Canon 60D Forum for Beginners
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NEW! The Canon 60D forum has been moved – Due to the number of comments received on this page, I’ve created an actual forum that can handle the number of discussions we’ve got going. All future questions and comments will need to be posted in the new forum. To visit the new 60D forum, click here.
To get started, go ahead and register an account here at Camera Tips.
To start a new topic or discussion, just click the Start a New Thread button in the upper right hand corner of the forum.
To reply to a current topic, just click a thread in the forum and you’ll see a Post Comment button towards the bottom of the discussion.
Happy shooting!
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WAL, AUSTON and JEREMY,
Moose here, just wanted to thank you all for keeping the 60D forum going the last few months. It’s been a crazy year with my wife and I having our first baby. My free time has been spent changing diapers and slowly working on a redesign for the site.
If you all could get in contact with me, I’d like to thank you with a gift card to Amazon. Go ahead and shoot an email to me at moose “at” cameratips “dot” com.
I’ve also got something I’d like to get your opinions on. Anyway, thanks again for contributing to the site, your time and effort hasn’t gone unnoticed. Happy shooting! :)
I bought a 60D second hand. I down loaded the software into my MacBook 10.6.8 version. The computer does not recognize the camera.
However it does show up in the USB devise tree. Does anyone know what the problem is?
i’m new with canon 60d… i have a problem with continuous shooting..
i can’t shoot more than 5 continous shoot,, although i’m in high speed mode…. and i use 16gb sandisk extreme card… how to fix it??
thanks before =)
Can you please help with my proficiency in using a canon 60D particularly with a 400m – 100m lens by pointing out what is the very setting to use to get the very best results in brilliant tropical sunlight and also in conditions that are hazy
What is the best lens for shooting while driving?
Hi. I upgraded to a Canon 60d with the 18-135mm lens.
I have upgraded from a Panasonic Lumix which is a wonderful zoom camera but very slow for fast shots. I also loved the panoramic shot on this camera. I took this camera to hawaii & loved the zoom on it (GREAT Zoom), & the panoramic shots. But it has no speed to it at all & horrible in low light.
Now I am looking for lenses for my new 60d. I need to be able to take:
Macro shots (like see the fine hairs on a plant close up)
Zoom in from far away shots (as in animals & lansdscape)
Speed shots of kids in sports during the day from stands.
Extremley low light of kids in a band concert in school auditorum.
Wide Angle Shots (Big Family Photo Shots & Landscape)
And for Fun Fish Eye Lens (which will be bought last)
I would also like filters but unsure as what to get. I have a UV, & Flourescent, & Polarizer with 52mm threads for the Panasonic. I wished these would fit the 60d as these are very good glass filters.
So far I’ve just took shots with 60d with the AV settings which I love b/c I blur the background, & the Auto. I’m about to go full manual because it’s taking the auto focus to long to focus for my faster shots. My husband told me I’m too slow, LOL.
although I still like the Panasonic for the Zoom, I wanted fast & better resolution for blown up pictures as well as low light shots.
Also I have Adobe Photoshop Elements. Is there a better program for the 60d or all they pretty much the same as far as tweaking your photo? I’m thinking of upgrading to the Lightroom or CS5.
Any help &/or advise would be greatly appreicated.
Thanks
Hi I m a Beginer bought a Canon 60D + 18-55mm Kit Lens
May I know what Setting ( ISO Shutter Speed & etc )
Tat i need to set for Low Light Shooting
eg: night time at Wedding Dinner ?
Million Thanks
Have a 60d with a 18-135 lens. Need a bit more length and wondering whether a 1.4x or 2x extender will not only fit a 60d, but is it a wise choice or a waste of money.
is there a way to crop photos right from the camera.my sister has the Nikon and she can adavnce her photo’s after she takes them
Hey im a newbie to all this photography
and iv brought the Canon 60D (FABULOUS CAMERA!)
I brought it with the twin lens kit but now i wanted to get some new lenses
i have no idea what lens does what or how to tell the differance, im looking on ebay but just not making sense what lense could anybody reccomend?
My main subjets with my camera are people but i also love landsacpe/ macro
PLEASE HELP :)
Thanks Cassey
Is there a way to have the Menu on a 60D remember the last Menu used so that after closing and reopening the Menu it returns to that Menu last used?
i have a canon 60D i was wondering what a good speed light would be ?? i dont want to pay top dollar for a canon. are there any thrid party makers for not to much $$$$?
Canon Speedlite 430EX II
at amazon.com $275.
that’s what I’m using for my 60d.
HI
i have just got the canon 60D camera for my birthday and i want to get a wide angle lens for it and a fisheye lens i have been looking on ebay for then cause they are cheaper than buying them in a camera shop, i have found some of the lens that i want but wasnt sure if i could use them cause they are from japan and the usa if someone could get back to me that would be great thankyou… CAUSE I REALLY WANT ONE
Hey,
The 60D is compatible with all EF and EF-S type lenses (this refers to the mount to attach the lens to the camera). An EF or EF-S lens from japan or USA are essentially the same.
If you want more info, you could post the lenses that you found online, and we can tell you if they are okay!
Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
or Canon EF-S 17-55mm f 2.8 is USM.
My husband and I are taking a trip out to Arizona in May to view the annular solar eclipse. Of course I would love to get some photos of the eclipse, but have no idea how to go about it. I’m sure I would have to use some sort of filter. We read about something called a ‘flourite refractor’ – is this a special filter? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I have just purchased a canon 60d and I am getting around it’s features, my questions are whilst I am reviewing photos I have taken I can zoom into parts of the photo, how can I record the zoomed section as a seperate photo, also if I select an image to photograph and magnify the image with the magnify button will I be able to take a photo with the image magnified.
Thank you
After looking around I don’t think it is possible to do without being in the print menu/print settings.
Best bet is to just pull it onto a computer and do it, sorry! Page 243 on the manual explains trimming it for printing.
Please help me. When i take still photos with my canon 60d the SHUTTER CLIKING is so loud. Can i put the sound OFF so that you cant hear the cliking. It sounds like a machine gun -
The shutter is just naturally that loud, and there is not much you can do about it….
The best thing you can do, which I can’t actually recognize a difference with, is go to menu, and on Manual i think its setting page 4, go to silent shooting, and set it to mode 1.
I can’t tell a difference but it apparently makes it quieter.
Hey Rea, its a natural sound of the shutter so it will be that loud only. What I suggest is, turn the video mode on and then click photos, it will be very much silent.
help me, learning how shoot Video on my 60D, which are the best cheap lenses to star with.
I got the EF-S 18-135 IS kit and the Rokinon 35mm F/1.8 wide angle
How many times do you want to buy and sell lense ? I’ve been disappointed with aftermarket lenses on my 60d. I ended up with not so cheap lenses. Yes everyone is correct. Invest in good glass.
I have a used canon D60 Digital about 6megapixel. With IGB memory.
Could anyone tell me how many photoes I can keep in this card, and mainly, how I can transfer the photoes to my laptop and iPad?
The Canon 60D that I have is 18 megapixel. I would strongly advise you to get at least an 8G memory card if you are planning to take pictures and maybe a few videos. You will not get many pictures on a 1G card. In fact I didn’t even know they made 1G cards. The smallest I have seen is 4G.
is there a way to save a edited avi back to the camera. I have a movie maker videoand I wanted to to save it to a DV camera?
Hi, I have just purchased a 30D to start me on the DSLR trail, my issue is that if I take a photo on the auto portrait setting the point of focus becomes whitted out. I have even tried the same with a cup and other objects and I have the same result. The focal point remains on the subject but does not focus to the rear.
Can anyone advise me where I am going wrong?
Hi,
For the life of me i can’t find the blurred background section on my menu… i know i’ve seen it there before lol – Also, as i’m new at this what creates a dramatic depth of field – I own the 18-55, 55-250 and 50mm f1.8 lenses.
There are a couple places for this. Number one try your portrait setting. Number two you could use av or manual setting. What gives you the background blur or bokeh is one having a lense that can open up like an f1.8, f1.4, f1.2. That is a vert easy way i have the 50 mm and 85mm f1.8 for portrait shooting when i want the blur and when you set the fstopi put it to 1.8 or so. Also the more distance between the subject and the background helps ou
I am a fairly new user of the wonderful 60D. I have installed the necessary Canon software.. but cannot figure out how to use the picture style editor software. I have tried opening an image from the camera… but get a response…’cannot open image’. Any ideas what I am doing wrong? many thanks…
I can’t figure it out either!! :(
Now that you have a great camera it’s time to get matching software. Lightroom 3 or if you have a Mac try Lightroom 3 or Aperature. Lightroom 4 will be out soon. LR4 is being tested now. What ever software you decide on please purchase a separate how 2 guide. It will be worth it.
Hi everyone,
I’ve been playing with my 60D for a few weeks now, and I want to get a good all purpose lens suitable for travel. Can anyone recommend one? I’d appreciate the assistance, all the lens talk confuses me a bit. But I want a lens that I don’t really have to change around allot. I have the standard twin lens set that came with the camera.
Thank you
Sarah
I am hoping you are looking at budget lens option only. I find Kit lens of 60D of very good quality.18-135mm is great range and photo quality is very good.
In premium category you have option of 24-105mm F4 L and 70-200mm F4 L. Both are on my wish list.
Hi Sarah, I have a great lens it is a tamron 28mm to 300mm great range and the glass is very clean and sharp through out the range. I took my time and found it on kijiji. When it comes to lenses the closer the focal disatance and the faster the lens the higher the quality and price. Lens speed is the amount of lightit is able to handle and transfer to the CCD’s or film plane.
The best travel lense is the canon 17-55 EF-S. The cheapy zoom lenses with a wide range will work great is you don’t mind basic image quality. Canon makes this lens specifically for travel and an superior all rounder. I can’t stress the quality of images this lens shoots.
Hi everyone!
I am also having trouble with the quality of images being produced by my 60D. I’ve just been on a trip to Bhutan and taken some great shots, only to return and find out that the quality doesn’t look that good. On the trip I was constantly checking the viewfinder and zooming in – the quality looked great. When I got home and check on the computer the pictures seemed overexposed and washed out. Is it that my computer is really old or that I’m taking the pictures badly.
Any and all help would be appreciated, I’m a newbie and going on another trip soon. Would like this problem sorted by then.
Cheers,
Angela
Hi..
I have exactly the same problem so I’m interested in any replies too.
I have it in my head that its only a kit lens and a better lens is needed,
Paul
What settings for washed out pictures? I only use manual i dont trust the camera in situations it has picked bad settings. Remember the sky and white objects can be blown out easily with bad settings. When shooting outside my iso is 100 then i adjust my shutterspeed and apeture to get the light wanted. Also if you shoot in raw yes the files are way bigger but you have more control to fix your images post.
I’ve been using the automatic settings. I’ve used landscape, automatic, etc. I haven’t really started to use the manual settings. I figured using landscape would be ideal for mountain settings but it doesn’t seem to come out right. I also bought mine in a kit.
Would a camera filter have any effect on exposure? I noticed more sun spots in my pictures and overexposure. The sun spots I know I need to get a hood for the lens, but would the camera filter have anything to do with it?
Thanks for all the help!
Angela
A filter will help but you need to learn how to use camera settings first. YouTube the relation on ISO, APERATURE, and SHUTTER SPEED. Experiment at home. Indoors and out. Shoot in manual. Auto setting are great for point and shooters. You’ve stepped up to a nice DSLR and it’s time to learn proper camera settings.
Hi Angela, I am guessing that you are referring to a “UV Filter” when you ask if a filter will have any diverse affect on exposure. If so, the answer is no.From what you are explaining in your posts it is clear to me that you are having metering woes. I dont mean that as in a fault, but more in the understanding how the camera will produce a finished photo based on the area of the picture that it metered from. The camera uses a small area in the centre for metering and applies the resulting settings for the entire frame. I note that you take a lot of mountain shots etc, these can be very difficult to meter especially if much or most of the frame is snow. Detail in bright/white areas is very easily lost through over exposure and in most cases cant be retrieved with post processing. If you take a shot like a mountain scene or any shot where there is a large percentage of bright or white subject in the frame, you need to lock exposure on a bright section of the proposed shot, then recompose the frame to shoot.
The best way to get this right is to practice with different areas of the frame and view the results. I have already posted on this subject some time back with some steps that may help so thats cool I will copy/paste here to make my task easier. If you read the following and come to understand it ( preferably through practice ) I am certain it will help. Some words on exposure metering – For those of you who may not completely get the “gist” of this, or maybe dont find enough real world application description in the manuals and in forum discussions etc, the following could hopefully be beneficial.To make this exercise as simple as poss, choose a scene something like the street where you live, or even just across the road and include a good amount of objects in the view ( approx 50mm focal length ). Set the camera to TV and dial to 125 shutter speed and set the ISO at 800. These settings should allow you to take your mind off watching them while you do the test shots . Set AF to spot metering. Select the centre focus square as focus point. Using the viewfinder, compose the picture while at the same time taking notice where the centre focus square is in the picture. If easier, pick a part of the picture first that is easy to return to with the focus square and use that as the reference for further shots.Once you have your reference target sorted, take the first shot.This shot is now the sample of what you get when you simply just compose your photo and take the shot.Now the fun bit. You will need to use the AE Lock function from here on which is the centre button of the 3 at the top right corner at the back of camera.
( When you press the AE Lock button, a star symbol is displayed at the far left in the viewfinder beside the battery symbol.)Standing in the same spot you took the first shot, re-compose the picture placing the centre focus square on the chosen reference point and look around the frame for different areas of Brightness/colour and place the centre square on your choice. Halfway press the shutter to get focus, then using your thumb press and hold the AE Lock button, confirm that the star symbol is lit and keep the button down, return the centre square to the original reference point ( all the while keeping the AE Lock button down ) and take the shot. Repeat this as many times as you like using different parts of the frame to see the different results achieved in the images.on the lcd. One of the main reasons for getting to understand this is most of us ( as beginners I refer ) concentrate heavily on the photo composition ( often only ) and dont realize that an overlooked small area of slightly darker or brighter image is right in the small metering zone. I know that you dont always get the chance to carry out such tests, but with many important shoots like group or single portraits and landscape/scenery photos, you do and it can make the difference.
One last little method that I practice, and I stress practice because it is far from orthodox, is to look at the whole picture in the viewfinder and imagine it as a black and white image, select what I guess would be around mid grey ( of the brightest and darkest areas in the frame ) and AE Lock on that, re-compose and take the shot, Quickly take a second shot using the cameras exposure and compare. This is more fun than good practice probably but I thought I would share the idea as I have regularly achieved a better balanced shot this way. Anyway, if you’re still reading, cheers and I hope you get both fun and great shots from your 60D.
Angela,
couple thoughts..If you are shooting in auto mode, you should, 99% of the time have beautiful photos. I would download some photos to a friends computer and see how they turn out. That should determine if you should find a way to purchase a new computer.(what to buy would be a whole different discussion)
I recommend shooting in CR2(raw) and make adjustment in exposure, blacks, contrast, saturation, and vibrance in the canon photo soft ware. Once you feel your photo is looking like you like it to look like, than convert it to JPEG format to transfer to the internet or send emails.
As for the kit lens that too should be more than sufficient to produce quality photos
If you played around with any settings after geting the camera. Look in your manual to see how to reset your camera to the factory default settings
Hi,
Just been out with the 60D taking pictures of clouds/landscspes, camera was set to auto, all seemed well, but when reviewing the pictures on the laptop, all of them looked overexposed and had very little colour, washed out looking pictures.
I checked the camera settings which was set to Jpeg format. I dont know if this is correct or not?
Can someone advise me on what i was doing wrong please, and yes, I am a newbie.
Thanks
I just bought Canon 60D and I have a hard time figuring out how to view raw images on my windows xp. I tried to search for several updates. Also I have photoshop cs2 and I have same problem. any ideas where to download software? Thank you.
Sorry if this forum only for camera related problems.
use the bundled software to view RAW.
I use cs4 and had to go to adobe and download the dng converter on the site. Since i shoot in raw i download my pictures to a file once that is done i open up the dng converter and convert from raw to dng. Once thats done they open in bridge or photoshop. That or upgrade to cs5. Hope that helped
I using PS CS4 to work on my images. I am having a couple of problems. One, I can’t open raw images in cs4. Also, when I open images downloaded from my 60D camera, they are always at the low 72 resolution and I want them at 300. I tried downloading updates for PS CS4 and that didn’t help. Is there anything I can be doing in the camera to fix this, or is this strictly a PS problem.
Thanks
Download the dng converter from the adobe site then you can take a file of pictures that came off your camera in raw and change them to dng then they willwork in ps cs4. Thats what i use
Sorry, just realised this is a 60D forum, so I guess you can disregard last.
I purchased an Canon 550D twins lens kit about 15 months ago and I’ve recently noticed a clunk as the auto focus takes up when photographing. It doesn’t seem to affect the finished product. Just wondered if any body can shed some light on this.
Typically a lens should always be silent and never sound like a babies rattle. There is likely a loose element inside, if it is not effecting your quality you are luck, it eventually may. It would need to be opened up and repaired by a certified opperator. It may need to be re calibrated.
Hi im using a Canon EOS 60D
Just recently Ive started to face some problem with the continuous shooting.
It won’t click more than 5 pics in M,Av,Tv or P mode when the drive is set to high speed continuous but clicks 48 continuous shots in Preset modes.
Thanks.
hi,everyone let’s talk about the photography of composition perspective and etc………
Hi
I am looking at getting a 60D twin lense kit. At this stage i dont quite understand lenses and what I should be looking for. All I know is that I am after budget lenses that will allow me to take general indoor and outdoor shots (focal points will be used a lot) and some macro shots. I would love to do some long distance shots if possible too. So basically im looking for something really versatile and on a budget budget (underneath $2000).
Thanks
Hi Shenae,, depending on what degree of macro you are meaning makes the difference to an answer to that part of your question. It is always going to be true that “macro lenses” are going to perform better than non macro ones, That said, I find the std 18-55mm IS kit lens does a very good job along this line and can get in very close before losing focus range. This lens also is well suited for your general shots. The other lens your description suggests to me is the 55-250mm IS kit lens, which of course will give you the long distance shots, and does an awesome job with the focal points as you refer to. They are both excellent lenses ( especially for the price) and if looked after will always fetch around half of the new price should you decide to upgrade down the line etc. All the above info is of course only my opinion and based fairly much on the budget figure given. Good luck with it all, Cheers.
Personally i would stay away from the kit lenses and just buy the body. A great cheap lense is the nifty fifty its a prime lense. So it doesnt zoom but it is a f1.8 so it is great in low light or indoors even eithout the flash. Also you can go for a tamron or sigma 17-50 or what they offer. I have the sigma 17-50 f2.8 and it is amazing. I suggest a apeture that doesnt change as you zoom in or out. Or your image getting to bright or to dark as gou zoom in or out. The fixed apeture lens doesnt have that problem.
Price 60d body only 899.00-999.00
canon 50mm f1.8 105.00
Sigma 17-50 f2.8 650.00
longer zooms with fast low apeture lenses are expensive i am buying one for my company its the sigma 70-200 with optical stabilization but its 1399.00
remember kit or cheaper zooms like the kit or ones that are 350.00 and less will be fine for outdoors and for non action sports where you are not adjusting zoom while taking the oicture and your good.
Remember theze are crop sincer cameras so times the focallength by1.6 to get the real mm you are shooting with. My 17-55 is shooting at 26-77 or so didnt figure it out on a calculator not a bad zoom
I have put my old sigma zoom lense on my new Canon EOS 60D. It takes the photo but gives me the error message 1. Any way round this?
If you google this you will find much company. I have read of remedies ranging from having the lens fixed/made compatable by Sigma, to countless other folk reporting that it just either isnt going to work or be cost prohibitive. There are a small number of posts claiming at least a limited success by setting the camera to AV and never going smaller than 5.6 fstop. I guess that is worth a try, but honestly rather than pin your hopes too high on a site such as this, I would take it to a camera shop and talk real nice to hopefully get some free advice on it. For your sake, I hope someone sees this and has first hand experience with the same lens. If you post the lens model, that would be further help. Cheers.
I am a begginer and I want to buy a DSLR . Is the 60d recommended for me?
The 60d is a good camera. It allows you to video and it is a great professional camera. I am a photography student and my first dslr is a canon 60d.
I got an eos60d and i was outside taking pics while snowing, so i just wanna know if the snow will damage the camera if a snow gets over the camera while taking a pics..thanx
Hi there Zee, if snow is just getting on the outside of the camera body then it will be fine. Of course, you don’t want to let snow get into the area where the lens connects, so if ya going to swap lens I would say move to a covered area.
One other thing to think about is condensation. If you are in the cold shapping photos, don’t take your camera into a warm house or car. This lets water form inside the body and we all agree this is not good. The same is true for the other way around, warm house or car then cold outside is just as bad.
What I do in this situation is, during the winter I will leave my gear in my truck over night if I am going to be using it the next day so the body of the camera is adjusted to the tempature.
I hope this helps, Auston
Would having your camera bag out with you, getting acclimated to the weather help? Then when your done outside and while still outside put your camera in the bag, zip it up, then bring the bag inside and again let it acclimate to the new conditions for a couple hours.
Hello. I recently bought the 60D (had an XT) and have 28-135is on it. Many of my indoor photos of family and pets turn out totally washed out….white or barely can tell the subject when using the pop-up flash. I have tried varius modes (auto, pgm, Tv, etc) and get the same washed out pix. Very poor opposite photos also (dark, blurred, etc) if I don’t use the falsh. Can anyone help?. Surely this high tech can do better than my point&shoot. I am hopeful this is ‘operator error’. Thanks much.
Hi Billy, can you go back to the pics “in camera” and retrieve the exposure info? In your post, you say that MANY of the shots are affected, you dont state ALL of them, which is our best clue to establish a starting point for figuring this out. Hopefully you might find some that are close to the same in composition and both shots either taken with or without flash resulting in 1 of them being fine and the other being as you describe above. If you do find these 2 or more photos, study the exposure info for any clues. If you post some examples of exposure recorded info back here with the resulting effect for each example it will provide hopefully enough clues for either myself or another reader to analyse more efficiently. Cheers.
Sorry to hijack this post but I am having the exact same problem (albeit with a 550D). I have checked the exposure info for both photos and it is the same. It’s as if the camera isn’t aware that the flash is popped up (it still fires but because it’s the same exp, it completely whites out).
e.g 1/50 f2 for flash and without flash in Av mode…
Any ideas, is it a fault? Thanks in advance…
What controls light? At f2.0 you are letting alot of light in. The lower the shutterspeed hps make your image brighter. Then a flash yeah i would think it would be over exposed. Set the to f2.8-3.5 and 1/80-100 shutter with flash and see if that helps. I use my 50 f1.8 indoors without flash using f1.8-2.2 and 1/50 shutter. Let me k.ow if this helps
Hi,
I currently use Canon 500d and mostly use my 18-200mm sigma lens.I am thinking of upgrading my body to Canon 60d in the near future.Would you have any idea if my 18-200m sigma lens will be compatible with Canon 60d.
Help will be much appreciated.Please,guide me through :)
Thanks a lot
Yes, the lens mount on the 500D and 60D is the same. So it should work just fine.
Thanks a lot for the info :)
Cheers :)
Sorry, finger trouble… Have a new Canon 60d. Yesterday it happily took both RAW and JPG images when set to take max resolution images on a new 16 Gb card.
Today it’ll take correctly sized RAW images (25Mb) when set to take only RAW images. Selecting max resolution RAW + JPG images and I just get two identically sized 7Mb jpg images. Only one of them is marked as JPG; the second has no type designation. Have restored the camera to the initial settings and reformatted the card.
Any ideas what’s happening?
An update to yesterday’s posting:
Until yesterday Windows Explorer on my XP happily downloaded both JPG and RAW images from the 60D. However, Photoshop 8 (my image processing software) wouldn’t open the RAW images – it apparently needed an additional plug-in. Adobe were singularly unhelpful, merely suggesting that I uprate to Photoshop10.
I located the necessary plug-in for PS8 but the plug-in clearly did something to the ability of Windows Explorer to recognise the 60D files correctly. It listed them all as JPG images and substantially understated the file size.
When the camera was connected to my laptop (it runs Windows 7) the JPG/RAW file combinations were correctly downloaded. After transferring them across the network to the XP I had no problem in opening the RAW files within PS8. A bit cumbersome but, for various reasons, I don’t want to install PS8 on the laptop.
However, Windows Explorer gave me the option of using the Photoshop Organiser to download the 60D files on the XP. There were no problems; Windows Explorer now listed the JPG/RAW file combinations correctly and both file types could be opened within PS8.
So, at the end of the day, it was nothing to do with the camera or the memory card. Merely a Windows problem.
I am able to download both the RAW and the jpeg images but cannot open the raw in Photoshop. Any ideas? Also when I open photos in CS4 I am only getting them at 72 resolution. Want 300, any ideas?
Have a new Canon 60d. Yesterday it happily took both RAW and JPG images when set to take max resolution images on a new 16 Gb card. Today it’ll take RAW images OK when set to take only RAW
At the end of last year I bought a Canon 60D with f2.8 24/70mm objective. I find it very hard to get enthousiastic about the 60D because 9 out of 10 pictures are not sharp.
what lens are you using? and I know what you mean i randomly seem to have the same problem its almost a hit and miss i have alot of friends who want me to take their kids pictures and so i started getting into photography for abit more of the public and at times i was scared (is everything going to work out today) lol but i got a tripod and a shutter release button it gives me hands free to be a clown as it stablizes my camera i am then limited to what i do if its on the tripod so after I’m sure i got some nice shots i take it off for some more candid moments and “most” of the shots are ok i do use the Al servo and I will put it on high-speed continuous shooting and all that seems to work for me like 1 out of 20 pictures are then sharp
This problem has been reported on an Amazon review. The salient comment recommendation is:
I mounted the camera on a tripod, used a remote release and focused on a variety of subjects ranging from around 30ft to more than 100ft. With each subject I took a photo first using the standard focus method, followed by one using live view. Every photograph taken with live view was sharp, all the others were blurred. Photographs taken at 12ft or less seemed to be mostly OK. I have several other lenses and no problems with any of them. After searching the net I found a number of other people had experienced the same problem with this lens.
This time I chose to send the lens off for calibration under warranty (just get a ticket number from Canon). The lens came back today and the difference is like night and day – the focus seems perfect at any distance! It also seems faster, though that could be my imagination. Now that the lens is working properly I am very happy with the results.
I have a strange question…I have learned alot since i got my first DSLR~60D almost a year ago. At first i was shooting in RAW format then “not even sure why” i changed to jpeg. i was looking back at some of the first pictures i took and i cant get over how crisp and clear they were, then i remembered i was in RAW so i changed back into RAW, and shot a few pix of the kids and again I was amazed of the clarity. Then today i was trying to use one light to shine one a vase of flowers and to test out the RAW again and well when i unloaded the pix and was doing the RAW developing thing lol and I noticed their was white specks almost like noise all over my pictures but mostly where it was black from shadow it was bad i also snapped a couple of my son and daughter and again the same thing i was using my 18-135mm lens and my 580EX II speed light basically only used the speedlight to fire my other light as it was more of a focused light with a snoot. I was wondering if its picking up on dust in the air (but seriously their cant be that much and that consistent) so then i thought maybe its off the lens or inside the camera body its self … … so here I am not sure what this is any help would be great.
Thank you
Terri-lyn
Is it happening with non flash shots, and have you tried the same shot with a different lens.?
Hi wal
yea i did try it with out the flash and the same results and again i stuck my 50mm 1.8 for the fact that its a bit better lens but the same thing happened. I have the RAW set to its highest quality as well. i shoot in either TV or AV i didn’t change anything once i moved the dial AV-TV are the only two settings i use really and when i shot with out the flash and only had the modeling light on i of course got a darker pic then i wanted picture so i went to AV the camera was on a tripod the whole time. i did the same thing with the 50mm and the kit lens 18-135mm.
Hi Terri-Lyn,, this is as you say strange, it is also hard to analyse from the outside in this type of arena. The ultimate goal would be to resolve the issue without the need for sending off the camera to repair shop and the consequent usually high costs of that. It is odd that you change back to RAW, take a few shots which you are amazed at, then develop this problem after using flash,then return to non flash to find that the problem has stayed and the amazing shots just prior to the flash shots dont happen anymore. Big Question — does the problem occur now in JPEG ONLY mode? This is a long shot, based on your statement ” cant be that much and that consistent” I would try a different or new SD card and even the USB transfer cable as part of my elimination process. You say in your post that when you unloaded the pix etc,- can you see the specs when you magnify the pix in the camera lcd? Please let us know how you get on. Kind Regards, Wal.
Having read too many articles and reviews to mention, and having played with my daughters 550D, I’ve settled on buying a 60D as my first DSLR, I’ve enjoyed using fairly top end compacts and am a keep videographer.
Having made the choice of bodies i now face the even more daunting question of which lens / lenses to go for ! I don’t intend to specialise in any particular style (yet anyway) and am after a good all round lens to get started. i have an overall budget of approx £1500.00 and am considering the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM but also like the idea of a wide angle prime for land landscape / fun close-up stuff. your thoughts and advice would be greatly appreciated. PS Great site for a novice DSLR’r
Mr. Tim,
Is this your budget for body + lens, or just lens? If it is for a kit set up then you will have several to choose from. For example, 18-55mm IS II, 18-135mm IS, 17-85mm, you get the point. These are all kit options I found in magazines I pickup in airports on my way to work.
I don’t really know the conversion rate from pound to US dollar, but the magazines are all marked in Pounds, and several packages are at or below your budget.
Know if that is just for a lens, then the choose is pretty much endless. On the wide angle prime, I have seen the EF 50mm f1.4 or 1.8 reconmended alot on the site. In my studies on this lens, it is one of the top lens for close-up stuff. A man on here (Mr. Wal) really likes this one. As for the landscape shots, any lens 50mm and down, is highly talked about in the reading that I have come across. That is in the prime catagory of course.
In the all around lens, I have the 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM and love it. It would give you the close up Wide angle while letting you reach out or even letting you close in to single out someone or thing.
There is also an 18-200mm (same specs) offered.
Just keep checking on here and I am sure you will get some great in put on your question.
One of the magazines I refered to is “Amateur Photographer” it has some good info as well. Others “Popular Photographer”, “Outdoor Photography” and there are others (after an all night shift brain is a little fuzzed).
I really hope this helps and I am sure others will add input to help out.
