D30 v G3?

[paul162brown]

Quick question for you. Although I have done a lot of research into this myself, both on this forum and others, I would be interested to hear what you think about the pros and cons of an upgrade/move from a G3 to a older D30. I have an opportunity to get a D30 at reasonable money and the thought of going back to an SLR and having some decent lens options again appeals. I know many of you may have made the leap to DSLR from a G series but what are your thoughts on the D30? Am I better off sticking with the G3 until I can afford a newer and better specified DSLR?

[RichardtheSane]

The D30 is still a very capable and well specced camera. You will find in most areas it will be an improvement on the G3 so in my opinion go for it, and keep your G3 if possible :)

[EoSD30fReAk]

I'm still very happy with my D30 and i also still have a G2
I bought my D30 1,5 years ago new. this was the last shop model for an extremely low price, and it was a pro version (with BG-ED3 & 1GB microdrive & extra battery)
I bought this one but i could have bought a D60 for 200 euro's more at the time.
but i think you shouldn't care about the fact that its an older camera and try and keep the G3 if that's possible :lol:

[Mark Kemp]

I also still use my D30 and the pics are fine. I regularly print at A3 and nobody complains about the quality. It is not quite as fast as the D60 and 10D for autofocus and only has 3 points, but its still pretty good. I do a lot of general photography, landscape, sports and some studio and it serves me well. The newer cameras also have less noise at high ISO, which is useful, but again the D30 is not awful. I reckon the second hand and old stock ones around at the moment are a good bargain and if you want a DSLR and thats your budget then go for it.

[Andy_T]

Hi,

I'm currently pondering the same way of action ... it seems like a very seneible thing to do, if you can get a D30 at a good price.

Do it!

(But keep the G3 as walk-around-cam)

Regards,
Andy

[JohnS]

Interesting question..

I've owned a D30 for over two years (upgraded from a G1) and recently got the urge for G series camera as a carryabout. So I bought a G5, which I can't stand due to the noise (I know the G3 is less noisy than the G5) but the G5 with all it's 'bells and whistles' takes an ugly picture compared to the noise-free D30 shots.

The G5 is now for sale, which has left me with a with the burning question for a pocket-sized CMOS camera :) - As that's not going to happen I'm waiting on the 'real' Pro1 example shots as the Canon ones (to my eyes) look v.clean way cleaner than the G5 and at twice the price it should be.

[Mark Kemp]

Look at the digital ixus v3 as a pocket companion to a d30. comparable quality. decent lens with a zoom range thats ok for a compact and its very tiny

[joe]

I hate my D30.

It's construction is plasticy and doesn't feel durable. The slow autofocusing is annoying and makes me miss shots my EOS3 would've gotten. The viewfinder is tiny and difficult to accurately manual focus, especially in low light.

My opinion is skip the D30 and go with the Digital Rebel, D60 or 10D instead (DSLRs).

[arogop]

I hate my D30.

It's construction is plasticy and doesn't feel durable. The slow autofocusing is annoying and makes me miss shots my EOS3 would've gotten. The viewfinder is tiny and difficult to accurately manual focus, especially in low light.

My opinion is skip the D30 and go with the Digital Rebel, D60 or 10D instead (DSLRs).

I love my D30. I bought it used on Ebay. I upgraded from a Pentax P3N. Yes, the auto focus is slow compared to an EOS3. Heck I sometimes could focus faster with my P3N. (all manual)

But, it is a great intro DSLR camera. Its cheaper than a D60 or 10D ,and gives you a lot more options to learn on than a Rebel. The money you save you can spend on better glass, which you will have for the next body.

[kanwingshing]

If you don't mind carrying a lot more gear then D30 is a good upgrade for you. For me, I have a 10D first. Then my g-f complain about me carrying too much stuff around, so I got a used G3 as causal shooting gear.

[paul162brown]

Thanks to all for your replies.

