Canon EOS D60
 

Do these things really exist?

I have had one on backorder with Cameraworld.com for over a month and they still don't expect any in for at least two more weeks. Furthermore, they claim that they have not seen any D60's at all?

Don't some people already own this camera? Where have they been buying them? B&H won't have any for three to six weeks but I don't know if they have seen their first shipment either.

Does anyone here have this camera? Where/when/how did you get it?

Greg Matty

They are trickling out of canon at a very slow rate...a friend of mine ordered his from a calumet store...paying in advance. He ended up with two, and made a tidy profit on ebay when he sold the second one.

Rumour has it (according to chris hurd) that the reason for the backlog is a shortage of the rare metal "obtaineum" which is used on a variety of critical parts on the d60 --and also I believe ---the new panasonic 24p camcorder.

Barry

Demand far exceedes the supply. I have three friends with the camera and I actually held one and shot with it. My advice is to call some of the smaller stores. They have shorter waiting lists, if any at all. Canon has all their dealers on an allocation system that insures small stores and large stores get shipped a quota of cameras. Be patient, or call around, I'm sure you'll find one or a shorter list you can get on.

Jeff

That rare metal used in the Canon EOS D60 is actually called "unobtainium." That's why these things are so hard to get. Be patient, it might arrive before Christmas. Good luck,

Eat your hearts out, guys...I've had the D60 (the store demo) in my own two hands!

One of the perks to living in Tokyo is that you can easily find all the cool stuff made by Canon, Sony, Panasonic, etc. You also get to see some interesting prototypes and models that aren't exported overseas. Pricewise, though...most equipment costs comparatively the same as the States--or more expensive even.

Does anyone know if Canon has plans for something between the EOS D60 and 1D? The 1D is a fantastic camera, but who in the heck can afford one? Then, the next models in line are the D30 and D60...and they just don't have enough "oomph" to be considered pro cameras.

The D60 is a worthy contender in it's price range. I know many wedding and portrait photographers that are using the D60. That's not to say there's no room for improvement. I doubt there are plans for an intermediate digital SLR. The 1D sales have been less than spectacular. An intermediate model would cut into 1D sales too much. I would expect to see new models at PMA in February. Photokina is this fall and Canon might show a preview of things to come at the show.

Jeff

Mmm, after working several Canon shows this year including PMA, it's been my impression that Canon tends not to preview products all that much. They generally wait for the full-scale release (as with the GL2) or just shortly before (as with the D60).

From my own limited perspective, I doubt there will be any model between the 1D and D60, for the reasons Jeff gave. What everyone is hoping for (and what Canon is undoubtedly working on) is a digital version of the EOS Rebel, an entry-level SLR camera body, at the $1000 price point. A big reason why this hasn't happened yet is due to the current 35mm Rebel sales, which are so heavy that Canon can barely keep up.

Chris,

You need to get Canon to send you to Photokina. It happens only every other year. It's PMA except for the entire world. Canon showed a working Auto Focus 35mm SLR at Photokina in the early '60's. It only took them about 20 years to get it into production. But your correct, most camera companies today keep their new products under pretty close wraps. Nikon has always been the worst. They'd announce a product and not ship for a year or two. It was amazing what Nikon could get away with back in the 70's and 80's.

Jeff, I would love to go to Photokina! Unfortunately for me, however, this show is in Deutschland and I'm too low on the rungs to warrant an overseas flight to Eurpoa. Canon USA uses us "stringers" to fill in the gaps here in the States primarily where the full-time reps have no desire or time to go. At PMA I only worked the PowerShot counter... but still loved every minute of it!

The dynamics of how these big companies treat new product concepts is indeed a fascinating study... matter of fact I think the whole trade show experience would make a great movie. But it would have to be a comedy.

Found a D-60 but I did not buy it
 

Beach Camera has several D-60's in stock, at least they did on Tuesday. Their price was $500 higher than anyone else so I decided to wait. Most places are selling the basic retail kit for $2,199 and Beach wants $2,699. Still, they have them if anyone here has to have one right now. I have purchased from them in the past and they are a reputable company. I will check with the Watchdog's sponsors and see if any of them have a D60 in stock.

FWIW.

Greg Matty