Good Shooting,
Auston
Thanks for your thoughts Auston, Having researched some more, there seems to be a train of thought that whilst the L series are recognised as the best lenses, they are not suited to the 60D, in fact one contributor classed it as “handicapping” to use a L series with 60D in that it wasn’t a FF body ?
Could i be about to wast a lot of money on top end lenses that i wont get the full use of ?
As a beginner i don’t feel ready for the likes of the 7D and feel the 60 is the right choice, really not sure which way to jump now !
Hi Tim, Even the 7D is not a Full Frame camera. You are caught up over all this more than you need to be. You do have a wee advantage however, your daughters 550D is as near as the same as you can get in terms of image results to the 60D. What lenses has she got and what do you think of the results from her camera?
The statement you read that L Lenses are not suited to the 60D (or any other cropped sensor camera for that matter) can not include the loss of the increased image quality and build quality of the lens as part of the “unsuitability” You will have a superior lens with an L Series lens period.
Canon dont even make an EF-S L lens, only EF, and there will be hundreds of thousands of cropped sensor cameras in the world with EF- L Series lenses fitted taking fabulous photos.The main points that I think you should be only considering at this stage regarding lens specs etc are, both EF and EFS lenses fit and work on the 60D,and that only the EF lenses will fit on the full frame cameras such as the 5D and 1D”s. Which means of course that any L Series lens will not be lost in the event that you one day upgrade to a full frame camera. ( NOW TO AVOID A TECH FREAK JUMPING IN AND OVERLOADING INFO THAT PUTS YOU BACK AT SQUARE 1 FOR NOT ENOUGH REASON )- It is true that the EFS lenses are built to suit better the smaller sensor cameras, and without going into unnecessary technical guff, the EFS design provides a little more wide angle over an EF lens of the same size due to the rear lens element being able to fit slightly further into the camera body because of the smaller mirror and sensor. That is a very crude and extremely simplified account of the EFS “more suitability over the EF lenses on a cropped sensor camera”.. You need to forget all that for now and return to your enthusiasm for setting up your equipment. My thought from here would be that there is potential for you to buy an expensive L Series lens that didnt end up being the range you would have preferred so I would consider this carefully all the while not forgetting the 1.6 crop factor. Keep posting if any questions and good luck with it all.
Evening Wal, thanks for your response, very helpful. My daughter has the standard 18 55 IS II Kit lens and the results are very impressive, however ever man and his dog seem to suggest the body is capable of delivering so much more when fitted with an upgraded lens.
I think I’ve settled buying the body only with an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM and an EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM which I think will give me a good spread to experiment with, was tempted by the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM instead of the 24 – 105 but think I’ll hold back on a telephoto / faster lens until i fully get to grips with a wide angle and standard zoom as i may decide specific primes would be a better bet.
Really am looking forward to getting started.
Awesome, you have made great choices!, and I like your logic. Go out and enjoy.
I do have a canon 60d with 18-135mm lens do I really need to get EF-S 18-55mm for portrait photography or indoor pictures with low lighting?
Or my 18-135 will do the same work? what I should get?
Thank you
Hi alex, your message is confusing in the last sentence.If you already have the 18-135mm lens then no you dont need to get the 18-55mm lens as well. If you feel that you want to add to ADD to your 18-135mm lens, I would consider the canon 50mm 1.8 prime lens which is very very well priced and regarded. This 50mm lens gives you a tick in the low lighting issue, and a bonus of increased optical quality. Hope this of some help. Cheers.
Mr. Wal.
Thank you very much for your advice! really help me to decided which lens to get next. I already have the 18-135mm.
Alex
I have both th e18-135mm and the 50mm 1.8 and I do love my 50mm but the 18-135mm is one of my most fav. lenses…to get that really beautiful blurred back ground I use my 50mm it also lets in more light whitch is great i do beleive it was a great buy!
I have the 50 1.8, 85 1.8, the kit 18-135, but i was unhappy with the kit lense i got a sigma 17-50 2.8 and jts amazing in low light way better then the kit lense. Highly suggezt or a 24-70 2.8
I am having a lighting issue….I want to capture shots in a school gym of my son playing basketball….if I pump up the ISO…then the shots are too grainey…..can anyone suggest if I should be using an external flash or some other setting….I’m using the 18-200 mm lens
Ms. Natalie, I often use ISO setting of 400, and let the camera set the shutter. This topic has been posted on by others on here. I would also ask, How close can you get to the action? I would also caution on the flash. Some places might not say anything but some might. I was shooting my friends child play once and the other teams coach complained about the flash affecting his players. (Sorry,,,LOL) But back on subject, it will be some trial and error but I think if you start with a ISO of 400 and can get your shutter speed to around 1/1800. This should give you a good starting point to modifiy to the conditions of the gyms lighting you are working with. Tell ya boy good luck,,,
Auston
Hi Natalie, your post topic is indeed concerning a very popular category and your particular issues are shared I’m sure by thousands. Is it possible for you to go back into the camera and look at a few ( hopefully several ) of the photos that you are referring to as too grainy.
If so, press the info button twice while previewing on the camera lcd and post the info back here of shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and what shooting mode you were in. Hopefully you still have the shots and can do this, but if not try to remember as much as you can and get back to us. With that info we may be able to help more. Regards.
hi,i just bought last 3days ago my new 60d with EF-S18-55 II kit and i have no idea,this is my first dslr.i read some tips and reviews for beginners like me.i try some shoots but i need more tips and best settings for it,any idea?and also…whats best.. versatile lens to have in it and can used yearsss….
thanks:)
Wilms,
My best tip would be to put on a pot of coffee, pour a cup, set back and start reading this board from the start. There is tons of helpful tips and people that really like to help out. You will be asked the type of photos you are wanting to get into. Their are folks on here like Mr. Wall and Mr. Robert that are very helpful. They have laied out some really great advice. I have been into photography for a few years then due to money and the cost of film, I took a break. Like you I just got the 60D and this site has quickly brought me up to speed on a lott of functions of the camera. But, I really think the best while reading the post on this site is to get your gear out and play. If you hit a snag then post and we all will chip at it till your clear.
Good Shooting
Auston
Could anyone tell me the difference between the First and Second Curtain Settings on the 60D… When is using one or the other the best option and… does the Second Curtain ” delay ” the Flash… and if so, when shooting Water Drops is it more efficient in stopping the action.?
Charlie
the difference between the two is when the flash fires in relation to the shutters in your camera open and close. In easy terms, first curtain fires at the beginning and second curtain fires right before the curtain closes. If you are having trouble freezing motion with a flash, your flash might be limiting how fast you can set your shutter speed. The shutter speed is what enables you to freeze motion. I have a canon speedlite and it has a setting known as high speed sync. This allows the user to increase the shutter speed to whatever they want. Are you using the pop up flash or do you have a hot shoe flash?
Heya!
I recently purchased the Canon 60d and am a bit of a newbie. My question is can you recommend what settings to use within a church with medium lighting without having to use the flash?
thanks!
Hi, I am not an experienced photographer by any means. However, I have been playing with my new 60d for a couple of weeks now and I think I have a basic understanding. Here are some of the settings I found to be critical for taking good photos indoors with the 60d:
1. Avoid using the built-in flash unless you are absolutely certain you will have no adverse shadows. I also did not particularly like the colors with using the built in flash.
2. I found that properly setting the white balance is absolutely critical, specially for indoor photography with no flash. I personally like to set the k value manually. If your church is anything like my church, the k setting should be anywhere between 2900 and 3300 k. You should take some trial shots with the different k values until you find the setting that will give you the truest colors. I tried the auto setting (AWB) and did not like the results.
3. The proper Exposure Compensation and ISO settings are also critical.
4. Last but not least, shutter speed. I have got some really good shots indoors (incandescent lighting) with the following settings – ISO 800, +1 exposure compensation, k of 3400. However, if you shoot in P mode, the above settings combined will automatically set the aperture and shutter speed for you. I am guessing that my shutter speed was in the 1/25 to 1/40 range, which made for some blurry shots with the slightest movement of objects or camera shake.
I have to yet try the fully manual mode with the above settings and a faster shutter speed (1/125). I hope this helps.
It really depends on the church you are shooting in and the lens you have. My church is very difficult to take pics since there is little natural light and dark wood. One thing you could try is setting your camera to AV, choose your lowest aperature number and set your ISO to automatic. You can set a limit oF how high of an ISO your camera will use and that will depend on how big you want to print. Let me know if this doesn’t make sense and I can try to explain it better.
I have a 60D with a Canon EFS 15-85. I am looking to add a longer lens and would like some advice on either the Canon EF 70-300 4.5 to 5.6 USM or the EF 70-200 F4 (non IS). Both are around $700 CDN.
Any thoughts?
I never used the 70-300 but I have the 70-200 F4L and loved it on my Rebel XT. I just bought a 60d and have only taken a few pics with it but I have not been disappointed and can imagine it could only be better on the 60d. I highly recommend this lens. Side note: you might want to check the Canon site for refurb lenses. They have that L lens for $567. Just bought my 60d from there and the thing looks brand new.
I should add that you should determine if you will miss having the extra length with the 70-300. I take mostly pics of the family and my kids playing sports and have not needed the extra length. If I ever do feel like I’m missing out on some pics I will probably add the 1.4x extender.
Mr. Bruce,
I have the 70-300 you talked about and I love it. When reading some of the reviews of this lens people talk about lack of clairity at the max zoom range. I have not seen this. Of course I have read nothing but good on the 70-200. You might want to look at the difference of the IS models of these lens. The price will be a little more but the IS mode will make a big improvment in the picture in hand held shots. I hope this helped some.
Auston
I did alot of research before buying my last lense whitch happins to be the 55-250mm i needed some extra distance i was thinking i wanted the 70-200mm but after reading many fourms i decieded to go wtih the 55-250mm apparently it produces sharper images “now I’ve never compaird the two” but i’ve shot a couple weddings for friends last summer and i must say the pictures turned out fantastic colors and depth all their !!!
Hello – I JUST got the 60D…. an hour ago.
I want to purchase 2 additional batteries and am wondering where, online, I can do that.
-Wendy
I bought some non Canon brand batteries on Amazon.com that works great for my 60D. Granted they don’t last as long as the Canon brand but as a backup battery, works great. They are called Maximal Power DB CAN LP-E6 Rechargeable Replacement Li-Ion Battery for Canon Cameras $14.25.
Try the Duracell website, have just bought 2 from there.
Mr. Wal, how long have you been into photography? You give super advice. You always break it in to beginner terms. Sir, I has a question, While digging thru some of my photos from my old Elan II E. In one photo of a football game the image of the player is super sharp and everything else is a blurr. I was using an older 75-300 mm USM lens, I can remember the details of the lens. How did that happen in the photo and how can I do it again?
Hi,thank you for the nice comment. it is great that people can help each other through a readily available site such as this but I must admit that it is quite hard to choose the right amount of info so as not to undo the purpose with too much, yet still provide the answer. Everyone of us here have one thing in common, a love for photography and a never ending quest for improvement and of course “that perfect shot”.
I have been involved in photography fairly heavily since 1993 when I bought my first SLR which was a Minolta 7xi and the results achieved with this camera hooked me. Since then I have attended various courses and probably spent way too much time and money, but hey I dont play golf or drink (much). I love wedding shoots and as you can guess from that, portraiture is my favourite category.
Anyways, to your question – often people will use the word blur for describing both bokeh and motion blur. I am sure you are describing motion blur here as I am equally sure that you will already know the ins and outs of bokeh and the depth of field steps to achieve it. So on that assumption, you are talking about motion blur, not the woops unwanted motion blur, but the planned type which some refer to as “sensation of movement or speed”. I know the shot you are describing and they can impress, but can take some practice to achieve regularly. The main ingredient for this shot is not in your camera, it is in you and it is anticipation. Study what you have in the photo that you want to do again, you will see your photo requires 2 major factors, 1 still object to focus on, and as many as possible moving objects ( the faster the better) in the same frame. The anticipation comes in by knowing the game and looking for the opportunities that will have the required factors for the shot. An example would be in Rugby Union after each restart kick off there is most often a player waiting to take the ball with a mass of players running at him, Pre-empting this play and others that may give you the same factors is your task. You are not out of the woods yet though, I have done a few of these shoots in the past at my daughters netball games and found that 1shot in about 20 gets the result, scary eh, thank goodness for digital!. Suggesting starting settings is all I can offer but I nominated shutter speed as the priority and set it at 100 ( this allowed for tiny movements of main in focus subject and offered plenty of chance for motion of fast moving objects ) The shutter speed is a requirement of the picture style sought here therefore once established cant be compromised to compensate for light variations/situations. On that 75-300mm lens I would set aperture at maximum. The ISO most definitely on auto, you dont want to change the shutter and aperture and this will keep the meter correct From here on you pretty much have to anticipate the chance then compose the frame with room in it for the incoming movement.You know you are doing this right when you find yourself quickly and calmly looking back and forth from viewfinder to field of play during the 5 seconds or so prior to the shot. And just to make it a little bit harder for you, try to make sure and include some ground in front of the main subject as it really enhances any motion you achieve. Whew! This is a difficult shot to perform let alone perfect so dont beat yourself up over it if your keeper rate is low, Pro sports photographers use $35 000 + gear to guarantee this type of shot. Cheers.
Thanks for the guidance Mr. Wal, I will use the the tips and get another shot. As for the shot I was talking about, I will post it or contact you to send you a copy when I get home (I work in the Middle East). Sir, Thanks for the help you give use newbies,,,LOL.
Auston
Hi i have a canon 60D and im trying to figure out
how to set the timer with multiple shuts. i wonder if that is possible in
the camera..thanks!!!
Hi, unfortunately no. There are however some models of remote shutter control units that have a multiple shot function that work with the 60D but I dont know off hand any models sorry you should find this info on google, or better still a local camera shop. Cheers.
You can get an ” Aputure” Remote Timer thru Amizon. If memory serves me, it cost under 50 bucks. What it allows you to do, is set it to shoot an Image every X seconds till your Mem. Card is full…. or… take an Image at a User set Interval… and it can also be used as a ” Timer “… User sets the delay. Here’s the link to the Amazon page.
http://www.amazon.com/Aputure-Powershot-Compatible-Inexpensive-Intervalometer/product-reviews/B003Y35VJA
I have been using it since I got my 60D and it’s flawless. Good Luck.
Charlie
Hi, I was also very disappointed about the multiple-shot self-timer feature not being included on the 60D! There are MANY other less-useful features that Canon should have considered taking out (especially, if this was done in an effort to make the camera more affordable)! Although I own/use the wireless remote timer, I prefer the in-camera multi-shot timer that, until the 60dD, was on every Canon that I’ve owned…even my little Canon PowerShot SD1000 Elph.
A bad decision by the makers/designers of the 60D, in my opinion. =/
I have recently purchased a 60 D …I have the 55/250 1:4-5.6IS lens. My passion is winged photography…I have flower gardens and love to shoot the hummers, butterflies and birds. I can not seem to find the proper settings to capture the whole bird in focus while flying…can anyone out there help me? I am using the Al SERVIO setting and use the manual setting and I get some fairly good images…I want to be able to shoot a flock of birds taking off in flight and all of them be in focus…exasperated in Texas=/
Hi Kelly, I would suggest your lens speed is the main reason for your concerns. Not to say that your 55-250 is not a good lens, I use it a lot and for a “cheaper kit lens” I have turned to it often because of the very nice zoomed shots it takes. I am sure that you will be getting some good shots with it when you have a still subject (especially when zoomed in ), but I have no surprise hearing that your task becomes difficult with the 2 particular scenarios you describe. Shooting a bird in flight and getting the result as you describe is hard enough even with the perfect lens for it, so dont despair as you must obviously have the skill required to be getting the fairly good images that you state. I am reading that by having your own flower gardens that we are not talking vast open distant scenes, which would tempt me to look into the 50mm 1.8 canon lens for the flock taking off shots in particular. These are very inexpensive and sharp fast lenses for the price. If you dont have a budget concern, visit a camera shop ( not a camera department of a large store! ) and discuss your needs with them. In meantime you could try;
1. Use the viewfinder for shooting ( camera way faster than in liveview )
2. In manual mode, set shutter to 500, aperture to maximum, and ISO to A (auto)
3. Try to position yourself so that the flock is more spread from left to right as a group as opposed to front to back ( depth of objects in the picture ) , and manually set the focus through the viewfinder to the desired look and wait for the moment of take-off to shoot.
I dont myself shoot this category, so hopefully someone who does will come on here and give some first hand assistance, but you may gain some advantage from the above, its all fun. All the best.
If you set the Camera’s function to the ” Sport” Setting, and keep your Subject inside the ” Center Focus Circle ” also set the camera for SPOT Focus… then all you need to do is keep the Subject inside the Focus Ring and the Camera will maintain Focus… also from your description of ” Partial Focus ” it sounds like a depth of Field Problem.
The farther back you are from what your trying to shoot, will increase the area in focus in front of and behind the subject… you might also try increasing your Aperture value to f:11 or higher, as this will also increase your Depth of Field… Using the Sports Setting on small / fast subjects, takes some practice and patience… but it’s more than worth the effort. Good luck. Charlie
Hi Wal, I am a novice photographer myself. I just bought the 60D with the Canon 18-200 IS lens. I can understand your recommendation for the fairly fast shutter speed (500) to shoot a flock of birds but I am confused about the wide (maximum) aperture setting. If I understand depth of field correctly, a smaller aperture provides better focus when shooting multiple distant objects, am I completely off on this?
Hi Art, thank you for that post, it is so very important for all of us on here not to send folk down the wrong path, lord knows it is hard enough as a beginner or novice as it is without misleading info adding to the mix. Please dont change your understanding, you are perfectly correct that smaller apertures increase depth of field rendering more and more of the image sharper with each step down. In my reply to Kelly I should have placed emphasis on the “in meantime” as I was suggesting the practice settings solely applicable to the 55-250mm lens. ( I see that reading back I have missed to keep the lens zoomed out at 55mm ) so I hope you read back over this thread Kelly.By all means if you notice the ISO could still go higher without scaring you into thinking that your pics are going to become too grainy, then stop down the aperture one step at a time and re-check what difference that is making to the ISO. When you review your pictures you will eventually establish your own personal ISO cutoff for all future shots Another way to approach this scenario that Kelly put forward in the original post – you know you have a camera with a high quality sensor which captures a lot of detail at a high resolution of approx 18mp. You can use composition to aid in increasing the in focus region of your final print without tweaking the camera settings away from what was ideal ” if only the focus area was just a bit more widespread”. You can try ( and I stress this is purely a suggestion ) to compose your shot with intentionally more in the frame that what you want in your finished photo. I would not go overboard with the amount, but this is a very easy thing to practice on shots that are just that “practice shots”. The theory behind this, each time you crop a photo in post processing you are discarding the least focused ( unless you use focus and re-compose when shooting ) areas of the original photo with the only real improvement being appearance/balance in the finished presentation. Taking your picture while purposely factoring a crop required has increased your in focus area on the final picture, As I said earlier this is purely a suggestion in the hope that it may be of benefit to someone. Questions and mistakes are the key to learning, thanks again for your post Art and please dont change your understanding, a smaller aperture provides more of the frame in focus is what I;m sure you mean by better focus and you are most certainly correct. Just before I go, Kelly if you revisit here and I hope you do, if you do decide to try the canon 50mm 1.8 lens for your flock taking off photos, start with the earlier posted settings except for the maximum aperture. Start around f4 and asses results from there. Cheers.
Hi there,
I’ve spent the last 2 hours looking for an answer to my question.
Hopefully someone here can quickly help me out.
I purchased a Canon 60D on Friday. Got home powered it on and started learning about it’s many features. One thing I really liked was that when I pressed the AF, DRIVE, ISO or Metering buttons (on top beside the LCD panel), the settings would display on the large 3″ LCD Monitor and I could quickly and easily SEE and change the settings.
At some point on Saturday, I noticed that when I pressed the above mentioned buttons, the LCD Monitor no longer lights up and does not display the desired settings.
I’ve tried re-setting the camera, removing the battery, thoroughly reviewing all the menu items and even reading the manual but cannot find a way to restore the previous functionality.
I’m looking for someone else who has a 60D to confirm whether this functionality was just a figment of my imagination or if my camera is defective.
Any solution, reply or general help will be greatly appreciated.
Regards…BMan
Hi, it sounds to me like you have switched to the viewfinder. The button to the right of the eyepiece with the camera symbol on it is what you use to switch between Live View and Viewfinder. Push that button to activate Liveview, then the AF, drive mode and ISO settings should appear as you first noticed. The metering mode is not shown or available in Liveview mode however.Switching between certain Modes on the wheel ( top left ) automatically switches the camera to Liveview which takes a bit of getting used to but you soon get the hang of it.
Hopefully this is all that is going on . Cheers
Hi Wal,
Just wanted to say ‘Thank You’ for your quick response.
Yes…when in Live View mode, the buttons do what I expect.
It appears that I must have pressed the ‘Info’ button on the camera after I had powered it on. With the ‘Info’ screen displayed, the buttons also do what I was expecting. Unfortunately, the ‘Info’ screen does not shut off when I press the shutter button to take a picture and it can be distracting to leave on.
I will have to get used to using the camera. Loving it so far though.
Thanx again…BMan
I’m upgrading from my Rebel XSI to the 60D and I’ve been looking everywhere for information to confirm that I’ll still be able to use the lenses that I purchased for my Rebel. I have the 18-55 (kit), 50mm 1.8 and 28mm 2.8. Does anyone know the answer to this? Thanks!
Absolutely yes in all cases.
Hi everyone, I have been racking my brain for, well this is the 5th day with 6hrs sleep in between (vacation in front of camera forums and eBay). Decided on a Canon 60D but need the lens, I have narrowed it down ( I Hope!) to the following:
* Canon 60D w/ canon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Standard Zoom Kit for $1300
* Canon 60D w/ EF-S 18-55mm f/305-506 IS MarkII Auto Focus + Tamron AF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 D E Macro Kit for $1250
My interest is I do alot of up close pictures for online sales, I want to do some really cool landscape pictures that I can maybe even blow up large and sell and of course family portraits and bithday parties but they are not my biggest concern. The kits come with the macro lens and the 2X Telephoto (you know the small little lens that come in kits), filters, etc…
Please help me make my mind up, I need to finish this and move on to something else.
Much Appreciation for any help!
Hi, the 1.6 crop factor turns that Tamron into a 120 – 480mm lens on the 60D which doesn’t suit the situations you describe, with the exception of being able to shoot tight single person portraits which the 18 – 200mm covers in the first option. The 18 -55mm lens does a good job with close up, but that is also covered by the 18 – 200mm. So given the choices that you provide I would go with the 18 – 200mm. I would only add that I would investigate a prime lens further down the line if I wanted a little more image quality for a specific category of my photography. Good luck with it whichever choice you make.
Thanks, I appreciate the help!
I am trying to buy an battery grip with a timer in it, can anyone please help me with a model that will suit my 60D?
This is my first dslr and am still fairly new at using it in manual mode. I am trying different settings all the time, but I just can’t seem to get that crystal clear picture, not even in auto mode. I recently started looking into the focusing. It’s really starting to bother me because I feel as though I was getting clearer photos from my point and shoot. I know different lighting situations determine what settings to use but if you have any tips that might help me figure out how to get those crisp photos that I should be getting I would appreciate it so much! :)
Hi Denise, I can sense the anguish in your words. You are of course right to expect improved images and you will. I will try to help you with some shooting tips, and some tests that you can easily carry out to try and determine the probable factor/s to your problem. I am going to base this response on the assumption that you are having actual focus issues as opposed to motion blur or high iso probs. Firstly the good news is there is a simple test you can perform to cancel user technique.
If you have a tripod, set your camera onto it and choose a still scene to photograph that has some good sharp detail. A sign or writing that has clear well defined edges is perfect. Set the best detail to be in the centre of your photo. If you dont have a tripod, set your camera on a stable non slip surface and just do your best to compose the shot. Now set your camera to AV mode and set the aperture to 7.1.
Set the ISO to 125. The shutter speed will be automatically selected and it does not matter what it is for this test as you either have the tripod or “benched’ camera. Set the AF to one shot, and the shutter timer to 2 or 10 seconds ( you choice on that one ) Once you are happy that all is good to go take a couple of shots using the timer and upload to your pc for checking. You probably have by now figured out that those camera settings used with a well calibrated camera and lens and with no camera or subject movement during the exposure will give a clear sharp return. This test is only step 1 of a few more to try and sort and it will be most definitely best to try them using as many seperate posts as required rather than try to branch out into all the scenarios before they probably wont be needed.
If you have more than 1 lens, do this test with them all ( there is a reason for this, re- isolating camera or lens in the very unlikely event of a component fault ). Post your results back and we can move to next step.
Meantime, a few tips that will help in this area and definitely will if you are perhaps unaware of them.
Get into the habit of using the viewfinder for all handheld shots.
Your camera operates much quicker and you get a 3rd part of you body to help stabilize it, both those factors aid greatly towards defeating motion blur.
Spend some time shooting in manual with the shutter set at 250, the aperture set to one stop above maximum, and the ISO on A (auto).
The reason for the one stop above maximum is that typically most lenses will be sharper when moved off their maximum.
The ISO set to auto gives you just one setting to periodically check and should stay at very acceptable ranges for daylight shoots.These cameras are very clean at 800 ISO for photos 7×5 and a bit above.
The idea behind spending a bit of time using these settings is so that you can forget the settings, you have them locked, the auto ISO will keep your meter bar centered and you can spend some quality time just composing your shots and practicing your steady hold while using the viewfinder.
See how you go, all the best and I will look back for your response.
What is a good rermote shutter release for the 60D?
Click on the link listed on the right of this page titled “Canon 60D Guide” and Moose gives you the names of two remotes. They are:
Wired Remote: RS-60E3
Wireless Remote: RC-1
I haven’t gotten a remote for mine yet so I can’t tell you anything about them, but these are two that he had listed.
Thanks Lisa,
Auston,
I have the RS-60E3 myself. Good and reliable, with the only possible negative being that the cable is only 24″. That hasn’t been a problem for me, but we’re all different, so it could be with you. I opted for the wired remote due to a few less than favorable reviews I read on the RC-1 wireless, but have no hands on to verify if it has issues.
Considering buying one of these too and looked on amazon at the reviews. You might want to check out the reviews too. One of the things mentioned as a negative for the wireless one was you had to be in front of the camera for the wireless one to work.
Thanks Lisa, I’ll check those out,,,,
I am wanting to set up a home studio. I have been photographing animals for some years now and want to start on people, (first grandson). I am pretty set on the camera side. I am asking about lighting equip., backdrops,, ect,,,,,. Thanks for the help.
Has anybody used a compatible but non-Canon battery with the 60D? Any band recommendations? Also, does that void the warranty?
Hi Ami,
Batteries can be changed without voiding the warranty. However, the cheaper batteries tend to have a shorter charge and lifespan. If you are picking up a battery for £10 it probably won’t be that great. I’d certainly try and work out what you’re missing out on when its a 5th of the price.
However, they do work. If you want to have a few batteries available as back ups they can work.
Simon
I recently purchased a Canond60 with a Sigma ring flash to take intraoral photos and video. I am using a Sandisk Extreme 30 gb, 30mb/s card. I am working out the camera setting to optimize the result. Camera settings: ISO 200, F32, ETTL for flash, manual focus. Problem is there is a considerable lag time to view the pics on the LCD
display as well as to be able to take the next pic (30sec). Any suggestions?
Mr. Marc, I was having a simular problem and call a tech guy. I was useing a Sandisk 8gb, class 4 card. He told me the lag could be due to the lower card rating. I picked up a Sandisk Pro 16 gb, class 10, and have not noticed the lag. It was explained to me, the class rating is linked to the load/save speed of the card. I hope this helps.
I was using a class 10 card. I did figure it out… the flash setting needs to be adjusted to 1/250 sec fixed when in the AV mode.
Cool Mr. Marc, Gald ya got it going.
After a long wait I have finally now got an SLR camera, I was previously using a Lumix FZ38 camera, which I had only got to grips with on the manual setting and was starting to take some excellent shots. However, I cannot seem to get a larger aperture than f5.6 on the actual camera – would someone be able to let me know how to adjust this on the camera because I cannot imagine that f5.6 the lowest aperture number I can select?
Hello Everyone,
I am referring to the aperture on the EOS 60D not the Lumix. Thanks :)
Set the camera to AV mode and use the dial to set the maximum aperture for the lens fitted. The camera itself doesnt have a aperture setting as such, It will only match any lens that is fitted for the settings.Out of interest, what lens are you referring to?
If you have the kit lens (18-55mm) when it is zoomed in it will only open to f5.6.
It’s all about the lens. Wal is right, get it in AV mode and see how you go. Try zooming out all the way.
What setting should I use to take Hummingbird pictureswhile in flight taking nector from a flower
Mr. Howard, are you wanting to freeze the frame, or have a blured effect on the wings. Is the area in bright light or shaded?
Hi!
Can anyone help me with which lens I should purchase?
I am about to buy my 3rd Canon SLR (2nd DSLR) and have decided on the 60D however I am stuck on the choice of lens kit. I already have a 100-300mm 1:4.5-5.6 and 28-105 USM that are over 15 yrs old as well as a twin kit bought with my 350D which includes a 75-300mm 1:4-5.6 that I never use (preferring my older zoom which at the time cost around $1,000). So I find it hard to compare my old lenses with the new ones on the market. Not sure if my old 100-300 is a better quality than the 55-250mm offered with the kit lens and whether I will be better off with the 18-55mm or 18-135mm. My main focus in a lens at the moment is shooting the kids indoor basketball – none of my lenses cut it in this aspect. I am after quality I guess before convenience. I am going to get a 50mm f1.8 as well. I would be grateful for any suggestions or opinions!
Hi, that is a bit of a hard one really to answer. You probably already well know that none of the lenses you mention are great for capturing action in low light. Obviously the 50mm 1.8 will do best, but the fixed length will be quite limiting and tend to become boring in terms of shot style quickly. ( thats my opnion by the way ). I do know that the 60D also comes as a twin lens kit option at least in my country and this is a good way to get a healthy discount usually versus buying an extra kit lens down the line. The lenses generally offered in the twin lens kit are the 18-55 and the 55-250. I have not seen the 18-135 ever offered in a twin lens package. With any of the 3 kit lenses, I personally would use TV mode with shutter set to 160-250 and set ISO to Auto. ISO will probably go way higher than liked, but may well print ok in album size prints. It all depends on available lighting of course but you may be forced into giving it a trial anyway. Definitely using AI Servo for the AV mode would be my choice in that department. Hope you sort it and get some great pics.
