The Bar Has Been Raised - The perfect EOS for advanced-amateurs and professionals alike, the EOS 20D sets new standards in its class. Featuring an all-new 8.2 MP CMOS Sensor, a second generation DIGIC II Image Processor, 5 fps performance for up to 23 consecutive frames and a 0.2 second start-up time, the EOS 20D is designed to capture richly detailed, perfectly exposed images with speed formerly found only in cameras several times the price. Other features include a top shutter speed of 1/8000 sec., flash sync at 1/250, a new high-precision 9-point AF System, a built-in multi-controller for fast focusing point selection and a refined magnesium alloy body, for rugged, go anywhere photography. The EOS 20D is compatible with not only Canon's new EF-S Lenses, but with the entire EOS System of lenses and flashes. High-performance Digital SLR with Exclusive 8.2 Megapixel Canon CMOS Sensor and DiGiC II Image Processor Canon's newly developed CMOS sensor outperforms everything in its class, delivering effective 8.2 megapixel resolution.
1 Simply the best affordable digital SLR camera
I upgraded from a digital rebel to the 20D. I am an aviation photographer and need the speed that this camera provides with a 5fps shutter and 26 image buffer (large jpg). I was very satisfied with the battery life of my digital rebel, but the 20D does even better with up to 700 images per charge with the BP-511A battery. For a backup, I can still use the BP-511s from my rebel.
I have not experienced any lockups or Err99 messages, just outstsanding photographs using Canon L lenses. The camera also works well with my Canon 550EX flash. I'm the type of guy who only reads a manual as a last resort. I haven't needed it with the 20D. Eveything is intuitive and easy to find.
If you are looking for a professional grade camera that will produce photographs that you can be proud of, buy the 20D.
2 Worth the money
Excellent Camera!!!
Pros:
áshutter lag is about the same as a film SLR
á5 frames per second!!!
áThe Sigma lens for my Canon EOS film camera work well with the digital.
áBattery life is good (even with that I strongly recommend at least one back up battery)
áPicture quality is amazing
Cons:
áIf you are not used to the size of SLR cameras this may seem rather big; however with a good neoprene neck strap the weight is not as noticeable
áSet at maximum resolution it fills up memory cards quickly - Hitachi makes a good 2 and 4 gig micro drive that is fairly inexpensive compared to other compact flash memory
I have had this camera for about 4 months now and am very happy with it. I do a lot of bird photography. The lack of noticeable shutter lag and the ability to shoot 5 fps have helped me capture some amazing shots of the birds in my back yard.
3 Best Digital Camera You'll Buy - Worth It All The Way
I used a Canon G2 4.0 megapixel camera and this Canon EOS 20D is definitely all that AND a bag of chips. Don't let the price tag scare you. It's really well worth the price and looking back at it, this 20D camera is THE BEST purchase that I've made in a long time. I'm not even kidding. That's why this camera has so many great reviews from all sorts of people. It absolutely takes great stunning pictures, fast autofocus, fast 5 frames per second, sharp focusing, availability and scalability with the entire vast line of Canon EF and EFS (the newer) lenses. You just can't go wrong. This is hands down the best semi-pro consumer model out there. And trust me, I'm not even a pro and when I take pictures of just people at BBQ's or taking fast shots of my friends playing basketball, it's just amazing. My friends can't believe the high quality and clarity of the photos. Taking a photo of my friend dunking the basketball and freezing the picture while he is in mid-air - Now THAT'S amazing! The modes on the camera are easy enough for a point and shoot person to take great pictures but at the same time, offer so many complex options/customizations for the professional photographer that makes this camera a true winner. I totally did my research when I bought this camera and I'm glad I picked it up. I promise you that you'll love the camera too. It's a great investment and it won't be money thrown away later. Later on if technology gets better and Canon releases a better camera, then you can re-use all of your existing lenses and all you need to pick up is another body. I love it! Love the switch to Digital SLR. Can't imagine how I survived without this wonderful camera!
