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Im an experienced amateur photographer who does professional video work. Last year, I purchased a Rebel T3i to use for both photography and video. After doing some research, I decided that the T3i was probably the best value in DSLR video and I was (and still am) very happy with that camera. However, the recent price drops on the 60D (due to the announcement of the 70D) inspired me to trade in my T3i and upgrade from the "Rebel" line of DSLRs. Im incredibly happy I did so and would whole-heartedly recommend the 60D to anyone serious about photography or DSLR video. Its important to remember that the 60D has the exact same cropped sensor as the T2i, T3i, T4i, and T5i Rebel cameras. That means that the quality of photos and videos produced by the cameras will be virtually identical – and very good. In the right hands, any one of those cameras can capture stunning photos and HD video. The difference is largely in the quality and layout of the body, as well as the smarter, faster focusing system in the 60D. The 60D feels great in the hands and – although it isnt advertised – there is apparently much better weather-sealing in the 60D than there is in the Rebels. It has an articulating LCD screen, like the T3i (a real plus for video work), but it lacks the touch functionality of the T4i and T5i. Where the 60D really shines is in its manual controls. Instead of having to hunt through menus or use combo-button presses, the 60D puts a ton of controls right at your fingertips. The buttons are laid out in a fairly logical way and I became familiar with the workings of the camera pretty quickly. The 60D is a camera that really wants to be used in "manual" mode. If youre the kind of photographer that sticks mostly to automatic settings – which is fine! – this might not be the camera for you. I actually love having the digital readout on the top of the camera, which displays the aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and more. Having that info on the top of the camera means that the rear LCD screen can remain off until you want to use the menus, check the electronic level (which is kind of rad), or review your pics. This saves battery life (at least in photo mode) and is great for sunny conditions that make LCD screens tough to see. Speaking of battery life, the 60D uses higher capacity batteries than the Rebel line. Theyre a little heavier and a little pricier, but at nearly double the battery life, this is well worth it. I have a few nitpicks with the camera, although nothing very substantial. It lacks some of the features, particularly for video, introduced into some of the more recent Rebels. It doesnt have electronic video zoom (introduced in the T3i) and it cant autofocus during video recording (introduced in the T4i). As I mentioned earlier, the LCD screen is touch-free. Probably my biggest gripe is that it is weirdly inconvenient to switch the camera from photo-mode to video-mode. Video mode is down at the very bottom of the mode dial, below all the "creative" modes (Sports! Face! Flower!) that I frankly wish werent even there. Going from "M" manual photo mode to video mode requires you to depress the dial lock and turn the thing almost completely around. The T4i switches into video mode from the power switch, instead of the mode dial, which just makes so much more sense. Its a tiny gripe, but a persistent one. I also desperately wish that Canon would make a headphone jack standard issue on their video-equipped DSLRs for audio monitoring, but this is apparently wishful thinking. Theres one on the 5D Mark III, but right now thats five times the price of the 60D. Going from the T3i to the 60D has felt like switching from a consumer-grade camera to a professional one. While I dont expect it to capture drastically better images, it has absolutely encouraged me to take ownership of the cameras manual controls and become a better, more knowledgeable photographer. Now that the 60Ds successor, the 70D, has been announced, Im sure that many people are wondering if the 60D is still worth it. The 70D will have an improved sensor (the first new Canon ASP-C sensor in years), and more video features, such as autofocus and digital zoom (still no headphone jack, though). However, the 70D will also sell for around double what the 60D is currently selling for. As far as Im concerned, as a photographer and video user on a budget, that means that there has never been a better time to pick up a 60D.