Definitely using AI Servo for the “AF” mode would be my choice in that department. ( Typo sorry in the first post — AF, not AV )
I just bought the 60D in a 3 lens kit. In the kit was the 18-135mm and I have used it indoors for my childrens school/church activities and it worked very well. I think in the gym with the lighting there it should do well. In the past I used an ELAN 2E with a 28-80mm (in SLR format) with good results at indoor basketball games.
I would recomend increasing your ISO to about 400 and increase your shutter speed to 1/1800 for good freeze frames to stop the action. But as you know playing with it gives you the best action pic’s with a little blur for motion…. Let me know how it turns out….
Thanks Wal and Auston for taking the time to reply. I’m in Australia Wal and they are offerring a twin lens kit with the standard 18-55 and 55-250 or the Super kit which is a 18-135mm (same price as the twin lens kit) or a Premium kit which is a 18-200mm lens for about $200 more than the other kits.
I guess I’m thinking that the narrower your zoom range the better the IQ. Am I right? So the 18-200mm may be more convenient in that you don’t have to change lenses but that in comparison the twin lens would give you better IQ?
Same that the 18-55mm would give you a better IQ than the 18-135mm.
If that wasn’t the case and someone tells me that the 18-135 was a better lens than the 18-55mm I guess I would go for that and use the higher zoom lenses that already have.
What is the f value on your 28-80mm Auston?
Hi Anne, me in NZ across the ditch. I know the place you’re in right now, it all suddenly turns to a mind spin when you get close to making the purchase. One good thing I suppose for you is that you already have a few lenses to experiment with on the new camera.Your 28 – 105 USM lens, is that working well? If yes, I would definitely fancy that on the 60D for at least some of the shots you want due largely to the faster focus drive of USM. I know that dont help with kit options at this stage however. I am not aware that zoom range alone is a factor of IQ,( unless you are comparing the same range “L Series Lens” to a non “L Series Lens”). It dont matter how many reviews you look up on any of the 3 kit lenses – 18-55, – 18-135, or the 55-250 because they are all full of both haters and lovers of each model which really just lands you right back at square 1. I think they are all good for the price and use my 55-250 most of the time with great results. Auston has posted personal success using the 18-135 in a similar situation to your intention which is good info to receive. Another bonus with that choice to me would be the versatility for shoots other than the gym. Whichever way you go, take some sample shots with high ISO ( 800 – 1600 ) the improvements to noise reduction/grain etc on the 60D compared to the 350D you are used to is significant and you will really cash in on shutter speed and % of keepers. All the best Anne.
Ms. Anne & Mr. Wal, I am sorry I cut off on the kit that I got. Actually, I had my wish list in a notebook and my wife bought the kit for me. Anyway, it came the 18-135, 55-250 and 70-300. They all were USM with IS. Like Mr. Wal the 55-250 is the one that gets the most time. And on the IQ of the kit lens’, I far from a PRO on any level, I just really love to learn, but I have had people choose my shots over the local PRO’s in my home town. Ms. Anne I think you will have great results with any of the lens’ you happen to choose. Best Of Luck
Oh by the way, I am from South Mississippi.
Thanks Austin. That sounds like a great kit your wife bought you. To get those 3 lenses with USM must have been a great deal.
My mind is changing constantly as to which lens kit to go with. Today(!) and it might change tomorrrow (!) I’m thinking the 18-200 IS (but not with USM) or the 15-85 IS USM.
Unfortunately it doesn’t seem my purchase will be anytime soon as the 60D in the major stores in Australia is out of stock due to the flooding in Thailand last year where a major component is built. One of the stores was trying to talk me into the 550D which comes with a pretty cool “adventure pack” but I shall hold off I think to get the 60D.
Will let you guys know when I eventually make a decision and purchase. Thanks for your help. Cheers!
Ok, so I am trying to download my images to my computer(Apple) for the first time. Installed disk with Utilities. Should I take out card and use the memory card reader/writer and USB or straight from the camera?
When I do connect directly from camera, I get a window that says not compatible with this version computer. I am using Mac OS X 10.7.2
Thanks
Hi Kristine,
I have a Macbook Pro with 10.7.2, I have installed the canon software, latest version of the software is available onine at the canon website.
http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/support/consumer/eos_slr_camera_systems/eos_digital_slr_cameras/eos_60d#ServiceAndSupport
When I plug my camera into the USB port and turn the camera on, it opens up iphoto, I simply click on the import photos button and the photos are imported into the Mac. Not sure if this makes a difference but check your camera firmware version, the latest is 1.1.0 . In iphoto your camera should also show up on the left side under devices.
I read somewhere on the Canon website that the EOS utility is needed for uploading photos. I new at working with Mac so can’t offer more specifics. Hope this helps.
I tried ‘live view’ shooting some wildlife today. (Using 120-400mm)
The lens kept trying to focus and took several seconds holding shutter down before it made an exposure. Is there a setting different from through the viewfinder?
I just upgraded from a Rebel to a 60D. The problem I’m having is when I shoot in RAW w/ my 60D, PS (CS4) isn’t recognizing/opening the files. I’ve never had this problem before. Any suggestions?
Use Adobe Lightroom to manipulate RAW files
There is a lot of concern and frustration currently regarding different format RAW files and the inflexibility that goes with that in regards to compatibility between editing programs/studios etc. I dont know too much about this but do know that a “format” named DNG appears to be possibly of help to you. I dont know if you used RAW with your old Rebel or not, nor do I know what format it was, but I do know that the 60D RAW format is CR2. . DNG is recognised by PS ( CS4 ) and there is a free download for the converter. Google CR2 to DNG and you will find it. I know this is a long way around, but better than nothing in meantime
Hi Julie,
I had issues with Photoshop Elements not recognizing the CR2 file format. I had to install a new carmera raw file that I downloaded from Adobe site. Check out http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/collection.jsp?collID=1&platform=Windows and see if they have a RAW update for your version. the install requires you to replace an existing file in your system rather than run a program so follow the instructions for installation closely.
good luck
Hey all,
I have never had a DSLR before, but I really want to get into photography more. I’m most likely buying my camera within the next few days, but I was wondering if the 60D is good for a beginner. Right now my choice is between the T3i and the 60D. The 60D obviously is a better camera, but do you think it’s too advanced for someone to start with? Any suggestions would really be appreciated. Thanks!
I would recommend buying the 60D. I am a beginner myself and I just bought the Canon 60D. It is worth the money, especially the kit lens that it comes with, which is the 18-135mm. For a beginner, it’s the perfect lens you’ll need. Also, the Canon 60D gives you a faster shutter speed than the T3i.
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I purchased my Canon 60d a few months ago. I have shot several training videos and even a doritos commercial on it. It is a wonderful camera and the lcd is really helpful. I was filming at an animal shelter and one of the dogs ran past me and the camera hit the ground. The battery came out but the camera barely hit the cement. I put the battery back in and shot a few pics and some video and everything was fine. I got home and recharged the battery and now the cameras buttons do not work. I cannot hit the video record button, playback button or set button. i can go into photo mode and shot a few pictures and they will show up in the lcd for about thirty seconds then disapear. I cannot record video either or playback video. Its like the camera is frozen. The lcd is fine. There is an unlock button on the bottom of the camera but when I press it nothing happens. I also changed the cards but it also did no good. Thanks for your help!!
When I press my 60d’s shutter button half -way down, it doesn’t have that digital sound for the autofocus. Can anyone help me enable that sound? Pls. reply asap. thanks.
What lens are you using?.
Wal’s right. what lens and how old is it? I have a 28-80mm Canon lens from my older camera and it doesn’t work in auto focus, but is great in manuel.
Go to menu on your camera and the first setting with the little camera icon has a list below the second one on the list should have “Beep” make sure it’s enabled, if it shows disable, the hit the set button and switch to enable. I don’t know much about camera’s still learning, but this has worked for me, perhaps I haven’t encountered a lens that it won’t work on. I don’t have the lens Auston talks about. I had a rebel xt, guess I should check with those lenses.
My instruction manual is in Japenese and I am having some trouble with the settings.
I use my 60D for filming. The ISO is set to 800 – and the exposure is set to 0.
But it is still dark and grainy on the LCD and when it records.
What am I missing?
Thanks Lisa
You can download a english copy of the manual from this webpage. Look at the top of this page on the right and there are several links printed in blue. Click on the one that says Canon 60D Manual. When that page opens you can click on “click here” to read the manual, or just below “click here” is another link to the official canon website.
Haven’t used my camera for filming movies, so I can’t help with that. Does the camera seem to work o.k. when you are taking still shots?
I picked up my 60D last night. I got the 18-135mm lens. Im trying to shot a high school basket ball game. What type of setting should I use in a gym?
same question… high school basketball, way settings? I am going to my sister’s first game as a starter, and my first day with my 60D 18-135mm lens kit. I know I want to upgrade to the 70-200mm 2.8 lens, but for tomorrow, what should i do to maximize the shots i get?
I would use the movie mode, but adjust your light temperature settings as well as the Iso and the frame rate accordingly to let in. Check the manual out for that.
John,
Basketball games are tough in the beginning. Use the “TV” mode (shutter priority) and bump your shutter speed up to around 1/250 w/an ISO of 2000… you maybe able to lower your ISO if the gym is well light… the lower the ISO the better (less grain/noise)
Assuming you mean still shots, I agree with Jade. Would only add to make sure to set AF to AI Servo. That setting continually re-focuses on a moving object right up till the shot being taken.
Hi, just bought 60D.
I want to shoot high speed while in live view & AV mode (auto focus off… using it for macro of bugs)…
It works when I turn the mode dial to “sport”… clicks away at Xfps… but other settings are locked (i.e. ISO)
Am I missing something simple?
Thanks
Does anyone have any experience with this lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens? I need a lens that I can attach to my 60D and take a picture of my family in front of our Christmas tree (indoors). The only lens I have now is a 120-400mm and that lens does not work well inside taking more one person’s face.
I have that lens. It’s ok. I haven’t used it in a while, but if memory serves, if you plan to get the whole tree and such in the frame, your going to need to be able to physically stand back a bit, and I am not sure how much room you have. I used it on my old XTi and the standard 18-55 kit lens generally worked a little better for me. That all being said, its not a bad deal for the money so long as you have the room to use it. Wish I could have been more help. But it hasn’t been out of my bag in 3 years, so I just don’t remember the specifics on it.
Greetings,
I recently upgraded the software in my 60D. Now the internal flash no longer pops up. The camera thinks that I have an external flash mounted. Has anyone else experienced this? How can I fix it?
Thanks,
Is
I answered my own question with a little more research on teh net. It was a mechanical problem with two small metal fingers in the flash shoe. They were no longer popping back up after removal of the external flash. I fixed the problem by simply taking a small scredriver and forcing them back up – basically put them back in original position. Built in flash now works again.
Greetings,
I recently upgraded the software in my 60D. Now the internal flash no longer pops up. The camera thinks that I have an external flash mounted. Has anyone else experienced this? How can I fix it?
Thanks,
Is
Hi all. Please help me. We shot the wedding last week. And one of my friend’s footage doesnt hve any sound. I reckon he forgot to switch the sound setting from manual (or whatever) to auto. So the result is It has no sound at all. If someone has some information, please tell me how to figure it out.
Many thx.
Hi Folks,
I am about to buy 60D after spending a week reviewing 600D, 60D and Nikon 7000.
I am new to DSLRs…have heard many people suggest not to go with starter kit. Can you guys recommend a lens to start with, want to have fun clicking basic pics. Though I have no budget constraint but want to start with a meaningful lens and grow with it. Thanks a bunch.
Basant, I think the starter kit is the best way for you to go. Look at the kit with the 18-135mm, this one would give you a wide range to play with while you are learning your new camera. But, you can go with just the body and buy the lens seperate if money is not an issue. (LOL, I wish I had that problem,,,) The 18-135mm gives you a good wide angle with the ability to zoom in one lens. There are wider range lens made by Tamarc, and Sigma, but I think the kit lens would give you great results.
Hi all,
Using my 60D + kitlens attached with 430EX2 in P mode, but the JPEG captured was in reddish color. Is it because of the internal setting or could it be something else? Pls help…
Thanks.
I noticed alot of my own pictures had a orange color to them that i fixed in photoshop till I learned to take my camera (in menu settings) off AWB auto white balance. I used a sheet of white paper took a picture and custom set it,or set my own number i set it to 3000k or less depends on my lighting. I don’t know if this is what you meant
Have you considered shooting in raw mode? If no, you will find this a whole new and quite amazing option. Even if you only use the in-camera processor to alter and then convert the photo back to jpeg, the options available give you a huge sense of confidence when you are actually taking your photos. With your photo displayed on the camera lcd screen you can actually “re-take” the photo altering many of the most important settings including Brightness, AWB, and alter the picture style settings that the photo was taken with, or even switch to any of the other picture styles and alter those as well if needed or wanted. You can view all of the changes instantly on the lcd as you go, can make them in any order and they will only adhere to the pic if you want ( by pressing set to each change ) Once you have looked at and applied any/all changes you simply scroll down to the save icon and the camera will save your edited copy as a jpeg and retain the original raw file which of course means you have everything to gain by trying this and nothing to lose. Effectively you have a digital negative which allows you to take the photo again as many times as you want using the available options in the camera raw file processor. If you have not shot in Raw before, and try this, you will never take important shots in any other format again. If you or anyone else reading this needs help to get to this, I would be more than happy to answer questions, as I am sure other folk will happily jump in to help if I dont get to question in time. Good Luck.
does 60d work in elementts 10
hello all, I have had my 60d for aweek now have 2 questions. First how do you set the camera to focus on multiple targets like in family portraits, my problem is i set it to focus on center outside people blurry even when I increase my 50mm 1.4 to 3.5, or 4 or 5.6…can u set it to focus all points?
Second question is anyone else having a problem with blurry/soft pictures? Regardless if i use 50mm or the 18-200mm 9 pictures of 10 are blurry with multiple settings (iso 100-3200, f1.4-5.6, shutter 250-.3 etc) set on P or av I just cant get any sharp picks except full auto with flash. Just wondering if should send in for calibration
thank
^^+1 Really good post, would like to hear answers on these questions as well.
I’ve had my 60D w/18-200mm for about a month and I’m also trying to work out focusing issues. Don’t know if you can set all points to focus at once. Seems like the options are to pick a point or let the camera choose. Two things I’ve found to be helpful is to use Quick mode to focus or use manual focus. I haven’t taken group shots yet but have played with depth of field. The greater the depth of field, the sharper the image will be overall.Try experimenting and stopping down your aperture to 18 or more. Depending on lighting you may need to use a tripod. Google and read as much as you can. Somewhere you’ll find that nugget that will help you. It’s helped me. Good Luck!
Seems like I am having some of the same problems you do. My camera seems to want to focus on the object that is closest to you. I haven’t seen the option to set the focus points so that all the focus points are used at once. Many of my photos do seem soft. I wondered if my inexperience was the reason for this, or is something off with my camera???
I started reading through some old questions on this website and may have found a recommendation Moose posted 2/3/11 that may help. He says “.…to get the whole frame in focus, try shooting in aperture priority (Av) and select an aperture of f/11 or higher.”
Hi Robert, go back and have a look at the info on your clear flash shots if you still have them on card, or take a few more with flash to get the clear shot back that you describe. Then take a look at the shutter speed that was used to achieve it. I would guess anywhere around 125 – 250 will feature on your clear flash shots. I own the 60D myself and did find the images soft right from the start about a year back when I first used it. I will try to assist on this question over a few posts as I am uncertain as to how much type can be submitted in each post.
Post2 – The reason I asked you about the info on past flash shots is to show that you have already proved to yourself that the camera will record sharp images at 125 plus shutter speed. ISO on this camera I found very forgiving up to 800 in regards to noise especially for prints around the 7×5 size, but I personally would try to stay around 160ish for large prints. Family group shots are difficult at best, but I am happy to share some of my tips for you and others to take or leave as you wish.
Firstly though, I think it important to mention that a 50mm lens on the 60d is equal to 80mm which although certainly not capable of using for group photos, it would be at the upper limit of choices.
Try to use the viewfinder as much as poss, if you are used to using live view it does seem wrong at first but I guarantee you, once you get used to it you will see the benefits and probably feel like more of an amateur when you revert to liveview shooting ( especially handheld shots ) The camera focuses,and operates much faster thru the viewfinder which is of course a step in the right direction to sharper images.
Try also to get into the habit of quickly glancing at the settings in the viewfinder just before you take the shot, this seems busy and overwhelming as a beginner but it does become very easy 2nd nature if you keep at it. You should soon establish your own awareness of the limits that you accept in each of the readings that you glance at. ( depending of course the shot or effect of the shot you want )
If you are at a gathering say like a family xmas and you are mostly going to take heaps of snaps to print 6×4′s for the album, try setting the ISO to 800 or 1000 while in AV mode with the aperture at 6.3 or 7.1 Keep an eye on the shutter speed so as not to go below 100 and go for it. If low light brings the shutter speed down too far, open the aperture one stop at a time to bring the shutter speed up instead of hiking the ISO. Set the AF to AI Servo for these type of pics as this mode will continue to track moving objects for focus immediately prior to the shutter activating ( this af mode is also what I found far superior for sports events etc ) As you try this and any other methods that you come up with you will learn more through comprehension. Why as well as how is key to understanding.
Wal,
Thanks very much for your reply to this post, found it very helpful.
Stella,
Thank you for your nice words. All of us who buy this equipment have done so to get the best photos we can. Although the pros will spend way more on their gear, it is still a very big investment for the “home pro” to get the 60D with a few lenses and I think it is great for us all to pitch in and possibly help others to achieve better results. It is completely possible to get the “pro” results with time, and practice using the 60D.
Some words on exposure metering – For those of you who may not completely get the “gist” of this, or maybe dont find enough real world application description in the manuals and in forum discussions etc, the following could hopefully be beneficial.To make this exercise as simple as poss, choose a scene something like the street where you live, or even just across the road and include a good amount of objects in the view ( approx 50mm focal length ). Set the camera to TV and dial to 125 shutter speed and set the ISO at 800. These settings should allow you to take your mind off watching them while you do the test shots . Set AF to spot metering. Select the centre focus square as focus point. Using the viewfinder, compose the picture while at the same time taking notice where the centre focus square is in the picture. If easier, pick a part of the picture first that is easy to return to with the focus square and use that as the reference for further shots.Once you have your reference target sorted, take the first shot.This shot is now the sample of what you get when you simply just compose your photo and take the shot.Now the fun bit. You will need to use the AE Lock function from here on which is the centre button of the 3 at the top right corner at the back of camera.
( When you press the AE Lock button, a star symbol is displayed at the far left in the viewfinder beside the battery symbol.)Standing in the same spot you took the first shot, re-compose the picture placing the centre focus square on the chosen reference point and look around the frame for different areas of Brightness/colour and place the centre square on your choice. Halfway press the shutter to get focus, then using your thumb press and hold the AE Lock button, confirm that the star symbol is lit and keep the button down, return the centre square to the original reference point ( all the while keeping the AE Lock button down ) and take the shot. Repeat this as many times as you like using different parts of the frame to see the different results achieved in the images.on the lcd. One of the main reasons for getting to understand this is most of us ( as beginners I refer ) concentrate heavily on the photo composition ( often only ) and dont realize that an overlooked small area of slightly darker or brighter image is right in the small metering zone. I know that you dont always get the chance to carry out such tests, but with many important shoots like group or single portraits and landscape/scenery photos, you do and it can make the difference.
One last little method that I practice, and I stress practice because it is far from orthodox, is to look at the whole picture in the viewfinder and imagine it as a black and white image, select what I guess would be around mid grey ( of the brightest and darkest areas in the frame ) and AE Lock on that, re-compose and take the shot, Quickly take a second shot using the cameras exposure and compare. This is more fun than good practice probably but I thought I would share the idea as I have regularly achieved a better balanced shot this way. Anyway, if you’re still reading, cheers and I hope you get both fun and great shots from your 60D.
dear moose
i will see my live view in my computer (just for having large preview)
i read something about it in camera manual & i know its possible but how…??
shall i buy a HDMI cable?
….
thanks for all…
I have the cannon 60d I traded my cannon t1i for the cannon 60d.
I have two questions or maybe three. I have the 70-200 f2.8 I have the 17 – 55 f2.8 and the kit lens that came with it.
I want to take good cheerleading action shots. When im close i use the 17-55 and when im far i use the 70-200. I dont know wht settings to use on my camera. Can someone give me a step my step on the settings. Do i use action or tv.
2nd questions: I want to take pics of christmas lights outside and i know to use my 17-55 f2.8 lens but need settings for that as well.
last questions. Would love to take pics of the moon and prob should use the 70-200 f2.8 lens but what settings for that too.
Thanks you so much for any help u may have.
Just purchased 60d and cannot figure out how to remove timer info and black bar at the top of the screen when using the stereo av cable to my tv or editor for playback. No problem with the video playback, but the data material will not go away. What am I doing wrong.
Thanks
I read somewhere that if you use anthing lower than a class 10 sd card it will cause the video to blur. Is that true? I have a class 4 that works just fine for video, but it does seem a bit soft. Has anyone else heard this?
You want to get the Class 10 card. The class 4 card won’t make it blurry but what it will do is it can cause your video to stop recording in the middle of a shoot. It has to do with the writing speed of the camera. The lower number cards won’t write fast enough for the camera speed and therefore they freeze up. My best advise is to get the fastest card. Stay away from Patriot or PNY. Get a Sandisk extreme for example. Other advise would be to get a 16 gig one. The smaller ones don’t hold enough video and the bigger ones……Well, if they go bad you just lost 32gigs of footage. The 16 tends to be perfect for volume and safety as well as cost effective. Hope that helps. Check out Philip Bloom’s site as well. Tons of info on there.Good luck!
I have a class 4 sd but i just ordered a class 10. It seems like the class 4 was making my video more noisy. Is that possible? because the iso wasn’t high enough to make the noise that significant.
What is the fastest lens I can put on Canon 60D? Can I put somthing like an f/2.0 on it?
Thanks
The 50mm 2.8 for a $100 rocks!
Gary what brand lens. and where would i get it for $100.00
canon 50mm f1.8 for 100$ at amazon or B&H photo picked it up for my sons xmas gift
It Rocks! Tack Sharp
The 50mm f/1.8 is a fine lens. Don’t let the cheap plasticky feel fool ya. It is tack sharp. I just sold mine and bumped up to the f/1.4, but the f1.8 is about the best 100 bucks you’ll ever spend on a lens. The fastest lens I’ve had on camera is an 85mm L f/1,2 (rental). Now that was a BEAST! As soon as I find that $1800 I’ve got laying around here somewhere, I’ll buy it instead of renting!
Hi Moose,
Hppay Holidays!
I have a Canon 60D. The photos that I take are all more than 5MB. I can’t upload to my facebook or other websites.
What should I do? Thank you for your help in advance!
you can reduce the setting of Mega pixel from your gear. if you select the highest mega pixxel for sure it will more 5 MB each photo
HI,
Iv been using my 60D for nearly a yr now, but i constantly keep getting error 01 (clean th electrical contacts on th camera and lens and use a Canon lens) after 30min into photo shoots, and continually after every 5-10 min.. i take the lense of and clean and change lenses but it still happens..
i have cleaned n always looked after these components.. why does it keep coming up?
should i take it in to be looked at or can i do something at home to help?
Thanks =)
had that problem with 50mm prime went to the camera shop the guy checked it out af made a noise manuel focus made a noise.he said the switch was gone .price of switch labour and shipping would be cheaper to buy a new one .So I did Furtureshop special $99.
Aloha From Hawaii!!
I purchased a 60D 3 months ago and just noticed that the lens slips downward when I face the lens glass to the ground. The zoom point changes when I don’t want it to. I tested a demo model in a store and it did the same thing. I tried the lock feature on the lens, but that only works at 18mm. The lens is the 18-200 mm kit lens.
Love the camera, but wondering about this issue.
Someone please help!!
Mahalo!!
Reggie
It’s called zoom creep and you can blame it on gravity. Heavy long zooms will exhibit this problem when pointed vertically. Try holding zoom ring.
Just got 60d cant get it to record longer than 5 seconds
Have a 32gb sd card in there
Will record for 5 seconds then says “recording has been stopped automatically”
Can you help
Thank you
Dear, Your card has the problem. You can format the card. If the problem persists, then you have to change the card for video shooting.
Hi,
I had the same problem.
As Sharif says, format the card and it will work with no problems.
Well it did for me.
Great camera, enjoy.
How do I format the card, or either change it for video shooting ?
Thank you
i bought a class 10 32gb mem card and im still getting the same problem any help would be great
your memory card has a too low of write speed. so in turn the card can not keep up with t he camera. you can fix this issue by buying a Class 10 card.
I had this problem and i changed my video settings to record longer and it seems to have fixed it. This is my first decent camera and i had this problem the first day i used it, so i’m not sure all of the technical terms, just go into the video settings and adjust the record time.
I hope this helps. :)
just got 60D last week but i am concern how to use “C” mode settings. i read manual book in page 262. but don’t know how does it work.. i save all my settings from TV mode and AV mode but when i turn to TV mode from AV mode is same from AV mode settings.. My settings in TV mode ISO AUTO , and AV mode ISO 400 but it change when i turn TV mode to AV mode could anyone can help.. thanks kindly appreciated..
av is more consern about the diafragma F setting. so if you change the F format other detail will change automaticly.
for Tv mode is more concern about speed. how much speed you want and other thisng will change automaticly..
I was changing things in the custom menus of my 60D, and now every time I shoot, the image on the display shows the red autofocus points that achieved focus. How to I turn this feature OFF?
I even tried doing a custom function reset, but it didn’t clear the problem. Anybody know which setting this is?
Thanks!
Push menu button,go across to #6 category ( which is the 2nd blue icon ) scroll down to AF point display. Press the set button and then scroll up to highlight disable and then press the set button again.
what latest firmware for canon 60D now?
someone can tell me…
EOS 60D Firmware, Version 1.1.0 ..
download here :
http://support-asia.canon-asia.com/contents/ASIA/EN/0400037402.html
Hi I just shot a short film with my friends 60D and the first batch of clips play perfectly fine, but after a few of them they won’t play on quicktime or final cut and won’t be recognized by several video converters that I have tried. The videos play perfectly fine in the camera but I can’t get them to even open on my mac. Any ideas on how to fix this?
-Rafael
Do they playback on the camera?
Hi,
I’ve been shooting HD video with my 60d and would like to up-load some short video clips. The issue is the files are huge.
Is anybody aware of a freeware converter which will reduce the files to manageable size and create playable video for up-load to Flickr/Facebook etc?
Ta,
Stew
Mac or PC?
MPEG Streamclip. Free, great, converts anything to anything! : )
I got my canon 60d a week ago and have done a few photo shoots. By my third one, about an hour in to the shoot my camera stopped working and read “error” I was able to continue taking pictures once I turned it off and opened the battery and sd card slots. It did it again about five minutes after that again.
Whats going on??? I am new to canon, I converted from Nikon;)
It might be the card you’re using. It might be worn or just slightly twisted.
If it happens again try only opening the sd card slot, take out the card and place it back in. If it works again it’s the card.
If it was the battery I think you wouldn’t have any power in the camera.
This happen to me before, on my 60d, and on a camera at work (Nikon d90).
I got 60d last week from US. It was working fine until yesterday. I am unable to take pictures in the manual modes (M,Av,Tv,P) through viewfinder. It does auto focus and when I click full shutter button, it does not take picture, it just keeps the shutter open for around half a minute and then releases without any photo whatever is the settings. If I take picture in auto modes of through live view in manual modes, it is working fine. Please help
mosly for manual mode it will take more time to focussed if using view finder, better don’t used viefinder for manual mode.
Hi there,
I am using the Canon EOS 60D to record myself in front of the camera for sales videos which will be compressed, etc by my video editor. Just wondering what the best settings are for optimal quality for both indoor and outdoor.
Thanks in advance,
Eddy
RAW is usually the largest files, but not always the best. It depends on your purpose, and your vision for the end result.
1280 x 720 is modern standard HD.
These files can be very big, so be prepared and have space available on your computer. Also these will slow down your processor.
It not a bad thing, just be prepared for the time consumption involved.
I usually shoot with a 5d mark2 but purchased a 60d and just shot some video with it. I cannot get it to download to my mac. I put just the card in my reader and it says cannot read and do I want to initialize . then I tethered using the usb to my computer and it said error .. I can play the video in the camera and it looks great .. but need to get it off to edit? I have the software loaded that I use for my 5d and it says it cannot see the 60d camera? is there different software?
thanks
Dan
The 60D comes with software both for Mac and Win in the box. Once you install software it pops up automatically to import files.
If this doesn’t work you should be able to go to your local camera shop and they should be able to extract the footage from the card for you.
I’m using FCP and haven’t had any problems.
I know Lightroom 3 has 1 or 2 problems with the 60d, in regards to tethering.
What’s your software?
I’m not necessarily a beginner, but I’ve just encountered something with my 60D I haven’t seen before. It won’t save the last used settings, so say if I’m at an event, and I switch off my camera to save battery, I switch it back on for another picture and i have to reset my camera to the setting again, instead of it saving the last registered setting and having them again when I switch on the camera next time, it seems to have the settings permanently saved from a night that was a few days ago, making me go through the hassle of having to change the settings for one thing every time I turn the camera off.
What are the best manual settings for young boys indoor basketball games?
The best for indoor? It’s hard because you’re not going to get the best quality unless the lighting is good AND/OR you’re using an external flash (i.e. 580EX II). Yes the in-built flash is there too. If you use flash perhaps an ISO of 500-1250 and a shutter speed of 1/80th. It also depends on the lenses because if you’re using kit lenses such as a 55-250, you won’t get the best picture as it’s IS is pointless and doesn’t do much (in my opinion, that is). But you’ll be fine if you’re using a lens such as a 70-200mm f/4 or f/2.8 IS USM (II) as they have ultrasonic motors and the f/2.8 IS USM II has one of the greatest qualities. Just try Setting the shutter speed to at least 1/100th and then just bump up the ISO until you manage to get a good lighting. Best option is to keep the aperture as wide as possible (lowest f number that you can go)
Hope this helps.
