Canon EOS 10D SLR Review



Camera Features & Controls (cont.)
On the upper right corner of the back are three buttons:
![]()
The
The ![]() The controls on the grip side of the camera have been redesigned and if you're familiar with the D60 you'll notice the addition of a dedicated button to turn the LCD back light on and off which is now a dark orange color. The dual function buttons along the top of the LCD let you change the AF mode, white balance, drive mode, ISO speed, metering mode and flash exposure compensation settings by using the Main Dial or the Quick Control Dial on the back. The controls located here are the "camera" controls. We'll cover the "digital" controls located on the back on the next page of this review.
The ISO speed is manually selectable from 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 (and 3200 if enabled
in custom functions) when in the Creative Zone exposure modes. In the Basic Zone modes
the ISO value is set automatically.
![]()
The Mode Dial is divided into the Basic Zone
![]()
![]() Images are stored on CompactFlash devices. The 10D can use any capacity CompactFlash Type I or II card and is fully compatible with IBM Microdrives. The EOS 10D supports the FAT32 file system that is used on the new CF cards with a capacity of over 2GB.
I recommended buying a BIG card for this camera, especially if you use the Raw+JPEG save
option. Shown here is the Transcend 1GB and the Delkin Devices 640MB eFilm PRO card,
both are big and very fast writing cards.
![]()
![]() ![]()
On the left side is the mini-USB Digital port, Video Out (NTSC or PAL), on the bottom is
a standard PC flash sync port and a connector for the Canon RS-80N3 remote switch,
TC-80N3 timer remote or LC-4 wireless controller.
![]() The 10D is powered by the BP-511 7.2v 1100mAh (or BP-512) lithium rechargeable pack that's good for ~650 pictures without flash or ~500 pictures if the flash is used 50% of the time. Battery life on the 10D was improved about 30% from that of the D60 thanks to its low-power CMOS imager and power-saving DIGIC processor. The supplied CB-5L (100-240V AC) compact charger requires 90 minutes to charge a fully depleted BP-511 or BP-512 battery pack. The red LED indicates the charge level.
The camera can also be powered by the optional AC Adapter Kit ACK-E2.
![]() The optional BG-ED3 battery grip (same as used with D60) holds two BP-511 batteries (BP-512 batteries can not be used) and adds a portrait grip with a vertical shutter release complete with an AE-Lock button, Focusing selector button and Main Dial. It automatically switches over to the second battery when the first one is exhausted.
![]()
If you need even more power to run the camera and an external strobe for hours
and hours then check out the high-capacity battery packs made by our friends at
DigitalCameraBattery.com.
They have 30-, 60-, 90- and 120-watt battery packs and connecting cables for all the
popular pro digital cameras and flash units.
|
Continue on to
Page Four
Return To Our
Reviews Menu
Visitors of Steves can visit the stores below for real-time pricing and availability. You can also find hot, soon to expire online offers on a variety of cameras and accessories at our very own Camera Deals page.