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329 of 336 people found the following review helpful:
A good upgrade from the Digital Rebel, September 26, 2004
I purchased the 20D as an upgrade from my Digital Rebel. The cost was certainly worth it.
This camera has many, many advantages to the Rebel (as I'm sure other reviewers will point out), but I thought three were worthy of mention:
ISO 1600 and 3200 have very, very low noise. This means that I am now able to get low-light shots that I never could before. For example, I often take pictures of crowded streets at night. Before, I needed to use a flash or else my shots would be blurred by camera shake and the motion of people walking. Now (with the help of a f1.8 lens) I can set the camera at ISO3200 and have the shutter speed be fast enough that I can get clear images. In fact, when I use the Black & White mode, the picture is virtually noise-free.
Rapid-Fire burst mode. When the "multi-shot" function is on, this camera fires like a machine gun. It also writes the images to the memory card much faster than the Rebel ever did. I shot a series of 25 shots in 5 seconds, and it still had them all on the card 6 seconds after I stopped shooting.
Black and White mode. Not just some toy feature, when you are saving as a JPG file (not RAW), the image is actully encoded as a B&W image--meaning a smaller file size. This means more shots per card, and also more shots being able to be held in the buffer. I was actully able to record 90 frames of B&W images (JPG-Large-Fine) at full speed (5 per second) without stopping (onto a 40x CF card).
Like I said before, I'm sure there are tons of other amazing features of the 20D, but I wanted you to know my favorites.
UPDATE: Over the past few months, there have been reports that the 20D locks up on occasion. I had that happen to me only once. Canon has posted a firmware upgrade on it's website that remedies this problem (as well as a few others). I upgraded, and have not had any problems since.
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418 of 430 people found the following review helpful:
The best digital camera available for the money!, September 27, 2004
And that includes all the offerings from Nikon, Olympus, and Minolta/Konica. I LOVE this camera. The 10D was felt by many to have focusing issues and though I did not have any significant problem with my 10D in that regard the 20D represents a substantial improvement in this area. Canon still is not offering (in this price range) a camera with eye control or 45 focusing points, BUT the nine focusing points that ARE offered are well placed and the camera focuses quickly and surely resulting in tack sharp photos.
The pictures this camera takes are simply beyond belief. Beautifully saturated, tack sharp, NO, and I mean NO noise at 400 or below and barely discernible noise all the way up to 1600 ISO. For all practical purposes 1600 ISO is an entirely usable speed resulting in fantastic pictures. What Canon has accomplished in reducing noise and increasing pixel density proves that they are, for now, the technology leader.
Another big advantage over the 10D is the instant on feature which does not leave you sitting there helplessly until the camera turns on. That happens instantly! A new flash system, ETTL II is a vast improvement over the 10D. And, to my eye, there is an improved dynamic range with slightly less blown highlights.
The in camera processing results in far more pleasing pictures than the previous 10D or Digital Rebel. This camera has a greater burst (more pictures quicker) that the previous 10D.
Now there is currently an issue with mirror lockups reported by probably 10% - 20% of all owners. If you encounter this problem before you update the firmware then simply take the battery out of the camera, reinsert it, and you're good to go. Canon has issued a fix and it is available on their web site. It completely remedies the problem so, not to worry!
One of the greatest things about digital photography is the ability to build a digital dark room for next to nothing. With the included Photoshop Elements you are well on your way to producing pictures that you could only have imagined in the pre-digital days. I am able to recoup pictures that I never would have considered salvageable before this camera.
The other thing I like about Canon is the lens system which IMO is second to none. Also, Canon continues to innovate at a furious pace driving the price of these digital cameras relentlessly downward.
I sold my 10D to purchase this camera and for me it represented a significant improvement more than justifying the cost of the upgrade.
So, I LOVE the camera. LOVE Canon. And LOVE digital. All in all I'd say I'm a pretty happy camper!
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85 of 85 people found the following review helpful:
This Camera is a dream machine..., January 3, 2006
I have been a Canon EOS user since film days (can we say those are nearly erstwhile yet?). I always favored my RebelG because it did what it was supposed to do very well, every time, and predictably. I also have some medium format cameras that are just fun cameras, such a twin-lens Rollei on 220 format.
For the past two years, I've owned and used a Digital Rebel with the hand grip, and loved that camera, and the pictures it makes.
Now, I feel like I was missing out on something that whole time because the 20D is all those cameras and a banana split to boot.
I pulled the camera from the box and attached a 28-135 IS, and have been snapping away ever since. The camera feels good in the hand and is easy to handle. The new control styles will take Rebel users a while to accomodate as things are moved around a little on you, but the new control system is well thought out and intuitive on its own.
Setting options on the fly is a breeze, and easier than with my Rebel because two options can be changed with each button. The thumb wheel in the back controls one, and the finger wheel controls changing the other option. For instance, to change the ISO, click the DRIVE-ISO button, and move your thumb on the back wheel. Changing the drive is done with the finger wheel. Slick. Especially when you want to change a lot of options for a quick shot.
