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Canon
EOS 10D Review
Peter
Kun Frary
Appearance,
Weight and Feel
This mid-sized camera
is a looker. The finish is a textured satin
black and looks a little rough and industrial. I
prefer a brushed aluminum or stainless steel finish
(easier to find in the dark). Nevertheless, the finish
is both durable and handsome. After months of rubbing
against my clothing and camera bag, the finish has not
worn or taken on a shine. In contrast, the satin
finish of my EOS A2 and 1N had many shiny spots after
only a couple months of use.
Waianae Ridge
Sunset • EOS 10D & EF 70-200 4L USM
• Av mode with -1.0 AE compensation.
I prefer a camera with
enough mass for stability and to counterbalance big
glass. At 790 g (27.9 oz) the EOS 10D is beefy, about
the same weight as the EOS 3 or 5D.
Thus, larger telephoto lenses like the EF 300 4L or EF 70-200
4L
USM balance well. At 150 x 108 x 75 mm, there is also
plenty to grip on to. In other words, it's bigger than
an Elan 7 but smaller than an EOS 3.
When in hand, the EOS
10D feels extremely solid and doesn't squeak or flex
when you squeeze it. The magnesium body is cool to the
touch and reinforces the sturdy and confident feel of
the camera. The contoured grip is comfortable--better
than the EOS 20D--but not quite
as comfortable as the EOS 3 or 1V
(they seem like part of my
hand).
Viewfinder
Like most EOS cameras
except some Rebels and the IX series, the EOS 10D
sports an eye-level glass pentaprism, New Laser Matte
focusing screen and Quick-Return half mirror. The
non-interchangeable focusing screen is reasonably
bright and contrasty with a extremely smooth
and grainless appearance (the 20D/30D
screens are gritty in comparison).
The viewfinder sports 95% coverage but is tiny, about
25% smaller than an EOS 3! Think of it as an Elan 7
viewfinder with a black cropping mask. With that said,
the 10D viewfinder is bigger and brighter than the dim
peepholes found in the Olympus E10 and E20.
The small viewfinder
makes it difficult to compose precisely: keeping
horizons or vertical lines from slopping is a
struggle. I wish the 10D had interchangeable focusing
screens or at least an on-demand grid pattern
(composition aid). Interchangeable focusing screens
are also easier to clean: remove and blow off
particles with compressed air. With a fixed screen,
the blower can't reach all surfaces. If your 10D
screen gets dirty, use a bulb blower. Compressed air
will hurl particles into unreachable places, e.g.,
between screen and pentaprism.
I find the eye relief
of 20 mm ample and have no problem seeing the entire
viewfinder, including the information display. With
Revo sunglasses (high nose pads), I can still see the
entire image and information display. Due to the small
image size, you can probably wear coke bottle glasses
and still see the whole frame!
The green backlit
viewfinder display shows F stop, shutter speed,
exposure compensation, burst frames and flash
compensation. Viewfinder display
brightness automatically adjusts according to ambient light but
is generally brighter than the
5D and 30D displays. It has an analog scale for manual exposure
and exposure compensation.
In
addition, icons for AE Lock, AF confirmation and flash
illuminate when appropriate. The transparent gray
focusing rectangles flash red when activated (this may
be disabled with a custom function).
Ease of
Use
If you've used EOS
cameras, you'll feel at home with the EOS 10D.
Operation is similar to the EOS A2 or Elan 7. I hardly
had to crack the manual. If you've never used a DSLR,
the EOS 10D is one of the easiest to learn with fully
automatic modes (point 'n shoot) and intuitive
semiautomatic and manual modes when you're ready to
take control.
All important controls
are clearly labeled and available at the twist of a
dial or switch. I could toggle in and out of drive, AF
and exposure modes in a flash. However, changing drive
modes is much easier on the Elan 7: push a clearly
labeled thumb switch on the top deck. You can easily
do this while looking through the viewfinder! The EOS
10D requires a button push and main dial input, oh
well.
The control surfaces
feel solid but responsive. The shutter button is
comfortable but requires a slightly deeper press than
my EOS 3 or Elan 7E. However, it isn't as touchy or
sensitive as the EOS 3's shutter button. Unlike the
EOS 3, I haven't had any accidental exposures! Of
course, the touchy shutter button of the EOS 3
enhances release speed.
LCD and
TFT Screens
The top LCD is clear
and larger than the Elan 7 LCD. Dull orange
illumination is available at the touch of a button on
the top deck. I prefer the blue neon glow of the EOS
1N and 3. Too bad there isn't a custom function to
change LCD color (my Casio watch offers a
choice!).
The rear mounted
118,000 pixel, 1.8 inch TFT color LCD is vivid under most conditions
except bright sunlight.
Albeit smaller, it's easier to see
than the 5D and 30D TFTs due
to greater brightness and contrast. Unfortunately contrast varies
as you move your head.
The TFT
sports 5 levels of brightness and zoom image
magnification. The magnification
feature is handy for checking exposure and sharpness in the
field. Unlike
point 'n shoot digicams, the LCD is used for image
review and menu options only--preview is not
available. The menu options seem endless but are easy
to navigate with the QCD and Jump button.
Unfortunately, the TFT protective cover is subject to
nose grease and scratches. It may be replaced, but I
covered mine with a Belkin PDA screen overlay for
protection. The clear polymer doesn't reduce clarity
much and is easy to remove when it wears out. Of
course, I had to cut the overlay to fit the
TFT.
Chinatown
Afternoon • EOS 10D & EF 24-85 3.5-4.5
USM
Cold Boot
Cold boot and wake
from sleep is a seemingly long 2
seconds. Once activated, the EOS 10D is a nimble and decisive
picture taking
machine. AF
and shutter response are about as fast as the Elan 7.
Only EOS 3 or 1V shooters will be disappointed with
shutter response. However, I find sleep mode
counterproductive. The 2 second wait after poking the
shutter button seems like an eternity when a grabshot
arises. Film cameras are always ready to go. If you
have a pocket full of batteries you can extend the
active mode or disable sleep mode entirely.
©Copyright
2003-2006 by Peter Kun Frary • All Rights
Reserved