Great control and functionality

The canon 30D is the next generation of canons dSLR line that started with the 10D, then the 20D. The 30D has some slight improvements over the previous 20D including a larger LCD screen on the back for working with the menus and reviewing your pictures. The LCD screen is not used for taking pictures; only the viewfinder is used for this. The 8mp image sensory is a crop sensory with a 1.6x magnification ratio. This is a positive thing for some situations and negative for others. If you are one who likes to shoot landscapes and other wide-angle venues then it is hard to achieve an ultra wide angle with a crop camera unless you have a very wide lens. The reason being is that whatever the focal length (i.e. 50mm) then that is multiplied by the 1.6x crop factor (i.e. 50mm * 1.6 = 80mm). But on the other hand if you are interested in a longer focal length for zooming of telephoto work then this aids your cause and allows you to buy a shorter focal length lens. The menus are laid out in a logical order and are relatively easy to navigate and use. The controls can range from completely automatic for the beginner to completely manual for the professional. The ISO settings range from 100 - 1600, this allows for a very clean portrait mode at 100 to a low light situation at 1600 without having to change the film. The AV mode is my personal favorite shooting mode because it allows me to regulate the f-stop and the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed to compensate for my chosen f-stop. The Tv mode does the exact opposite and allows the operator to control the shutter speed with the f-stop controlled by the camera. The manual mode has the operator controlling both features. There are other controls that allow for specialized shots that can utilized second curtain shutter or mirror lock-up that are available through the menus. Overall I would recommend this camera for amateur enthusiasts and professionals alike.