Front (7.5)
The Canon EOS 30D looks more like the EOS 5D and even the top-of-the-line EOS 1Ds Mark II than the 20D did. However, the change is a matter of smoothed contours alone – not a single control has moved between the 20D and 30D. The yawning EOS lens mount still dominates the front of the 30D, and the flash popup button, lens bayonet release, and depth-of-field preview remain on the right of the mount. While the bayonet release is a very large button, which makes it easy to swap lenses in a hurry, the two other buttons are small.
Back (8.0)
The 2.5-inch LCD dominates the back of the 30D. It's on the left side of the back, under the optical viewfinder. The viewfinder has a wide rubber eye cup and a small diopter dial at its upper right. A row of buttons wrap around the left side of the LCD: the print/download button, the menu button, the information button, the jump button, the playback button and, set away a little, the trash button.
Left Side (8.0)
A rubber flap on the 30D’s left side covers the USB 2.0 port, A/V port, and PC sync terminal. The neck strap lug is wide and at the top of the camera. It balances well with smaller lenses.
Right Side (8.0)
The door covering the Compact Flash card slot takes up most of the right side of the 30D. When it's closed, it rests flush against the side of the camera and doesn't affect the comfort of the grip. The door will open after it is slid back about a quarter inch, but it does not have a positive latch as the top-of-the-line Canons do. In general, latches are more durable and less likely to open accidentally, but the 30D's sliding arrangement seems pretty robust.
Top (7.5)
On top of the 30D are a mode dial at the far right, a hot shoe on the viewfinder hump, and, as on the 20D, a pop-up flash. The 30D's mode dial includes scene modes to help beginners shoot portraits, landscapes, sports, and so on. A button to the right of the hump lights the monochrome LCD screen. Nearby, other control reside to enable users to adjust autofocus and white balance, drive mode and ISO, and metering pattern and flash exposure compensation.
Bottom (8.0)
The bottom of the 30D has the battery compartment cover under the handgrip and the tripod socket under the lens axis. A small latch locks the battery cover closed.
