Canon EOS 30D

The EOS 30D is a DSLR from 2006, built around an APS-C sensor and Canon's EF-S lens mount. It is a camera made for stills photography, with composing done through an optical pentaprism viewfinder rather than a rear screen.

The body measures 144 x 106 x 74 mm and weighs 784 g, so it handles like a conventional DSLR rather than a compact. A shoulder bag or backpack is the practical way to carry it with a lens attached.

It suits photographers who enjoy a straightforward shooting experience and anyone already using Canon EF-S lenses. There is no live view, no video and no wireless connectivity, so images are reviewed at the camera and cannot be sent off wirelessly.

The 8.2 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor works with a Digic II processor. That resolution keeps file sizes comparatively small, which makes storing and editing quick.

For moving subjects, the camera offers a maximum burst of five frames per second and a top shutter speed of 1/8000. That combination lets you catch a runner mid-stride or a bird in flight, though five fps is the peak rate rather than a sustained promise.

Sensitivity runs from ISO 100 to 3200. The top setting gives you a way to keep shooting in dim rooms, but since the range ends there, very dark scenes call for a wider aperture or flash rather than a higher ISO.

Focusing is handled by a nine-point system, and there is no in-body stabilisation. For sharp handheld frames in low light, keep shutter speeds reasonably quick or steady the camera, because nothing in the body corrects shake for you.

The EOS 30D does not record video at all; it is a stills camera by design. There is no movie mode of any kind and no choice of resolution or frame rate to weigh up, because the recording capability is simply absent.

There is no built-in timelapse function either, so animated sequences of changing scenes are not something this camera can produce on its own. You can still shoot a series of stills frame by frame, but the camera offers no way to assemble them into motion.

Composing follows the same stills-first approach. With no live view, the fixed 2.5-inch LCD cannot preview a scene before capture. Its role is reviewing photographs and navigating menus after you have composed through the optical pentaprism viewfinder, which remains the only way to frame a shot.

Round the back is a 2.5-inch LCD with 230,000 dots. It is fixed, not touch-sensitive and has no live view, so its job is reviewing your frames and navigating menus after you have composed through the viewfinder.

Its Features score of 17 out of 100 is limited, and the camera sits in the bottom 5% of cameras in our database for Features. Points were lost for absent weather sealing, touch-screen control, live view and Bluetooth.

Lighting is better provided for. A built-in flash covers casual indoor shots, and the camera also accepts external flash units, allowing lighting arrangements beyond what the built-in flash offers.

Images go onto a single CompactFlash card, Type I or II. With just one slot, every frame is written to that card alone, so there is no in-camera second copy of a shoot. If your other gear uses SD, you will need separate cards for this body.

Power comes from a BP-511A battery rated at 400 shots per charge. That figure carries no stated measurement conditions, so it is best treated as an indication, and a charged spare makes sense for a long event.

The Storage and Battery score of 24 out of 100 is limited, and it reflects this basic setup: one card slot, no USB charging and a modest endurance rating. The battery cannot be topped up over a USB cable.