EOS accessories work well, as expected. So far, I have attached an ancient 50/1.8 EF (mk I -- the tank lens), the 18-55 EF-S, and the 28-135 IS. Each of these lenses has worked as expected. However, the viewfinder is so much brighter than my old Rebel, that even the lenses seem new. I even used my Speedlite 380EX without hassle. I don't think the 380EX supports TTL-II (the new metering system), but the exposures came out as I have expected them to be from years of EOS use. Even better.
Picture Quality is simply phenomenal. Two years ago, I was astounded at how similarly my Digital Rebel responded as if it were film, but the 20D is not only like film, it's like perfect film. What I mean is that is no matter what you shoot (ISO 100 to 1600 to H (3200)), the image responds the way you expect film would, but you don't have to worry about graininess caused by bad film processing, or from film getting hot, etc... Shooting in H (ISO 3200) is cleaner than the old Fuji 800 I used to shoot.
Now, looking through the viewfinder is a little different: the 9-point AF layout is new to any EOS camera I have handled. The diamond shape is quite an improvement. Plus, I have noticed that the camera gives more information than my Digital Rebel did. There are AF points that dimly flash to show that an object will be in focus, but at the edge of the focal plane. Bright points are in perfect focus. It's a very nice addition to the usual feedback.
The multipoint joystick located on the back of the camera makes it easier than ever to change AF points without getting out of the viewfinder, too. Click the AF-point selecter button on the the far right and slide your thumb over to the joystick to move right to the AF point you want. It couldn't be any simpler!
ONE BIG DIFFERENCE!!!! The shutter sound is totally different than my Digital Rebel. It's louder, but sleeker sounding. The 20D sounds like it is a film camera. For people like myself, who enjoyed film shooting, it is handy to hear the mirror slap up and the shutter motor bzzzeeerrriiipppt!
Setting the drive in continuous can be a bit startling, however, if you leave your finger on the shutter. You can fire off 5 shots in a second, and it means it. bam! bam! bam! bam! bam! What's funny is to hand the camera to someone who has never used an EOS and they will snap 10 pics. Keep it in one shot if you have a mediocre CF card.
Setting in-camera parameters is very, very, very easy. One very nice addition to the 20D is the ability to make custom parameters, but also to tweak the white balance in the same way you can on the top of the line. I haven't needed to do so yet, but I can see where it will be handy in mixed lighting (flourescent/incandescent).
The bottom line is that there is really very little to hold you back from getting this camera, if you want a digital SLR. The fit and finish is awesome (even down to the nice embossed logo on the flash -- so much nicer than the screen printed logo). The styling is appropriate for an SLR (don't expect a light load if you add the battery grip, an external flash, and have a long lens). The end result is spectacular!
You should look into finding excellent printing resources to go with this camera. I use a Canon Pixma at home, and one online service that has exceptional print quality. The prints this camera can make will make you proud to see your friends and others gawking -- but be prepared to print more posters and large, large prints than ever. It's kind of nice when 4x6 just isn't enough for some prints.
The bottom line is a 5 for this camera. Canon has made each feature work well. It has provided durability (even in a 100,000 snap shutter). And it works very very well for what it is. No less than a 5.
One more thing (I can't shut up about this camera, I love it). The features of the camera mechanics themselves (such as the 1/8000 top shutter speed, and little things like 2-d curtain synch, PC synch for studio flashes, etc) are what you expect in a top-of-the line film camera. Many of the similarly featured film-based EOS cameras used to price out around $1000. Given that you never have to buy film or processing, this camera is a steal... it really is. I love it!
If you want to shoot in low light, fast action, or plain old snapshots, this camera is for you.
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84 of 85 people found the following review helpful:
Best Digital camera for under $2000, December 27, 2005
This is my second digital camera. Previously I had used the Fuji Finepix s5000, but wanted to move up to an SLR system so that I could eventually use a variety of lenses.
I was very concerned at the beginning of my DSLR buying process- it seems to me that once a person buys a body and a few lenses, they are committed to that camera maker's "system" pretty much for life, so I wanted to be very certain that this was the right choice. If you purchase a 20d, you are not just buying a 20d, you are making (often) a pretty serious financial commitment to Canon technology.
I chose a canon 20d for a few reasons; I had decided early on in the process to stick to Nikon or Canon, as they are the clear leaders not only of Digital SLRs, but of Camera technology in general. Thus, though certain other SLRs like the Olympus E-Volt or the Pentax *istD are attractive, they simply do not have the range of accessories or the support community of either Canon or Nikon.