With the 17-85mm lens, it's a deal to get it with this bundle. This lens is the best all around lens. It does everything that the basic standard $50 18-55mm lens does and more. Very good lens to have as a "leave it on the camera and be the 1 lens you choose to have to take it around to travel or carry around with you to take pictures". The one lens that's multi-purpose and good for all around shooting. Can't go wrong! You'll love it! It has the ultra sonic motor that's super quiet, has auto-focus capability for fast auto-focus, and has a good large wide angle for wide shots as well as a healthy zoom for close up pictures. It's made in Japan for high quality, and like a lot of other things in life, there's a reason why it's expensive and there's a reason why you get what you pay for.
4 Not for people on a budget
As another reviewer rightly mentioned, there are a few basic things that this camera can do better in.
Same time, there are a few things that no other prosumer dSLR does as well as the canon 20D. Eg., sports photography. With 5 fps, this camera Rocks. Whereas, with its bad white balance, this camera is not the best in its class for indoor with lowlight photography. Same goes for Macro mode - Spot metering is just so dear to macro photographers that it is very dissappointing not to have it in such an expensive camera.
If you can afford more than one camera (as most professionals do), then yes, get this camera for your sports and outdoor shooting needs and get a different one for doing your indoor, lowlight and macro shooting needs.
But if you are on a budget like most of us and if you are not going to limit yourself to just sports and outdoor photography, then in my opinion, you would be better off with a different camera - I vote for D70 too. Yes it is just 6 mega pixels but you will really not gain anything with an 8 mega pixel - it is really not a big jump. The professionals will tell you the same.
I give 3 stars only because Canon has a very aggressive marketing strategy and creating a lot of hype around their products. The camera is good, but it has an disproportionate hype to it that could cost some a lot of money...
5 A review for amateur photographers like me
This camera is loaded with professional features that others have done a much better job detailing than I possibly could. The main takeaway for an amateur is that if you choose to learn a lot more about photography, you're not going to need to upgrade your camera to keep up -- it's there and waiting for you to advance.
But forgetting all that, there are two good reasons for stepping up to this camera over the lesser consumer ones (if you can afford it) even if you're never going to use all those features.
1. Picture quality -- absolutely awesome. Even if you do nothing more than learn what 3 or 4 of the different point and shoot modes do, you'll feel like a pro with the quality of images that come out of this. There's one dial to turn to choose your mode -- you can keep it on the all purpose green mode, or switch to a portrait (which gives that cool blurred background look), or sports mode, or night mode. There are a couple others, but these are the main ones I use. The images are simply far superior to anything I took with mid-range cameras ($500ish) in the past.
2. Speed. My biggest complaint with lesser cameras is the time it takes (1) to turn on, (2) from pressing the shutter to getting the picture (the kids are in a different spot than when I started the picture) and (3) the write time between pictures. Those are completely solved with this camera. It turns on right away. The "shutter lag" (2) is negligible. And it has a buffer to store a number of pictures in cache to write out to the disk so you can rapid fire pictures in an action situation.
For family photos, this is a pretty big investment. But given that these memories are "priceless" and given the quantity of pictures we print -- if I look at it on a monthly basis it seems worth it to step up from the mid-range consumer cameras.
Downsides to consider (relative to lower end cameras):
- This is big -- it's a lot to carry around
- It's clearly expensive and you'll probably want to add on to it with an extra lens, a flash, high speed storage card, etc.
6 Could do with lesser Hype...
I am a camera buff. Have used many cameras and have shot thousands of photos. Having said that, the 20D was dissappointing to me for a few reasons.
1. The white balance is pathetic, especially under incandescent light - absolutely no improvements over the rebel.
2. As with the rebel, many of your shots get over exposed by default. I have consistently been able to reproduce this problem with the rebel 300, rebel 350 and the 20D.
3. Sharpening algorithm looks almost same as what is used in the compact powershot models.
4. No spot metering - was this a hugely complex thing to incorporate? Canon responds to most complaints by "well, you have options to do things manually...". but at the same time, they leave out spot metering which is by far the most dependable manual feature when doing macro photography.
Agreed these are not too many shortcomings. But, these are just so basic that I am not able to understand why the most expensive prosumer dSLR on the market today cannot have these...
Statements like "best value for money.." are very subjective. If you are the kind of guy who could easily afford a 20D, and keep it in your closet and go get another Nikon D70 and still not worry about your budget, then yes, for you this may be a good value for money - lots of features and options to play with.