Recently we bought a Canon 60D and was wondering if you are able mute the shutter sound when taking photos. Seems to scare a bird or two away.
Any help would be great
Thanks
unfortunately, you can’t. It’s an SLR and that sound is just the camera working. It’s not digitally created, so you can’t really. However, I found that the sound seems to be softened if you take a picture using the live view mode.
Thanks for the help anyway :)
You can change to a silent mode which will allow you to shoot first and release the shutter after there are two of these modes available on the 60d check your manual
Hi I just got the 60d and I am beginner.Please anyone tell me how can i set my camera on panorama mode,Thanks
No such thing. There are many books that explain how to properly take panoramic pictures. And the there is free software avaiable that stitches pictures together. Photostitch comes with the canon utilities. This camera does not do this automatic.
Hi
We recently purchased the 60D and in experimenting with the settings i notice now that when i click on TV or AV, either the shutter speeds are really slow or the picture is quite dark. Is there a default button or procedure i can do that resets these settings back to how they were when i first purchased the camera? Thanks for any advice you can provide.
Graham
In either mode, you manually set the aperture or exposure time, the camera then controls the other. You adjust these with the slider next to the exposure button.
In Tv mode, select a faster shutter speed (1/60 or faster, showing as 60 or higher in the display).
In Av mode, select 1/5.6 or bigger aperture = smaller number (showing as 5.6 or smaller number in the display).
In both these modes, consider to increase the ISO to 800 or higher.
If it is still slow, check with automatic mode, no flash, and see how that takes the picture. If that takes a long time as well, there might just not be enough light.
I had a Canon 20D and recently upgraded to a 60D. If I’m in a hurry I put my 20D on auto and clicked away BUT with the 60D on auto, if there are 3 people in the photo, all 3 are not in focus… with the 20D I never had this problem… any ideas????
what lens is used on the camera?
What aperture does it default to?
If you want to get a greater field of depth, select an aperture of 8 or higher number (smaller aperture). That should help (use Av mode to select manually).
what focused have you selected ?
I have a canon 60D and I have a problem with Option C and M
When I take a picture with the LCD I see very well about me, but when my support to capture the image, it is all black.
With other options it does not make it, but yes there is two ..
I would like someone to help me resolve my problem.
Thanks: D
Not sure about mode C (you call it option C). As this can be customized by you.
Mode M stands for manual. Here you have to adjust everything yourself (Aperture and exposure time) to get the right exposure settings for the picture. Check these first by using the P mode. Both will be shown in the view finder and in the display. Those can be good starting values for the manual (M) mode.
J’ai un canon 60D et jai un problème avec L’option C et M
Quand je prend une photo avec l’écran LCD je vois tres bien mon sujet, mais lorsque que j’appuie pour capturer l’image, celle-ci est toute noire.
Avec les autres options ca ne fait pas ca, mais c’est deux là oui..
J’aimerais que quelqu’un m’aide à régler mon problème.
MERCI :D
How can i set may canon 60D on a multiple shot either 5x or 10x while it was set on tripod.
I recently got an 60d with 18 200 lens , as i was crazy about buying an SLR for long time . My priority is to click my daughters playing pictures and natural photography . I tried those things but could not get exactly , what i expected from an SLR . I am completely new to it . And i am really excited about it .
Have you worked with other SLRs? I have had my 60D since it came out and absolutely love it. I highly recommend getting familiar with working in manual. You are going to get the pictures want by doing so. Trust me. It’s quite easy once you got the functions down! I wish I could help you more….you will get what you want with your determination!
So you notice I am very new to photography but if I put the camera on M should I not be able to adjust aperture AND shutter speed? How?
In manual mode, adjust shutter speed with the small dial by the shutter button, and aperture with the main dial.
I am trying to take photos of christmas trees inside hotels. i would like to know what settings should be used to get the sharpest, real looking images. i have a canon 60d with a 18-135mm, 55-250mm and a 55mm. thanks.
I have the same question but in our living room with lights off. I tried it with flash off and night portrait mode on a tripod. I would love to catch the richness of LED Christmas lights on our tree. Thanks in advance!
Is there a way to boost the number of shots taken with Automatic Exposure Bracketing? The 60d takes 3 and I’d like to take 5 or 7. There is the Promote Control device, but that seems like quite a bit more than I need, especially for $329.
what apeture will give me sharpest image outdoor and indoor in avmode with 24-70 f2.8 lens
Smaller the aperature (larger the number), the more in focus the picture. If you’re want to get a crisp photo outdoors, I recommend setting it higher than 4.0. The same for an indoor photo, but kick up the ISO if it’s not great lighting. If you want to have a crisp single subject keep your aperature wide at 2.8 and will blur out the background nicely. Hope that helped somehow!
Moose
I am about to purchase the Canon 60D. I am a complete beginner
Is it good for me as a Beginner?
I shot a Canon Xsi for about 2 years before I “graduated” to my 60d. I really love the 60d, but I think I get more out of it because I spent so much time as a “truly absolute beginner” practicing with the Xsi. There is so much information to absorb and so so many things to consider in getting the most out of your camera that I am of the opinion that starting out with a bit less complicated camera is the way to go.
I’ve got a couple old MD lenses (Tokina 28mm and Minolta 50mm) and a Tokina doubler from my Minolta 35mm days, and was wondering if it made any sense to buy adapters for these to use them on the 60D. Obviously, no autofocus capability. Thoughts? Thanks for any opinions!
I just got the caon 60d today and a having trouble getting into the burst mode. I press the drive button then use the wheel to scroll through the options, but the only 2 options that show up are single shot and timer modes. I have it set to fully automatic and i’ve read that portion of the manual 5 times. Please help! Thank you so much!
Put your camera on AV mode and set th F stop to about F.8 on wards, this will make everything in the shot as you want it, or put the camera on tv mode and set the shutter button to about 1/60 for a fast shutter and this will do the same, to change the f.stop or shutter speed use the dial on top of the camera.
Sounds like you might be in Full Auto mode. Try using Program or one of the Creative modes. The Drive button should give you more options there.
I have tried to take a photo of an old small building in the background with tree limbs framing the building in the foreground. The tree limbs were close to me and the building was about150 foot from me. I wanted this shot to have both the foreground and background in focus but am having a hard time. I tried the Landscape setting, but it didn’t focus both areas. Does anyone have any suggestions on the mode to use and the settings in that mode.
Thanks!
I am having the very same problem with how to set my 60D for a clear shot of a dog and the trees and bushes about 100 feet away. The dog is clear but the trees and bushes are very blurry. I can not get both to focus clearly. I hope somebody will have some suggestions. I have signed up for a photography class but it doesn’t start for one month.
I would have thought Landscape Mode would work for both situations, but mine is still trying to focus on one area and not on the entire scene. My tree limbs were about 3 feet from me and the camera would not focus on both the limbs and building… Do I need to be further from the tree limbs and zoom in for the shot??? I wondered if there were some type of custom setting that would work better. How do you make this camera work in a situation like this? Is it me not knowing what to do or is it the camera??? I too have signed up for a photography class but it doesn’t start until mid December.
Put your camera on AV mode and set th F stop to about F.8 on wards, this will make everything in the shot as you want it, or put the camera on tv mode and set the shutter button to about 1/60 for a fast shutter and this will do the same, to change the f.stop or shutter speed use the dial on top of the camera.
Thank you so much. I will try this same shot again.
What you’re talking about here is known as “depth of field”. That is, how much is in focus at varying distance. As Wessy say you need to have a small aperture for good depth of field. The confusing thing is that the smaller the aperature then the higher the F number. Conversly, when you only want the foreground in focus then use a large aperture, ie. small F stop 4 or less.
If you use an f-stop of 11 or higher the more things in your composition will come into focus. If you have proper light, I like to use f-22 which brings everything (seemingly) into proper focus. I really like to play with small aperture setttings (high f-stop numbers) when I’m outdoors in bright light.
I just got the EOS 60D and my friend was looking at it and adjusted the shutter speed without telling me. I’m having a hard time figuring out how to set it back to normal speed. Right now it stays open really long. Any pointers would be much appreciated. Thanks =)
There are two ways to change shutter speed, press the Q button on the back of the camera, this opens on the back screen, there you can change all your settings in one place.
next look at the small screen on top of the camera,put your camera in the mode your shooting at, then turn the dial next to the screen, this will change your f.stop in AV mode – shutter speed in TV mode etc.
thanks
I have a Canon Remote RS 60E3. I would like to use it to start and stop video recording. Is this possible?
I haven’t had my 60D for long but I have tried a cable remote similar to yours and I don’t think it will work for video. It appears to only operate the shutter and the video stop/start is the H button, not the shutter button.
Hi,
Just got my hands on 60D. The problem seems to be that there are only 2 languages in the menu available and the firmware 1.1.0 doesn’t seem to add those. I’ve seen manuals with ~22 languages. Is there any way to unlock the ‘hidden’ languages?
Thanks.
Double Focus– Does anyone know how I can get both clear close-up shots of flowers about 2′-3′ distance and the bushes behind the flowers clear. Right now the flowers are clear but the bushes are very blurry. I have a Sigma lens 120-400 on my 60D.
You need to stop up. Close your aperture by shooting a higher f stop. Try around f/5.6 or f/8
You need to stop up. Close your aperture by shooting a higher f stop. Try around f/5.6 or f/8.
And what you’re referring to by “double focus” is called depth of field. You’re looking for a deeper depth of field meaning that your focal length will cover more distance whereas a shallow depth of field your focus will be limited to a specific area.
Hi. I am really having problems with shooting videos with the canon 60d. My videos in 1080p are very jerky when played in quick time on my computer. cannot seem to figure this out. have tried again and again. I have a little panasonic point and shoot with movie mode that was so easy and I keep resorting to that, but would like to get onto it on my DSLR thanks,
Your computer isn’t fast enough. If they play back on the camera okay then that’s the cause.
Im to to the Cannon world and I’ve just bought a EOS 60D and need help in taking pictures of fork lightning at night ,as it’s fast ????? Help
Any response will he welcomed and appriseated
Hey, not sure if you’ve had a reply yet but anyhow,
to capture lightning you need to open the shutter for a LONG time (maybe even 30mins), as if you are taking long exposer shots of stars at night, this means you’ll defiantly capture the fork. Heres a video from canon australia talking about it about mid way threw.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrVsPCvdxaM&feature=channel_video_title ——— Its at about 3:09
Hope this helps
Thanks, Jack,15
I have used the BULB setting along with a wired remote switch and had some pretty good luck. The trick is to anticipate where the shot will be taken safely to best setup the tripod. Works great on fireworks shots as well.
Is it possible to get your Canon 60D to take multiple pictures by itself without the remote ???
yes look into magic lantern firmware
I am planning on upgrading to a the Canon 60d or t3i. I make action movies with fast camera movements and I was wondering which camera to choose and what type of lens would be good for that specific camera for action films. I would like good depth of field to constantly keep the actor in focus and the BG out of focus. I am new to Digital SLR filming and would like some insightful thoughts.
Thank you.
Both camera’s are great for filming. Same sensor on both. The differences are gonna be that the build is a little better on the 60d. The ISO settings for the t3i are not as robust (less of them) and audio can be adjusted manually on the 60d as opposed to the t3i. Canon sells them on their website in the refurbished section (brought up to factory specs, with warranty) plus you can contact the loyalty program Canon has and return to them a broken camera for an additional 20% off!!!! I got a 60d for $640!! Works great, same as new! Check out youube as they will have great comparison videos between the 2 cameras and Philip Bloom’s website is great too. For the price the refurbished ones are I would go with the 60d. Good luck though and Merry Christmas!
Hi – just thinking of upgrading to the 60D and getting a good deal at B&H….I normally use my camera to take photos of landscapes, also during regular trips to wildlife parks, rest of the time it’s mostly taking low light pictures around the place I stay…could someone recommend good lenses for this one?
I really, really, really like my Tamron 18-270mm 1:3.5-6.3 lens. We are going to France later one next year and this is the lens that will live on my 60d most if not all of the time we are traveling.
28mm 1.8 or 50 mm 1.8
canon 60D — how do i used the built in flash in various settings. if i don’t want the flash to be so bright, how can i adjust it.
also, how do i use ‘fill in flash.
thanks,
the built in flash is mainly used in all other modes, except the creative modes. For those preset modes, the flash should pop up when you press the shutter button down. When you get into the creative modes (P, Av, Tv, etc..) you should not be using the built in flash. instead, adjust the ISO and aperture for the desired exposure. (it just takes some messing around with to get it right!) hope this helps!
For Fill-in flash you could try Portrait mode. Or press the flash button at the left of the lens just above the lens release button. This will make the flash pop up and fire when picture is taken.
When in automatic mode (the green rectangle) the flash works as with a point and shoot. When using a creative mode (P, Tv, Av, M) the flash works different. Too much to explain here, but see the following link which explains it all in much detail:
http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash
See specially part II (this link: http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/index2.html) in the section titled: EOS flash photography confusion. This helped me to see how different the camera behaves depending on the mode it is in.
Good luck.
Can someone help me….
I have Canon 500 D camera with 16 GB SanDisk SDHC Card, when I download the pics on my Laptop it gives CR2 files and color of the picture gets changed. These pics are opening in Picasa viewer as not opening in Window Fax/Pic viewer…
I appreciate fast response on this.
Thanx
CR2 is the raw file format. You need to process these first. Download windows live and use their photo gallery software (search for the raw plugin or try and open one of the files..I think you’ll get a prompt to download). You can then process them and it’s free!
Check your settings in the menu for file and format type on your camera.
Go onto the adobe web site, there is a free download called adobe DNG converter, this will solve your problem, as windows viewer wont reconize them, if you download …Fastone image viewer this reads all files and you can edit your pics as well.
HELP! My Auto Setting on my 60D isn’t taking picture using Auto Settings…The shutter speed is slow, the pictures are allowing way too much light. It’s working as if it’s in a manual mode. Picture that shouldn’t be blurry, are coming out really blurry. With this camera I feel that I shouldn’t be getting anything blurry unless it’s a basketball game or something where movement is at fast speeds. I just took some pics of my dog just now and he was sitting there and his ear came out blurry, what the heck is going on???? Please help.
First of even though this is a simple thing did you check your auto focus setting on the LENS? Secondly Try to shoot in priority mode, this will give the same settings as AUTO however they are adjustable, this will possibly determine if you AUTO SETTING is functioning properly. Lastly try updating the firmware of of your camera… the the latest on is 1.1.0 I believe.
If your taking photos in the auto mode and still blurry, sounds like a fault in the camera.
hi there,
just want to know if it’s ok to turn the zoom ring while on AF mode, somethimes objects seem to be to far away.
thank you
Yes thats ok to do this as sometimes they need a little tweaking to get the best exposure.
Zoom ring is ok. Focus ring: depends on the lens. If you are using a kit lens, do not move the focus ring when it is set to autofocus (AF).
please i have a music studios i want to attached music video production i intended to buy canon 60d for the business i need an answer if my plan will work with 60d and all the accessiry that will go with it
Hi I have a Canon 60d. A few days ago my camera was fine. Yesterday I took some photos and everything was blurred. Is it broken or is it in the settings ?
Thankyou
Have you turned on manual focus by accident? It’s on the lens. AF and MF.
Thanks Adam. No I understand that part of it. My photos arent sharp and sometimes blurry when I have it set on MF.
AF wont shoot at all. It just makes a clicky kinds noise.
Could it be in the lens itself ?
I havent had it for long.
Sounds like your motor in the lens is not working, try a differnt lens first before you take it back, if this does not solve the problem its your camera at fault, does any message come up on the screen when you try to use the lens,
When shooting in AF mode — (Quick mode) should Live View shoot be disabled or enabled??
Not sure what you are asking….
AF mode will work both with live view as well as without. Without live view though the camera is much, much faster.
Suggest to stay away from live view unless really needed (such as pictures where the camera is almost on the floor, or you are trying to shoot over other people).
I can’t get my LCD monitor to stay on. I’m always having to squint and look through the little viewer to take photos. I enabled the LCD monitor but after a few pictures it turns off.
Anyone know what I might be doing to cause this?
Thank you!
You need to go into your settings, press menu scroll to the forth box at top of page, drop down once, there is the settings for the live view.
Hi Rach, as any good photograhper will tell you it’s best to use the viewfinder in most situations. Yes the live view is good when in awkward angles ans such but it is much more difficult to hold the camera steady at arms length.
I just bought a Canon 60D camera. I had a 430 EX Speedlite on my T1i and wanted to transfer the speedlite to the 60 D. The speedlite won’t work on the 60D. What am I doing wrong?
Does anyone know a powerful zoom lens I could buy to attach to my 60d? Something that would be good to take sharp photos of animals 200-500 yds away.
I like my Sigma 150-500 mm lens for taking shots of Bald Eagles around the Mississippi Lock and Dam 14 area during the winter months of January and February. Its pretty steel grey around there weatherwise most of the time, but I get good pics in less than ideal lighting. Its not a Canon F2.8 400mm but its not priced like that either.
Hi, I own a canon 60D and its my first dslr. I bought it march of 2011. I dont use it much but I notice lately that when I review the photo i just took on the screen, white and bright light appear as flashing black on the screen but when i transfer the photo to the computer or print them, It comes out normal. As far as i know, the camera has never been dropped or handled roughly.
thank you. I really appreciate it you could tell me what the problem is.
Never mine, I fixed it..
high exposure zone flashing… put the highlight exp off from menu
…
Just took some pictures with my new 60D this afternoon. The tree bark was very clear but the dog next to the tree was
blurry. What settings do I need to have both dog and tree sharp?
I suspect your shutter speed wasn’t fast enough (due to the low lighting) to freeze a moving dog but fast enough to not introduce camera shake, allowing the non-moving tree to come out sharp.
Just so I don’t have to go into great technical detail, I will suggest that you try using sports mode (running man icon on the dial) when you see moving objects blurring in your images but the static objects are sharp. This will tell the camera to use a faster shutter speed than it would normally choose. This is not the only or best answer to your question, but perhaps the easiest to try for a beginner. Good luck.
Rob
Have just purchased a Eos 60D. On viewing my photos in the digital viewer I am getting “black” flashing on bright light areas. This is random in some photos about the screen, and absent in others. Any ideas.
I wish I know the answer but I have the same problem.
OMG, I think I just fixed mine. go to menu, highlight alert should be disabled. Mine was enable before and I changed it to disable and theres no more black flashing. I hope it helps..Let me know if it works
Cool I wanted to know how to rid of that on mine too. Apparently it has to do with pixels and is normal but I still find the flashing annoying when viewing my pics.
Yup this is very much normal. It shows the over exposed areas. This feature allows you to make changes accordingly to get the best possible shot, minimizing over exposure. It does get annoying but I keep it on as motivation to become better at estimating my settings for each shot. And if you’re good enough, you wouldn’t have too many over exposed shots.
@Marty
Sometimes there is nothing wrong with having some parts of an image overexposed, and it’s something you can expect with some types of photography. Sometimes it’s even favourable. :)
You see, i bought my 60D for about 6 months now. At first, the camera was the best ive ever had.
But then, the last time i used, when i turned it on, the screen showed “censor cleaning” which was supposed to be appeared if we rurn off the camera. Is this normal? I dont think so.
Any help?
And then, when i turned it on, it didnt show you know the menu on the screen, it just went black. But when i tried to capture image, it worked.
So i was wondering how can i get my menu back on the screen.
Thanks.
Sorry i am on ipod so many typo haha.
*sensor cleaning
*turn
Just keep pushing the ‘INFO” button until it comes back.
I am currently using the 17-55 on my 60D body. I wondered if anyone has used or are using the 24-70 on the 60D, and what their opinions are? I photograph weddings, and am just getting into commercial photography. I just feel that I am missing that extra dimension that the 24-70 may give me. I understand the crop factor involved, but does it make a huge difference when looking at wide angle shots (group shots).
Any help, advice and opinions will be much appreciated.
Thanks all.
Jubair
the 24-70L is one of the best versatile lenses that you can buy. it has incredible sharpness and it is great in low light situations because of the f/2.8. the bokeh is amazing on this lens which is great for wedding photography. i 100% recommend this lens not only for wedding photography, but for everyday shooting. enjoy!
This is my standard lens now and one I use all the time. You may experience sticker shock as it will cost considerably more than the camera itself. Haven’t used my 17-55 much… only when the built in flash is required as the flash doese not get over the lens’ hood. You’ll need a speedlite 580EX or 430EX to help overcome that challenge.
Looking at 60d vs D7000. One point is I have a few older EF lenses from my 10D.
Will these work/be any good on the 60D?
No thoughts?
You can still use your EF lenses, definitely. I had 3 lenses from my ancient 35mm setup and they all worked, but I wasn’t totally happy with any of them (or with the 18-55mm kit lens), so I’ve just bought the EF-S 17-55mm. I’m hoping it’s worth the price!
I have a Canon 60D, for some reason it won’t record no more then 8 seconds then it automatical shuts down. What can I do to fix this problem?
If I can remember reading correctly, I believe that that happens because your memory card isn’t fast enough.
Yes, it must be a matter of the speed of your card or that it is almost full.
Class 10 or higher speed is reqd for a good hd video…
Hi all, I have several Canon negitive cameras, and am looking at the 60d (but am open to suggestions) for shooting scenic & wildlife.
My question: Will my older Canon lense’s, EF 100-300mm 1: 4.5-5.6 , EF 28-105mm 1: 3.5-4.5 and my Speedlite 540EZ Flash fit a new 60d digital camera? Some places say yes, some say no.
Can you please help before I buy?
Thanks
I had a similar issue and a faster SD card solved the problem speked
Hi Cheryl. Not sure if ur still looking for an answer. I have exactly the same lenses as you for my old EOS100 and they have worked great on my DSLR. They are a much better lens than the kit lens that came with my 350D and I’m about to put them on my 60D. Not sure about whether your Speedlite is compatible though.
This is the Last SD card I bought it for my canon 60D Transcend Ultimate SDHC Class 10 32GB up to 20 MB/s 133x Great for Full HD Recording.and it just record 12 mins 6 seconds and it say’s the movie reconding has been stopped automaticallyI have no idea why my canon 60D giving me such a headaches Hey guys with experience what you think I should do?????
Hey Joseph,
It’s not a fault with your camera or SD card. It’s actually a limitation in the file system which can only record up to 4GB maximum continuously. With HD, this equates to about 12mins, and up to 24mins on the lower resolution video.
Reference: See page 181 in the manual.
I was surprised at this limitation too, and wondered why not more people have complained. But I believe it’s because film makers don’t usually shoot very long takes! Most people will get bored staring at the same angle for too long.
I know that doesn’t help if you’re trying to film a one hour seminar continuously but I guess these cameras weren’t built for that.
canon has maximum of 26 minutes only, if I am right.. that also is under production… 4 GB file limit or 12 minute is a problem for the contnuous shooting… may be good for short film clips… Also do you have high heating problem from the camera during hd video recording? also what will be the mega pixel for the video shooting.. I mean is that 18 MP on that sensor has any meaning for video mode?… One more answer requested from you from your experience on 60D….Can we manually adjust the barrel of the lens to do manual focusing? and parallely change angle by panning during video mode.. is it possible..? what is your experience when a manual zioom is also required during that shoot?? Overall for a filming short films how comfortable is 60D???
I am on able to use my canon 60d to record a movies…. every 12 mins 6 seconds the movie reconding stopped automatically. I have been changing alot of SD I have been format my SD more than 500 times and I keeps on getting the same result… therefore I am wondering if someone can help me out may be there is something I need to set and I don’t know how to figer it out….. what the guys with the experience have to say in my case??
all the dslr canot record more than 12 min
it beacouse the camera cant makr a large file from 4 gb
hello all,
its time for me to upgrade! ive narrowed down the choices to what my budget can afford. please help me choose! which combo would u pick and why? thanks for the help..
1. 50mm f/1.8II with 580exII
or
2. 50mm f/1.4 with 430exII
It’s always hard to give anyone advice about equipment without knowing what they specifically intend to use it for. If you were primarily taking photos outdoors with daylight, then you would mostly only use the flash for a bit of fill light so it wouldn’t have to be too powerful, in which case your second option would definitely be the way to go.
On the other hand, if you are relying heavily on the flashlight for a lot of indoor or evening photography, then the 580EX II is more robust and powerful.
If you’re primarily taking portraits, then I hear that the f1.4 lens would be excellent, and I expect (from my reading and opinion and not from my experience) that overall, a 50mm f/1.4 lens will give you better photos than a more powerful flashlight which has more features.
(My own gear: 85mm f/1.8, 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, 580EX II Speedlite)
By the way, you know that the 60D can wirelessly trigger the Canon Speedlites without having to buy extra equipment? Really cool especially if you’re on a tight budget!
hi im very new to studio lighting and such i have the 60d and a three strobe light setup i have a remote trigger for the strobes and when i have them on modeling lights only before the shot the camera will not take the pic?
I just got a 60D and I would like to know what lens would be best for shooting football. A friend recommended a 17-55mm but I think I would need to zoom in more but I’m not sure; I’m a beginner! Thoughts?
HI Katie, for sports, you need a lot more ‘reach’ than you get with the 17-55mm 2.8. For sports you’re probably going to want the 70-300mm range and of course the 2.8 70-300 mm is heavy and costly. Canon does make the 70-300 mm 3.5-5.6 F IS USM lens, which few people talk about, but I have found it to be a great lens for outdoor photos. The other option is the Tamron 18-270 mm 3.5-6.3 mm Canon mount. This is a great walk around lens, but I find the autofocus is ‘sluggish’ compared with the Canon 70-300. Good luck and happy shooting!
I’m planing to use a mini hdmi to vga cable with the Canon 60D and a SyncMaster 206NW Samsung monitor. Has anybody already use this stuff? or other mini hdmi to vga method? I need to hear experiences or at least an ensurance of its performance. Thanks in advance for your answer!
Two questions:
I have the “set” button assigned to “flash exposure compensation”. Is there a way to have the FE level show in the viewfinder and top LCD instead of the back LCD monitor WITHOUT closing the back LCD? I have tried the “set” button assigned to “electronic level” and it always shows it in the viewfinder and top LCD, not on the back LCD monitor.
Does the “metering timer” only apply when using live view? I know that the manual says that if you want to take multiple shots using the same AE Lock setting to keep the asterix button pressed. This stops the camera from showing you a preview image though, and is not very handy when you want to take multiple shots over a long period of time. I have also found that if you half press the shutter button before the info at the bottom of the viewfinder disappears (approx. 2 seconds after releasing the shutter button) the AE will remain locked. As this is my first DSLR I’m not sure if all Canons lose the AE Lock after the info in the viewfinder goes away, or if all Canons’ viewfinder info goes away after 2 seconds for that matter.
I hope someone can help.
Why is it that everytime I download my pictures to the computer and I try to use my camera again it doesn’t save the images?? It takes the pictures but does not save them. Why is that and how can I prevent this from happening??
How are you downloading the images to your computer? With a USB cable or taking the card out of the camera and putting it in a cardreader? This information might help someone answer your question, if not me :)
I’m using a USB cable. How can I fix the problem tho??
Sorry I don’t know the answer. How exactly are you retrieving the images once the camera is connected to the computer via USB cable? That is, what program or method are you using? Again, this might help someone answer your question.
Also, I’m wondering how you get the camera to save photos again.
Well I’m not actually saving the photos. I take the picture and when I go to view them I get a message that says “no image”
Try using a card reader instead, it will give you the option of deleting the images or not. :)
I have a Canon 60D and it has the latest firmware which I was able to do under Mac OS 10.6.7. Now I”m under Lion 10.7.2 and the EOS utility will not recognize the camera. I downloaded the latest updates and those won’t install. I constantly get an error message of, “you do not have the priveleges. you need to log in as administrator.” there is only one login. i am the administrator and my passwords allow for all drive and folder privileges. so, i’m stuck and i need the ESO utility to format and copy files to the SDHC card, format, transfer, etc. Anyone else having this issue? if so, please help. :) Thanks
How can I prevent my night videos shot with 60D from having grains?
If you shoot at night with a high ISO setting you’ll get a grainy feel. You can avoid this by using a lower ISO setting, but you’ll need more light (street lamps are good!) and / or a faster lens to let more light in.
(A “fast” lens is one which has a nice wide aperture like f2.8 or f1.8…you can get a great cheap canon 50mm f1.8 lens for about £80 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-EF-50-1-8-Lens/dp/B00005K47X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319835253&sr=8-1
I am assuming you have your Auto Iso on, you can change it manually, i try not to go over 600, there are also certain Iso’s which i have found to produce less grain than others, try to stick with 100, 160, 200, 320 as they produce less noise than the others around them. There is also a program called NeatVideo which does WONDERS to grainy video, you can download a trial and then buy it for about 100 i believe. I would use this as a last resort though if you have already tried adjusting aperature to its widest setting
My Cannon 60D wont allow me to choose the RAW setting under quality in the menu. Both the wheel and the arrows only select JPEG settings. What am I dong wrong?
Bonnie if you haven’t done it, try this turn your dial on the top of your camera until the red square is around the icon just to the left of RAW It looks like a long dash. Now use the inner ring of the set wheel pressing the edge to move to the jpg settings. Hope this helps.
I love my new T31 but I freaking hate this POS apple MOV format.I don’t want to have to install crappy quicklime just to edit my vids grr I fakin hate apple bunk.Is there a way to change the default format?
No way to change it sadly, but you can download any one of millions of video converters to convert the files into WMV or AVI or whatever you fancy.
Even on a Mac the files need to be converted for editing because the format isn’t liked by Final Cut very much!
I use this one, and you can dump all your files in a batch and it can covert them in one go while you make tea: http://www.squared5.com/
or use premiere to edit….
I need to trade up to a 60D, what are some good forums that people may be willing to sell/trade?
Amazon is a safe bet believe it or not, they often have good deals on used body’s
Hi
I have a new D60 Canon if I purchase Elements 10 will it support and read photos taken in Raw.
Brian
Brain I have elements 9 and it supports my raw images, I can import them using the organizer, once they are imported I click the fix tab to edit that opens the RAW files to process. Have fun.
Moose! few questions for yah. here goes nothin:
Question #1: Wondering why, when I’m in any common mode other than the sport preset (Av, Tv, Manual, etc.) and I have the Hi-speed burst shutter mode selected, my camera will shoot only about 5 shots at the impressive 5.3 fps and then will instantly slow down to about 2-3 per second and eventually gets to the point where I just stop holding the shutter button because I feel like I’m doing something bad and harming my baby. When I use the action sports preset/mode this never happens, I can run with the 5.3 fps as long as I please.
