Just got my 30D

[kaelaria]

WOW!!!  Coming from a 300D which I had maxed out capability wise - this is in practice, WAY MORE than I could have hoped for!  I knew all the specs, I test drove one in the store, deciding between the 400D and 30D...now htat I have it all setup, have actually used it's features, compared it's function in real life - I am ASTOUNDED at the difference!  It's as big of a difference as when I got the 300D coming from a 2MP Olympus P&S!

Obviously you all know it's better in every way, but I just can't get over the leap of performance.  The speed boost is something I had not seen properly described, at least in comparison to the 300D.  Going from a 6 shot (RAW) burst and a 5-6 second write time per shot, to this...unbelieveable.  Now it's litterally only limited by the card capacity in jpg mode, and shooting at 5fps, for more than double the shot capacity, and in one TENTH the time...WOW!  Write time, even though file size has gone up, is down from 6 seconds to under ONE per shot for RAW.  JPG is instant.  Shot review even RAWs, is INSTANT.  No more looking at the red light, waiting through the 2 second delay between pics reviewing them.  I shot a 5fps burst of my big screen and you can play it back so fast the screen doesnt even go dark- it's like watching a movie using the big scroll wheel to go through them.  The TV litterally plays back.

I also played with my first macro lens - now I really want the 1x-5x lens to play with!  I picked up the compact 50mm, and it's perfect for what I need right now, taking shots of material defects and close dimentions of parts.  But knowing that there is a lens to go ten times closer - that is a neat possibility indeed!

Anyway, if ANYONE is tempted to upgrade from the 300D, don't wait another second, it is MORE than worth it!  Everything from the size, to the larger and BRIGHTER viewfinder, the awesome speed of every operation...day and night, that's all I can describe it as.  I'm even more glad I chose the 30D over the 400D now also, the pro factors I diserned were right on the money in real use.

Incidently I got it at www.ibuydigital.com for $1160.  I also purchased the battery grip for $199, although that is coming in another shipment.  If anyone is going to order through them save yourself some time and just call to order.  I ordered online and they waited on it for a few hours, sent me an email to call them to 'confirm my order', which was simply an attempt at an upsell.  Call in and it will be placed right away to begin with.

[macgyver]

I made that same trade up not too long ago, and I echo pretty much everything you say.  It's fun.

[oldcsar]

I made the exact same trade-up several months ago. The viewfinder and the much larger buffer are my fave highlights, as well as the roughly equal high ISO performance (possibly even a little better than the 300D, but the 1/3rd stops should be avoided since they have higher noise than their adjacent 1/2 stops). From the shots I've seen of the 400D, the high ISO performance is a little weaker than the 30D/20D, but at least there is still plenty of fine detail. I also love the build of the 30D, I can't imagine going back to any current incarnation of the Rebel's body... whenever I shot with my Tamron 90mm 1:1 Macro, the weight of the lens compared to the light body made it an awkward hand-hold.
I like the changes they've made to the Rebel series, but if I had the choice of camera after the 400D came out, I'd still take the 30D. The dust removal features sound great, but after over 10,000 clicks on my Rebel, and the gradually increasing clicks on my 30D, I have NEVER had a spot of sensor dust.

[kaelaria]

The high ISO performance is one of my favorite upgrades.  The 400 of the 30D is as good as the 100 of the 300D, and 1600 is like the 400!  I was never able to use more thn 400 on the 300D and even then had to use NN sometimes.  The 30D is leaps and bounds cleaner.

I have an arctic butterfly and other cleaning parts from VD, so cleaning is a snap when I need to use them.