's still fast enough for anyone who's not shooting fast-moving pro sports or land-speed-record wildlife.
Rated 91% by 611 users at amazon.com
Manual controls are also very useful for video, you can control everything from the image to the audio via manual controls.
Rated 100% by by Larry-L (Oct, 2010)
The top LCD screen is handy for a quick look at camera settings.
Rated 80% by by Frank-Miles (Aug, 2011)
LCD screen can be flipped out or covered, a very nice feature.
Rated 80% by by Manka-Wu--gomanka

Lens

A tip - Along with this kit lens, buy a prime lens like Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens (right now its 100$ on Amazon and is a great value for the price)and you wouldn't need any other lens for years to come (unless you are a professional or if you really want to shoot a whale pod from the top of Space Needle).
Canon EOS 60D | Rated 100% by by Vamsi (Sep, 2011)
we have not used all the lenses yet but with the 18-55 lens we have some really great pictures of our 6mo old.
Canon EOS 60D | Rated 100% by by shawn (Dec, 2012)
Lenses - Both lenses in a box, one on a canon packaging and the other is white box which i believe its an original packaging for bundles, they are well packed.
Canon EOS 60D | Rated 100% by by Jessie (Mar, 2012)

Video

With it's 5.3 fps burst mode, great low light performance, quick autofocus, myriad video framerates, and articulating screen, the Canon 60D easily exceeds our needs and motivates me to take more pictures and improve my photography technique(s).
Canon EOS 60D | Rated 100% by by N.-Hoang--Potstickr (Nov, 2010)
I would also recommend a program called Any Video Converter, which enables you to change the resolution and format of your video to suit different hardware (iphones, droids, youtube etc).
Canon EOS 60D | Rated 80% by by Rob-Guffanti (Apr, 2011)
this good product which give very amazing quality for Full HD photos and Videosthe limitiation is the SDCard Memory which is Maximum 32GB.
Canon EOS 60D | Rated 100% by by Basil-A-Ba-aziz (Apr, 2011)

Screen

But for most users, including even those using the camera daily or in travel situations, the construction of the 60D is far more than good enough, strong enough, durable enough, and weather resistant enough.-Articulating Rear LCD Screen: The 60D is the only current Canon dSLR with this handy feature.
Canon EOS 60D | Rated 100% by by dojoklo (Sep, 2010)
It has a really great and very high resolution 1 million-pixel 3:2 ratio swivel screen!
Canon EOS 60D | Rated 100% by by Duey (May, 2012)
Maybe someday I'll regret that decision, but right now, I'm in love with the 60DThe swivel screen is a really fantastic addition.
Canon EOS 60D | Rated 100% by by Jody--bigdumptruckdotcom (Jan, 2011)

Photography

I took it to Indianapolis to photograph and video record events at the Percussive Arts Socity International Convention; I've photographed two concerts; I photographed the LoneStar Classic drumline competition; I shot a wedding; and I shot a family's Christmas photos.
Canon EOS 60D | Rated 100% by by Bill (Dec, 2011)
I was looking for a quality camera that could last me quite a while and even bring me into some professional photography situations and this camera definitely fit the bill.
Canon EOS 60D | Rated 100% by by C.-Arndt (Oct, 2011)
I have a decent sized wedding photography business.
Canon EOS 60D | Rated 100% by by Brian-R.-Hurley--Indy-constructor (Sep, 2012)

Focus

Every focused XT shot always required some DP Pro sharpening for detail.
Canon EOS 60D | Rated 100% by by Boogaloo (Oct, 2011)
Example would be the more added weather sealing, more cross points focusing, alloy body, AF lense adjustment.
Canon EOS 60D | Rated 80% by by Popcorn-77 (Apr, 2011)
In live view 'Live Mode' the whole package is considerably less impressive - the accuracy is great but focusing will regularly take 3-4 seconds.
Canon EOS 60D | Rated 79% by by DPReview (Nov, 2010)

Competition What else you should consider

1
Nikon D7000 OK benchmarked shot to shot times Nikon D7000 vs Canon EOS 60D
2
Nikon D5100 4-way tie: Supports HDR Nikon D5100 vs Canon EOS 60D
5
Nikon D5200 Best image quality as rated by DXOMark Nikon D5200 vs Canon EOS 60D
7
Canon Rebel T3i 5-way tie: Has a flip out screen Rebel T3i vs EOS 60D
8
Canon EOS 650D Has a touch screen 650D vs 60D
Front view of Canon EOS 60D

New duel?

Let the battle continue or dare to compare.


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April 9, 2012
Still Photography - On-Location (outdoor) Family/Child Portraits (with some indoor studio)

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Latest Questions

April 18, 2012
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August 5, 2012
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My first DSLR, i'm going to photography childreen, flowers, and outdoors. i want the a flip out screen. In fact its a choice for nikon or canon. would you have any other selection?

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April 16, 2012
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Unanswered Questions

April 22, 2013
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Filming outside and inside, which camera is better for making documentaries? 650d or 60d?   Thank you very mycg

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Community Find out what the Sortable community is saying about the Canon EOS 60D

69

people have recommended the

Canon EOS 60D
Top Canon EOS 60D experts at Sortable
Philip-Davis
Expert III
Canon EOS 60D
Evangelist
Mario-Arturo-Castanon
Intermediate I
Canon EOS 60D
Promoter

Sean-Stephens
Intermediate I
Canon EOS 60D
Supporter
chancenguyen
Beginner II
Canon EOS 60D
Supporter
Canon EOS 7D
  • 17.9 MP
  • APS-C CMOS
  • 3" LCD
Canon EOS 60D
Canon EOS 7D
6 more Sortable users recommended the 60D over the 7D.
View all discussions | View comparison
Intermediate I
8
votes

While the allure of the better body and gimmicks of the 7d is powerful, it's just more camera than you need. Save your money, put it towards a better lens.

Expert III
4
votes

That's a tough call. Personally, I'd go with the 60D and put the difference in cost towards a good lens

Expert III
3
votes

For you, I'd suggest the 60D because a lot of the difference in cost between the 60D and the 7D are for features that are more applicable to sports photography (faster autofocusing, 25 frames the...

Nikon D7000
  • 16.1 MP
  • APS-C CMOS
  • 3" LCD
Canon EOS 60D
Nikon D7000
17 more Sortable users recommended the Nikon D7000 over the Canon EOS 60D.
View all discussions | View comparison
Intermediate I
1
vote

Doesn't matter, buying fast lenses will get you higher image quality than any camera with a high ISO setting.

Nikon D5100
  • 16.1 MP
  • APS-C CMOS
  • 3" LCD
Canon EOS 60D
Nikon D5100
5 more Sortable users recommended the Nikon D5100 over the Canon EOS 60D.
View all discussions | View comparison
Beginner II
1
vote

The Canon has more megapixels wich gives higher quality and more cropping possibilities. It also has a lcd screen on top that displays all of the current settings and allows you to quicly change...

Beginner I
1
vote

Great all around camera, 650D doesnt have top LCD and also has more proffessional features, like higher shutter speeds like the 60D does. Also, touchscreen could get annoying and doesnt seem for...

Beginner I
-1
votes

Hi :) i use a canon 600D to take photos of children. i would recommend the canon over a nikon any day... simply because they're more user-friendly than a nikon.