Canon EOS D60

Full shutter speeds are 30 to 1/4,000th second, which is an excellent range. And while the normal flash sync is no faster than 1/200th second, using a suitable Speedlite gives you HSS flash synchronising up to the top shutter speed, which is invaluable for fill-in outdoor use.

The integral flash has a guide number of 12m at 100 ISO and has a spread for an 18mm lens. Its exposure is linked to the active AF point, ensuring some pretty good exposures. At the other end of the scale is a PC socket. This is the most common way to connect to studio flash lighting, hinting that Canon expects this camera to be tackling some serious work.

Rounding off the main features is a good sensitivity range from 100 to 1,000 ISO, but I found noise became noticeable at 400 ISO or higher. The battery life is excellent and the 1.8in TFT screen shows most of the 3:2 image aspect ratio, which is the same as 35mm film.

Action enthusiasts get some features too, with a top firing rate of three frames per second, although for true fast-action photography you may have to part with more cash for the EOS 1D (see Reviews, issue 89, p125).

The Canon EOS D60 is a serious camera offering the kind of features normally found on more expensive models. Overall quality results were impressive, both on 10 x 8in prints and from larger inkjet prints. There's no shortage of high-end digital cameras at the moment, but the EOS D60 truly stands out from the crowd and is worth every penny.

Author: John Clements