First Impressions Un- Boxing The Canon Eos 60D

There are hundreds of reviews based on the performance of the Canon EOS 60D already, instead this article is about opening the camera's box for the first time.

First let me tell you what camera I'm un-boxing. I have the Canon EOS 60D Digital Camera with Canon's EF-S 18-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS lens. This kit is a deluxe kit from Canon that also includes an extra battery, an HDMI cable and a lens hood. The deluxe add-ons have about a $110.00 value when purchased separately.

The camera comes with all of its parts and pieces in a nice overwrap box. Inside there is the regular camera and lens box plus the bonus pieces individually packaged but loose in the box. The HDMI cable is stout feeling and is labeled as 'Belkin'. The EW-73B hood and the extra LP-E6 battery are in Canon's standard packaging.

First thing in the camera's box is the two pound package of multi-language instruction books. Then we have the warranty cards and the Canon software package. Don't ignore the software! Keep it handy but set it aside for a moment.

Under the interior box flap we find the camera body, the lens and many parts and pieces for camera operation. The first thing I always do is dig out the battery and charger to get them plugged in and charging. Once that done it's time to unload the rest of the box.

Canon packs a USB cable and an AV cable with the EOS 60D camera. The USB cable is only slightly handy but the AV cable immediately goes into my camera bag. Today's cameras capture such huge files that downloading from camera to computer via USB just seems to take too long for me. I hardly ever have a camera to USB cable in my bag, but I always have a USB memory card reader. The AV cable is my favorite accessory. It is also the most overlooked bit of hardware by many photographers.

I always carry the AV cable so that I can review my images anywhere. No matter where you go odds are that there is a TV set nearby. With the AV cable I can always show off my images (and now movies) even if I don't have a laptop with me. And if the option presents itself wouldn't you prefer to view the day's images on an HDTV rather than on your puny little laptop monitor?

Next out is the camera body. The Canon EOS 60D is in an odd position in Canon's camera hierarchy. It replaced the older EOS 50D in some ways and in others it is a Rebel series camera on steroids. I was expecting to find that the body was plastic feeling and maybe even a little creaky like some of the Rebels have been. I was pleasantly surprised to find the body to be sturdy feeling in the hand and weighted just right for balance.

The Canon EF-S 18-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS lens is also reassuringly heavy. I don't mean to imply that it weighs too much, it doesn't. But then it also feels much more substantial than the Rebels' 18-55mm kit lens and not just by weight but considering fit and finish too. I would put it on par with the former 28-135mm kit lens of the old 50D. However the 18mm wide angle length is much more appropriate for a digital SLR than the 28mm length of the former lens.

Before mounting the lens I attach the neck strap. Having a neck strap on the camera is as important as seat belts to a car. A neck strap can mean the difference between a full-fledged drop and a mere ding on the lens.

The battery is still charging so now is a good time to install the Canon software. In particular I have found that 'Digital Photo Professional, 'PhotoStitch' and the 'Picture Styles Editor' are the programs to install on my computer.

It has taken almost two hours but the battery is fully charged and it's time to start getting used to the new camera. In all I think the Canon EOS 60D presents itself well from box to full use. The components in the box are generally useful with little fluff and nothing missing. But here it is worth mentioning that the regular EOS 60D outfits do not come with an HDMI cable, only this special kit does. Get the mini-HDMI to HDMI cable the same day you purchase the camera. You are going to want it!