D30 with 6 mega pixel?

I was looking forward to buy a Digital SLR and have zeroed on Canon system. So I started buying EOS lenses, though presently I have no Canon body to use them . After quite a bit of research and introspection of my need, I have bought a Canon Prime 50mm 1.8 USM and a Sigma 17-35mm 2.8-4EX. I want to add two more lenses to my collection, a Canon 100-400L IS and a Sigma 70-200 f2.8 EX.

The reason I have not bought my D30 yet is I am having a six-sense feeling that Canon may be soon releasing a major D30 upgrade. The stimuli for such feeling are as follows:

1) Nikon released a D1 upgrade D1X with 5.47 mega pixel CCD.
2) Canon at least for the time set their CMOS technology aside and used a bigger CCD sensor in EOS1D. That indicates they are yet to resolve speed issue of CMOS and falling back to more proven conventional technology for their highest end model. Can it mean a demise of CMOS? Do future D30 may sport CCD than CMOS?
3) Reading so many customer complain about D30 auto focus, (which I believe can not be resolved by firmware upgrade) can Canon engineers afford sit idle? If no, then definitely a D30 upgrade will be launched with better auto focus system.
4) The price tag of D30 is steadily sliding down. I am not at all comfortable in this issue. Big guys are selling it for 2999, where as not so big guys are selling is more than 1000$ less! This never happened for any conventional semi pro SLR. What about our investment protection? After spending 3000 or more dollar for the Camera body, if the price crashes by half within a year, then at least I am ready to wait patiently with my 500$ consumer digital camera, shopping around to buy my Canon 100-400L IS, till a D30 upgrade is released.
5) My last suspicion is Canon's huge incentive to sell off D30 stock by giving a 1GB Micro drive and a Battery pack free. Lately many dealers are also throwing in one additional year of extended warranty. I do not think a Camera as good as D30 may require that kind of sale push. Or is Canon trying to sell off their present D30 to make way for a new upgrade?

What do you think?

1) Nikon uses interpolation. Besides, a size difference between 3 and 6 mp is not a two times bigger!

2) There has been reports (rumors) that a few moths ago Canon had a 6mp CMOS and a camera using it on private display. They chose CCD for 1D only because CMOS was not fast enough for 8fps.

3) The D30 autofocus isn't THAT bad. It depends a lot on lens. Bad things tend to be exaggerated in net talk.

4) It's common business practice that when demand gets bigger you start to get cheaper offers as each seller would like to get their units sold. The cheaper price is mostly achieved with dropping Propack off the box. They might also sell cheaper as they anticipate they can sell expensive lenses (with good profit) for every D30 owner. Also the indication that the big guys are selling it for a steady price says that they are not worried that demand for D30 is dropping.
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The common belief is that D60 or D80 (whatever) will cost MORE than 1D, so it'll not be exactly a viable replacement option to D30 (have to pay the D30 first!). But some say that Canon will release first a "Digital Rebel" which is a bit simplified version of D30, perhaps with 4mp chip for affordable price.

But note that this is all rumor and no-one really knows nothing.

My way of thinking: Each day you delay getting the camera is one more day with lost photos you could have taken with it.

Thanks Pekka. I have just bought my D30 from B&H auction at 1675$. Condition like new. Carries 90 days B&H and 2 years Mack. I am too happy now. Merry Christmas and happy new year to everyone.

D30 and autofocus..........

Pekka:
I'm so frustrated with my D30 autofocus.

The most common shot for $ I do is a 3/4 shot.

I'm usually 8-9 meters away. Shooting with my 70-200 f4 Canon L lense. Usually shooting at 150-200 mm (which is even higher due to D30), try to shoot with my shutter speed faster than lense MM, f5.6-8.


The below image is par for the course. I have the center focus point selected. Camera on tripod. Tilt up and put shutter 1/2 down to get autofocus, then holding it down reframe and shoot.

The below pic is: 149mm, 5.37m , 1/320/f7.1, ISO 400, AF on one shot. TV mode. Raw.

I cropped the image for quicker download..but to my eye the focus is just hehind her head. Look at the letters on the wall. And her face is soft. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh. Pretty consistently like this.

Have had the camera for a year. I think i have the latest firmware. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrgh.

HELP
http://jonsimpson.com/​post/aaargh.jpg

If your aperture was 7.1 I would expect the focal plane to be large enough to make her face and the letters in that wall in focus. Besides that, her face looks sharp to me.

Jon,

You could check the AF on your D30 to see if recalibration is needed. Get a yardstick (or a metre-stick as appropriate ). Stick it in the ground or against a wall at an angle of 45 degrees. Using a tripod from several yards/metres away and a wide aperture, focus on the 18"/50cm mark. Repeat several times with different lenses and check results for accuracy of AF.

Regards,

Pekka...I recently came across some very fime images you made with your D30, and I just wanted to ask your opinion on that camera versus the D60, and maybe even the 10D. I will soon be upgrading from a prosumer class G3 to a dSLR, but I'm a bit concerned any D30 I find out there will have a gazillion cycles on it, and that maybe a D60 would be a better choice. But then when you see how close the prices are from a D60 to a 10D, the whole mix becomes confusing. I have no glass, so my thought was that buying a D30/D60 would allow me to budget for some really nice lenses, maybe prime stuff/macro or telephoto glass. I know all of these units are great cameras, I'm aware of the slow autofocus issues with the 30, and some better in the 60, then much better in the 10D. I was so amazed with your D30 shots, that camera proves handsdown that the megapixel mania is much to do with hype and marketing, such clarity & color from a 3.3 mp camera show that explicitly. Anyway, sorry for running on so, but if you find time, your thoughts would be much appreciated.
Ciao, Mackroe

MackRoe,

you might also consider looking at a new (or used) 300D or 10D.
While the D30 is a great camera in my opinion, it's a bit aged by now. Plus, there seems to be a 'bottom' price around 400$ for a used D30 (I assume that's the bottom at the moment, I haven't investigated D30 prices recently) because it's a very capable camera.

A new 300D (taking advantage of the rebates) is not much more expensive, but most likely a lot better (6 MP, AF, ISO noise)

Best regards,
Andy