But if you are like me, for whom an investment of 1500 bucks is like once in a few years thing then this is NOT the best value for the money. You would be far better off getting a cheaper camera that does not have a lot of fancy features but one that does have all the basic features well laid out.
If I have to rely on "Digital dark room" to perfect my photos, I do not need to spend a fortune getting this overly hyped up camera.
I would strongly recommend the Nikon D70 instead of the canon 20D. It does great on all the 4 basic things that I mentioned above which the 20D fails to have....
I do not work for Nikon and these are just my personal opinions.
7 WOW! The Best Prosumer Digital SLR out there Period!
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!).
8 Best Professional-Consumer SLR for the money
My first Digital SLR, and I love it. I've had it for about 3 months, quickly switching from my Elan 7E film body to this. I have numerous "nice" Canon lenses, all of which have worked wonderfully with this camera. My Top Points:
1. Autofocus - incredibly fast. Very accurate. I've read some people have had issues with back focusing, but I must be lucky, as mine is perfect.
2. Start up speed - .2 seconds claims Canon - instantaneous for all intents. I haven't missed a shot yet, althought I leave it turned on, and allow it to auto-sleep after a minute - wakes up quickly with a half-press of the shutter
3. Construction - Body is extremely strong - feels solid and well manufactured.
4. Shutter Speed - no other Digital SLR rivals the 20D's speed for the money.
I have shot about 8,000 pictures since getting mine - weekends quickly accumulate 500-1000 photos. The controls are well laid out, easy to learn and quick to navigate, even in the dark.
No complaints here - only praises.
9 not a toy
I have owned canon SLR's (Rebel back in 90's) and digital (G2 since 2000). This (D20) is not a toy. For simple point and click, you are better off with a cybershot, or whatever little gadget takes pictures, makes phone calls and fits in your purse.
This is a camera that is used by the most serious amateur photographers (and several pros when on "leave" :-) ...) ..
It offers unbelievable control and you will end up spending some serious money on lenses and filters before you get done. But, its all about whether you are into it to take pictures of the family, or whether you are into it to take pictures.
The digital workflow it allows is remarkably easy. The amount of "diving saves" you can do to a picture that was not exactly well-taken is incredible. But prepare to learn new skills and spend some time. Like I mentioned, this is a weapon not a toy.
10 Great Camera - but check out the Rebel XT
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.
11 love it, but picked up a tiny sony cybershot too
All of those concerns about poor results with the built in flash are true -- I'm just an amateur who loves taking photos, for whom this was a first SLR of any kind. So, I love fiddling with the options, and right now, black and white is my favorite mode. This camera makes picture taking a joy, I don't have to miss that fleeting moment anymore with the incredible number of continuous shots per second you can take. But 1 week after buying this camera I had to invest in the speedlite 580EX flash, and I bought the EF-S 17-85 lens as well. With those two additions, I can't take this camera anywhere without forethought. So now, I've gone back to a sony cybershot p200 for all those family pix when we're just hanging out. I would say skip the 18-55mm lens kit alltogether, since I was not impressed with the lens performance, and low light / indoor performance is much better with the 17-85mm EFS for all purpose use if you don't want to do too much post editing.
All things considered, 6 months later, I am planning on staying away from EF-S lenses in the future, since when I upgrade this camera a couple of years down the road, I want the lenses to be compatible with the full 35mm film size sensors of the EOS 1Ds Mark II equivalents. I am beginning to love the picture taking power afforded by an SLR and would love to have access to true wide angle. So if you don't want your $$$ to be wasted, stick to adding on L series lenses.
I would not hesitate at this point in time to buy the 20D again, i.e. I wouldn't wait for the next latest greatest camera, and truly for my use at home and school activities this is more than I'd dreamed of being able to do.
12 Great prosumer camera!
This camera has many benefits that just blow the competition away and makes it a great "prosumer" digital camera.
The 8 megapixel resolution allows for pictures to be printed up to 11 x 14 at 300 dpi (larger if you use 72 dpi). And the boot up time is almost instanteous!
Unfortunately it does pain me to mention that the camera does lack true spot metering and also it has a rather loud mirror slap (not something I would like to use in quiet settings).
