Just a question on the comment:

Controls are not intuitive.

Care to extrapolate? The controls on the EOS 30 and EOS10D/EOS20D where this camera has evolved from are extremely intuitive and i'm just wondering what you're basing the comment on.

I'll agree with the center focus - but then again, look at all cameras with AF and you'll find a trade off at some point between focus and metering (both done at half shutter depression)

Joel: Compared with other digital SLRs the Canon is not an easy camera to use. I defy anyone to work out how to turn off predictive focusing, for instance, without consulting the manual. This is no big deal, it is just a comment. Canon SLRs are just a bit eccentric in the way their controls are laid out and how they work.

I have tested a lot of cameras and I would rate the Canon SLRs generally as the very best -- but there are other cameras that are easier to use with better layout and labelling of controls. That is merely an observation and not a reason not to buy one.

Terry L

Sorry to bother you, just a quick question. I am looking at either the Canon 30d or the Nikon D80 or even the Pentax K10D ( I have a K100 at the moment and a few cheao lenses). I will be using it mainly for my wife's athletics photos (she is a 100m sprinter) so I was eyeing off the 5 fps of the 30D but maybe the 3 fps of the other 2 cameras are enough? (It seems like all the professional photographers at the track meets all use Canon gear with those big grey/white lenses). If so, and I am a novice photographer, which one would you suggest for someone looking for an easy to use camera that will last for the next 5 years?
Thanks heaps,
Kip.

Kip: It's no bother. My advice would be to look at the Nikon D80 [the camera that I own and enjoy using] or the Pentax K10D. The Canon is a lovely camera but the other two offer a bit more for less. It is true that the professionals use Canon, but not the consumer models. Their 1Ds cost as much as five 30Ds. And there are fashions and fads in cameras. At the moment Canon is the camera of choice for pros -- it was once the Nikon. Pentax has gone through a period where it lost its reputation for making good, affordable cameras, but now it is back in the game. The K10D is an outstanding camera and astonishing value for money.

A new range of Pentax Super Takumar lenses is about to come on the market which will make the K10D even more desirable.

You should take your time looking at and handling all three in the shop. Check out the weight and feel of the cameras and the brightness of the viewfinder and even the noise that the mirror/shutter makes. Buy the one that feels good! You can choose the Nikon, Pentax or Canon and you will not have made the wrong choice.

TL

Great advice. Thanks heaps. It looks like you are really fond of the K10D, which is more than enough for me to have a really good look at it. I had thought it was between the D80 and the 30D only. I will look out for those new Pentax lenses with anticipation.
Cheers for some great work.

Hope this is a quick question for you - Given that I will be sitting at the end of a long jump pit or the end of a high jump mat or even at the finish line of a 100m sprint race, what would be the best type of lens to use with my K100d (soon to be upgraded to a K10d probably). I have seen that the Sigma 70mm F2.8 EX DG Macro just won an award for being a great lens - would a fixed macro lens type be a good fit for athletics action, or should I go with a more 'traditional' lens type such as a 70-300 or something similar. I can get quick close to the action if that helps, or I could always crop in Elements later. Thanks as always. Kip

Kip: This is a hard question to answer because it depends on how close you will be able to get to the critical point in the jump or the finish line. If you can get close you can use a wider angle lens which will give you greater depth of field. If you are kept way back then you will have to use a longer lens -- longer than 70mm I would think. I seem to recall that Sigma make a macro lens of about 105mm which would be better than the 70 for your purpose. They also make a nice 180mm. Both the 105 and 180 are highly rated in the lens survey at http://www.photozone.de/active/survey/querylenstxt.jsp?filter=%221=1%22

At this stage you should be consulting your User's Manual to make sure that you know how to use burst mode shooting and tracking auto-focus. I can't remember the burst speed of the Pentax but it will be respectable and useful at a sporting event.

You will also want to be using the fastest shutter speed that you can. I would be setting the ISO at 800 or even higher if you don't mind a bit of picture noise.

Remember every shot is free, so take hundreds. The more you take the better the chance of getting the handful of great and memorable shots.

TL