FIRST LOOK : CANON 60D

Canon scored well with the 550D but have upped the anti with the release of the 60D. This is a mid level camera for the photo/filmaker wanting a bit extra and it delivers.

FOCUS

The big issue wth shooting video on the 550 and other DSLRs is focus. Because the cameras flick the mirror up you can't use the view finder or the still auto focus. The video "live" focus is painfully slow and I had resorted to good old fashioned manual focus. Not that there's anything wrong with that!

The 60D has this covered - yeah! There's a setting where the mirror comes back down - rapid focus achieved and it flicks back up again. How cool is that!  It works really well.  Now we're getting smewhere. The ability to fast focus on the run is really important in film making, especially doing doccos.

SCREEN TEST

The other issue is the LCD. The fixed LCD on the back of most DSLRs is restrictive. They have fixed this with an excellent fold out and rotatable screen that works very well. Now you can hold the camera over your head and see what your trying to take a picture of! Very useful!  The 3inch display is crisp and clear and very easy to use. I'll test it with my Hoodman viewfinder once I get to bolting all my DSLR bits together and venture out for a more comprehensive test.

The 60D takes 18meg stills in RAW and JPEG as usual. You can ramp the ISO up to 6400 and it's supposed to be very good in low light. The video side is 1920x1080p and if it's as good as the 550D it'll be awesome. It fits between the 550 and the 7D so is a middle level camera aimed at snappers working their way up the Canon ladder. It can hit 5.3fps in still mode and has a 9 point focus. You can, of course, target any one of those nine points. The body is strong and fairly weighty and does reflect its middle class grouping.  Strong but not too heavy.

One of the weird things about the 550D was recording sound with no visible metering and no control. Having said that I was mightily impressed with the result. The 60D takes it further with full manual control and decent meters to look at - although it looks like they're only there when setting up. I'll check that as well.

All in all this looks really promising.  It may well be the second camera I've been looking for. Good enough as a professional camera or backup to my superb XLH1. How well it performs is a given but how flexible, fast and versatile is another question. Stand by for more soon...

By Steve Turner

I started in TV as a videotape operator for Channel Nine in 1980 and went to News editing in 1984, becoming Senior News editor for Nine Adelaide.

In 1988 moved to production editing (doing everything from sport to station promotions and programs) and then in 1989 moved to London to work for Sky News UK. This was just starting up and I helped set up the news editing operation.

The highlight of this year was covering the fall of the Berlin wall (where I location produced and edited continuously for five straight days and nights - grabbing sleep here and there). The best bit was interviewing people crossing the wall for the first time in years.

I returned to Adelaide in 1990 and freelance vision switched and also did graphics for news and production. Left again in 1991 to backpack the planet for 12 months with my partner Rochelle.

Back in 1992 and returned to production editing and graphic design for Channel Nine. I worked on all the Adelaide Formula One races (1985-1995) bar 2 (while away) doing foreign broadcast editing - packages for overseas networks in their languages.

Began Directing news in 1997 and started my own production business doing weddings and corporate work. This was followed quickly by producing science films for Flinders University and the setting up of our web business selling science related videos, CDroms, and now DVDs.

Started writing for Australian Video Camera in 2003 then Auscam when it started. Produced and shot news features for the Ten network and worked freelance on the Athen's Olympics in 2004 for Seven.

Left Channel Nine to join Channel Seven in 2005. Involved in the setup and operation of Seven's new news operation and regularly direct the six o'clock news. Directed and produced Seven's Anzac day telecasts for 2005/6 and independently produced the 13 part series "Fishing and Boating" for Channel Seven.

Produced and shot a documentary on drug abuse with an Indigenous Elders group as well as a two part docco with the RAAF. Current project include a docco on Alzheimers and another on the lives of siblings of disabled people.

I have three gorgeous small children and am a part time stay at home Dad...

...It's a busy life!!