Question #2: When I first got my camera I was doing a lot of night photography and hence was using a lot of long exposures. In those first few weeks I don’t remember ever waiting more than 5-10 seconds after the shutter was done capturing light while the display said “Busy” and was processing the image for playback. Now, when I do anything at night with a long exposure, I’m waiting upwards of 15-30 seconds for the image to be shown, and it’s kind of upsetting. Any ideas why this would happen?
Question #3: This has only happened once, and it scared me.. a lot. I have no idea what happened but one time when I was using the camera, several of the buttons just did not respond to any pressing. I could not switch to Live View mode via the red-dotted camera button, I could not view pictures via the playback/preview button (the triangle play-sign in the square), AND when I went to turn the camera off to try and solve all this, it didn’t turn off. The black & white lcd display on the top right did not turn off, I could still see all those numbers and letters, etc. It freaked me out. I didn’t/don’t want my camera to be a defect but it’s been actin’ reeeal weird lately! any input you could fork over would be great. Thank you!
I am really new to the Canon 60d, which I just purchased. I formatted the sdhc card before starting to use the camera. I keep getting the message ” no image” when i go to view something that I thought I just shot. Also, I cannot find in the tools, how to reset the camera to the default settings. This option is not displayed. Only battery info and info button display options appear.
Hi! Hey were you able to figure out why your camera does that? I’m having the same problem too:(
Were you using the screen vs the view finder. There will be a delay when using the screen as it auto focuses. The trick is to keep the button pushed until it focuses and snaps the shot.
Just shot some a football game at night under the lights and have the same problem as posted previously. Please help with tips or tricks..thanks
Moose Dude –
I found your wonderful site while trying to resolve getting blurry pics during a night football game. I just purchased a Canon 60D along with the Canon EF 70-200 f/4L USM lens. Shot my first football game during the day and loved the results. However, doing the next one that was at night left me very discouraged. My research appears to tell me that I will not be able to get non-blurry photos with this lens in this setting and that unless I get the 2.4 lens, I am pretty much OOL. Do you agree with that? Do you have any suggestions of settings I could use that could help?
Great site and much appreciated!!
Don’t get discouraged. I had the same problem years ago when I first purchased my 70-20L IS f/2.8. For night football, even with a fast lens, there is often not enough light to allow a fast shutter. I learned to set my camera on TV (shutter priority) then raised my ISO until I the aperture came up into the safe range. Worked wonders and kept me from making a boat anchor out of the lens :)
definitely not the greatest aperature range for night shots but up your iso a bit it will make a big difference. what are your current settings that you are shooting with?
Thanks guys – I upped both the ISO and aperature to 1/500 on TV mode and that did the trick.
Moose! Whenever I start recording a video with my 60D it just stops automatically in a span of seconds. :( And says “Movie Recording Has been stopped automatically” my metering timer is set to 30 minutes. I can’t figure out what went wrong. Please help me. Thank you.
It may be your SD card. I’ve noticed that error tended to pop up when using smaller, slower cards. Think about one of the 16 gig, class 10 SDHC cards.
Yes, it happens to me I think because I have a generic SD card. The manual specifies you need a Class 6 or faster SD card to record HD movies.
I can film in 640 x 480 using the generic SD card though.
Use class 10 or more only…
Just purcahsed the 60D about 2 months ago….great camera. Got the 18-135 kit lense and the got a 50 1.4 prime lense.
Now I need some help on how to use them
Learn by your self like me
try to take photos in every Conditions with flash and without it
play with shutter speed and iso and f/numbers in every shots
and that’s it
I’m trying. There is a lot to know for different situations
Here’s the deal. 3 factors affect exposure. Shutter speed (how long the light is on the sensor), aperture (how much light hits the sensor), and iso or “film speed” (how sensitive the sensor is to light). All 3 work together to determine proper exposure.
If you want to immediate gratification, put on your 50 prime, open up your aperture to around 2, set your ISO @100 and adjust your shutter speed to 4000. Then go take a close up of a flower (or friend-focus on the eye) in the sun. Is this a gross oversimplification? Yes. But it’s a point of reference from which to start. Remember, all three have an inverse relationship – then play.
Want to learn more? Buy a book, or attend one of my classes.
I have lil’ pocket note books full of settings I use in shots that I take when I started. I numbered my notes with the photo taken. After a little bit of time, comparing shots to notes you will get the feeling of what is going on. Mr. Bill, I am the type that just has do figure it out. LOL, and the notes give me the settings used for a desired effect in different lighting situations. I hope this helped.
Hi, bought a camera which is said to be new. How can I check if it is unused?
I’m completely new to this. Is there like an un-editable menu to see how many shots have been taken or when it was first used.
Thanks!!
when you turn on the camera at first time it let you add new date and time if the date and time not shown first that mean someone use the camera if i am not wrong
or try to see Fingerprint on the body ;D
another way of checking is to take a picture, upload it to your computer and whatever the file name of each photo is the number the photo is that was taken with the camera… ex “img4340″ would be the 4340 picture taken
i have a problem with my nikkor lens on my 60d canon. lcd shows wrong brithness and expusure when i shot. please help if anyone know about it.
My mother, just gave me a 60d and I’m very new at this. I would like to know what’s the best lens i could buy to take indoor photos using my 60d?
Thanks for your help, Tony.
canon 50mm 1.8
canon 50mm 1.4
canon 18-55mm
canon 18-135mm
canon 18-200mm
and use flash with them – __I___I___I____I__ +
well, it varies depending on what you are actually shooting, out of the ones you listed the 50mm 1.8 will work best for the price range. I would prefer a shorter lens though possibly a 28mm 2.8 or 1.8 if the budget allows. I personally lean towards wide angle lenses for inside photography it produces more dramatic photos and you can get closer to your subject. A tokina 11-16mm is one of the funnest lenses i have used for inside photography.. again if the budget allows.
Just bought a 60d. I have had it a week. Also bought a Sandisk Ultra 8gb sdhc card. After taking a photo I get message – Card cannot be accessed, i formetted card in camera. Still unable to access.
Bought a Lexar Platinum ii this time error message came up as soon as I put the card in. tried to format in camera but camera said cannot format .
I bought a 4gb Sandisk and that worked. went back to the 8gs still no joy!
After contacting canon they first sugessted trying again! then I rang them after buying the Lexar and they suggested get a replacement camera from the supplier. I am trying to do that unfortunately I bought over the net for the first time so am waiting a reply.
Is this a problem anyone else has had with this camera? I have upgraded from a 300D and have not used sdhc cards before.
If i’m not wrong
use fast class 10 sdhc card
update the firmware of your camera
as for the sandisk ultra 8gb sdhc card that you first tried… the switch on the side of the card was not locked was it?
Hey jill I had the same problem here as well I bought Transcend Ultimate SDHC Class 10 32GB up to 20 MB/s 133x Great for Full HD Recording.and it just record 12 mins 6 seconds and it say’s the movie reconding has been stopped automatically.Well however I got my satisfy answered to that.I ones got erro message in this transcond and the camera ask me to change the card or format the card therefore I format it and again got erro message therefore I turn the camera off and swich it on, and erro message came up again and trying to format it, and it say’s it cannot format I didn’t say a word I open it and get my SD out and push it in my computer and format it and take it out and push it in my camera and it works perfect this happened to me yesterday. Therefore I suggest you should do the same.
I have been thinking about getting a zoom lens for my 60d, and was wondering what you think would be the better option, I have a budget of about £1000.
I have been looking at the L series in particular the 70-200 f4 IS USM or the 70-300 f4 IS, I even looked at the 70-200 f2.8 USM.
I would prefer a lens with good optics, I have used the 55-250 f5.6 is this cheaper option worth considering.
any help would be appreciated
Depends what you plan to shoot with it.
If you’re shooting in low light and / or fast action, i would go for the 70-200 f2.8 (I have one of these – it’s awesome).
If light is less of an issue, the f4 should be fine. IS will help with lower light a bit as well on these f4 lenses.
The cheaper option is cheaper for a reason… f5.6 is ok if you’re shooting in daylight and on a tripod!
I would say 70-200 f2.8 or 70-200 f4 IS would be the best 2 there.
Thanks Matt for your advise.
In the end I decided that the difference in price between the 70-200 f4 and 70-300 f4 was not a great deal so I have got the latter, and from the few photos I have managed so far the quality is better than I had hoped. I would have gone for the 70-200 2.8 but the budget would not stretch that far.
Lens Worries
I just purchased a Sigma 120-400mm OS f4.5-5.6 lens for my Canon 60D. I was really prepared to purchase the Canon lens 400-400 IS but the salesman convinced me that the better lens for my purpose (fast moving wildlife, jumping in and out of my vehicle and walking through the woods) would be the Sigma 120-400 OS Zoom lens. So, I bought it, but now I am now worried that I should have purchased the Canon 100-400 IS lens. Considerations were sturdy vs fragile, lighter vs heavier, expensive vs less expensive, metal vs plastic. Please let me know what you think about all of this.
Thanks for any comments you can make.
I always go with the original OEM stuff….no disrespect to SIGMA and TAMRON and all 3rd party lens manufacturers but no one beats Canon. Sigma makes excellent lenses but I have been using CANON EF 70-200MM/2.8 L AF USM for years and have exceptional results. First of all, it’s an “L” lens…much sturdier, durable and extremely high quality glass made for professionals. This lens if used with care will last you a lifetime. Secondly it’s much faster than the Sigma you have. You can have some excellent wild-life pictures with a shallow depth of field with 2.8 f/stop. Thirdly, it’s only $300-350 more than Sigma but money well spent – trust me. Lastly, since yours is a 60D camera that has a non-full frame (APS-C sized sensor), the crop-factor is 1.6 so in actuality CANON EF 70-200MM equates to approximately 110 MM to 480 MM zoom – more than enough for wildlife, nature etc.
Hope this helps – please let us know what you decided.
often times third party lenses are actually better quality that oem lenses, the unfortunate part is that some are also worse. a quick easy place to review lenses is actually amazon. there are typically many many many reviews of each lens and its pro’s/con’s. one of the best lenses i have ever used is the tokina 11-16, in both build and photo quality it surpasses many of my canon lenses. sigma makes some great lenses too i much prefer their 28mm 1.8ex over my canon 28. that being said i have not used the lens you purchased but do not fret over your purchase SIMPLY because it is not a canon lens. check out the lens you bought on amazon and see the pro’s and con’s and why people chose it over a canon alternative or what they regret about it.
which accessories are essential for canon 60D??
depends what you’re shooting!
Extra batteries – yes (generic ones seem to work well – I wouldn’t pay £70 for a Canon Brand one!)
More memory cards definitely. Get Class 10 or better if you’re going to shoot movies.
If you ever use flash, buy a Speedlite – the on camera flash is poop. Get one you can bounce off the ceiling instead of pointing straight at your subject.
Other than that everything else depends what you’re shooting
Essential for what job? :-)
For me, I hate neck straps, so a hand strap was essential!
A good camera bag is “essential” too, especially if you have other accessories and extra lenses to carry around.
I find the one single original battery lasts me through most parties and daily shoots. And I’ve only got a measly 8GB generic memory card which suits me fine for now. Too slow for HD movies though.
Other than that, I agree with Matt. I also have a 580EX II Speedlite which I think is a must-have accessory, whether on-camera or off-camera.
What SD card will I need for crisp/clear pictures and 4-6 minute videos?
I use Lexar (16 GB) or Sandisk (32 GB)…both Class 10. Just make sure that the SD card you buy is Class 6 or above.
I have an 8 GB SanDisk Extreme Pro It also has on the card 45MB/s (whatever that means) Would that work in the 60D camera? For just pictures or videos too?
yes it will work
Just got a Canon 60D!!!!! I know nothing about it yet. But I’m going to learn everything i can now, because I’ll use it in AK next year. So I’m glad I found you because you will be getting lots of dumb questions from me.
Thanks for listening,
NS
Pick up the book “Canon EOS 60D Digital Field Guide” by Charlotte K. Lowrie. It is GREAT for learning how to use the 60d! I think its like 10$ at amazon
I love the book, “Canon EOS 60D – From Snapshots to Great Shots” by Nicole S. Young. Nice and simple to follow.
I just read this book “From Snapshots to Great Shots” I would never have conquered the 60D without it. Love this book!
Hi,
I got the Canon D60. I shoot manual and feel that even in settings where I’m outside and there is overcast I have to set my iso very high to about 600 or higher and may photo’s are still coming out dark when they shouldn’t. My aperture is 5.6 When I compare it to the Rebel at such a high ISO my shots would have been a lot lighter. Anyone experience this?
Leave the ISO setting alone and try to increase Exposure Compensation while in Av mode. Also, instead of AWB (Automatic White Balance) try to set your camera to “Cloudy”. Please let me know if that worked out for you.
i have a 60d but cant open the raw files in bridge can anyone tell me what editing software is needed as im having to convert to jpeg in camera it takes a while but i dont want to go back shooting jpg images am i right in thinking i need p,shopcs5.
Only Photoshop CS5 can handle raw file formats. You need to process the files in the Canon software or shoot in Jpeg format.
You must have got the Canon software in the bundle. Either that or Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 can be used to manipulate the RAW (.CR2) files.
use the software that came with your camera
or use adobe photoshop
or search the net there is million software that open and convert raw
I don’t have a remote control but I need the bulb to get going with out pressing it, somebody can explain me how to do it? THANKS!
Use the self timer mode. Check the instructions for the setup.
James,
I just tried using the 2 sec. timer while in bulb mode and it would not let me start the timer by pressing the shutter button then releasing it. I had to leave the shutter button depressed for the 2 seconds until it started the exposure, plus I needed to keep the shutter button down (as usual) to keep the exposure going.
This is probably the case with every camera manufacturer but I think it’s ridiculous that with all the technology in these DSLRs they don’t allow you to just set a timer for how long you would like bulb to stay on! It’s obviously just to sell remotes!
The good news, Camilo, is that you can buy some that are quite inexpensive.
hi all, i love this page. My question is how come my pictures dont come like the other guys shooting with the same lens same camera. Mine always has a yellow look to it while theirs look so crisp and vibrant?
I have similar problem too.
It looks like my photo quality is just like the old DC (6mega pixel) from 7 years ago…..
Nothing particularly special about photo quality.
(I am not talking about picture composing, just a regular picture, where the photo quality just looks extremely normal….)
Check you color balance setting first. After you shoot, look at the histogram chart and see if you information is centered in the graph. If everything is at one end or the other, your exposure is off. Metering isn’t always automatic, learn to turn on the manual setting and adjust your exposure to get a better exposure.
im having the same issue… my rebel took better pics..not sure what im doing wrong
Hi all,
I just brought a Canon 60D recently and have no idea how to adjust the iso manually as its always changing automatically. Any tips?
Thank you for your time, appreciated!
Hi!
You can adjust ISO manualy just using creative modes ( Tv.AV,M…)
You can’t custom ISO on Automatic mode.However,to change ISO manualy , read page 88,89 in English manual.
Thanks!
Ilya
At the top of the camera is a button that says iso. In the manual mode, you can change this by simple pressing this button and moving the shutter adjusting wheel next the the shutter release to change the iso. If you press the information button in the back of the camera when in the manual mode and then press the toggle button above it, with the little bumps on it, you can see every setting on the camera and can toggle through each and change them all, one at a time. Practice the manual mode, it is worth it.
I shot vedio clips using my new Canon 60D. However I can not play it on my computer though I have uploaded the software.
The camera shoots in mpeg format. Windows 7 live movie maker and Imovie on Macs can do a real simple edit of your video clips. Your files may be too high res to run on Flash.
By default 60D records in .MOV format which plays beautifully on Real Player and Quick Time. Try opening the video file using one of the above software.
sometimes the camera wouldn’t take the shot if am in the AF mode and the camera can’t properly focus on the object !!!
Is that normal ??!!
it would like that the object is in focus but the camera wouldn’t peep and when i press the shutter button, it wouldn’t take the picture
This primarily happens when you are using the wrong lens. By the sounds of it, you are using 70-200 or 75-300 lens and trying to focus on an object that’s LESS than 70 mm away from the lens……you cannot expect the camera to focus on an object that’s only say 50 mm away (given you are using the above lenses). Try shooting with a prime 50 mm lens which is about $100.00 and gives excellent results.
It is normal that the camera doesn’t let you take a photo when it is unable to lock focus (and “peep”) while in AF mode, AND USING “one shot”. If you use AF mode in “AI Servo” the camera will take a shot even if focus is not achieved and it will “peep” faintly all the while you are pressing the shutter button half way (unless you have your camera on mute). Also, in “AI Servo” you will not see the focus points lighting up in the viewfinder to tell you where it’s focusing.
INsUrEdByMaFiA is right too that lenses have there own minimum focusing distances that must be taken into account.
I have also found that even in bright outdoor conditions when trying to get AF to focus while at the maximum telephoto, sometimes I need to zoom out a little to get the AF to work.
I’m using a Canon 60D……
How can I get rid of that annoying square in the LCD screen when using Live View? I believe it is referred to as AF point.
I shoot Manual with the lens set to MF and see no need for that rectangle at all.
Anyone out there knows how t make it dissapear?
Hi, i have a problem when i try to make an Video HD with my 60D.
i bought SanDisk extreme 4 Gb 30 MB/s 10 several times ago. when i try my first HD’s Shooting it looks good on my camera.
but, when i play it in my notebook it doesn’t seem well even i use shutter speed on 500…
can you give me advice?
Your card has to be a class 6 or higher to do video. Most cards are only class 4. I use a class 10 card because it is fast. The other problem may be the recording speed is not set to 24 frames per second and/or you are playing back at a speed different than the speed you shot it at?
Hi, I have the same problem, I want to make a video in full HD , 25 frames, and when I look on it on the mac, the quality is really low!
I don’t know what is the problem, I have good SD card, and on the LCD monitor everything look crispy, Please somebody help me! the other thing is maybe is the codec fault on quick Time? I transfere the file into AVI full HD and the quality is even worse…really don’t know what to do….
what do you mean by low quality? grainy? banding? bad lighting?
I have recently purchased a 60D and love it. (mostly) To erase a photo you have to push the little trash can button, choose “erase” and then hit the “set” button. Is there any way of doing a Cfn setting or something else to reduce the number of button pushes to erase a photo?
Sorry, its a safety feature to keep you from accidently erasing your images.
have canon 60d want to take pictures of football games is the canon 70-300 lens ok which is about 370£, would be standing on side line would i be able to get the reach ok. also is this lens fast enough.
Thanks
You will need a tripod, you can add a tele extender but that makes the lens darker (slower). You can raise the iso to make up for the lens speed. The hard part is zooming with an slr is manual as is most focusing. The camera refocus each time you hit the shutter.
if the lens 70-300mm L (L lens) you can add extender
if the lens 70-300mm non L lens you can’t add the extender
If you are shooting night games, then you will definitely want a fast lens. (think 70-200L IS 2.8)
If you are shooting daylight, then any of the above will work. Set the camera for TV, set shutter to at least 1/250 and increase ISO to get a good aperture.
Hey Moose,
I was wondering if you could please tell me how many hours of 1080p video recording i could do on a 32gb SDHC card with a Canon 60d? I have an HD camcorder i’m thinking about selling because i want to get into DSLR video recording.
Thank you.
2 hours plus. An slr is not the same as a video camera. It has a big chip and make great pictures but some of the functions are less convenient or automatic.
The limit is 12 minutes of true HD (1980p @ 30 fps) at any given time.
^ 12 minute limit per capture.. the card holds more than that, which is what i believe they are asking. it is also DEFINITELY not over 2 hours of recording time on a 32gb at full hd. between 1-2 of actual recording time
I have just purchased a Canon EOS 60D and for some reason, whenever it is in one of the creatice modes it will not let me use autofocus. Can anyone help me with this?
How do you shoot in Manual Mode for Video? I put it on M (Manual) and get my settings correct, but then I can’t record. Once I hit the record button it goes back into still photo setting. I don’t know how to record video it in Manual Mode?
if you havent figured it out yet you have to set it to movie mode, not manual mode. the video mode is manual and once you have the dial twisted all the way to video then make your adjustments and set your settings. the manual mode on the dial is for manual settings for still photography
likely what you were encountering was “live view” mode because it showed up on the lcd when you pushed the record button.. that is often mistaken for video mode
On my 60D, when I press the internal flash button it will not pop up. If I go into the flash control menu and press set and then go to built in flash function settings, I get an error message which says
‘This menu cannot be displayed. External flash is attached.’
which is not the fact.
Am I doing something wrong or is the camera faulty (8 months old).
I am having the same problem. Can someone help with the solution on how to get the internal flash to work again. I was using an external flash for a few days and now cannot get the internal flash to work again. I am getting the same error message as the above person.
Sometimes the internal flash senses that there is enough light and it thinks you don’t need the flash.
You may have it disabled in your settings. (read page 135 in the manual)
I don’t have an external flash but I have used others’. To me that sounds like a faulty camera since you should be able to get to the “built in flash function” setting if no external flash is attached. Perhaps resetting the camera to factory default setting would help? Wouldn’t hurt I guess :) If it does fix the problem, connect an external flash again and see if the same thing happens.
I had the same problem. This happened after I used the external flash and removed. I asked the question on google and found this answer with a picture of how to fix. It worked for me. Just copy the whole link below it will take you to the fix, click on the individual pictures.
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1019&message=38183026&changemode=1
I want to buy a Battery Grip for my Cannon 60D and have seen one on ebay for 54 euro compared to 199.00 in Local shop. Can anyone explain why it so much cheaper and if it’s safe to purchase on ebay. Could I Damage my camera? It’s BG-E9 Battery Grip
I have recently got a canon 60d and got a 32GB SD Elite Pro High Speed Memory Card for my camera. When i try to use it, its says it can not be accessed and needs to be formatted. I have gone on the settings and found the format button but when i click on format, it says ‘Cannot format. Change Card’. Any Suggestions and Advice would be great
Which zoomlens is the best for indoor video
Sorry to be asking….why would you want a zoom lens for indoors? Unless you are video shooting in a big hall or a church. In that case a 70-200 should work fine. Please remember, 60D has a 1.6 crop factor (it is NOT a full-frame camera) so 70-200 actually means approximately 112mm to 320mm actual focusing range. Hope this helps!
the 17-55 f2.8 IS lens is great if you need wider angle to portrait range shots, rather than 70-200 which is more long distance shooting
Hello,
Just bought a 60D and saw people chatting about it. Any recommendation for beginner lenses that I should be looking to start with? Wide angle? I am interested in switching to nikon lenses. I hear a 35mm is not really 35mm on this half frame camera right?
Take care!
You can start with Canon EF-S 55-250MM f/4-5.6 IS Lens (less than $300.00) for some excellent zoomed in pictures and a Canon EF 50mm f1.8 II Lens which os very fast, very reliable and very cheap (less than $100.00). This prime lens is my big favorite – it gives some stunning depth-of field (de-focussed background) results @ wide aperture. You can’t go wrong with this lens.
And yes, Canon 60D is a non-full frame camera (it has an APS-C sized sensor with a crop-factor of 1.6) so your 55-250mm actually equates to 88-320 mm and 50 MM equals an 80 MM lens.
I got 60d for shooting music video s,but i want a spec for light that wil give good indoor footage for my 60D
I bought a 60D in March. I have already sent it back to the factory for repair, they said they couldn’t duplicate the problems, did something and sent it back. The problems are out of a bout 1000 pictures (at a shoot), 6-8 will be upside down, the “P” setting will slow down with use til the shutter is not working properly. The external flash I bought won’t shoot right, the internal flash won’t flash quickly on any setting, the flash won’t open half the time on Program, After some shooting, the camera will start saving the photos to the card very slowly. I have 2 SDHC extreme cards, Vivatar external flash that says it is compatible with 60D…I am going to have to send it back to Canon again…any suggestions? Anyone else having similar problems??
maybe you’ve sent it back already?
Not sure of all the problems you describe.
Upside down pictures is not a major issue – just turn them around! But you might get this if the camera is tilted at an odd angle – it has a mechanism for detecting which way up it is and correcting the screen display appropriately. Maybe it gets this wrong sometimes.
The external flash is unlikely to work except in manual mode. I have a couple of non-canon lenses which say they are “compatible” – this is basically untrue, except that they will work on manual (i.e. fire all the time, you have to set the brightness etc).
The built in flash will not automatically pop up on P mode. But it should open if you press the button. Is it not?
With the flash open the camera sometimes uses the flash as the autofocus light, so it slows down a lot. I suggest switching to manual focus with the flash open – see if that makes a difference.
Memory cards – are you using Class 6 or above. Cheaper (class 4 and below) are not fast, and you can’t shoot HD film on them. Try faster cards. Are you doing continuous shooting? That slows down, especially with slower cards.
I’ve been using my mom’s Canon xsi, but I’m upgrading soon and have been looking at the 60D. My one question is: where is the exposure compensation button on the 60D and is it as quick to switch between adjusting shutter speed and aperture as it is in manual on the xsi?
You have 2 wheels on the 60d, one for shutter and one for F stops and they can be seen on top and in the screen in the back. Pretty easy to adjust on the fly.
I’ve had my 60d for several months and in my photos, the reds appear to be oversaturated. I am shooting with the “Neutral” picture style and really none of the picture styles seem to render reds properly (red appears pinkish and maroon appears red)…all other colors appear accurate. Any suggestions?
Hi Sherry, check your White Balance, this setting can change dramatically the tones of colors, specially skin tones and reds and yellows, if you are unsure on how to set it properly then put it to “AWB” this way the camera will do it automatically for you. I usually put it to “K” (which means Kelvin) and use the dial wheel to adjust it to my liking, this was\y I can warm up a scene or make it cold and sad.
Hope this was useful.
Good Day!
Just one quick question, I just got my 60d with 18-55 lens, are we hurting lens when we’re turning the focus ring in AF mode?
thank you
You won’t damage your lens by turning it on AF mode, as long as you do it SLOWLY, if you need to turn it fast then change it to MF.
If you hear a weird cracking sound while turning it, it means you are turning it too fast and you could cross-thread it (ruin it), which means you should go slowly about it, or just switch it to MF.
Hope this was helpful.
if u are turning the ring means u want to manual focus it… you should switch to MF… no point turning it manually focus with AF on…
Over time you will burn out the motor drive. Turn it off.
I just got my Canon 60 D. When shooting video in sunlight of the river, it is overexposed and all white-washed out, even when I change the settings manually to 100 iso. Is there another setting I need to change? The photos do just fine with the same scene, just not the video. thanks!
Yes there is two other settings, one is called Shutter Speed and the other is called Aperture.
I would choose closing the aperture first as need it, and go from there. The aperture is the iris of your lens, and controls the amount of light that enters the lens. You can adjust it by turning the Quick Control Dial wheel, on the back of the 60D, clock-wise will close it gradually to let less light enter the lens, and counter-clock will open it to let more light in.
In your case it seems that you need to turn it clock-wise to let less light in, and fix your overexposure problem. By the way in this case keep your ISO at 100.
Hope this was helpful.
I took a video clip with my Canon T2i and when I play it, it does not play smoothly and the music is garbled.
Can anyone tell me if there is a maximum size sdhc card (ie 32gb) that can be used in the Canon 60D?
i use transcend 32 GB rated class 10 and my 60D runs like a racehorse!
Same here….32GB Lexar Class 10 with 60D and have had no problems so far.
Hi, whenever I take video on my Canon 60D after about 10 seconds it stops and says Movie recording has been stopped automatically. Do you know how I can fix this and take longer videos? Thanks!
Your problem is that your SD card is not fast enough.
Slow SD cards are OK to take pictures, but definitely not good enough for HD video.
I recommend you to get a SDHC Class 10, 32MB/s.
The one I recommend is the SanDisk Extreme Class 10, 16BG or 32GB. They are a bit pricey but well worth it.
Hope this was helpful.
Make sure you have formatted a class 10 card with the camera also as this will cause this problem.
16GB class 10 cards are $23.99 on amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Transcend-Class-Flash-Memory-TS16GSDHC10E/dp/B003VNKNEQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316564423&sr=8-1
I just purchased a Canon 60D & I want to know which lens will bring a subject very close up from a distance. Example: My Grandson plays baseball & I want to be able to take close up shots of him when he is in the field. Also, I want a great sports lens. I now have the EF 55-250mm & the 18-135mm lens.
Thank You,
Sherry
Just bought the Canon 60D, love the camera, but not without some difficulties. When I want to take a picture with the lcd screen, it doesn’t focus. What do I need to do to remedy this.
it does focus, but it takes a while because live view focus is not as fast as viewfinder focus. i.e. when LCD is on, it takes longer to focus, just keep on pressing the shutter release button halfway. but sometimes, it fails to focus. if that happens, try again!
Hi Just got the 60d and was wondering about setting. Do you alway use manual so you are in control of the camera or do you ever set it on Auto or P and let the camera work for you.
Thanks waiting for your response
Rob
if you have bought a canon 60d..i suggest learn how to shoot in manual or AV modes so you can enjoy its features. Using it all the time in programmed settings is just like you buying an expensive point and shoot camera. Just play or experiment with the manual settings and in the long run I’m sure you’ll enjoy your new equipment more and more
hi everyone
it will be grate if any body knows about how i can take long time exposuring even more than 1 hour without holding down the shutter bottom
While the camera itself probably will not allow this length of bulb shot, there are a number of third party programs for shooting tethered to a PC which may allow you to do this
I dont have one yet, but at the moment the 60d is favourite… This site looks very interesting ….
My lens moves in and out during auto focus and I can’t get click.sometime it shows” busy” during click.can anybody solve my problem in new 60D canon?
You need to explain your problem in a better way, so I can get a better idea and try to help you.
When manual or auto focusing, in some lenses the focusing part moves in and out, but this is perfectly normal, in others you don’t notice such movement, that’s just the way lenses are designed.
After taking a picture, if the “busy” message is a bit too long, is because you have a slow SD card and you are probably shooting RAW or RAW+JPG at the maximum quality. RAW pictures consume a lot of data, and on a slow SD card it takes kind of too long to write all that data to the card.
To fix this buy a faster SDHC Class 10 32MB/s.
Hope this was helpful.
Hello,
I use my canon 60D for producing small informative tourism videos for the internet. I have been extremely happy with using the Canon 60D on all accounts except one. When i try to take a panning shot it comes out really blurry and skippy. Is there anything I can do to fix this problem or is this the only flaw?
