Canon EOS 60D

Auto Mode

The 60D isn't exactly aimed at beginners, but there is an auto mode, for users that are trying to learn to use DSLRs or users that just can't be bothered with manual controls for a little while. When shooting in auto mode, the only options you can change are image size and drive mode / timer (choose between single shot and ten-second delay).

If you think you can handle a little more than that, Canon also provides a Creative-Auto mode, which gives you access to some settings without bogging you down with technical terminology. These are the exact same options that were available on the 50D, giving you choices such as blurred or sharp background and bright or dark image. Creative-Auto mode also gives the user access to some flash controls, picture style options, and drive/timer modes.

The mode dial is now lockable—almost excessively so.

Movie Mode

Perhaps the biggest new feature to the 60D is its video-recording capabilities. Previous models in the series did not include this feature, which is gradually becoming standard on all DSLRs. Video can be captured on the 60 in a number of resolutions and frame rates, including 1080/30p, 1080/24p, and 720/60p. There are also several standard definition options and PAL frame rates available.

The most significant upgrades that videographers will notice on the 60D (as compared to the T2i) are manual audio gain control, manual white balance in Movie Mode, and the availability of 1/3-stop ISO increments. These three elements, in addition to the articulated LCD panel, are features that are incredibly useful for those that want to shoot the best possible video with a Canon DSLR. Currently, the 5D Mark IV is the only other Canon SLR that has manual audio gain control.

Drive/Burst Mode

Continuous shooting on the 60D is a small step down from the 50D. There are both high-speed and low-speed options, but at an estimated 5.3 fps and 3.0fps, respectively. Either mode shoots full resolution photos, with Canon stating that you can capture approximately 58 largeJPEGs, 16 RAW files, or 7 RAW+JPEG. (These stats are also a step down from the 50D.)

The other features remain exactly the same as they were on the preceding model. Self-timer can be set to either 10 seconds or 2 seconds. Auto-exposure bracketing is available in 1/3 steps from -1 to +2 EV. Auto white balance bracketing is available with a blue, amber, green, or magenta bias. White balance and exposure bracketing can be combined for a total of nine images.

Playback Mode

Playback mode is nearly identical to what we've seen on previous Canon SLRs. You can press the Info button to toggle the amount of information displayed (including, if you like, histograms and detailed photo info). Zoom during playback can be accomplished in a range from 1.5x to 10x magnification, in 15 steps. You can also choose how many images are visible at once: Single Image Display, Index Display (4-image or 9-image index view), Jump Display (1/10/100 image thumbnails). You can sort images by date, folder, videos/stills, or rating.

As we've seen on other Canon models, the 60D offers a playback slideshow option. You can select images according to the same criteria by which you might sort them: date, folder, videos/stills, or rating. There is a small handful of transition effects and six different interval times.

Custom Image Presets

The 60D gives you the same image presets that you had on the 50D: a modest number of scene modes (Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports, and Night Portrait), as well as the Picture Style options. The latter applies various filters, as well as altering sharpness, contrast, color tone, and saturation. Options are the same as always: Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral, Faithful, and Monochrome. Three user-defined settings allow you to adjust sharpness, contrast, color tone, and saturation manually, then save the setting for future use.