I am currently looking at securing a deal on a secondhand D30. My thinking is, before I start buying lenses for my G3, perhaps I should upgrade and spend the money on lenses that I can use and keep after future body upgrades.

The thought of going back to a situation where I have lots of choices with lenses (I had a lovely old manual Nikon FA with Nikon prime lenses for years) is the clincher, as is the ability to throw backgrounds out of focus, which I have found much harder with the G3, a common problem with digital compacts and I really miss it. Getting used to a bigger body again will also be something to get used to, but I am trying to convince the wife to keep the G3 as a backup/portable camera, as many of you suggest.

Securing a deal on the D30 upgrade with a G3 trade in is looking the more likely outcome!

Saw a recent advert for a D60 with a lens (out of my price range at the moment) which stated that potential buyers have the seller's wife to thank for the sale, as she had recently bought him a new Canon 1Ds. So do I spend the money on my upgrade, or spend it trying to find his wife!!?? She sounds great!

Only final problem is the fact that there are new Digital Rebels being sold on e-bay at the moment for not much more than the price of a good D30 and a nice lens. The 6 mp is tempting but the cheap plastic body and other compromises are not.

I hate upgrade decisions! Things were much easier before digital came along (although the processing costs were a killer). I had a good body, good lenses, capable of taking top class shots with the right film and I simply spent my time taking pictures instead of having to think of equipment. That is one of the downsides of digital photography I have found. The speed of developement is so fast at the moment that cameras are being outdated and improved on all the time.

Mind you, I should not complain too much in some respects, as, if I do manage to secure a deal on the D30, it will be for less that a quarter of the new price only a few years ago!

Thanks again for you help.

Paul

[PhotoDude25]

Hey Paul,
I snagged myself a D30 about a month ago on ebay for $600 and so far it is the best investment I've made to date. Having shot with a film type Rebel G previously I was excited to have a body I could finally use my Canon lenses on again. Shot my niece's wedding with it yesterday and not a bad shot out of the bunch. Go for it and good luck hunting. It took me 3 1/2 months to find the one I wanted but it was well worth the wait. Let us all know how you do in your search....... :) ..PhotoDude25

[paul162brown]

Thanks PhotoDude! The decision to sell the G3 and upgrade to DSLR has been made. The G3 is up for sale and the D30 hunting is now in full swing. One last snag though, I keep seeing cheap 300D Digital Rebels for sale for not much more than a good D30 and a lens. I know the build quality does not compare and there are problems with restricted functions with white balance and flash compensation for example, but then 6 mp and an included lens is appealing? My gut reaction is to go for the D30 with the stronger build quality and enhanced features. I will let you know how I get on!

Paul

[PhotoDude25]

Good luck and happy hunting! That can be almost as much fun as the day it finally arrives and you get to shoot that first frame (and look at the result immediatley!) I think I'll probably shoot with the D30 for awhile and if I want to upgrade later on will look for a nice used D60 or 10D (both 6MP cameras). Again good luck in your search!!.....PhotoDude25

[Andy_T]

One last snag though, I keep seeing cheap 300D Digital Rebels for sale for not much more than a good D30 and a lens. I know the build quality does not compare and there are problems with restricted functions with white balance and flash compensation for example, but then 6 mp and an included lens is appealing? My gut reaction is to go for the D30 with the stronger build quality and enhanced features. I will let you know how I get on!

Paul

If the price of the new D Rebel is very close to the D30 ('and a lens' could mean a lot), then the D Rebel might be worth the trial.

Build quality of the D Rebel should be OK, and it's up to you to check out whether the 'limitations' really limit you. AF performance of the DRebel is supposed to be a lot better, and the sensor with twice the MP is certainly worth the consideration.

There have been some discussions on this forum which camera to choose - and as far as I can recall, it the price is similar, the consensus was to rather go for the D Rebel. Go hunt for those old threads.

On the other hand, those offers on eBay might just be not as attractive as they seem at the first glance...

Regards,
Andy