I use tripod and have tried different speeds of panning too. Thanks!
-Brian
Rolling shutter is a problem with any camera using a CMOS censor, to avoid this problem go slower when you pan.
There’s another thing that may be happening here, if you are using 1920×1080 24p you won’t get smooth pans, to fix this you need to switch to 1280×720 60p, with this setting your pans will be a lot smoother.
Hope this was helpful.
When I take photos, with my 60D, using ‘Live View Shooting’ the photo does not save to the SD card. Any ideas why not?
There is an option in the Live Veiw program (I assume your shooting tethered to a PC) that allows you to set save to SD card a well as default PC Folder
hi just wondering if anyone knows if i can get an adapter to fit a canon fd 100-300 lens on to my canon 60d thanks hope u can help mike thanks kathy
Here’s a link to an adapter so you can fit your FD lens to your 60D, $23.99 at ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Canon-FD-Canon-EOS-EF-Mount-Adapter-Infinity-focus-/280703772623?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item415b3fa7cf
If the link has expired, just do a search on ebay.com for: FD to EF adapter, and you will get lots of results, then choose any that has the capability to focus to infinity.
Hope this was helpful.
hello, i’m new for this camera canon 60d.
well actually i always not sure for taking photo on some moving object, i like to change the iso but the result’s not so good. it usually blur or become too dark.
can somebody help me how to fix that out? :)
thanks :)
What lens do I need to take a photo that i only want 1 thing clear and everthing behind is blur? I love that style of picture hope you can help me find the right lens for it
Thanks
Sorry i meant to post for you that set your camera at sport setting It will make picture clearer with moving objective
check the metering make sure the exposure are rite in the middle so tht u wont make it over or under expose… pull up shuttle speed which at least 125 for moving subject…. iso is based on the light condition… normally in the morning , outdoor put iso 100 and indoor 400-800… must always check metering for the correct exposure….
how to change into the sport setting elizabeth? thanks a lot for the reply i very appreciate it :)
thanks terence but, i don’t really now about the exposure. can you tell me more about it? it will really help me. :)
I’m enjoying my new 60D, but have come across an issue when trying to shoot video. My camera is stopping the video after approximately 5 to 8 seconds instead of letting me shoot more extensive videos. My memory card isn’t full to any large degree when I’ve tried this and I can continue to take hundreds of photos after this issue occurs. Does anybody have any ideas as to what could be wrong?
Are you using a Class 10 SDHC card?
I had a generic branded 8GB SD card with my 60D and I found that HD video recording was stopping within only 4 seconds! Then on further reading, I discovered that the user guide recommends at least Class 6 memory cards.
Further research online in other forums also indicates that lower speed memory cards just can’t handle HD video.
You need to format your class 10 cards with your camera. This usually fixes this. And every time after you fill it and dump it
Is your memory card a Class 10? If you are shooting on a memory card with anything lower than Class 10 you might have problems shooting HD video. Just a guess…
Same answer a gave to Gabriella.
Your problem is that your SD card is not fast enough.
Slow SD cards are OK to take pictures, but definitely not good enough for HD video.
I recommend you to get a SDHC Class 10, 32MB/s.
The one I recommend is the SanDisk Extreme Class 10, 16BG or 32GB. They are a bit pricey but well worth it.
Hope this was helpful.
hi guys
i’ve just bought my first dslr camera a few days ago. its a 60d. i’m pretty new to the photography scene. i’ve always enjoyed taking photos, just not to the extent of buying such a high performance camera….
anyways, basically i’m wanting tips on camera care.
for example, not facing the lens upwards for too long, too avoid dust falling into it; not touching the lens….
is there certain precautions i should take when operating the camera. such as closing the lens all the way before turning off camera??
any advice would be great. any dos/don’ts. as simple as it might sound – like i said, i’m very much a beginner.
many thanks!!
Here’s some basic basics
1. get a uv filter for your lenses – cheap ones are fine (look on amazon) – this will protect the “real” lens glass.
2. Don’t touch the glass. Always keep a lens cloth handy. Keep the lens caps on both ends of the lens when it’s not on the camera and keep the camera body cap on if no lens is attached.
3. Don’t leave the camera or the lens in direct sunlight when you’re not using them!
4. Get some spare batteries.
5. Use the viewfinder over the “live view” mode when you can – better stability of shot, uses less battery, keeps the screen life up!
6. Get a screen protector – again amazon have them – just a sticky plastic cover to go over the screen to protect from scratches.
7. if you’re travelling about with kit – get a camera bag – even a cheap one – to stop lenses clunking about and damage to the camera.
8. Don’t carry the camera by the lens – hold onto the body.
That’s all for now! www.mattjamie.co.uk
just bought a canon60d,what do i use to clean lcd monitor and lenses
To clean the LCD screen and lenses use a lint free cloth, when cleaning use soft movements, do not use any solvents.
Get a camera bag and keep it in it when not in use, and always put the caps on your lenses when not in use to keep them free of dust.
Hope this was helpful.
Are there any external hard drives that can be attached to the 60D (possibly through the HDMI slot) that can store video directly onto it while the camera is recording? I need this for situations when I’m doing long periods of continuous shooting in HD (which takes up a ton of space) Thanks!
I am unaware of any HDD add on units but sooner or later some clever person will no doubt hack up a way to do this.
The limitation is not so much the file storage space available, but the File Systems maximum file size limit which means you cannot create files larger than 4GB.
See page 180 of the User Manual
Over the past year I’ve been shooting with borrowed t2i and d5000 cameras from friends. I’m hooked, and its not much longer until I finally dive in. this year I plan to be one of the photographers for the yearbook club, but I want to shoot with my own dslr. frankly my current nikon P90 p&s is sorely lacking compared to dslrs. What I’m planning to get is the 60d with the 18-135 kit lens along with the 50mm 1.8 prime lens. I’ve put a lot of thought into this setup and I know some will say that I should rather get a 35mm on a crop body but I tested out both focal lengths and I like the magnified 50mm better. other than that, I would like some opinions and recommendations=)
Is there a way to set the orientation in the canon 60d to portrait instead of landscape? I am taking a lot of portrait shots but i am getting tired of holding the camera sideways to shoot them…
Thanks for your help.
If you get a battery grip (which allows for extra power with additional batteries as well), they’re designed to allow you to hold the camera at 90 degrees in portrait mode, with additional shutter and AF lock / zoom buttons which will be the closest to doing what you want.
There are also cheap ones from Chinese sellers on eBay although I have no idea how good they are. There’s a great review with plenty of pics of a third-party one at: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1019&message=37498880
Yup, I’d say the same thing. I bought my 60D with a battery grip, and love it to bits. It does make the whole camera heavier, but it’s certainly worth it for the easier shooting options. Do it!
Hi using sport mode on the 60D to photograph hummingbirds in flight, I notice you can choose the ambient setting, but not sure how this applies (its not on my other canon), are they referring to say the lighting conditions i.e cloudy so you would choose the brighter setting? Or does it work in reverse that you would select dark?
Cheers
Di
Hi Di
I have a Canon 60D also. When I photograph Hummingbirds I’ll set the camera on manual and depending on the light conditions.
If it’s broad daylight and nice and bright you can get away with ISO 100 and a shuter speed of 500th of a sec at a wide open f-stop.
Just take a quick shot of something like a flower the bird wil be at, view it, if it’s too dark, slow the shutter speed or move the ISO up. If you need the wings stopped I’ve used ISO 6400 and a shutter speed of 2500.
You can take a look at my hummingbird shots on my facebook, just look up Doug Gentry in Washington.
Just bought a Canon 60d but when I switch it off, the viewfinder is still open. Is this normal or should it be closed?
Also, when I am using my camera in creative mode, and I press the shutter button half way down, the autofocus does not work or bleep. Why? Am I doing something wrong?
Appreciate your advice.
John
yes, that’s normal.
when the mirror closes the light reflects on your CMOS sensor and it puts all the data in to your memory card.
but when its open,it reflects in your viewfinder so you can see an image .
the second question:your focus is on all servo. so it follows your target you want to focus on. so it keeps adjusting the focus
i’m a beginner,saw canon 60d at costco for 1250package,i lost my point and shoot and want to try dslr cams,which would be a better choice t2i,t3i, or 60d?need sound advice
The T3i and the 60d are very similar cameras. They have the same sensors, both are 18MP, both take exceptional video. The 60d is better suited to an experienced dslr user, whereas the T3i is much better for a beginner. The 60d is about $200 more expensive, but it does offer slightly faster shutter speed, faster continuous shooting, has a better battery, slightly better viewfinder, and its auto focusing is slightly better. On the other hand the T3i is a smaller, lighter camera with a lot of special automatic modes to enable beginners to achieve great results easily. It also has a 10x digital zoom that isn’t on the 60d. I believe the 60d is the better camera, but if you’re new to the dslr world, the T3i might be the better choice.
tnx a lot garry
@garry,,,the price difference for t31 and canon 60d(costco) is 71 bucks,,played with the cameras,the t3i seems to deliver better pictures with the 50mm lens compared to the canon60d 18-200mm lens,i changed the 60d lens to the 50mm would it give the same pic?with the small price difference,can a beginner like me enjoy the canon 60d ?
hi i just posted a note and i put the wrong lens down i am really wanting to know is what can i buy to fit a 100-300 lens onto my canon 60d the lens was given to me and feel its a waist just to get rid of it thanks kathy
Do you have more info on the lens? nikon, canon? is it an EF or EFS lens? There are adapters you can buy to fit non-canon EF or EFS lenses to your 60d, but you will likely lose some functionality. Do a search on Amazon, bhphotvideo.com, or Adorama.
i have purchased a canon 60d and someone gave me a 70-300 mm lens can i get a converter so it will fit my camera looking forward to a response thanks kathy
what kind of 70-300 lens is it? A canon one should work! There are some converters (try ebay) but if it’s a non-canon lens you’ll probably have to set the camera to manual as it won’t recognise the auto features.
How do I upload my pictures from my memory card to my computer?
Kelli
You should have received a USB cable with your camera – with a normal sized USB plug on one end and a mini-usb plug in the other.
The mini end goes into the camera and the large end into the computer. Plug them in and switch the camera on and you will see your 60D pop up as another drive in “My Computer”. Just look in there and you will find your photos in one of the folders, which you can copy to your hard drive as you would any other files.
My favourite way is to simply plug the memory card into a memory card reader on my computer and then drag and drop everything over.
If you don’t have a memory card reader on your computer (most modern laptops do), then an alternative is to get a cheap USB memory card reader which allows you to plug your SD memory card straight into a USB port on your computer.
I prefer this way so I don’t have to move my camera around on my limited desk space, but of course, as Kelli suggested, you should already have the cable which will allow you to plug your camera directly into your computer. Try reading the manual! I learnt most from that!
Hi,
I just purchased a Canon 60d and I am wondering should I buy a filter for my lens and if yes what kindof filters would you suggest for a beginner?
Thank you – LaTanya
Hi LaTanya,
Yes, It’s a real good idea to have a filter to protect your lens investment. One scratch could could put you out of business. If the filter gets scratched, you can replace it (for a lot less than the lens).
The Hoya Ultraviolet UV(0) Haze Multicoated Filter would be a practical, inexpensive one to start with ($36 at B&H) It’s designed to be clear and help cut UV. If your 60D came with the EF-S 18-135mm lens, get the 67mm size. If you got the EF-S 18-200mm IS lens, get the 72mm size.
Thank you very much Chris; ordering it today.
When I connect mu canon 60D to my desktop, neither it can be detected or recognized? what seems to be the problem? HELP!
Mike
This may sound stupid, but have you turned the camera on? It’s easily forgotten and obviously the camera can’t be detected when it’s off. Just in case….
Can anyone help me understand what is causing this?
….My 60D has a constant display message in the viewer in ALL settings of: “This function is not selectable in the current shooting mode”. I can only take one photo then have to turn off the camera and turn on again to take another photo.
Any help much appreciated.
Gary
Try selecting one of the creative modes.
Anybody else try shooting 1080/24p video and getting a slight stobing or stuttering effect when panning or moving the camera? Seems to happen only in 24p, and happens whether I’m auto-everything, or mess with iso, focus, and exposure manually. It happens outside in full daylight and inside under lights. I’ve got a nice lens, Tamron 17-50mm, f/2.8. New here, appreciate any help!
Not Sure but are you using a “class 6″ or even better a “class 10″ memory card? If you look at your memory card ,on the front it will have a little “C” on it with a number in it. From what i know Class 4 can have trouble keeping up with you if your’e filming in really hi def.Because it cant process and store it as quick as a class 6 or even better a class 10.I have a class 10 card and it cost about $40 more than a class 4 on a 16 gig card..Some one might have a better or more accurate answer but have no probs doing what you are trying to do with a 6 or better.hope it helps:)
just realized theres already a chris…just changed my handle.:)
Can I used the DoF preview button in Manual mode, or do I need to be in Av mode?
I’m having a hard time trying to take sports pictures at night. they usually come out blurry or dark . can i get some advice. and the lens im using is EF 70-300mm
I’m just figuring stuff out myself, but I think that has something to do with the capabilities of your lens. I’m guessing you have a Canon EF 70 mm – 300 mm, F/4.0-5.6 which would work fine in daylight, but is too slow to take sports pictures in low light. I picked up a f/2.8 lens for that reason.
Or set ISO above 3200 or 6400. I don’t know what kind of sport picture you are taking and where you are taking (because speed and distance matter) but I get a pretty descent quality of photos taking pro-tennis action shots at nighttime close to the court with that setting for the same lens you have.
Hi i am about to buy a 60D and have NEVER used a DSLR camera in my life… i need some help with which lens or lenses i should purchase. Reading reviews people say to not buy the lens kits… I will be taking photos of my baby and just everyday shots like parties, the kids playing etc… i have been told the 50mm 1.8 is a must have but have also been told this is only good for taking photos of 1 person that’s why i’m thinking i might need a second lense for the “everyday stuff” any recommendations would be GREAT, thanks in advance
Always difficult to give advice. “taking photos of my baby”, you need a telephoto lens; “just everyday shots like parties, the kids playing etc”, you need a wide angle lens. Actually, the kit lens 18-135mm covers your purposes, considering this is your first DSLR. If you don’t like the kit lens……, I just tell you my choice: 60D plus 15-85mm.
Hi Amanda, the people who criticise kit lenses are the more advanced ones who have played around with various lenses and SLRs for a while.
If you are moving up to an SLR from a basic point-and-shoot, you will find even the cheap kit lens and the 60D to be a vast improvement over what you could do with the point-and-shoot! And only if you are detailed conscious, enlarging your photos and comparing with higher-priced lens will you start to notice some slight distortion and aberration that you never paid attention to in your point-and-shoot camera, and then only usually when your SLR lens is zoomed in or out to the maximum.
I read similar reviews and stewed a long time over choice of lens before finally settling on the kit 18-135mm and an 85mm f1.8 prime both of which I think are great at what they were built for. I have used both at kids parties and found uses for either. The 18-135 is good all-round, sometime you need to zoom out for group shots, other times you can zoom in for a gorgeous portrait with one or two subjects, blurring out the background in the process (especially if you widen the aperature). If you’re indoors, sometimes the limited space requires you to zoom out wide.
The 85mm lens is great for low light and extra background blur in portraits, since it has a large aperature. But in some situations, I run out of room indoors and have to resort to close up shots if I don’t have time to change lens.
As for the 50mm, I think as a beginner, you’re much better off with a zoomable lens so you can experience what all the different focal lengths will produce on your camera. For example, with the 18-135mm kit lens, you can zoom in to a 50mm length and experiment (which is what I’m doing to see if I can justify buying a 50mm lens separately) or any other focal length you’re considering. Of course, a prime (non-zoomable) lens has other advantages as well (sharper, lighter/smaller, larger aperatures) but for a beginner, the zoomable lens is the most versatile to use and to figure out what you might need. You can use the 50mm for a portrait with more than one person, you just may have to step backwards a little more.
Hi,
I’m just wondering if anyone else has had an issue with focusing… I usually try to zoom in on something to focus on it, then I zoom out and take the picture. This has worked on every camera I’ve owned, but when I try it with my 60D and 18-135 lens it doesn’t.
I tried a little test:
I zoomed in, focused and took a photo. That shot is in focus.
Then I zoomed out and took another shot. That photo is out of focus. It’s just a bit soft and I can’t tell when I look at it on the LCD display, but then when I get back home and look at the image on my computer it is definitely out of focus.
Any thoughts?
Bradley
I’m still learning about this myself, but I believe I read somewhere that, once focussed, you shouldn’t zoom the lens in or out. Besides, the 60D has an excellent magnification function (blue magnifying glass symbol on top right corner at the back.) This allows you to zoom right in on the subject digitally without affecting your picture and you can get really accurate focus this way.
WHEN I PLAY VIDEOS FROM MY CANON 60D WHY DOES IT LAG? IS THERE ANOTHER PROGRAM I CAN USE THATS BETTER THAN WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER?
THANKS
The movies are Apple QuickTime compatible. Also, the manual recommends you use Canon’s Zoom BrowserEX. It also suggests you not view from the SD card.
JD
The movies use a codec which requires a reasonably powerful computer to run well. So definitetly copy them to your hard drive before playing. Zoombrowser works fine, but you could also download Quicktime player (free) from the Apple website. This is best for playing the MOV files that the 60d creates. WM Player is not great for playing MOVs.
Is the only way I can achieve aspect ratio of 16:9 on my new 60D by using the “Live View” (very slow)
I like to shoot using “P” and looking through the view finder but prefer 16:9 aspect ratio for viewing images on my laptop or my TV.
What is my solution here?
Thanks!
I noticed the same “bug” tonight when shooting a time lapse. I have changed the aspect ratio from 3:2 to 16:9 and did the live preview to watch the first few shots. When I looked at my results tonight, my aspect ratio changed back to 3:2 during the shot…presumably when I no longer had the live preview going. I hope Canon releases an update to fix this issue.
I’ve had my 60d for a couple weeks now, it’s my first time doing photography, loving it so far and have only just started reading a book on 60d.
It’s definitely a great camera and loving my new hobby, well worth the money rather then wasting money on other things that I won’t use.
I’ve been playing around with manual settings but on auto, indoors it flashes quite a few times when trying to focus sometimes even strobing when the camera can’t focus, is this an issue or is this to do with the settings?
It’s perfectly normal – the camera does it to aid in auto focusing.
Q1.Enabling the external microphone – How?
Guys, i just got the 60d a month ago. I just also got an audio-technica mike. i plugged it and tried it for some home videos but is was uncomfortably hissy? I have been made to understand that the external mike will give better results?How do i disable the built in mic and enable the external mike. I did make sure the external mike was set to on and that the LR44 batt is fresh.
Q2. Any ideas about editing the eos hd movie in premiere? must we convert to some other format? i have a amd 6 core, 16 gb ram machine with a gtx 550 nvidia card.
To answer your first question: your external mic is probably overpowering the input on your camera, most self-powered external mics will do this. Go to the menu in video mode, second column, “sound recording”, set the mode to manual, turn the level down as low as it can go (it should be off), then turn it up 1 notch (so it’s 1 below lowest). (On second thought, it might actually be lowest you need, I can’t remember. It’s been awhile…)
If you have the newest premiere (CS 5), you can edit 60D videos natively. When you choose the project format, there’s usually a big list of video formats. Look for the folder called SLR video, and choose your format (i.e. 1080p30, 720p60, etc).
Hope that helps!
Marco
I’ve done some reading up on this already and apparently the hiss in unavoidable when using an external mike on the 60D. So your choices are clean sound on the internal mike or hissy sound on an external mike. (If anyone knows better, Im happy to be corrected.)
It’s well known in the video industry that while DSLRs can give you great video, their sound is not great. So most people end up using some kind of handheld recorder like the Zoom H4n. Google “Philip Bloom blog” for some really nifty beginners DSLR video making movies.
Hello Moose, I just discovered this forum..While being familiar with 2 very good Canon Video cams, I have lately got a 60D which looks great. I have used it for stills and downloaded to computer in usual way which I am quite practiced at…But now want to download a few video clips, and despite reading manual many times I cannot get the download going…..Please can anyone help with program and method to do this…Urgent as I now want to use 2 camera filming.
Thanks Kelvin
The 60D is my first DSLR. I have had it since March. I bought it with the 18-200mm kit lens. Since then, I have added the 50mm 1.8.
What do you suggest as the next lens to purchase – something versatile and not too heavy? Obviously it makes a difference what I plan on shooting, but let’s say for just walking around on the street?
Also, budget is an issue. Sure, I’d but a ton of lenses if I could, but I need the most bang for my buck.
A friend suggested the 35mm f/2 wide angle. Any thoughts?
Best lens to buy now would be wide angle Canon 17-40mm. The results are spectacular….and it’s an “L” lens. You might have read by now that all Canon “L” lenses give stunning results (non-L lenses are also very good but once you taste the “L” series lens, you won’t look back). The above-mentioned lens will have fantastic depth of field at smaller f-stops and the picture quality is unbeatable. No matter which lens you buy, always do some research on the internet. Hope this helps!
Love the Canon 60D. Awesome camera. However!!!!
Some times when I am shooting video, the camera gives me a message “….automatically shut down….”, and it does. The video record button has to be pressed again sometimes 2 0r 3 times before it will continue shooting until I stop the recording.
Any one else experiencing this?
I was in Italy and Switzerland and had the same video issues on my Canon 60D. Weather is very cool – about 60 degrees. I’m using Kingston 32GB Class 10 SD card. So that is NOT the issue. My Canon 60D will shoot video for 4-5″ then “stops automatically”. If I keep at it (4-5 tries) , it will then record okay until I stop recording. Canon, something is wrong here. Too many people are complaining about the same problem. I’m reading about other owners on forums, their blogs and web sites. I’m losing major video content and opportunities because of this 60D problem.
Thanks Seattledc66. I am using a 16 gb class 10 card, fresh battery, manual focus on. Nothing that I can see should stop the recording. Complained to the retailer once, but they had no answer other than if it persisted, they would replace the camera.
Canon surely has to do something about the problem.
Hey Seattledc66, just heard back from Canon tech support. They indicated that with reasonable ambient temps and a class 10 card that maybe something in the cameral is “reducing the available recording time”. Also suggested that maybe the card has bad sectors. However, the card is nearly new, and was formatted in the camera. Their final suggestion was to return the camera to the factory for evaluation.
Hope this helps you with your problem.
i have the same problem. what a bummer.
Are there any firmware updates that solve such issues ?
Hi Guys. Don’t know if this will help but I think I read in some article that the problem can pop up due to overheating of the sensor causing automatic shut down. It has not happened to me so far; I only have been shooting short pieces of video.
Hi Guys/back again. I was just reading in the B&H promo/description for the 60D where it states (only) up to 4 GB of video can be captured per clip (in full HD) by design. (maybe it’s the overheating thing) Don’t know if this is what’s happening with you, James, but I thought I’d share it.
I own a Canon 60D and will be going to the Southport Airshow this Saturday, I’m taking a 70-300mm lens and was wondering if anyone would recommend a good set up for me, I’m not very experienced and was think of trying Tv with 250-500 sec shutter speeds on prop planes, higher for the jets.
I was thinking of setting the auto lighting optimiser to maximum to compensate for the camera metering the sky instead of the planes, will that work?
So, yesterday I got an e-mail from Canon stating that there is a Firmware Update (1.1.0) for the 60D. It says “…..download the firmware update by clicking here…..”. I did as stated and it brings me to the Canon website on the 60D page. I click “Drivers&Software” and there is nothing for the Firmware Update. Has anyone else gotten this e-mail? If so, were you able to download the firmware update?
Thanks!
BTW……I even clicked on “Priorities” on the Canon 60D page and it does list that there is a Firmware Update 1.1.0 but even when you click on that to download it just brings you back to the 60D page where you can’t download the update!
Confused!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had the same problem with Internet explorer 9, I downloaded mozzila firefox and the page you click on has the firmware update
That is really strange!
I just got another e-mail from Canon saying that I may need to change to Firefox or Google Chrome in order to download the firmware update and now hearing you say that is what you needed to do also! I wonder why! I mean, that just seems really crazy!
Not sure why, not to fond of Internet explorer 9 almost thinking of downgrading to IE 8
I hear ya ….. didn’t know one could “downgrade”!!!
Still, you’d think that Canon updates would be able to be accessed no matter what search engine is being used!
What happens if I don’t get the latest firmware update????
Will I have issues with my camera???
Not sure I want to add Firefox to my computer!
Any idea what this firmware update does? will it fix some bugs or provide some enhancements?
How do I shoot standard video quality (640×480) in widescreen? The default is the ugly square shaped 4:3 screen, while the HD options are fixed in beautiful, cinematic widescreen. The manual says the standard option “WILL BE” 4:3, but I’m just hoping there is another option…
Thanks!
640 x 480 pixels IS a ratio of 4:3. If it was widescreen ratio like 16:9, then it can’t be 640 x 480 pixels!
The resolution would have to be different. The two HD sizes of 1280 x 720 and 1920 x 1080 are 16:9 (widescreen) ratio.
Okay thanks! I was just frustrated because I had a much cheaper camera that could shoot regular, non HD video in both standard and wide screen modes and I didn’t understand why a higher end camera with lots more features could not do the same. But, I guess it forces the user to have nicer videos in HD and widescreen, despite taking up twice the space on your memory card.
So, Love the 60D. Outdoors I almost always use a fill flash reduced to
-1 stops for fill.
Question:
Assuming that I am just making snapshots for the computer or 5X7, can I set the camera at 1/250th and f8 on manual, together with the flash exposure -1 stops and the ISO on auto. Will the computers in the camera figure everything out with the iso set on auto and the camera set to manual?
I think it will and I’m not concerned about what iso it picks.
thanks. Please reply to rayseligman@gmail.com
Would have thought so. Isn’t this the point of having an Auto ISO function? I always use mine in auto ISO, and would certainly hoped it worked OK in manual.
Hi there, I’m brand new to the world of DSLR’s and have only ever dealt with Point and Shoots. Here’s why I’m thinking of starting with a Canon 60D: my wife REALLY wants an 18-200mm lens because of its versatility. We want to shoot for travel, wildlife, and Sports/Dogs and it looks like the 18-200mm lens is extremely versatile and a good choice for wildlife and pets. Currently our first choice for camera was a Nikon D3100 (please hold your boo’s, I know this is a Canon forum). However, the Nikon only comes with an 18-55mm, no kit is available with the 18-200mm lens. So to buy the Nikon and the 18-200mm separately costs more than buying the Canon 60D kit with the 18-200mm lens! I’m wondering if it is worth it for us to make the jump to DSLR on an intermediate-advanced camera such as the Canon 60D? Can anybody shed some light on this? Also, I’ll just mention that I really like the idea of having a guide mode on the Nikon. Any help/advice is much appreciated!
I’ve had both Nikon and Canon, including the 5D M11, 7D, 60D, all cannon and D90, D3100 and other Nikons. The resulting pictures will be absolutely, 100%, totally, completely indistinguishable. Starting out I think that the 60D with the 18-200 would be absolutely perfect. Set on Program, you can just point and shoot and let the camera decide, which it does perfectly most of the time. As you get into the hobby start using the aperture and shutter speed, fool with fill flash, start doing some HDR. This is a camera and a setup that will serve for years to come. You can take magnificent, incredible pictures with it. But get a real good 60D book and go through it page by page.
Good luck.
Hi. There actually is a kit available with an 18-200mm lens. That’s what mine is. I bought it from Costco. You can order online.
Can’t beat RJS’ answer since he/she has used so many models. But I thought I’d offer my 2 cent’s worht since I’m also raised on point-and-shoots and got my first DSLR – the 60D, a few month’s ago and loving it!
My kit came with the 18-135mm lens.
In-depth reviews online generally don’t seem as impressed by the 18-200mm lens for imperfections at the extreme focal lengths, but I think if you come from point-and-shoot level, then you won’t hardly notice the flaws and more likely to be impressed by what you can do.
Other than that, there’s not a lot I can say that RJS hasn’t explained more perfectly! Sure it’s “intermediate-advanced”, the advanced being that there are lots of automatic functions so it’s suitable for newbies and advanced newbies.
I actually chose the 60D for the flip-out screen which I love on my Powershot IS S2 point-and-shoot. That may not be as important to you but I’m sure for sports and moving animals you’ll really appreciate the continuous 5.3 shots/second.
just up graded to 60d with 18 -200 kit cheaper that way took 20 or so pics difference blew me away compared to my oldercanon xti
hello guys,
i absolutely love this website it has helped me in many ways and now i was wondering because my uncle was a very good photographer and he had a vast number of lenses for the CANON A-1 and he is no longer in the photography world so he offered to get them for me from australia and i live in malta so to avoid him getting me heavy lenses for nothing will the CANON A-1 Lenses Work on my CANON 60D( the best dslr i have ever used )
One question that comes up very often on this (and other) forums is -can old FD lenses (as used on Canon A-1) be used on an EOS cameras (EF-s) -film or digital?
Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to use those old lenses which are otherwise doing nothing?
Also lot of the older prime (non zoom) lenses are optically very good- allmost equal to modern lenses.
Hey,some people even prefer older manual focus lenses for their lovely focusing feel
Unfortunately the quick answer is … no – FD lenses can’t easily be used on EOS
The more complicated answer is that FD lenses can be used but either the image quality suffers or there are other drawbacks.
Canon did once make a good optical type adapter for using FD lenses on EOS but it only works on certain tele lenses plus it is VERY expensive .Figure on at least us$600 2nd hand !!!Added to that it does degrade optical quality very slightly (allthough it helps that it only fits some of the very best professional lenses)
There are cheapo adapters available on ebay (about us$40) to use allmost any FD lens on EOS but because they need to have built-in corrective optics they aren’t really worth using -the image quality is not very good.
There are also simple (non optical) adapters that allow you to use FD lenses on EOS -BUT- these are only uasable for close up macro work.It’s impossible to focus to any usable distance at all
Here’s the good news though!!!There are brands that CAN be easily used on EOS, and there are some great ones among them!!
Common brands used on EOS via simple (non optical )adapters are:
Nikon (Except modern G type lenses *)
Zeiss (Contax/yashica mount)
Olympus
Leica R
M42 (the old pentax universal screw mount)
Pentax K mount (EF-S EOS bodies only -Normal EF bodies need slightly modified lenses)
T mount (many cheap tele lenses and mirror lenses)
Brands that can only be used with an optical adapter -and so are not worth using in my opinion- are:
Canon FD
Minolta MD/MC
Minolta AF ***
Can I take infrared images withe the 60D ? I understand I could have it modified to remove the IR filter in front of the sensor. I would prefer not to do this. I tried using a Cokin P007 filter, but can’t get anything with the IR “look”.