I ended up seriously considering three cameras; the Canon 350d (Digital Rebel), The Canon 20d, and the Nikon D70. From talking to other folks who were in the same situation as me, This seems to be a common range of choices people face
I ended up choosing Canon because it seems to me that they have a slightly better line of lenses than Nikon, particularly those available on the used market. This is important, because the more you use your DSLR, the more you will want that lens that is just a slightly wider angle, or just a slightly faster aperture, etc.
Once I decided to go for Canon, I chose the 20d over the 350d primarily due to size and toughness. The 350d is a great Camera, and its sensor is very similar to the 20d. However, the 20d's magnesium alloy chassis is much heavier than the 350d. It can certainly take a lot more abuse than the plastic 350d body- and I tend to take my camera on a lot of long trips. The 350d is a lot lighter, which is nice- but I frankly found its body too small to grip easily. As I have very large hands, this was a serious disadvantage to me. For someone with smaller hands the 350d probably feels fine. You will have to pick one up and judge this for yourself.
The layout of the camera itself is a lot easier to use than the 350d as well. The camera requires far less attention when shifting settings than the 350d, and thus frees up your "focus" for the subject you are shooting. I cannot stress how ergonomic and intuitive I find this camera to be.
Since I have purchased the 20d, I have not regretted it for a minute. This camera is a real joy to work with. The viewfinder is nice and bright (looking through glass again instead of an EVF is a pleasure, believe me). The range of ISO settings from 100-1600 is wonderful, particularly nice are long twilight/night shots at ISO 100 that give you some lovely colors. Shooting night and low light with the 20d will blow your mind. The CMOS sensor of the 20d produces almost noiseless images at high ISO settings.
The best feature of the camera is the quick start up time. It can go from dormant to actively autofocusing in 0.2 seconds. My previous camera took 2 seconds to "turn on." That may not sound like a great deal, but I lost countless shots due to that fact, and it is what pushed me most to upgrade my camera.
I tend to shoot on aperture priority or A-DEP (like auto, but with no flash), but there are a variety of "pre-set" modes for portraiture, sports, night shooting, and so on that are easy to use.
The megapixel count is nice, but not really that important. Comparing images made from the 6 megapixel Nikon D70 and 8 megapixel Canon 20d, one can't really notice any difference until you blow them up to ridiculous sizes. At this level of the MP game, the quality of the lens you use is far more important to final resolution than the sensors pixel count. If you compare the kit lens (18-55mm f3.5-5.6) at its wide focal lengths and lower apertures with the canon 50mm f1.8 prime lens at f8, It looks like you are shooting with 2 different cameras. The same holds for Nikon as well, so don't decide for the 20d simply because it has more megapixels than the D70. Of course, even the worst canon lens beats the hell out of my old digicam on its best day.
I have had a few problems with some older third party manufacturer lenses made for the Canon mount, Like Sigma and Tamron, not working with the new 20d body; but I have been told that if you ship off the lens to the manufacturer they will rechip it for free. All currently manufactured 3rd party lenses ought to work with this body. Keep in mind that the Canon digital sensor is smaller than 35mm film, so there is a "focal length multiplier" that makes your lenses "longer" than they would be on a regular film SLR. The focal length multiplier for the 20d is 1.6 . That means a 100mm lens on a film camera acts like a 160mm lens on a 20d. For those who like to focus close up with telephoto, that's great, because you can buy a relatively inexpensive 300mm lens, and it will shoot almost like a 500mm telephoto. I, however, usually shoot wide (more "peripheral vision") and prefer shorter lenses, so this is a pain. Of course, I would love to have a "full frame" camera like the Canon 5d, but the price is simply to much.
It has a number of strengths and weaknesses, which I will detail below:
Strengths:
The variety of lenses is excellent.
Lenses on second hand market are reasonably priced
Introductory high speed lens (less than f2) is inexpensive (canon 50mm f1.8)
Autofocus aquires targets quickly
Continuous shooting mode is quick- autofocus recalibrates for each shot.
Extremely high ISO capability (1600) for low light situations
Body is physically tough.
Very fast top shutter speed (1/8000) allows open apertures in well lit situations.
Manual focus easy to use
Pop up flash is very high above camera, and thus avoids casting shadows
Flash recycles quickly
CF card memory system is versatile and inexpensive
User interface is the best I have ever seen
Can be used as a blunt weapon if you are mugged
Weaknesses:
It ain't cheap
Very heavy, particularly with long lenses
You may end up spending money on glass that rivals a serious crack addiction
Longer focal length multiplier (1.6) than film, or than Nikon (1.5).
Doesn't work well with older 3rd party lenses without rechipping.
Mirror is very loud, particularly if you are used to a point and shoot.
Comparison with Nikon:
20d is better at telephoto (lenses have internal motors)
D70 is better at wide angle shots (focal length multiplier is lower)
20d is better at low light (lower noise, lower ISO setting).
Nikon fans believe that all Canon users are heretics, and vice versa, so why compare them you dirty heathen.