The lens bundled with it is quite adaquate, but I would seriously urge you to consider the 17-85mm EFS IS lens for a larger degree of flexibility.
13 Satisfying, except for lack of spot metering
Two months after purchasing the 20D, I'm happy with the quality of shots and of the body itself, but regretting buying a dSLR without spot metering. (Live and learn.)
The one disappointment that still bugs me about the 20D: no spot metering for back-lit situations. This often slows down getting a shot as the only work arounds are bracketting or manually readjusting for overexposing. Yes, this can be a major pain, and "perfect" moment shots can be lost or have underexposed foreground subjects. Folks who shoot mostly in studios really should not comment on spot metering!
Don't be fooled by the partial metering like I was--it really doesn't make much of a difference over the evaluative, especially on human sized subjects! The partial metering area is simply to big to catch a proper exposure in backlit situations.
Unfortunately, the only way as of today, March 9, 2005, to get spot metering in a Canon is to buy a 1D (or 1Ds) Mark II, which is huge and much more expensive. Nikon offers the feature on the D70, so consider carefully before investing in lenses!
Other than this short-of-fatal shortcoming, the camera has few things to complain about. Great images, custom functions, and ergonomics. All things considered, I'm satisfied with the camera and have learned to work around the lack of spot metering (meaning as soon as I realize I'm in a back-lit situation I twirl to slightly overexpose--no matter how fast I twirl, however, spot metering would be faster and more efficient.)
One point playing off a few other reviews regarding firewire: In-body firewire and USB 2.0 are both virtually obsolete. For less than $20 just buy a little CF card reader that plugs directly into a PC/notebook--with or without a cable. Who wants to fiddle with a cable attached to a camera, particularly when traveling and setting up on the often cramped spaces in motel rooms? Just pop out the CF card and stick it into the reader--this lets you drag and drop the files from the card to the PC instead of patiently letting them download out of the camera.
Furthermore, using a card reader means you don't have to install the camera's clunky image download software--Windows 2000 and above handles the card readers automatically, dispaying the card contents just like they are on another drive. And all the card readers come with drivers for Windows 98.
Sincerely,
A somewhat satisfied, and wiser-after-the-fact buyer.
14 Better than my expectations
First of all I didn't buy the camera on Amazon because they wouldn't ship it overseas while I was on military deployment. It cost about the same on B&H from which I had no problems as a previous reviewer commented on. Another reviewer was dissapointed becuase of the Fully Auto settings?! Come on...if you pay this much for a camera why would you want to only use it for the auto settings? That person must have really had money to burn and thought that the more expensive the camera, the better pictures they'll get. I had to laugh. This camera gives really great pictures at the auto settings, but I bought it to get into the seriousness of photography, and because I owned a Canon Rebel II about ten years ago that was stolen. Since the beginning of digital photography I couldn't wait until D-SLRs with interchangeable lenses were available and I knew that they wouldn't be cheap either considering! I've taken some really good pictures with my point/shoot Sony cybershot camera, but I finally extended the possibilities of shots I was able to achieve with it, like throwing a background out of focus without getting extremly close to my subject, or lack of aperture settings or telephoto zooms. I loved my Canon Rebel II at the time, but was really a beginner when I had it and didn't understand photography as much until after it was stolen, this was the main factor for me choosing Canon instead of Nikon. The settings felt the same and remember I haven't used that camera in years and it just felt natural. Needless to say I'm getting better at photography and this camera gives me great pictures without me wasting a roll of film to see how my photos came out. Gotta love digital technology right?! If you have the dough get the camera with the 17-85mm package. Unless you're looking for super telephoto or superwide this lense will sastify you for a while on all types of photos.
One other thing I hear about is the 1.6x crop factor? Maybe it's just me but the 50mm looks like 50mms to me. I don't have a 35mm film camera to compare it with, but oh well. I gave it four stars only because of my history with Amazon and I couldn't buy it from them.