Anyone have success with this ? If so, what settings did you use ?
Would appreciate any help. Thanks !
To see if your camera is IR sensitive turn your camera on. Take your TV or DVD remote and point it into your lens. Push the power button on your remote and view it from your camera’s view finder. If you can see the IR light from your remote then your camera is IR sensitive and may may just need to buy an IR lens. Go to your local camera shop and see if they will let you run a few test shots with a Hoya IR lens. Good Luck.
I just got my Cannon 60D last week and everytime I try to record in about 2 or 3 seconds is stops and saids Movie recording has been stopped automatically. I have tried to find it in the manual and not having any luck. Thank you for any help…..
I don’t know for sure, as I only bought mine yesterday, but could it be something to do with the memory card?
What is the class of your MEMORY card? Class 10 or class 6? Low class card may be the bottleneck, too slow to record on it the video, so, it stops.
Canon tech support says that something in the camera may be “reducing the available recording time”, or that the card may have bad sectors. My card is a 16 gb class 10 and new. It was formatted in the camera, so the card is more than likely not the problem. Only other suggestion from Canon was to send the camera to factory for evaluation.
I am a mid-level wedding and event videographer, and my trusty GL2 needs to be put out to pasture. I am interested in the “film” look I have been seeing online with DLSR cameras, and am seriously looking at the Canon 60D. A few concerns I am hoping people here can address for me.
1. Low Light: If I video it at a 1/30 shutter speed and use an on-camera light, can I avoid grainy videos? I was told if you get a lens with a large aperture you can get more light on the chip alos? I tried shooting with the Sony 1000 (shoulder mounted) and it was a disaster. Could never get good lowlight footage from it. And most of my events are in dark halls.
2. I will not shoot in HD, but DV. (Or is that SD?) How many minutes will I get at that resolution? I understand the FAT files will have a limit.
3. Do I have to convert the files to edit in iMovie HD or the newer version of it?
I do appreciate any feedback you can give me!
I’m no pro but I’ve been studying up on my 60D in the last few months so I hope to shed some light on your questions.
1.The graininess of your videos would be mostly influenced by having the ISO cranked up. But with moving pictures, it’s hard to really tell if there’s much graininess until you start getting into the upper end like ISO 6400, unlike a static photo which you can zoom in and examine.
Having said that, I find that with a large aperture on the lens and the ISO up high, I can easily film in indoor lighting. But what’s good or acceptable is subjective though, and I don’t know what your standards and expectations are. I’d recommend searching on YouTube to see what other 60D users have filmed in low lighting to give yourself a better sense of what to expect.
The other thing to note is that you can’t set it at 1/30 shutter speed when filming in Standard Definition (640×480). That’s because you’re limited to 50fps PAL or 60fps NTSC.
2.The limitation with individual FAT files is 4GB which is approx. 24min for SD. (12min for HD).
3.Sorry, I don’t know the specs of iMovie, but if that’s Mac software, I’d be really shocked if it can’t handle it as the video format is MOV.
Hi Moose! I just bought my Canon 60D. I cannot find a way to import it into iMovie ’09. Is this possible? If not, how can I make it possible?
Hey, i’ve just bought the 60D, with a RS-60E3, when i plug in the shutter release, it will instantly take a photo??? When i press the shutter release it will focus, but not take a picture, same in all modes, including bulb. Not sure if i have to do something to allow it to actually take the image, any help is much appreciated.
Ethan
Suspect you have the shutter lock button activated on the RS-60E3. It’s marked on the remote as ‘running lock’, and has an orange line displayed under the remote shutter button if ‘live’. I’ve just tried it here with mine, and if you have the lock ‘on’ when you plug it into the camera, it will fire the shutter.
Haven’t been able to replicate the second query though.
Hope the first bit helps though.
Hi Moose!
Thanks for the informative site – very helpful! My husband bought me the 60D for my birthday (what an awesome husband!).
I have been working through the manual and trying out all the settings, and I’m having an issue with my Creative Auto setting. When I choose the “Q” button to see the settings in that mode, I am unable to change the option of “background blur”…the ability to blur the background is greyed out…when I press the magnifying glass (either minus or plus) it says “this function is not selectable in the current shooting mode”.
Any idea what’s going on?
Thanks in advance,
Erin
Hi, Erin,
The background blur is decided by (a) the focal lenghth & (b) the diaphragm you’ve maunally set, therefore, the 60D cannot automatically ajustment the blur, so it’s greyed out. I think this is the reason.
I am having the same problem, about not being able to set the “background clur” in CA mode. any help since you have the camera would be appriciated
Hi Moose!
Thanks for the informative site – very helpful! My husband bought me the 60D for my birthday (what an awesome husband!).
I have been working through the manual and trying out all the settings, and I’m having an issue with my Creative Auto setting. When I choose the “Q” button to see the settings in that mode, I am unable to change the option of “background blur”…the ability to blur the background is greyed out…when I press the magnifying glass (either minus or plus) it says “this function is not selectable in the current shooting mode”.
Any idea what’s going on?
Thanks in a advance,
Erin
Hi,
I am new to Canon 60D and am sitting in the hotel room from where I can see the Opera House in Sydney. I wanted to take my son sitting in the window in the front and the Opera house in the back side. How can I do that using my Canon 60 D Camera.
I am due to photograph a 40th birthday party on july 1st for some friends, I have canon 18 – 55mm canon lens, 70 – 300mm lens Sigma 55 – 200mm lens a Tamron 28 – 200mm lens. The thing is what lens and settings do i use, I am also going to purchase a flash for the occasssion i don’t want to let my friends down please help.
Hello Moose!
I am new here..and à filmmaker.
Maybe à stupide question; is it better to film “raw” ? What are THE consequences for capturing THE material to let’s say Avid media composer?
What is filming raw anyway? Harhar….
Thank you for taling THE time….
Love THE site.
Hi Simone. Just trying to understand your question a bit more. I think I understand what you mean but I was wondering where you got the term RAW from for video. Could you flesh out what you mean a bit for me. Just so I know where your head is at.
Cheers.
Simone
I think RAW only applies to stills photos.
Hello all,
I have had my camera for a few weeks now and I have noticed that when I zoom in on subjects the camera choose not to take the picture (in auto focus and manual focus). I am shooting in Manual mode and this has happened on multiple occasions. If I zoom all the way out it will take the photo, but that is not the image I want to capture… what is wrong… am I the only one with this problem? I am frustrated… My old rebel never did this…
Hi Amanda i have had this problem and i think it is something to do with focal length on the lens. If you want to get closer to a subject you will have to change your lens. I was using a 55 – 200mm lens when i should have used a 28 – 200mm lens this ment i got closer, there maybe other answers but this is how i over came the problem.
Dave
Hello- Love the website and the information it provides. I am a new 60D owner and I plan to shoot fireworks on the 4th of July – from a distance. Please let me know the best settings to get this done. I have a 18-135 lens.
Moose,
Please help with ur recommendation. I’m trying to decide if I use 50mm 1.8 or 1-135mm lens for an indoor wedding. I have a 430ex speedlight to assist with the flash.
I like the 50mm , but don’t want to be in the guests face when taking pictures. What are the pro’s & con’s. Thanks
I use a nice Tamron 90mm f2.8 macro lens, absolutely superb and crystal clear and for the Wider angle a Tamron 18-55 f2.8 lens. Just make sure you get the Canon mounted ones.
Hi Moose!! I am a late commer to English -I am Turkish- and DSLR world, too. I just got a 60D a week ago and I am still trying to understand what i have :)) I absolutely have no idea even about what aperture or ISO setting is but in a way, I can take good pictures :)) I know how it is going to look good but I don’t have any technical explanations about it.. I learned a lot from that page and I just wanted to thank you.. Now I will read more and come back to ask you my futher questions.. But can you please explain me in general what is the difference between AF and MF options on the lens (I have a 18-135 IS) When it is on Auto Focus, shouldn’t I do anything with the lens? What happens if I move the ring when I am not satisfied what I got with the AF mode? Do I hurt the lens?
Thank you in advance..
Help! I have just received my new 60d purchased on eBay. How do I change the language from Japanese to English? Thanks Jo.
Hi, Neil, please consult the Manual on page 31.
Any one know why when I upload my photos from my Canon 60D camera (off the memory card) to my computer the resolution is so low? I can’t even upload the photos to shutterfly to use to make a card without it saying the resolution of the photo is too low! How do I change this, is there something I can do on the camera itself? I am NOT shooting in RAW format to save space on memory cards…is this why? Should I be shooting in RAW? I am all new too photography and trying to get started but this is setting me back as I lack in the technical part of it! I have every bit of the creativity but obviously I need the technical as well! All help is appreciated! Thanks so much!
I am having the same problem. After selecting the L (18 MP) JPG, when i download it to the computer I only get about 6-8 MP images. Is there something that needs to be done besides selecting the image resolution?
Do you use zooming with digital….Normally in handycams I have observed that going beyond optical zoom ( real zoom) to digital zoom ( means sensor size reduction)… will reduce the pixels.. due to the image crop.. But I am still not sure whether in handycam 3.1 MP or so..or even in the D60 HD video Pixel size 18 MP is a parameter to matter or so?…
Digital zoom if it is there in D60 could be a reason…if yes.. disable that….Also better to use RAW image… though it takes more memeory it takes all the fine pictures… the depthy grains and clarity….
Hi Moose. I really hope you can help me since I have a shoot in the morning! I just put my new 50mm 1.4 on my 60d and it let me take two shots. Then the screen went black and the access lamp is staying red. The number of shots I have left is flashing repeatedly as well. I don’t know if it has anything to do with the new lens or not but I can’t take any pictures! I can, but they won’t show up on the monitor and I can’t access the menu screen either. Just totally black with the red access lamp on.
The same thing happened to me (on the same day…) I reformated my card and everything started to work again. I think what happened was I removed the card from my computer without ejecting it and messed it up somehow. Fortunely, I only lost a few test pictures. Sorry, I didn’t see this sooner. Since you siad you needed your camera today.
Quick question regarding using the built in flash as my master to trigger my speedlite off camera.
I have my ETTL firing nicely wirelessly, but I can’t seem to disengage my on camera flash?
I know it has to be popped up to trigger my speedlite, but how do I keep it from firing automatically in low lighting? Is there a way to keep it working as the master, but disengage if from firing.
Thanks! This is a great little site :)
I have the same concern. Does anyone know??
The low level flash from the built in flash is the trigger for the remote flash. It’s not an option.
please share with me how you got the wireless to work i have tried everything and cannot get mine to work and when i go into custom flash functions it keeps telling me that it is unavailable due to flash function is turned off. any advice would be apprieciated thanks
Hi Moose,
Can you help me out with IR on my 60D?
Having a few issues setting white balance and bits.
Thanks
Makie
Hi Moose,
Not sure if you are aware but you have a memory issue on your sever.
If you have access to the code you should be able to use the following code at the top of your script to solve this problem:
ini_set(“memory_limit”,”-1″);
Hi Moose,
Just got my 60D and I’m a noob at it so please help me out =)
What’s the best setting for taking night shoot w/ 60D?
Educate me on few different setting for night scenery, landscape, night portrait and night life (people or perhaps car moving around)
FYI, I only had EF S 18 – 55mm, EF 50mm F1.8 II and EF-S 55-250mm F4.5-6 IS
Thank you in advance =)
Hi.
I just got my Canon 60d recently. Love it so far, but one of the lenses I got for it from a kit makes a grinding noise whenever I attach it to the camera- and it doesn’t stop until I remove the lens. It’s an EF 75-300mm 1:4-5.6 III lens. An Err 01 message comes on the screen when I try to take a picture with the lens attached- and the message says to clean the contacts. I’ve done this, but the problem still exists. Any help would be AMAZING. I really don’t want there to be anything wrong with the lens since it is brand new. Please, help.
Just bought my 60d, do I need a hood for 135mm? I plan to shoot outdoor for the majority of the time. I also bought a 50mm f/1.8 lense, along with the speedlight ex430 ii for indoor photos. Was that a good combo?
I have been experimenting with the 60D sport mode and the areas of movement in the photo are blurred. Does the camera require any manual setting change to use the sport mode? When using fully automatic setting (green rectangle) the movement in the photos are frozen. This seems backward from what I thought should happen. Could something be wrong with the camera?
Also, I have the lens set to AF and Stabilization is on.
Lisa, once you set the dial to sports mode, depress the shutter button halfway to focus the camera on your subject, when your ready depress the button fully to capture your image. Hope this helps.
I tried this with some outdoor photos at my son’s baseball game and it did help. The first ones I experimented with didn’t have as much light. Should I assume the sports mode doesn’t work as well in lower light?
Lisa,
If you are using auto focus, try using AI servo setting.
I think I already know the answer, but I haven’t been able to find it the instruction manual that came with my 60D, or other books I’ve purchased. I’m doing close-up work with Stainless Steel, Blued Steel and Nickel Plated Steel objects and want to tame down the reflections.
Do polarized filters for use with a 60D have to be the circular or linear type?
is there a way to override the 12 minute auto shut off while shooting video?
Nope, the is determined by the file size cutting at 4GB which is unfortunately the most the card can take when formatted FAT32
I just bought a 60d and on the LCD screen where it should say how many pictures I have taken it just stays at 999
what is the problem?
thank you…
Christian, the LCD screen does not show the number of pictures you’ve taken. 999 means that there’s room in your memory card (8G or 16G?) for you to take 999 or more pictures. When less than 999, it shows the actual number.
this issue got me stumped too…took a while to figure out that with large cards, its stays at 999 for quite a while. with 2gb or 4gb cards u can see it countdown.
this should be mentioned in the manual though.
I’ve been using auto focus and looking through the viewfinder but I’m having trouble getting the red dots to line up on my subjects. Usually, the red dots focus on one person but I can’t get them to focus on the other one or two people in the picture. Is there a way to do this? I keep getting photos with one person that is beautifully in focus and the other one or two people slightly out of focus.
the autofocus focuses on the closet subject so you may not always get the focus on everyone. I started using the Center option in program mode and utilize the one red dot.
I just received my cannon 60d yesterday this is my first camera ever. and i am so lost but i think i am really going to enjoy learning to work this thing. i am going to take some classes also. do anyone suggest any good memory cards for recording i ordered one off ebay which was a class 10 which it isnt picking up???
Hi Julian
Have you tried formatting the card inside the camera. If you reformat the card it should work with the camera.
Class 10s are great, particularly if you shoot video. It basically means the card has a very fast read/write speed.
By contrast if you were using a class 4 card and shooting full HD footage it wouldn’t be able to keep up with the amount of data it needed to write to the card.
I’ve always found transcend cards to work very well. Should be able to buy those in most places or online
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Transcend-16GB-SDHC-Class-Memory/dp/B003VNKNEQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306660467&sr=8-1
Hey Moose,
I’m so glad I found this site. I purchased my Canon 60D back in January mainly to assist with my freelance videography gigs. It’s been such a pain for me to find a memory card that goes longer than 29 minutes. I’m not sure if it’s simply that I’m missing a step somewhere. I have 4 memory cards (three 8gb, one 32gb) – all are either class 6 or class 10 and are from Sandisk, PNY, and Kingston.
My 8gb cards give me about 23 minutes of video. When I purchased the 16gb, it gave me about 29 minutes of video, which I thought was ridiculous, so I returned it. I thought it might have just been that card, so I got another 16gb – same thing. I just got my new Kingston 32gb class 10 in the mail yesterday, and it’s also giving me 29 minutes of video. I’ve tried to change all the video settings, but the time still remains the same. In the manual, it says I should be getting way more video time, but nothing I do increases the time.
Now that I’m writing this, I realize that I did not format the card – do you think that may be the issue? Please let me know what I could do to get more video time.
Thanks!!
Hey Chantal,
It’s not the cards. The display shows a maximum of 29mins as default. You’ll actually be able to record lots more than that. It just cant display more than that.
Silly I know but there you go.
Hope it goes well
How is that video going beyond 12 minutes..in hd…or in 720p?… Also do you face heating problems in D60 like in T2I rebel?
hi, im a total beginner in Dslr..ive made some research and i thought 60d just fits my budget.. but is the function too much or too complicated for a beginner?? or should i go for 550d instead?? i just want a decent dslr that is easy to learn and hv good quality photos..
thanks for the advise. :)
60d is a better camera in the long run. I’m not sure what the other guys on the forum think but it might be the best buy. If you own it for 5 years lets say, you would have learnt all the advanced features and had a chance to use them effectively. If you put time into learning how the basic DSLR features work these will apply across all camera’s you buy in the future.
However, if you buy a 550d you’ll have £300/$394 to spend on lenses, cards, a bag etc etc…
Thats the thing its a little bit deceptive. You could end up spending lots of money on the extra bits. Really I think it depends on your budget. I think a 60d would be a much better buy. But if you dont have the money to buy a card for it you aint using it
Simon.
thks alot simon.. :)
What does the red blinking light on the body mean? its the one thats to the very right of the multi selector wheel. I have never noticed it before & just noticed it. does anyone know what that blinking light means???
You can read about it on page 152 of the canon manual. Click on Canon 60d Manual on the right hand side at the top of the page here and download the PDF document.
It’s to do with the cameras temperature. If you use it for a long time in LiveView, say for shooting video the camera heats up very fast. Take a look at the paragraph in the manual.
I have a lens question for my 60d.At the moment I have the 50mm 1.8
I am in Christchurch New Zealand and wish to take photos of houses buildings and roads damaged in the recent earthquake, and also I am going to Seoul in a few months and want to do some street photography,
any suggestions appreciated on what would be a good lens and thanks again
I purchased 18-135 lense with 60D, it’s not bad and can be used for most purposes
What size should my video be for uploading to YouTube? Thanks in advanced.
How do you low format an SD card for the canon 60d?
Select menu and move across 7 and you will see Format. Select that and all you images will be gone. It is good if you do this every time you finish with a days shoot for example.
60D with a 580EX II on top, everything working beautifully, then I go into live view and it all goes belly up. Can’t focus anymore, shutter speeds vary, never at 1/60, any suggestions?
Just to let you know that you can’t use live mode and use the flash focus, it will not function. The focus relies on the camera and that is why my shot have been all over the place.
please please can you help, I purchased and used my YN560 sppedlight some months ago, hovever whilst at a function last night I fecked up the camera. The battery died whilst I was taken a few shots and now that I have removed it and try to use the pop up flash it wont work. Have tried clearing the settings on the flash menu but the message I am getting is = this menu cannot be displayed. external flash attached. The camera still thinks i have the YN560 attached. can you please advise
Not sure if you have already fixed this Margaret, but in case someone else has the same problem…
When you remove an external flash from the hotshoe sometimes the the spring the helps secure it does not spring back. That spring (looks like a little ramp on the side of the hotshoe) has a switch under it. You need to use some pointed object to make sure the spring is popped back up and the little micro-switch is back up as well.
This is a fault with the 60d if under warrantee it will be repaired no questions asked. The issue is the contact on the shoe is still down and camera thinks the flash is still attached. I fixed mine with a very small screw driver I just bent it back up again.
Hello Margaret, I had the same problem with my 60D a few months ago. I use a hair pin to pop it back up. I still see fhe nightmare about it. So what I do now is use my YN560 as a slave and use it of camera or place it in hand. Set the mode on ths yn560 to s1 and use the pop up flash on the 60D. The 60D will remotely trigger the yn560. The yn560 is really a slave speedlite, not manual. Or just get a soft box with a ring that will be you best bet………..BIG-CEE
Hi Moose,
Just got the 60D. Finding that when attempting to shoot video, the camera automatically stops shooting after 5 to 10 seconds. Any idea what might be the problem. Thanks… and this site is great. -CV
Your SD card is a type “4″. Look on the card label for the 4 in a circle. This works for still shooting. The data transfer must be faster than “4″ for video capture.
The new high capture rate format for SD cards, especially for HD video requires a “10″ rated SD card. This allows the fastest data writing.
Have fun with your 60D. The “10″ rated SD cards are of course more expensive than the old standard “4′s”
I’ve had the picture quality option set up for RAW and JPEG. I’ve uploaded some pictures and the JPEG images look fine but the corresponding RAW images have come out much too dark. Can anyone explain why and tell me what I should do about it?
The JPG format is already processed from your camera right as you take the picture, With RAW, you are saving all the data from the sensor and you tell the software how to process the picture. With RAW, you can change the white ballance, the brightness, contrast, all the settings that your camera did to get your JPG file to come out the way it did, or you can tweak it even more to get the most out of your picture.
Hi
I upgraded from 40D to 60D recently. I like to shoot my kids at soccer games etc. With the 40D on tv mode I could set up as desired and press the shutter half way to focus, then shoot the photo. With the 60 D I press the button half way to focus, then press it the rest of the way and the view finder goes black, until I press the button again. What am I doing wrong? The f stop is within range, shutter speed is good etc.
Thanks
When using sport mode on 60D I don’t see any autofocus point in red, is the camera focusing ?
Mirror lockup is my problem. I want to take long exposures over 30 secs and the 60D drops the mirror after that time. I tried bulb but it appears that the mirror does not stay up in that mode.
Any clues?
Hi, You need to get a shutter release such as
http://www.photowarehouse.co.nz/canon-rs-60e3-remote-switch/
this will allow you to keep the shutter open for as long as you want, Moonscapes, here you come !
Regards
Mike
Thanks Mike
On my canon 60d lately when I shoot indoors I press down and it won’t take the picture…Why is that? It has to be some setting but I have no idea
Raven, maybe your camera can’t focus because most of the indoors location has low lighting. try to increase your ISO or try to add some fill flash. I hope this help.
I have the SAME problem. Have no idea why. ISO changes/flash popped-up makes no difference. Will not take photos.
I had this “no shutter release ” problem too. I found that the ‘auto-focus on” setting on my lens prevented the 60D from shutter releasing indoors in low light.
I have the kit 18-135mm zoom. When I switched the lens AutoFocus off the camera would take the picture.
I think this is only a temporary work-around. I have not found a setting in the menus which will allow shutter release with the auto focus on in low light but there may be such.
Try turning your AF switch on the lens off and re-shoot .
I am having problems editing or playing back videos from my 60D. The images are very slow and sometimes when I try and edit in Windows Live Movie Maker the programme shuts down. What are the specifications needed on a PC for handling these videos, please. I am using a Dell Dimension 9200 with Vista. It has a dual core 2CPU Intel processor and 4Gb of RAM. Would it be down to the processor? Or maybe I need a higher spec video card?
Usually you want to convert the original .mov files to a format that’s easier for a computer to work with. Since the video is at very high resolution, it puts a lot of stress on your cpu. For Final Cut, ProRes works great, not sure for windows live movie maker, but there’s gotta be something out there. You can usually use any simple video file converter such as quicktime pro to convert the files. I would do a search for ‘working with HD video Windows’ which should lead you to a solution within minutes.
To be honest the safest option with Windows is usually AVI. I assume Mike is an Apple guy like myself, so I’d actually have to try this to check but AVI files might be the best option
Last time I looked, Windows Movie Maker was only compatible with WMV files, but this may have changed. You can convert your 60D videos to WMVs with a free program like “Format Factory” but this will affect the quality. Better still you can buy something like Adobe Premiere Elements (around £50 I believe) which will be able to handle MOVs and is much better than Movie Maker anyway.
Im having a strange thing happen when I import 60D footage into Final Cut Pro, my video footage is showing up (and exporting) slightly darker and more saturated than when I preview it in finder or import it into iMovie. The odd thing is when I export it from iMovie as Apple Intermediate Codec or its original format H.264 the same thing happens, the video becomes darker and more saturated.
This normally would be a huge issue but Im filming home tours and the working with the correct exposure how I original shot the footage is really important for the mood. Ive been messing around with filters to try and correct it back to the original picture but I cant get it the same + it ads rendering time.
Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated. Andy~
Try converting to ProRes LT, then import into Final Cut.
Has doing what mike suggested worked? Always best to convert H264 footage. Final Cut will hate H264 to edit with :)
bring on ‘Final Cut Pro X’
HI moose,
i just purchased this canon 60d and spent the whole night studying the included manual. there is 1 thing that i cannot locate though, the copyright information. from the cam, all there is on the menu-tools with 3 dots are: battery info and INFO. button display options. no copyright information.
is this present on the 60d?
please help.
erick
can anybody here please help me with my predicament?
thanx in advance.
happy easter!
You have to be in P mode to access the information, or try to reset the camera, maybe you have changed the settings…
Hi,
Had my 60d for a week and generally very happy. One thing that im not happy about is the fact you cant use the view finder for movie recording like many other camcorders. why should this be? is there any way around it. My eyesight is not perfect and using the LCD to focus is difficullt.especially in sunlight.
Thanks for a great site,
Chris Anderson
You acnnot use the viewfinder whilst shooting video because the mirror goes into lock-up mode in order to expose. It’s a pain I know, the lcd screen isn’t very clear in bright sunlight. I put a jacket over my head to shield the screen from sunlight.
Hi Dave
Thanks for your reply. Gonna take a look at a lcd-viewfinder attachment to see if that solves the problem. Major disadvantage
of this camera- didnt know about it until after purchase!
Thanks
Chris
Hey guys!~ just wanted some opinions from you guys kk
I have 18-55 (kit lense) and 50mm 1.8. And i kinda want a one lens that’s like “do it all” type.
So i came up with two lenses that i think it will suit my needs and i want to know what you guys think.
First its the canon 17-85mm f/4-5.6 or canon 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 both USM.
I like shooting mostly portraits of people. And i travel a lot so i kinda dont want to be switching lenses for each shot. =/
But if there is any other lenses around that price range that is good please let me know thanks =]]
And if someone has any of the lenses can i have some feed back? Thank YOU =]
I went through this same kind of decision and chose the Canon 15-85 f3.5-5.6 USM IS lens which sells for around $700. I find the focal lengths to be very convenient for travel and this lens seems to get better reviews than the older 17-85. My other candidate was the 17-55 f/2.8 which gets rave reviews but is over $1000. With the USM focus and image stabilization, the only premium characteristic it lacks is a large, constant aperture.
Do you know if any of the canon wireless remotes will activate the shutter in live view mode, so I can get it to focus on meilst I am sitting front of the camera? WIthout using a remote to focus first on myself when sitting in front of the camera it simply won’t be in focus when I hit record? As you may have guessed I am new to using the 60D. Thanks!
My question is in relation to taking video, not a still photo.
Has any one seen some kind of black jitter in the LCD display of the canon 60d?
In other words every so often as you view your pictures some black glitter shows for a very short time. It does goes away.
It did happens in my camera ver 1.05.
I saw the same in a new one version 1.09.
I did find out the reason for it.
The blinking as it called is becasue the “enabled highlight alert” setting was enable.
It tells you about the areas that are over exposed.
Great tool.
Hi! Maybe the ‘black jitter’ you are seeing is down to the Highlight Indicator being activated? When it is switched on it tends to make brighter areas on the screen flash on and off. Go into your settings and see if this is what the problem is. If so, then switch it to ‘OFF’.
pls suggest steps for settings for night shots as the pictures are shaky.
Thank you .Happy clicking.
If you use flash then you can just use full auto with flash but if your any other setting you would need to adjust your ISO, F stop and shutter speed. And use a tri pod. the best to learn is mess around shooting night time while on manual mode. You learn faster that way then and understand the concept of what each thing does. =]
If that wasnt good enough hopefully someone else can fill you in =]
hey i been having my 60d for a couple moths a i wanted too kno can you save settings an how would you get too them after you saved them an how do i change my f.stops when in “P” mode becuse when i take a picture it snaps very slow an the picture comes out vary blurry an i hate it
I’m trying to edit my videos in iMovie, but I didn’t quite understand Simon’s recommendations on how to convert the movie files into something workable in iMovie. What do recommend? How do I get my videos from my 60D into iMovie? Thanks SO much for your help!
Hey mate have you had an answer on this one? Sorry for being confusing in my post… If you need any info I’m happy to help.
My previous comments apply to a professional way to edit with a 60d.
However.. it doesnt need to be complicated and can just be fun to use
All the best
Hi Moose,
What software do you recommend for video editing with the 60D and why ?
Hey!
I guess it depends on how much money you want to spend and what production quality you are looking for… Also which operating system?
The 60D shoots H.264 quicktime movie files. Meaning when you take the footage off the camera it will be in the quicktime format (.MOV) using the H.264 codec. (there are a bunch of different codecs)
H.264 is fine. However, it is a sluggish format to work in whilst editing.
You would want to convert it to another format
————-
Here is my workflow for my 60D footage
I use Final Cut Pro to edit and compressor for conversion of files (compressor comes with the Final Cut Pro Package) However, this software is for mac
1. Copy footage to my machine
2. Convert to Appl Pro Res 4444 (this is a quicktime file using one of the Apple codecs from the pro res family, these work seemlessly in an edit timeline)
3. Bring footage into a final cut project, with no need to worry about needing to render everytime I move something…
Hope all that makes sense and is helpful
Oh! as far as why use final cut pro…
1. Works brilliantly on my mac (15inch, 2.4i5, 4GB ram)
2. Interface makes sense, has good level of pro/consumer feautures.
3. There is an ‘Express’ version (Apple’s ‘lite’ edition) – this is a lot cheaper
4. The Final Cut Studio package contains many items:
i) Final Cut Pro
ii) Soundtrack Pro
iii) Compressor
iv) Color
v) Motion
vi) DVD studio pro
So for $999/£834 you can convert footage, edit footage, apply title animations, sound edit, colour correct and then master to DVD or use compressor to master for the web, for mac or windows machines, etc etc
Overall you get some incredibly powerful tools for a good price, a new version is scheduled this year which is ‘supossed’ to turn the tide
on Adobe CS5
———
All this said, I use Adobe After Effects for animation and compositing because Apple’s Motion just isn’t up to scratch, and who doesn’t use photoshop…
Adobe’s contender is Premiere. Personally, I don’t like it. I think it feels a bit clunky. However, some of my friends who use other adobe products find it fits them perfectly.
If you suggest what you want to use it for and budget we might be able to offer some options
Hi Simon,
Thanks for the information provided it is very helpful, However I’m very new in video editing. I’m looking for a software suitable for beginners: That can be use to edit movie , simple effects , and insert music. BTW I’m running in windows XP.
