Since it is an EOS-family camera, the D30 accepts all of the more than 70 Canon EOS lenses. We tested the D30 with a variety of lenses, ranging from 20 mm all the way up to 400 mm. All performed flawlessly. Picture quality was excellent, and the D30’s auto-focus and auto-exposure systems worked well in a variety of difficult lighting situations.

The Canon EOS 30D really is the best camera in Canon’s entire line, offering the best balance between price and performance.

The Canon EOS-30D is an excellent midrange digital SLR. While its new features aren’t exciting enough to get this 20D owner to run out and upgrade, those who are moving up from point-and-shoot or entry-level D-SLRs should definitely give the 30D a look.

I approach many of my digital experiences these days with the knowledge that digital is a medium that incorporates, or perhaps envelops, photography rather than reinvents it. Digital is the great emulator, and the Canon 30D provides all the tools you might need to bring your skills to the fore, and even invent some new tricks along the way.

Nobody should then be too surprised that the EOS 30D, despite its relatively minor range of updates still deserves our Highly Recommended rating. It’s a great camera to shoot with, image quality is excellent and the high sensitivity performance is still notably better than the competition, the EOS 30D inspires confidence and delivers shot after shot.

Overall I think the EOS 30D is a great camera and I’d have no hesitation at all in recommending it to any serious photographer.

Many serious amateurs and professionals will be choosing this body as their primary camera. Many others will be choosing the 30D as their backup camera (I am a member of this group).

While there’s a lot to like about the 30D, it’s the 20D that in 2004 set a new benchmark for what an enthusiast dSLR should be. Canon’s effort with the 30D was essentially a marginal technology upgrade like the EOS 1D Mark II N was to the 1D Mark II; based on our testing results, this camera would have been more appropriately named the 20D N. That’s not to say that the 30D is not a capable camera; with 8-megapixels of resolution, excellent image quality, low noise at high ISO settings, robust shooting performance and accurate and responsive AF, it is a highly desirable enthusiast dSLR. But it has been displaced as best of breed by the Nikon D200.

Finally, we remain puzzled by the 30D’s lack of innovation. Look at Canon’s history of cutting-edge cameras and lenses and you’ll find more ground-breaking equipment than most companies can point to. The Canon EOS 30D simply doesn’t match the advances Canon usually makes.

The 8-megapixel Canon EOS 30D should be on your short list for a semipro dSLR camera.

I started this review by saying that I would help you decide between the 30D and the 5D. I can’t – it’s up to you whether you prefer the full frame of the 5D or the cropped sensor of the 30D (plus the extra £750 in your pocket – the 5D is currently twice the price of the 30D).

The Canon EOS 30D is a welcome upgrade to an already great camera. The larger LCD screen and new features will directly affect everyday shooting, while the lower price tag will give you an extra $100 to spend on lenses.

A bit of a disappointment for anyone hoping for a major upgrade, the EOS 30D is unlikely to attract anyone who already owns a 20D. However newcomers to the mid-level DSLR market will find a superbly specified camera with the usual Canon hallmarks of reliability, design and outstanding image quality. For the serious amateur or semi-pro it is the ideal camera.