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102 of 107 people found the following review helpful:
WOW! The Best Prosumer Digital SLR out there Period!, April 16, 2005
Update:
I just spent three weeks in Africa in a very desolate and harsh environment with this camera. I have to add - Don't overlook the construction on your dSLR. I had heavy long telephoto lenses on it and the performance of the magnesium case, metal mounts, weather proofing, battery grip all is just amazing. I hate to imagine how a lesser plastic frame might have performed. After traveling by rattling/vibration ridden truck for days, dugout canoes in the middle of swamps, airplanes, hiking -- I came to appreciate Canon's commitment to construction. This camera and and the entire EOS system held up superbly under extremely abusive circumstances and can understand why professional photographers prefer this brand. And the pictures? Oh My, the pictures are just simply the best pictures I have ever taken in my life. Not just because of the locations but because of this terriffic equipment. My friend who had another major brand of camera complained about a muddy ant inside his lens, imagine a muddy ant inside his other major brand lens while he was shooting -- not with my Canon equipment (the sealing held up great). Albeit - he's a better photographer so he probably got amazing shots I didn't -- I didn't worry about the equipment. A+++ to Canon for the camera, the lenses, the battery grip - everything.
On other news, I just read that canon is releasing the 5D so I guess my info from the original review was correct. Its definitely a bigger higher end camera and at $3,200 definitely in a different class. I think I'll keep my 20D for telephoto work and but with its full frame sensor, I might get a 5D for wide angle photography. Again, amazing equipment from Canon.
Original Review:
I'm a first time dSLR buyer (bought the 20D from Amazon -- great service). This was a big jump for me and I read and I read before I decided on this purchase and whether I should jump into the dSLR world. I'd outgrown point and shoot a while back.
On the 20D. I agonized over the 10D and the 6megapix Digital Rebel until the 20D came out and I quickly decided on the 20D. I picked the 20D because of solid magnesium case, 9point autofocus, 8.2megapix sensor and DIGIC II, and Instant On. So even after the Rebel XT came out -- the 20D is in a different class altogether. The 20D is a professional chassis and you can use it as a pro camera -- the Rebel is for world travelers (In my opinion).
My agony now is over what type of photography I want to do. I only have the kit lens and a $79 dollar 50mm f/1.8 II ... lenses are expensive especially the good ones as I'm learning:
Here is what I've learned (intended for the new people who are wondering if they want dSLR or not). dSLR is really about the lenses and the options that you can use on the camera. You need great lenses for great pictures. This is my gradeschool version on dSLRs and lenses and I hope it helps:
The setup -- Lets suppose you are standing next to your car and on your car's hood sits your girlfriend and on the hood unbeknownst to her sits a litle grasshopper. Behind your car is a lake and in the distance there's a huge snow capped mountain. This is the difference lenses make:
Prime Lenses: Would let you take wonderful facial shot of your girlfriend (boyfriend). If the lens has a good aperture, you might be able to blur the background so you only get her beautiful face and get rid of the annoying mountain and they tend to be light and small. (Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 is a prime lens -- $350)
Super Wide Angle Lenses: Expands the foreground and compresses the background. So you'd get a picture of your girlfriend on the car which would both be huge and a lake that would stretch to the horizon and the mountain would look tiny in the far off distance. (Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L is a super wide angle lens -- $1,800)
Telephoto Lenses: Compress the foreground and magnify the distant objects. You would wind up taking a picture that would magnify the mountain in the background but your girlfriend, car, and lake would either be very small and compressed in the foreground or they wouldn't even come out in extreme telephoto lenses as you'd only get the mountaintop and cut out the rest. Your girlfriend would also wonder about your relationship at the sight of the humongous lens: good telephotos can be HUGE and heavy! (Canon 400mm EF f/2.8L is a super telephoto lens $6,000)
Macro Lenses: Let you take pictures of very small things and they tend to allow you to focus quite close in on the subject. You'd walk up to your girlfriend and she'd wonder what you were doing so close to the hood. You'd give her a peck on the cheek and then you'd close in on the little grasshopper next to her. With a macro lens, you'd could take a great picture of the little grasshopper and it would fill my frame. If your girlfriend is like mine, she'd be off the car as soon as she caught glimpse of the bug. Old stereotype here no disrespect ladies - I know a few that would put me to shame. (Canon EFS 60mm f/2.8 is a macro lens -- $450)
Zoom Lenses: Are any lenses that allow you to shift the focal length. That is to say I can make it more wide angle or more telephoto. The 20D comes with a 18 to 55 zoom lens which gives you marginal wide angle and up to 3x telephoto. Not a bad kit lens but its not USM (Ultrasonic) so autofocus is not as fast and not as accurate and can fail to focus sometimes and its not IS (Image stabilized) which lets you take clearer pictures without a tripod. (Canon EFS 17-85mm IS USM is a zoom lens that covers some wide angle at 17mm and some telephoto at 85mm -- $600). You can turn the barrel and you can change focal length!! What a wonderful invention but they're more complex with more parts than primes and the extra parts add weight and they generally affect the amount of light they let in (aperture stuff) but you don't have to change lenses and they offer more flexibility.
