Canon EOS 30D Review: Digital Photography Review

Camera Menus

No surprises here, the EOS 30D's menu system is identical to the EOS 20D apart from the addition of Picture Style instead of Parameters. You navigate by turning either camera dial and press the SET button to modify / enter, you can press JUMP to skip to the next section. The menu is still split into three categories (red, blue, yellow) which is indicated by the colored scroll bar down the right edge of the menu.

Shooting Section (Red)


Option	Values / Actions	Notes
Quality [clip]	• Large / Fine • Large / Normal • Medium / Fine • Medium / Normal • Small / Fine • Small / Normal • RAW + Large / Fine • RAW + Large / Normal • RAW + Medium / Fine • RAW + Medium / Normal • RAW + Small / Fine • RAW + Small / Normal • RAW	- 3504 x 2336 JPEG Fine - 3504 x 2336 JPEG Normal - 2544 x 1696 JPEG Fine - 2544 x 1696 JPEG Normal - 1728 x 1152 JPEG Fine - 1728 x 1152 JPEG Normal - 3504 RAW + 3504 JPEG Fine - 3504 RAW + 3504 JPEG Normal - 3504 RAW + 2544 JPEG Fine - 3504 RAW + 2544 JPEG Normal - 3504 RAW + 1152 JPEG Fine - 3504 RAW + 1152 JPEG Normal - 3504 x 2336 RAW
Red-eye on/off	• Off • On	Enables the use of the AF / red-eye lamp just before a flash shot.
Beep	• On • Off	Enables auto focus confirmation beep. Also used for self timer.
Shoot w/o card	• On • Off	Allow shot to be taken without CF card inserted.
AEB	• +/-2 EV • 1/3 or 1/2 EV steps (C.Fn 6)	Configures auto exposure bracketing.
WB Shift / BKT [clip]	• Shift: B9-A9, M9-G9 • Bracket: BA+/-3, MG+/-3	Configures WB shift and WB bracketing.
Custom WB	• Set custom WB	Select image for custom WB.
Color temp.	• 2800 - 10000 K in 100 K steps	Select Kelvin WB temperature.
Color space	• sRGB • Adobe RGB
Picture Style *	• Standard • Portrait • Landscape • Neutral • Faithful • Monochrome • User Def. 1 • User Def. 2 • USer Def. 3

Picture Style

The 'Picture Style' concept was first introduced with the EOS-1D Mark II N and subsequently seen on the EOS 5D. A Picture Style is a pre-programmed image parameter set intended for the most 'pleasing' reproduction (in Canon's opinion) of various situations. Each Picture Style has its own preset mapping for tone and color response as well as providing the ability to tune sharpness, contrast, saturation and color tone for each. For instance the default sharpening for the Standard Picture Style is level 3, in my opinion level 2 is more appropriate and it's easy to modify this. Note that sharpness now has 8 levels (0 to 7) and contrast, saturation and color tone have 9 levels (-4 to +4).

Playback Section (Blue)


Option	Notes
Protect	Protect mode, allows you to browse images either in a single image or thumbnail view and mark each image as protected (or un-protect). This simply sets the read-only flag on the CF card file system.
Rotate	Rotate mode, again, this can be performed in either single image or thumbnail index view. This option allows you to rotate an image on-screen by 90 or 270 degrees. Doesn't actually rotate the JPEG file, but marks its orientation.
Print Order	Allows you to create a DPOF print order file, this defines which images will be printed, how many copies of each, what format etc. For use with compatible printers or photo finishers.
Auto Play	Start an automated slideshow of images on the CF card, delay between each image is preset at four seconds.
Review time	Select the record review time: 2, 4, 8 sec or Hold (as long as the shutter release button is held down).
AF points *	Choose to display or not display the active AF points in playback (only detailed playback view).
Histogram *	Select either Brightness (Luminance) or RGB histogram display.

Setup Section (Yellow)


Option	Values / Actions	Notes
Auto power off	• 1 min • 2 min • 4 min • 8 min • 15 min • 30 min • Off	Sets camera power off time, this is the amount of "idle time" before the camera powers itself off. In the power off state the camera can be woken by half or fully depressing the shutter release (or turning the power switch to Off and back to On).
Auto rotate *	• On (play mode and EXIF) • On (EXIF) • Off	Chooses whether orientation information is recorded and if the camera should rotate in play mode.
LCD Brightness	• -2 to +2	Sets the LCD backlight strength.
Date/Time	• Set Date & Time • Set Date format
File numbering	• Continuous • Auto reset	Controls the numbering method used for filenames.
Language *	• English • German • French • Dutch • Danish • Finnish • Italian • Norwegian • Swedish • Spanish • Simplified Chinese • Japanese • Traditional Chinese • Korean • Russian	Select menu language.
Video system	• NTSC • PAL	Select video system for video out connector.
Communication *	• Print/PC • LAN (WFT-E1)	Sets USB communication protocol.
Format	Format the CF card
Custom Functions	Set up custom functions	(See next page)
Clear settings	• Clear all camera settings • Clear all custom functions • Cancel	Clears camera settings and or just custom functions
Sensor clean	• Cancel • OK	Select OK to flip up the mirror and open the shutter to allow you to clean the sensor. Power Off once done.
Firmware	Select to load new firmware from CF card	Also shows current version, on our n camera; 1.0.4

* New or changed compared to the EOS 20D