15 great dSLR
This is the first dSLR I bought. This is a great camera. Since I agree with most positive comments made by many previous reviewers, I would not repeat them here. Only thing I want to say is about the review titled "Canon should be ashamed at themselves." I read this after I had placed an on-line order. I was nervous. After receiving the camera, I eagerly mounted the kit lens and used all default setting with full automatic functions. I took several pictures inside house and compared it with my Olympus 3000Z. I reviewed the pictures from computer screen and also printed them on 4x6 photo paper using HP printer. The pictures took using Canon 20D are as good, if not better, than Olympus 3000Z. I also tried other functions, such as manual and macro, the pictures are great. I guess this reviewer perhaps happened to receive a defect camera.
I give it 4 stars because its LCD is small. My Olympos 3000Z has 2.0' screen, this one has only 1.8', of course its resolution is higher than Olympos 3000Z. Another reason I give it 4 stars is that I feel the power switch is not in the convenient location. I think it would be more convenient to put it next to the eye-piece so that it can be turned on with our thumb. It also helps to make the switch sliding one, not turning one, as it is now. This arrangement can also save room for bigger LCD.
16 Prosumer Digital SLR creme-de-la-creme
I've had 4 digital cameras,after 15 years of amateur film photography. This is my first DSLR (4th digicam, 2 SLR).
I bought this camera about 4 months from amazon. It is a certainly remarkable camera. Be warned though: the quality of the images this camera takes depend highly on which lenses you use, so if you want crystal clear, sharp, contrasty images, be prepared to spend mucho cash on good lenses.
17 This Camera is more Pro than Prosumer.
I have used this camera in a professional capacity for around 6 months now and cannot find fault. What people have to understand, if coming straight from the "Point-and-Shoot" cameras, is that there is some post-processing to be done to get the full benefits of this camera. Point and shoots do all necessary colour and white balance adjustments for you, whereas the higher end cameras have a more "Hands on" approach. Setting this camera to FULL AUTO kind of defeats the object of buying it in my opinion! Once you have had some practice or training with a Digital SLR, you will NEVER go back to anything else, but be prepared to go back to school for a bit. To give you an idea, most of the pics on my site were taken with either the Canon EOS 20D or the 10D. If you are serious about photography and want to make the leap upwards, you wont be disappointed. Some people think that buying an expensive camera will make them a better photographer, not so I am afraid. www.panphotography.com
18 Canon should be ashamed at themselves!
If your in the market for a good quality DSLR,I can tell you not to buy the Canon D20 from my experience!!!!! I have been using an Olympus 2.1 camera for the past four year's ,and thought it was about time for an upgrade.Well welcome to the Canon family with my recent purchace the 20D.Well I took pictures in the house and they were horrible,lighting with or without the flash was terrible.Took the same pic's with my old Olympus and no comparison,they were great.So I was beginning to think that the D20 just wasn't that good for indoor use without it's bigger flash accessorie.If you read most of the forum's ,that is one of the number one complaint's with this camera.So for the next test I took some outdoor pic's from my doorstep at noon with the sun behind me,and guess what,white balance is to low and color balance is way to red with the canon.Take the same pic's with the Olyumpus and they were fantastic!I cannot believe that 4 year's after the introduction of my old camera that Canon could scew up this badly! When I use photoshop's auto level adjust it does repair most of the canon's poor picture qualities.Funny though ,the same pic taken with my old Olympus hardly changes at all with level correction in Photoshop.What does this tell you? Now maybe in some of the custom modes you can get a decent picture with a D20,but sometimes I would like to just use it's auto mode and not have to figure out how to make it take a decent pic considering the $2000 price tag.Maybe there's a firmware update coming soon that will correct it's poor pic quality in auto mode?I will never know however because I'm going to rant and rave till they take this overpriced pile of garbage back !!! I'm getting the Nikon D70 instead .See ya Canon,dont let the door hit you on the way out!
19 Great camera
Just wanted to add my hight marks for this camera (purchased trhrough Amazon). Feels much sturdier than the Digital Rebel. Great focus in low light. Love editing tools that come with the camera - especially correction of white balance in shots made in the RAW mode. I would strongly suggest a choice of high-end lenses for this camera (not the 18-55mm ...), preferably the L-series (I am using the 17-40mm L). Recommend shooting in only RAW mode, hence a 2GB card or greater is recommended.