Now bear in mind that if you're out there in the middle of a blooming field in Georgia and start changing lenses, you can get dirt or pollen in the sensor. I only change my lenses indoors in a non windy environment.
Exposure and Shutter Speed: Exposure is controlled by the ISO sensitivity of the sensor (ISO rating is another arcane film invention basically lower the ISO number the more sensitivity to light). One of the problems with smaller sensors was noise (graininess) on the pictures at high ISO numbers. Well not on the 20D the noise is imperceptible to me. Shutter speed is also controlled by your 20D...and the 20D has a great shutter 5frames per second, up to 1/8000 of a second. Wow! So you have two out of three big components taken care of here and the 20D is first rate on a ton of other things like custom White balance etc.
A note on Aperture. Its just how much light can come into the lens (the size of the hole). The lower the aperture number f/# on the lense the more light it allows. Aperture determines depth of field (how much of the foreground + background is in focus) and it constrains shutter speeds. Now aperture is a function of lens construction -- a 400mm f/2.8 lens is humongous and costs $6,000 while a 70-300mm telephoto f/4.5 to 5.6 is $1,200 but with the 400mm lens (get this)...you can use faster shutters and freeze the action of a quarterback spinning in midair across the field on a night game (or freeze your son as he's swinging a bat in little league: ball bat and son frozen in midair!). With the 70 to 300mm, you'd have to use a slower shutter and you'd get blurr and blurry does not make the cover of the USA Today nor brings a smile to grandpa. On another example, if you've been hiking for a month to take a picture of a sloth that moves at 1cm a year in some god forsaken South American jungle, the 70-300mm lens will weigh allot less and allow you to run faster than the 400mm white monster lens. If I'm a nature photographer, I'd rather come out with the picture than fall victim to some relocated pigmy tribe because I couldn't run fast enough and have someone years later find my bones still clutching my white 40lb $6,000 lens in the middle of Brazil still attached to my 20D with a flashcard full of razor sharp gorgeously blokehed* pigmy and sloth pictures, ala blair witch project. So get a lens for what you need -- I guess is what I recommend. (*Blokeh are those out of focus circles of light in the backgrounds of pictures taken with expensive good lenses)
A word on Nikon. There are two camps of photographers these days Canon and Nikon (well there are others like Leica - but if you own a Leica you're probably a pro, don't care about feature battles and are laughing at my gradeschool analysis). The 20D is more expensive and better chassis feature for feature than the D100 - go compare 8.2megapix vs 6.1 and the list goes from there. Nikon owners will tell you that their lenses have backwards compatibility 50 years...yes but you'll have to manually focus those lenses and on some of them you have to pay some guy to saw off some metal flaps to make them fit the D100. Canon EF has been around since 1986 and there are a ton of autofocus lenses out there. EF is the standard lens mount that fits the 20D and there is a newer mount called the EF-S Mount that also fits. Canon is very conservative in their advertisement as they aim for educated consumers: D100 claims a burst mode of 144 pictures -- yes but on the low quality setting, 20D can do the same if you cut the quality down...you'll hear spot metering, megapixels, focus speed --- you need to read to understand all of this and make a sound decision. Nikon makes great cameras and I don't want to get into a war. If you already own a bunch of recent Nikor lenses -- your mind is already made up. A good friend of mine owns the D70 and another the Digital Rebel and me with the 20D -- we're all happy. After much review and a ton of reading, I liked the 20D better for my purpose as a personal preference I bought it and am very happy.
On crop factors. Lenses are still stuck in the 35mm film focal length format world and 35mm film is bigger than the sensors on the 20D and this means simply that the EF and EFS lenses turn out more telephoto on the 20D. So a lens marked 10mm is actually a 16mm (multiply mm times 1.6 to get actual focal length) on a 20D and other small sensor cameras (Rebel and Rebel XT). The crop 1.6 crop is not extra zoom -- it only appears that way, its actual lost information. So, to telephoto photographers, this means you carry more weight than you need in physical glass and to wide angle photographers, it means its harder to find lenses that do true wide angle bc the sensor is too small to capture all the information. EFS was designed so they could make smaller lenses at least so don't lose information but they're still labeled "old school" and you still have to multiply. EFS was designed to take advantage of the smaller sensors on the 10D 20D Digital Rebel and Rebel XT. The higher end Canon cameras use a 35mm size sensor. People wonder if Canon will adopt bigger sensors for all lines and if they do, then EFS will probably go the way of the dodo. On the other hand, bigger sensors are expensive to make so who knows where it will go and the 20D has very low noise at higher ISOs (used to be one of the reasons they thought bigger sensors would prevail -- that and the 35mm mindset and large number of lenses out there for 35mm). I can't predict the future -- Canon seems to be still investing in both EF and EFS though and I think that for the next 3-6 years you're fine with either EF or EFS.
