How does the Canon EOS 60D compare to its nearest rivals. Lets start with a chart:
The top two cameras in the chart, the Nikon D300s and Canon 7D, are the two 'prosumer' models in Nikon and Canon's line-ups. As such, they boast more powerful autofocus systems, better weather-sealing, AF Fine Tune, more processing power, and a bunch of other features that make them suitable for use by pro's looking for a smaller, lighter system. That said, the Nikon D300s is basically a Nikon D300 with a few tweaks (most notably the addition of video), and is beginning to look very dated: Both the Nikon D7000 and Canon 60D surpass the D300s in many areas, including resolution, high-ISO ability, ultimate image quality, and video recording ability.
The bottom two cameras in the list, the Nikon D5100 and Canon T3i, are clearly aimed at consumers and/or beginners, being more stripped down cameras that are designed to be easy to use and uncluttered.
The real competition for the 60D is the Nikon D7000. While the Canon 60D bests the Nikon D7000 in resolution (18mp vs 16mp), and a more comprehensive set of video outputs (1080p at both 24 and 30fps, with the Nikon only supporting 24 fps). The 60D also has the articulating LCD screen, which many people, myself included, prefer. It is also $200 cheaper than the Nikon, which makes a huge difference to many buyers.
On the other hand the Nikon D7000 has a faster burst rate, higher ISO abilities, potentially better weatherproofing, AF Fine Tune, dual SD memory card slots, and arguably better autofocus. The Nikon D7000 can also continuously autofocus while recording video, making it the first DSLR that could viably replace a consumer grade HD camcorder for home video use (the image quality still isn't up to what my Sony HDR-SR11 is capable of, but it's getting close). Is all that worth an extra $200? that depends on how you are going to use the camera.
Based on how the 60D compares to the cameras around it, the $999.99 price tag seems about right. The Canon EOS 60D is available from B&H Photo as either a Kit with 18-135mm Lens, a Kit with 18-200mm Lens or as a Body Only.
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