Hey Ivan,
Sure thing man no worries…
I think for you personally I’d go for Adobe’s Premiere Elements
http://www.adobe.com/products/premiereel/
It is the cheaper version of Premiere and will give you a stepping stone towards more professional software, most obvioulsy for Premiere but also for others
Hope that is useful
Howdy Ivan,
I’m not an expert when it comes to video editing, however, I’ve been using Windows LIVE movie maker and found it to be very easy to use. However, I believe the ‘LIVE’ version of movie maker is only available with Windows Vista and 7 users.
- Moose
Simon,
Great info and advice, thanks for sharing!
- Moose
Hi all… ive just purchased my first DLSR…i got the Canon 60D this afternoon.. How do i take pics in B/W
Thanks Moose for all these details. I wish I saw you sight before I purchased the 60D. I bought one last week and throught that the focus was broken on Live View. I returned it and now discovered that it is unfortunately “normal” for it to take forever to focus. This was the reason I upgraded from my Rebel XTi. It seems useless to use the Live Mode.
Howdy Bruce,
Totally agree, in everyday situations ‘Live View’ is a pain to use. However, in studio settings where subjects are motionless I’ve found ‘Live View’ to be extremely helpful in composing a shot. Happy shooting!
- Moose
When setting the camera on Creative Auto (Basic Zone Mode), pressing the “Q” button and turning the Dial to Monochrome, it will not let me choose between B/W, Sepia or Blue. Once in Monochrome, I cannot figure out how to switch to the different options, pressing “set” takes you into a separate window that does not help
After scrolling to monochrome…press the directional button down to highlight it…then you can scroll your desired. Took me a while to figure that out too.
Hi, Moose. Thanks for all the info you are sharing on the 60D! I have another question re: Quick AF mode – it doesn’t seem like you can focus and then recompose because there is no half-way stopping point – is that right? Also – is there a way to get the focus points to show up on live view?
Howdy Patti,
When shooting in ‘live view’ mode with quick AF enabled, the mirror will momentarily go down which will momentarily interrupt the live view display. Once focus is achieved, the live view will return and you can recompose your shot as long as you continue to half press the shutter button.
Unfortunately the focus points don’t show up when in ‘live view’ mode. Happy shooting!
- Moose
I just got a 60D (upgraded from Rebel XT) mainly for the better sensor and swivel screen. When the shutter button is pressed, it sounds like a clunk instead of a nice camera click sound. Same when I switch to/from live view mode – it makes a clunking sound. It seems to take pictures just fine, but is the clunking sound the same on all 60D’s?
Howdy Patti,
It’s hard to say. If the “clunking” sound doesn’t feel right to you I’d suggest running down to your local electronics/photo shop and press the shutter a few times on their floor model to see if you can duplicate the sound.
- Moose
Moose,
My 60D keeps giving me this message when recording. “recording has been stopped automatically” or something like that. I have a Class 10 card and still. Do you recommend card to be completely formatted because I do have pics on it right now. Also, i read something about the Image Stabilizer using power and causing that meter to shoot up. You know the one i’m talking about on the right of the LCD? has like 5 bars? ANyway that keeps coming up and stopping my recordings. I can’t even get a minute recorded at one time. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Adam
Howdy Adam,
That message usually appears when the buffer rate has exceeded the minimum write speed of the memory card. If you have a class 10 card, you shouldn’t be running into this issue. As a test, I would empty your card and run a low level format inside your 60D. Then try recording some video. Let me know the results.
- Moose
I slow formatted my 10 class pny and am now recording without issue.:)
make sure auto focus is off
Why are my shots not sharper, pictures are blurry shooting 60d with 85mm 2.8f
Howdy Kris,
The most common reasons for blurry pics are camera shake, subject blur, inaccurate focus and a shallow depth of field.
The first two can be fixed by shooting in shutter priority and ensuring the shutter speed is fast enough to eliminate both camera shake and subject blur. A good starting point is 1/125. Work you’re way up (1/250, 1/500, etc…) if you’re still seeing blur.
As for inaccurate focus, you can increase it’s accuracy by half pressing the shutter and verifying that the subject in in focus before full releasing the shutter.
In regards to depth of field, lower f/numbers result in a shallow depth of field or small area in focus. To lengthen your depth of field you can increase the f/number using aperture priority mode to ensure the entire scene is in focus (great for landscapes). Start at f/8 and work your way up (f/11, f/16, etc…). Happy shooting! – Moose
hi moose :) great tips and blog site you have. just wondering if i had a 15-85mm will my kit lens be totally unusable? talking about 18-55mm. btw, just got my cam lastweek :)
tia
Howdy Van,
Your kit lens will have no added value over the 15-85mm lens. You might as well sell your kit lens and recoup some of the money spent towards your new lens. Happy shooting!
- Moose
Hi Moose,
First of all, thanks a lot for your website. It’s full of info for the eos 60d users both new to dslrs and pros. I got my 60d for quite sometime and now I’m really keen on getting the speedlite. Wondering if you could tell me more on the wireless flash. I’m torn btw the 430ex2 or the 580ex2. I’m just lost with the slave and master mode. I mean, if I buy the 430ex2, does the pop up flash still needs to function? Or should I just buy the 580ex2 instead ? (coz it can function as a master flash). Thanks a lot Moose.
I upgraded from a 40d to a 60d and used the newer camera (with the 15 – 85 mm lens, which I recommend – the extra few mm make a big difference, and the lens quality is very good)
I have always used the spot metering and center focus sensor in Av mode. On the 40d I used the programable functions so as to lock the focus with the * button, and then used the half button to get the exposure reading from something appropriate in the field of view, and then shifted the frame to complete the picture. On the 60d, the programable functions are minimized, and I can not find a way to use the same technique. While I can lock the exposure, having the camera refocus at the half depression doesn’t work very well, as compared the the mode I used on the 40d. It would seem that on the 60d it is the opposite order of functions to accomplish the focus and exposure, but it doesn’t seems to work as well for me.
The instructions for programming the 60d are less clear than before and the range of functions seems fewer. Have I missed something? is there a way to make the 60d operate like the programmed 40d?
Thanks, Rlchard
i misspoke on one detail – it was the AF-on button, that I used for AF lock (not the *button), The half depression of the shutter was AE lock. The combination of these two allow total independent focus and exposure points in the image.
Richard
I bought a new canon eos 60d with 18-200mm canon lens. I am new to DSLR.
I wanted to take pictures with the background as blurry/hazzy and the focussed object as prominent. I understand that this is acheived by depth of field..
Now..I have moved the dial to “Av” mode , and have set the aperture to 3.5.. I am trying this in my room..so have set the ISO to around 600-800. But, whatever I do I am not able to acheive the result..All the objects & background are prominent. I have AF button switched ‘ON’ on the lens and have tried with AF Quick and AF live as well..
Can you guys help me to solve this issue.
Howdy Archan,
In order to achieve a shallow depth of field with your 18-200mm lens, you’ll need to shoot towards the telephoto end of the zoom range.
The 18-200mm lens has an aperture range of f/3.5-5.6. This means the maximum aperture at wide-angle is f/3.5 and the maximum aperture at telephoto is f/5.6. In order to capture a shallow depth of field using aperture, you’ll need a maximum aperture near f/1.8.
Since you won’t be able to get that low, you’ll need to purchase a brighter lens or shoot towards the telephoto end of your lens.
ISO really has nothing to do with depth of field, I would just leave it set to Auto to ensure an accurate exposure.
Hope that info helps…happy shooting!
- Moose
There is a setting for “blurry background” in the CA (creative) mode.
Hi i was messing around with my 60D shooting in manual mode and i had the F at 1.8 iso at 6400 and shutter at 1/1600 i was shooting with the canon 50mm 1.8 and when i was shooting i would get this thick yellow on on the bottom or on the side if i was shooting side ways…
Is it because of my settings that its coming out like that??? or is there something wrong with my 60D that i need to get it checked…
and is shooting at certain setting on manual bad for the camera?
Thank You =]
Howdy Kevin,
It’s possible the thick yellow color you saw was an area blown out by highlights or overexposure. I’m guessing you were shooting in low light? What were you trying to shoot?
- Moose
I was in a pretty well lit room, and i was just shooting random things like people, water bottles and etc. but i would only get it like one or two pics but when i change the settings a little it would disappear. Im worried that, it might of happened because i accidently changed lenses with out turning off my camera…T.T
Howdy Kevin,
Do you have an online photo gallery somewhere (Picasa, Facebook, Flickr)? I’d like to take a look at some of the shots in order to better help you out.
- Moose
Hey Moose sorry for the late reply >< right now i dont have online gallery. but i should make one soon and i deleted the pictures that had that problem. Im planning on making one and ill see if it happens again and i will let you know and give you the info so you can see the pictures =]
Thanks for all the help! You rock!
Sounds good…happy shooting!
- Moose
I just had the same thing while shooting video using the 50mm 1.8. working fine when taking photos. very strange…
hello,
im only a novice who’s had the 60D a week. I was wondering what the best settings are for portrait shots taken indoors, i understand abt lenses and depth of field but am totally at sea about ISO and shutter speed. looking forward to a reply, this is my first post :)
Howdy KC,
The simplest way to capture portraits (indoors or outdoors) is to enable aperture priority mode (Av) and select the lowest f/number available. You’ll want to shoot inside the 50-130mm zoom range which is ideal for capturing portraits. Depending on your lens, you may have to zoom in a bit to get inside this ideal range. As for ISO and shutter speed, my advice is to not worry about it at this stage. Just leave the ISO set to Auto and let the 60D determine the correct shutter speed.
The biggest issue you’re run into is lighting, especially indoors. Tungsten and incandescent lighting can wreak havoc on skin tones. My advice is to adjust the white balance to either tungsten or incandescent when shooting indoors. If you have the budget for an external flash, get one! An external flash will allow you to bounce light off your ceiling and produce more natural looking shots when shooting indoors.
For outdoor portraits, position your subjects so that the sun is hitting their backs at an angle. You don’t want the sun hitting their face. To illuminate your subject, use the built-in flash. This will act as fill light and will give you a more accurate exposure. Happy shooting!
- Moose
I have my Canon 60D since mid December and love it. I need to buy an external flash. Does it make sense to buy a Canon flash such as the 430EX or are there any aftermarket flashes that are worthy of consideration.
Howdy John,
If you’re new to external lighting, I’d stick with the Canon branded 430EX II…simply for ease of use. The 60D and 430EX II do a great job of syncing with each other to provide a balanced exposure. You can simply attach the flash and fire away. Happy shooting!
- Moose
I purchased a 60D with a 24-70 Canon lens and want to shoot video for my son’s hockey game (and take pictures outside the arena).
I shoot from as high up in the stands as possible at center ice on a tripod.
The lighting in the arenas is brutal (many hotspots, mix of sodium and florescent lighting, ice and glass reflection etc.
I have never had an SLR previously (I video taped with a Canon HV20 using the same layout and white balanced against a clean sheet of ice before the game started).
When I record I start the tape on the whistle and stop it when the play stops (usually max is around 1 min 30 sec).
Does anyone have any suggestions on setup and config for shooting video (I do not typically capture individual players and do minimal zooming as I try to get about 1/3 of the ice in the shot at any given time).
Thank you in advance for your suggestions :)
For setting on the HDSLR I would recommend going to this web sight and checking out the videos. Hope this helped. (link: hdslrhub.bhphoto.com/?cm_sp=HDSLR-_-HURLBUT-_-Go2Episode)
Just got my 60D …. I can’t figure something out. When I shoot in LiveView mode the shutter button works as expected. I press it halfway….it focuses…..I press it further…..it takes the shot. When I take it out of LV mode and user the viewfinder when I press the shutter button halfway it focuses but when I press it further it clicks and just sits there and I have to press it again! This is rather frustrating. Could it be a setting that I need to change?
Looking forward to some help!!!!!
Thanks!
I think I figured it out …. I had the “mirror lock-up” enabled.
Diane,
Sounds like you figured it out…happy shooting!
- Moose
Diane, I’m having the same problem, what do you mean mirror lock up, I don’t see any setting like that. Also, have you experienced it where the camera won’t shoot at all using lv in the dark?
I am so in love with my 60D that it must be illegal somewhere. I have 3 lenses: the “nifty fifty”, the kit 18-135ISmm & the Tamron 70-300mmVC. I couldn’t figure out how to upload a photo here, Moose, so I have a link here (if that’s okay?). Will be in the learning phase for a looong time, but I am having such a blast with it.
I hope that you can see the photos in this gallery (dpreview.com/galleries/3949819112)!
Lyndi
Howdy Lyndi,
Thanks for sharing your gallery. I really like the composition of the image… “Against the sun.” Glad you’re having fun in the learning phase…keep up the great work!
- Moose
Nothing to add about your query, just went through your pics and thought they were awesome. I’m only a beginner so going through your settings was education for me :). Great work!
Hi Moose
When I record a short video on my 60D, and put it onto my desktop, the end result in quick time is a huge display. Now, I can get the display down to full screen size, however, when I play the video, it goes in jerks.
It is not my hand because it’s on a tripod. It’s like the computer stops in jerks all the time I play the video.
Also, does the 60D not allow you to zoom in when taking a video.
When I zoom it all distorts. And to use manual is very clumbsy when done freehand, cannot keep the camera straight when using the manual focus with zoom.
Even my little lumix allows me to zoom on movies while in auto.
Thanks, Dale
Howdy Dale,
Welcome to the complex world of HD video recording! :)
Most people are surprised at how difficult it can be to record a simple video with the 60D. It’s really meant for aspiring filmmakers who know how to shoot in short segments (with no zoom) and compile the clips together to create a finished piece.
To answer your first question, the jerkiness you’re referring to is the result of playing .MOV files on a Windows machine. To get smoother playback, try using Splash Lite. It can render the .MOV files much better than the built in video players on your Windows computer. If you still have issues with playback, then it’s most likely your video card. Your video card needs to have HD capabilities in order to play back HD video successfully.
As for zooming while recording…I don’t recommend it. If you zoom while recording your film will have an awkward transition while waiting for the 60D to focus on the subject. Try shooting clips at different zoom lengths and then piece them together using video editing software. If you watch feature films, TV, etc…you’ll notice almost no zooming takes place. Each scene is shot at one focal length and then merged together.
Happy shooting!
- Moose
Need Help
Hi, I have a Canon 60D, and when I am recording video, the camera will stop recording and then power off. I have no been able to figure out why this is. I end up having to re-shoot things when this happens. I have the camera mounted on a tripod, and do not touch the camera for 30 minutes + at a time. I am not sure it there is some kind of setup feature that I am missing when I go through the menu, but I am a rookie, that bought this camera because I wanted to be able to have the option to change lens, unlike your typical camcorder.
Thanks
Bill
Howdy Bill,
The 60D has a recording time limit of 12 minutes per clip. If you begin recording and leave the camera alone for 30 minutes, the camera will power down shortly after the 12 minute mark.
You can also adjust the ‘Auto Power-Off’ time inside the setup menu under the first wrench tab (reference page 50 of the Canon 60D manual).
- Moose
ok Moose- I’ tried to follow your instuctions on the ‘C’ mode, to set my favourite settings. However, I turn the mode dial to ‘C’, then you say choose your mode, then the rest. Well, How do you stay in ‘C’ (Creative) mode, if you turn the dial to enter the mode you want to set. For instance I want to set the ‘TV’ mode to have the same settings all the time. I don’t understand.
Thanks, Dale
Howdy Dale,
After re-reading my instructions on C-mode, I realized it sounded a bit confusing. I edited the post so it’s a bit easier to understand.
- Moose
Hi Moose
Thanks for the email, and thanks for your input.
My question is – I am finding my 60D a little complicated.
I would like to know how to shoot a photo, and have the whole frame in the photo be clear.
I would also like to know how to shoot a photo, and have just the centre be clear, and the surrounding area in the photo be clouded, so to speak. Sorry if these are stupid questions.
Thank-you.
Howdy Dale,
No such thing as a stupid question in my book…to get the whole frame in focus, try shooting in aperture priority (Av) and select an aperture of f/11 or higher. If you want to shorten the area in focus, then select the lowest available f/number (this will be determined by your lens). Generally speaking, in order to get a shallow depth of field you’ll need a lens that can get below f/2.8. You can also try zooming into your subject with a telephoto lens to reduce the depth of field.
- Moose
Hi there Moose
What is the best zoom lens 70-300 or 100-300 for my Canon 60D?
I have the lens that came with it (18-135) but want a zoom I can carry around, yet must be half decent and clear.
I also am thinking of getting a 400 or 500mm lens to just use for birds or a safari, wouldn’t want to carry it around all the time. I see the prices are very high for those lenses. Can’t do the high price thing, but I want quality.
Also, need a macro that does nice portraits, thinking of 100mm.
Appreciate your input.
Jim
Jim,
If you’re just starting out and on a budget, I’d start with the following setup…
Portraits/Macro: Canon 50mm f/1.8 II and Raynox DCR-250
The 50mm f/1.8 is a fantastic portrait lens. Coupled with the Raynox DCR-250 adapter, you’ll instantly increase your closeup macro ability at a fraction of the cost.
Wildlife: Canon EF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 III USM or the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS.
The 75-300mm comes equipped with USM which offers fast and quiet focus. The 55-250mm comes equipped with image stabilization which can help reduce (not eliminate) camera shake. Between the two, the 75-300mm is probably the better choice for wildlife due to the USM and longer focal length. Image stabilization really won’t help reduce subject blur unless the animal is motionless. Just use a fast enough shutter speed and you’ll get sharp results. I didn’t mention the Canon 70-300mm with image stabilization due to the price. In my opinion, image stabilization isn’t worth forking over an extra $300 bucks when compared to the 75-300mm mentioned above. Just my two cents…best of luck in your decision!
- Moose
Moose, what is your opinion on the Tamron 18-270?
I’ve decided it might be best to keep my mode at CA for most of my shooting. Is there anyway of keeping the same settings in that mode, because every time I turn my camera on, I have to set everything, too much time wasted. I really want to get fast shots, street scenes of people, and I am finding it too slow to set everything all the time.
For instance, I want to keep continuous shooting button on all the time for CA and other modes, but have to set it on top all the time.
Can I set specific setting for every mode? to speed things up?
Thanks, Dale
I have the same problem
Thank you
Jim
Dale,
Unfortunately, Canon designed CA mode to ‘reset’ every time you change the shooting mode or power down. However, you can save your favorite settings to ‘C’ mode. Reference page 262 of the 60D manual for more info. Happy shooting!
- Moose
Is the ‘no flash mode’ the same as the ‘automatic’ mode.
In other words, why shouldn’t I use the ‘no flash’ mode all the time, indoors and outdoors, because I hate it when the flash pops up in auto. and I have to take the time to put it down. I also learned you just can’t shove it down, it pops up again. You have to keep the shutter halfway, then shove it down. then it stays. But I find it annoying. So, is ‘no flash’ the same as ‘automatic’?
Thanks,
Dale
Dale,
Yes, it’s basically the same mode minus the flash. Flash allows you to shoot at faster shutter speeds while keeping the ISO down. If you try to hand hold the 60D and shoot without flash in low light situations, the 60D will automatically select a very high ISO in order to get fast enough shutter speeds to eliminate camera shake and subject blur. Higher ISO’s lead to photos with more image grain, less detail and muted colors.
- Moose
hi…i have had my 60d for a few months now but have just bought a yn-468 flash for it…i want to use this flash as a slave really and practice some moody or arty shots….like a portrait lit from just one side whilst he or she is facing the camera…i have read the manual over and over and i don’t seem to be able to turn off the built in flash so that i can use my slave only.
am i overlooking something obvious here ????
many thanks !
Boogle,
I believe your flash needs to be set to ‘S2′ in order for it to recognize the built-in flash emitted from the 60D. If this doesn’t work, try submitting a comment to David over at the Strobist blog.
- Moose
I have just bought the 60D. My question is:
If I change collour settings in “P” mode for landscape for example, are they also valid and take effect for the predefined landscape mode ( which is used without “P”, but by setting it to landscape ) ?
J,
Yes, when you customize the landscape picture style the same settings are applied to landscape mode (mountain icon on the mode dial).
- Moose
Help! The software manual and Canon software sent with the 60D is very difficult to understand for a beginner. I just purchased the 60D with the 17-55 2.8 lense and am very happy with the camera and lense. What software program would you recommend for a beginner who wants to edit pictures for printing, categorize pictures on the computer and have the ability to put them on facebook and send in e mails. Advise please. Thank you.
Michael,
Congrats on the new cam! If you’re a true beginner, I recommend Picasa by Google. It’s free, simple to use and isn’t camera dependent…meaning if you upgrade to another DSLR in the future, you won’t have to re-learn new software. Happy shooting!
- Moose
I’m having the same problem as Kelly: “I’m also running into another problem: I’m trying to change my images from jpg to raw. I’ve selected quality but when I turn the dial is changes the jpg from large to small and when I press multicontroller it also does jpg. I can’t get it to let me take pictures in raw.”
Does anyone know how to fix this?
Thanks in advance
Hannah
Don’t worry – I’ve got it sorted now!
Thanx :)
Hannah,
Glad you got it figured out…happy shooting!
- Moose
I’m new to the DSLR world and just purchased my 60D. I’m looking for an entry level zoom lens for landscape photos (and anything else that’s far away!). Looked at the Canon 18-135, 55-250 and the 28-105. Any suggestions?
Julie,
Congrats on the new cam! Landscapes are generally shot with a wide-angle lens. Unfortunately, wide-angle lenses are quite expensive.
To get a wide field of view you could always do a panoramic shot and merge the photos using the Photo-stitch software that comes with the 60D.
If you’re looking to capture distant subjects, then you’ll definitely need a telephoto lens.
One lens you might consider is an all-in-one lens. You could go with the Canon 18-200mm (see here) or the Tamron 18-270mm (see here). Both cameras come with image stabilization and have relatively good sharpness throughout the zoom range. The Tamron will allow you to get slightly closer to distant subjects, which may be a plus for you.
Happy shooting!
- Moose
I am about to purchase the Canon 60D. I am a complete beginner but I really am interested in photography and see it becoming a serious hobby for me in the future. My question is do I buy the 60D with the 18-135mm or do I spend a little extra money and get the 18-220mm lens with the camera.
Could you please advise me which would be the better lens?
Thanks!
Andrea,
The 18-135mm is a bit sharper (when viewed at 100%) than the 18-200mm, but the 18-200mm will allow you to get a bit closer to distant subjects.
When both lenses are attached to the 60D, the 18-135mm becomes a 28-216mm lens and the 18-200mm becomes a 28-320mm lens…this is due to the crop factor.
When comparing 216mm to 320mm, you’ll definitely notice a difference in zoom power, however, I’m not sure it’s worth the extra change.
With the extra money you’d be saving, you could get an external flash to greatly improve your indoor low light shots, a macro converter like the Raynox DCR-250, or even a teleconverter which can greatly increase your zoom power if you need it.
Best of luck in your decision!
- Moose
Thank you for your reply. I am going to go with the 18-135mm lens. I wanted to say thank you for creating this website. This is a great website for tips. I am looking forward to future posts.
i’m looking for a camera that is inexpensive, easy to use, and will take great pictures for my blogi hope you can help me!
thanks,
aimee
Howdy Aimee,
I’d be glad to help…what’s your budget?
- Moose
Err 80
Has anyone crashing err 80 with own 60D?
I thought it was caused by SD slow memory card but I’d the same error, less times before, with a faster SDHC.
My camera is only one week old!
Please help me!
Thank you!
It has happened once with my 60D too……I use 6 class SD card. The only thing you can do is remove the battery, wait for a minute and then re-install it.
Divody,
On page 291 of the 60D manual it references the Err 80 code. The problem is due to a communication error between the battery and or the lens you’re using. I would first remove the battery and lens completely from your 60D and wait 5 minutes. I would also clean the contacts on both the battery and lens with a clean microfiber cleaning towel. Once you’ve done that, re-attach everything and see if that fixes your problem. What lens are you currently using?
- Moose
if it’s only a week old, take it back and get it repaired or replaced under warranty.
Picked up my very first DSLR – the shiny new Canon EOS 60D Camera with 18-200mm Lens Kit from Best Buy here in Toronto Canada during the boxing day sale for just US$1150.00 + taxes. I have also bought the EF 50mm f1.8 II Lens as a supplement for US$90.00. Both lenses work great and the pictures I have taken so far are unbelievably good – so good that I myself can’t believe I was the photographer. There are some functions which are really confusing – for example the two wheels on the right side. Also, I am still to figure out how to manually set the proverbial triangle of ISO Setting, Aperture and Shutter Speed. The flash pops-up in full auto-mode and the noise it makes is very similar to shutter release noise. My initial moments were worth photographing when I was unsure if I just took a picture or the flash just popped-up. The body is made of rugged aluminium and polycarbonate resin (whatever that means) but it impressed the crap out of me. The material of the LCD viewfinder though is extremely cheap but the articulation more than compensates this shortfall. The software supplied by Canon is lame – most of the options are for older models like 50D. The belt fits in such a way that it keeps on getting in the way/ interrupting the view when the LCD is open for Live View – very annoying. But overall I am very excited with this puppy – can’t wait to take it to the African Lion Safari in summer 2011. Canon has created such an excellent product that they can easily get away with murder.
Raj,
Thanks for sharing your first impressions with the 60D. That African lion safari should be a blast…happy shooting!
- Moose
Hi Moose,
1. What are your recommended lenses for the canon 60d? i like to take mostly night shots, portraits and my fast moving toddler.
2. I currently have canon t2i and thinking about returning it and buying canon 60d. is there much difference between 60d and 7d? i just want to buy solid dslr and dont wanna upgrade for while. Any recommendation for the dslrs?
thanks
ps: i love your site and its very helpfull
Hannah,
I’m working on a post that will highlight some of the best lenses for the 60D, until then I would take a look at the Tamron 18-270mm lens. It’s a great starter lens and will allow you to capture everything from wide-angle to telephoto…all with one lens.
As for upgrading, it really depends on the types of features you’re after. The 60D will give you the added benefit of a flip and rotating LCD screen, along with a faster burst mode than the T2i which is great for sports. The 7D has better build quality (magnesium alloy), more auto-focus points (19 compared to 9) and a larger viewfinder.
Best of luck!
- Moose
MOOSE! (I feel like we’re buddies now) LOL
After several mos of research, I picked up my 60D last night. I got the 18-135mm lens with it, plus the 380 Speedlight & the Tamron 70-300mm lens ($100 holiday rebate!). Played with the thing until my eyes blurred, then took manuals to bed & read until my brain blurred.
I am absolutely, utterly in love with the thing.
Lyndi,
Ha! Well congrats on the new cam, sounds like you’re having a blast!
- Moose
Hi Lyndi,
I also just got a 60D and so far I love it. I upgraded from a XTi and I don’t think I’ll be able to use it ever again after playing with the power of the 60D. I can’t wait to learn more about it!
And as I wasn’t planning on getting a zoom lens immediately, I can’t fit the 70-300 in any of my bags (3 now) WITH the camera. Looks like I might have to find a bag that holds everything (mobile storage) now. Awww, what a shame – more bag shopping.
Lyndi,
Once you’ve been bitten by the camera bug, you’ll find that your shopping list is never complete :)
- Moose
looking at getting one. On the 60D they explain you can adjust the sound recording but it does not say anywhere if there is a built in mike, was just wondering if it does or not?
Josh,
The 60D has a built-in microphone (mono sound), with standard 3.5mm stereo jack for external microphones. It also comes equipped with automatic or manual recording level adjustments inside the menu system. If you’re shooting home movies the built-in mic will be fine. If you’re an amateur filmmaker then you’ll want to consider adding an external microphone like the Rode VideoMic. Best of luck!
- Moose
Thanks a lot, i will have a look at the gadget.
Much appreciated, will definately pester you again if i have other questions or queries!
Anytime! :)
- Moose
Does 60D have Multi-shot self-timer mode? Can do each separatly but cannot figure out how to do this at once.
Julie,
That nifty feature was included with the Canon XSi, but unfortunately not with the 60D. You can use a digital timer remote to capture a series of images at any given interval. This works great for time-lapse photography.
- Moose
Thanks Moose.
Julie,
Glad you figured it out…happy shooting!
- Moose
Moose! On program ISO 100 it looks much better. Looks like in green mode the ISO never goes below 400.
Good to hear! You can set the maximum ISO for full auto mode inside the 60D menu system…read more about it on page 89 of the 60D manual.
- Moose
Alright, it works that way, but shouldn’t the automatic put it on iso 100 if it needs to be at iso 100? I’m just making sure I don’t have a bum camera.
I’m also running into another problem: I’m trying to change my images from jpg to raw. I’ve selected quality but when I turn the dial is changes the jpg from large to small and when I press multicontroller it also does jpg. I can’t get it to let me take pictures in raw.
I’m trying to figure out if I got a bad camera or if I’m just not using it right :(
Ignore all of that
Have it figured out now. Thanks for all of your help. :)
I just recently bought a 60d from Adorama because it was a perfect fit for me. Ive used a 50d for about 6 months before that.
I was trying to take simple pictures inside at my house at a Halloween party and the camera used its built-in flash. It was on automatic setting (green square). The pictures were completely overexposed. Mostly white. I asked my professional photographer friends and none of them knew what could be happening because its on automatic. I called Adorama, sent it back and they sent me a new one. The new camera does the same thing. What am I doing wrong? It’s on automatic. I know I can fix it on manual, but when I want to take quick pictures, I’d like the automatic to work.
Thank you for your help,
Kelly
Kelly,
Sounds strange…try enabling program mode (P) and selecting an ISO of 100. Take a few test photos with flash and let me know if you’re getting the same effect.
- Moose
Kelly,
I guess we cannot turn off the Flash in auto mode. The manual pages 54 to 58 its clear we cannot turn off the flash, instead we can use the no flash mode. Correct me if i am wrong. I too recently purchased the 60d, i am having some time lag /slow performance with the AF Live view Enabled in auto mode. It is taking more than 3-4 seconds. Do you too experience similar slouchy performance. The subject wasnt moving, yet the time taken was long. Please advise.
Saber,
If the flash pops up in full auto mode you can push it back down and capture the image without flash.
As for the slow focus and time lag when shooting in live view, read my article on… “AF Modes for Live View Shooting” …that should answer most of your questions. Happy shooting!
- Moose
to ensure the flash doesn’t pop up, use the setting just below the auto setting–it is a box with a slash through the lightning bolt. this is auto w/o flash, whereas the green box is auto mode.