I heard a rumour that Canon is planning to release a new camera between the 20D and their higher end 1Ds around December? If you must have latest and greatest and have $4,000 to spend you might want to wait. If true, I'm sure the chassis will cost $2,500 - $3,000 -- just rumours here. I'm keeping my 20D until I can make money to justify more expensive than this extremely good camera. In my opinion, this new camera would not supplant the 20D as much as it would provide Canon a more complete EOS Digital line from Digital Rebel all the way up to the 16.7megapix 1Ds -- they'd provide an true entry level Pro Camera in the $2,000 to $3,000 range. Most interesting to me will be if it has 45pt autofocus and the size of the sensor. Also interesting, Canon is releasing a new 60mm EFS f/2.8 Macro lens. Good quality and interesting choice in focal length. Amazon carries it. I think Canon is telling us something with the type of EFS lenses they're releasing and the market they are targetting. Keep watching Canon.
Back to my 20D, I've only bought a 50mm f/1.8 lens for $79 and the kit lens and a tripod. I can't wait to get a USM (ultrasonic silent 0.5 second focusing lens) with IS (Image stabilization) -- if I can only decide what type of photography. But with what I have, I've taken pictures that have floored my friends and everyone who has seen them. Someone actually said, "I'll pay you for that picture." And that is a great complement to me and to the 20D and the complement goes to the 20D because my lenses are cheap! I am a huge Canon fan now and long and short of it, the 20D is an amazing camera and the best prosumer chassis out there (period!).
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55 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
Very nicely designed camera - fun to use., November 18, 2004
I purchased the Canon 20D package with the stock 18-55mm zoom lens about three weeks ago. Since then, I have taken several hundred pictures and am very happy with the camera - highly recommended if you can justify the price. I've broken this review up into sections due to its length.
1. Lens
a. 18-55 mm stock lens
The lens isn't great, but on the other hand, it's not bad. On the pro side, it's lightweight, cheap, small, and seems to focus fairly quickly. The only bad thing about the lens is that it produces slightly soft pictures, but if you won't be blowing the pictures up too large, you probably won't notice.
b. 17-85 mm USM IS lens
Being obsessed with quality, after having the camera for about a week, I purchased (also on Amazon) the Canon 17-85 mm USM IS (Image Stabilized) zoom lens. I've been very happy with this lens and would recommend it if you can afford it. The IS is quite impressive - it really works. This lens isn't perfect either, but it seems noticeably better than the 18-55 (and only six times as expensive!!).
2. Compact Flash
I'd recommend that you purchase a SanDisk Ultra II 1 GB compact flash card with it - these are sold here on Amazon. This card provides about 5 MB per second write speed which is significantly better than many of the cheaper cards - there are some websites on the net which review cards (and even one which has tested them all in a Canon 20D) - it's worth looking into.
3. Battery
The battery life has been very good for me so far - the specs say that you can take about 1000 pictures with flash on half of them, and I don't doubt that (although I haven't pushed it that far yet). The charger is also nice and compact (easy to travel with) and charges the batteries in about an hour and a half (fast!).
4. Design
This camera is fun to take pictures with! Through the lens composing allows precise control of depth of field, focus, and cropping - it's also much easier to use in full sunlight as compared to a point and shoot digicam. It operates much like a film SLR in that you set most of the settings on the top LCD panel, compose through the viewfinder, etc., but it also adds the color LCD screen to view the pictures you've just taken. The other thing I really like about this over a film SLR is the ability to set the ISO and white balance on the fly. With film, you'd have to load a different roll of film for different lighting conditions or ISO - now it's the simple twist of a dial. While these features are available on most consumer point and shoot digital cameras, they're generally much harder to get to through the menu system. One great advantage of this camera is that it has so *many* buttons and dials - it's very easy to get to most frequently used functions without wading through extensive menus. They're also very ergonomically placed so I can switch most settings I care about while looking through the viewfinder just by feel.
Another nice pro is the backlit top LCD panel which makes night shooting easy.
5. Bad Points
Hmm.. Not much I can think of that I don't like about it. My camera came with a 'starter quantity of dust' (quoted from some other website) on the imaging chip - but I was able to blast it off with a rubber bulb. Be aware that digital SLR's tend to gather dust on the chip - especially if you change lenses a lot - but this is nothing against Canon - it happens on them all.
It's a shame that it doesn't show you the current ISO setting in the viewfinder (or on the top panel unless you hit a button). Several times I've left it at ISO 1600 by accident when I didn't really need that speed.
It's a little heavy, but I find that I actually like the weight - makes it feel more solid.
I wish it had an IR receiver so you could use an infra-red remote with it - but alas - it doesn't (even though the Digital Rebel does!). I had to buy the Canon RS-80N3 wired remote (which works well).
