Canon 30D vs Canon 5D MII

Let's take a deeper look at the Canon 30D versus Canon 5D MII, both Advanced DSLR cameras and they are both designed by Canon. There is a considerable difference among the image resolutions of the 30D (8MP) and 5D MII (21MP) and the 30D (APS-C) and 5D MII (Full frame) have different sensor size.

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The 30D was manufactured 3 years prior to the 5D MII and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have the same body design (Mid-size SLR).

Before getting straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple summation of how the 30D scores vs the 5D MII for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Canon EOS 30D & Canon EOS 5D Mark II. The entire galleries are viewable at Canon 30D Gallery & Canon 5D MII Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera often, you are going to need to consider its weight and measurements. The Canon 30D features outside measurements of 144mm x 106mm x 74mm (5.7" x 4.2" x 2.9") accompanied by a weight of 784 grams (1.73 lbs) while the Canon 5D MII has proportions of 152mm x 114mm x 75mm (6.0" x 4.5" x 3.0") and a weight of 850 grams (1.87 lbs).

Examine the Canon 30D versus Canon 5D MII in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are employing at the time. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the 30D and the 5D MII.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the 30D and 5D MII is 58 and 56 respectively.

In many cases, it's difficult to visualize the difference in sensor sizing purely by looking through technical specs. The visual below will help offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the 30D and 5D MII.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The 30D featuring a smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF more difficult and the Canon 5D MII will provide you with more detail due to its extra 13 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The older 30D will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.