7. Conclusion
An awesome camera overall - definitely go for it if you can afford it! I still kept my old compact digicam as a backup for cases when I don't want to carry an SLR, but in general, I'll use it 95% of the time. Much more enjoyable to take pictures with than a standard digicam - try it - you'll like it.
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40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
How the 20D changed my life!, November 27, 2005
A year ago I sold my Digital Rebel on eBay and purchased the 20D. I have since not looked back. This camera has brought nothing but joy to myself and others. The sharpness and colors from the famed Canon sensor are true to their reputation. Friends and family all love the pictures that come out of this camera. I take it with me almost everywhere I go.
After selling my Rebel, I debated upgrading to the new Rebel XT or the 20D, which I'm sure many of you might be having right now before pulling the trigger. I held both in my hand and played with them at the PMA tradeshow where the XT was introduced. It was very light and felt very small in my hands. I don't have exceptionally large hands, but the XT felt like it was designed for smaller hands. That being said, it is a great travel partner to have being so compact and light-weight.
The other drawback, however, is that the user interface is quite different from the 20D. Although it may seem like a trivial feature, the dial navigation on the 20D has been immensely more convenient and practical when shooting compared to pressing the buttons on the Rebel or the XT. I didn't like having to navigate through the ISO or other changes to white balance via the LCD screen. I definitely think there's a reason why the 20D is more expensive beyond the fact that it has the solid magnesium alloy body. The user interface for me was worth the extra money as well. The more you take photos, the more you will realize the freedom that comes with controlling your aperture, shutter speed, white balance and more with the 20D interface versus the XT. That being said, it is still several hundred dollars more expensive and the XT has pretty much the same sensor (just 0.2 fewer megapixels) with the same results in a different body. So don't be concerned about getting inferior photos with the XT, because the differences are mostly all external.
I highly recommend getting the kit lens with either camera. For an additional $70-100 it is well worth it just for the range and it has pretty decent quality results. Bang for your buck it can't be beat. Make sure you pick up a EF 50mm f/1.8 II USM lens for another $70-80. This is a powerful little lens at a great price.
(...)
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40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
Great with the right lens and a flash, June 2, 2005
I've owned the 20D since November 2004, and I must have shot around 10,000 pictures with it. Before that, I had a Canon Powershot A80, which delivered consistently good pictures, but was slooooow to start up and had a big shutter lag. The 20D solves these problems with flying colors (no pun intended). Start up is instantaneous (you will spend much longer removing the lens cap!) and there's no shutter lag.
The other expectation that I had was to get shallow depth of field in my pictures (almost impossible with the A80). The problem was that I ordered the camera with the basic 18-55mm lens that comes with it. I shot with nothing but this lens during 6 months (I couldn't afford anything else), and was not very satisfied with the sharpness (even by changing the parameter in the custom functions), the vibrance of the colors, and the poor bokeh. I tried a demo version of DXO optics pro, which made me realize how soft my basic lens was. It's OK, I knew I shouldn't expect too much from that basic lens.
When I was able to afford a second lens, I realized how good the 20D could be. I got a Canon 70-200mm f4L telephoto lens, and man! does this make a difference! The pictures I get with that lens are awesome: crisp, sharp, vibrant, constrasty, and finally I got the bokeh I was expecting.
Then I got the Speedlite 420EX flash, and my pictures became just wonderful. It solves all the problems that people may experience with the built-in flash.
So, basically, try different lenses on this body, and you'll be surprised how much better your pictures can get with the right lens. Your pictures will only be as good as the weakest element of your system. Well, the weakest element won't be the 20D body!
The major complaint I have, though I know it's inherent to all digital SLR (except the Olympus), is the dust on the sensor. It's very disappointing to make 400 shots in a session and then find the same 3 ugly dust spots on every single picture, regardless of the aperture you shot at. I tried the sensor swabbing method to clean it, it worked fine, but it scares me too much to do it on a regular basis. Nothing that Photoshop couldn't fix, but still, it drives me crazy.
I also learned to live without the spot metering, but I still don't understand why they didn't include it. They can't expect you to buy the 1D Mark II instead, since only pros can afford to spend that much money on a body. And you don't need to be a pro to feel the need for a spot metering. Everything I learned about photography refered to the use of that spot metering (John Shaw, Bryan Peterson...).
Anyway, great camera body, very average lens. Expect to invest in a better lens and an external flash. I gave it four stars because of the dust on the sensor (not its fault, but still, it's frustrating).
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53 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
Great Camera - but check out the Rebel XT, March 19, 2005
I just got this 20D from Amazon last week. I ordered the body only and the EF-S 17-85 IS lens with it. Shipping was on-time. Regarding the camera - it takes great pictures but man is it heavy! With the EF-S 17-85 lens, it feels like it weighs 5 pounds when it is hanging from my neck or when I'm holding it. The build quality is excellent, though. However, I can't help but think I should have compromised for the new Digital Rebel XT. The XT and 20D have nearly the same image quality (8.2MP for the 20D and 8.0MP for the XT) and have the exact same processor (Digic II). However, the build quality of the XT is noticeably cheaper and flimsier than the 20D. But, at a savings of $500 dollars, I'd highly recommend taking a serious look at the XT. Its significantly lighter and will probably be around longer than the 20D (Web rumors suggest that Canon will replace the 20D around Christmas with a newer prosumer DSLR that will be rougly analogous to the Mark 1D (11.1MP, etc.). As it stands, Canon has released a new prosumer model almost annualy since 1999. And $500 dollars is still $500 dollars. I would suggest going to a local retailer (like Best Buy) to play with both models before you make a purchase. Either way, I would recommend buying from Amazon. I have used Amazon.com for 2 years now and have had no complaints with them thus far. Also, I would highly recommend checking out www.dpreview.com and www.bobatkins.com to read other reviews of these and other cameras. I found these sites to be helpful when I was preparing for my purchase.
The bottom line is that I am pleased with the 20D, the 17-85 lens, and the ordering/shipping process as well. I hope you find this review helpful.
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29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
Almost perfect -but not quite, June 12, 2005
If you want the full hard core review of this camera you need to be looking somewhere like [...] because there's far more to this camera than a normal user will ever meet.
Having said that we are left with just the little bits and pieces a normal user would use.
The camera is actually a little smaller than optimal for a person with average sized hands, the little finger of the right hand has nowhere to sit and the EOS10D actually feels better. But in normal use you won't notice this. The viewfinder is small, in many cases you just have to trust that it really has done a good job of focus because there isn't enough image for you to see for yourself. I find it quite difficult to be certain that I even have the camera level. It's also not the brightest viewfinder you ever saw.
Battery life is very good, even powering an image stabilized lens, I just filled a 1Gb card on a single battery, that's a few hundred images and the battery still isn't showing low.
Dust has been a small issue, there are cameras now that will clean their own sensor but this isn't one. I eventually found a good hand air blower. You can not use canned air or a brush to clean the sensor, either can damage the camera badly. Once I got the dust off, it was there from new, it has remained clean. So maybe it's not that much of an issue. I use Tokina 24-200, Canon 50mm and Sigma 80-400 OS EX lenses, so I do change the lens fairly often, so perhaps dust isn't that big an issue.
Switch on is unbelievably fast, slow switch on times have cost me numerous shots with other cameras, with the 20D the camera is on by the time you realize the switch has clicked into place. Speaking of which, on a camera with excellent ergonomics the on-off switch is about the only thing that doesn't come to hand well, but it's not a factor in normal use. Just not perfect.
Low light performance has been excellent, the camera will shoot at 800 or even 1600 ASA with no apparent noise. You can even configure it to use 3200ASA, but you get significant noise effects with some faint horizontal lines and grain like effects, though I was shooting under sodium light. Even at 3200ASA the pictures are better than with fast print film under similar conditions.
You do need to be mindful that the exposure controls on this camera really do do what they say, you need to keep your eye on the shutter speed and aperture to get the shot you think you want, this isn't an instant camera that will just make the most of it. Most of the time the idiot modes, sport or scenic or whatever, will actually do a good job of picking the right settings. If you are in a hurry then use the built in functions. For example, in sports mode it switches to predictive autofocus, shutter priority and continuous shooting, which are all good choices.
The autofocus is excellent, however in programmed modes you need to pay attention to which of the focus zones it has actually selected. If there is something closer to you than the subject you may need to select the correct focus point, fortunately this is very easy to do, you can hit the control and then select the focus point using the joystick, both with your right thumb.
Another minor irritation to me is that if you are using the fully auto mode, which does a very good job of most things, it will sometimes select the flash even though the autofocus should tell it that the subject is way out of range. Perhaps I expect too much?
Picture quality? Well, unless you have an absolutely perfect lens and need to make 36" wide posters you are unlikely to find that the camera is a limiting factor. I'm actually waiting to see an Epson R1800 because the current generation of printers can't reproduce the quality I have available with this camera and my lenses.
The built in flash is inadequate and the flash metering is soometimes poor, I was taking pictures near a road recently and whenever a reflective sign was in shot the picture was under exposed. Recharge times are pretty poor too, but I think the built in flash should be regarded as an emergency or backup method only, if you are serious then you need a serious flash. I'll be adding either the Speedlite 580EX or a Metz 54 flash in the near future.
I'll also be adding an L-series lens in place of the Tokina, the Tokina is OK, but not good enough for my brothers wedding.
Would I buy it again? Sure. Will I trade for the next great EOS digital to come on the scene? Unlikely. Maybe if it has a larger viewfinder and a 35mm sensor, but this camera already does way more than I need.
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