20 Versatile Machine Is Easy To Use
High-end cameras and other similar machines often suffer from a common fault. The'll have loads of features, but their too damn complicated. I'm pleased to say that this is not the case with the 20D. If you spend some time at the beginning and read the instruction manual (fairly well written) you'll find that the camera is pretty easy to use. My other digital camera, a far less feature-laden compact point-and-shoot, is a lot more difficult. So even if you're new to photography in general or to DSLRs in particular, don't be intimidated by this camera. It's really user-friendly.
Everything they say is true. Great operational times (very important in a camera), incredible battery life (at first I thought something was wrong with the battery icon--it kept showing a full charge after hundreds of snaps), and excellent performance with high ISOs. Coupled with the 17-85 IS lens I can take indoor and other low-light shots that I've never been able to do before, and photography has been my hobby for decades.
Early reviews of this camera mentioned a louder-than-normal shutter release. I don't notice it. In fact, the sound of the release, like everything else on this camera, says "quality.
Having said this, I do have one complaint. The AWB (auto white balance) is terrible in incandescent lighting. You absolutely must set the WB to tungsten if you're going to shoot indoors without flash. Even then your images will be orange. This is OK for me, since I do my own editing and can correct the color balance, but this could be a problem if you don't do your own printing.
21 Excellent Semi-PRO D-SLR
The 20D is actually more responsive than my film SLR. Start up speed is virtually instantaneous. Almost no shutter lag. Image quality is excellent with usable images up to ISO3200. Nice to have the 8MP for the extra cropping.
Small quibbles but the controls are tricky to set the ISO and continous shooting. On the other hand the menu system is very easy to use.
Build quality is excellent, but small corners cut on the battery cover and compact flash cover. Also, the battery recharger does not have a cord. Would be nice if battery could be recharged in camera. USB 2.0 support but no firewire (what a drag for a camera of this level).
The 20D has similar controls to the old Canon film SLR's. I felt right at home after using my Canon A-1 (unfortunately a relic at this point).
Camera is a little big and heavy, but that's part of the price to pay when you leave the amateur ranks. The 20D gives you kudos among serious amateurs and semi-pro photographers.
22 CANON EOS 20D SIZZLES WITH FEATURES AND QUALITY PHOTOS
My name is Peter Cannice and I am a photographer in the Phoenix, Arizona area. I'm 37 and have used Canon products since I was about 16 years old. As you can imagine, I've seen a transformation, especially when I went from traditional film to digital images. I've never had a problem that could not be solved with a Canon product and this Canon EOS 20D Digital SLR Camera is no exception to that rule.
The purpose of this review is to help you feel very comfortable in your purchase of this multi-featured and dynamic camera. I bought mine about 12 months ago and after 2 1-hour classes, provided free by Canon in Phoenix, and a thorough read of the instruction booklet, I was off taking great photos digitally in no time at all.
I spent about 2 months doing research on digital cameas at this level and when I made the purchase I had considered about 6 other great cameras. I came close to buying another one, but after talking to other photographers in the field, I was reminded that Canon spares nothing to deliver a digital camera that sizzles with quality, features, durability and construction. The lens, also included with the camera, is outstanding and you can add additional lenses as you'd like.
Have no fear in buying this great camera. I've been using it daily since I purchased it and I've yet to have a problem. Even small things, such as battery life, are outstanding when compared to competitors.
Good luck and feel free to let me know if you have any comments or questions. I'm certain that you will enjoy you brand new camera.
Peter V. Cannice
Scottsdale, Arizona
Horsepete@aol.com
23 Worth for Money
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).
24 Magic in your hand
If you have the cash to spare and love taking photos there is only one thing to know. Buy a 20D. As soon as possible. You will be thrilled. There is no doubt that it is among the best cameras the world has ever seen. I did my research before deciding to buy a 20D. I looked seriously at the Nikon D70, another excellent digital SLR camera and a fair bit cheaper than the 20D, but I chose the 20D for its ruggedness, slightly larger 8mp sensor, and outstanding autofocus.
What is amazing about this camera? Put it on automatic and squeeze the shutter release. In a second you have taken 5 shots. You can take 20 in four seconds, each 8 megapixels in size while the autofocus tracks your running toddler. It feels GREAT in your hand, very sturdy and not overly heavy. Perhaps a tad bulky compared to the digital camera you may be used to. But I find it a joy to hold and use.
It can speed up to ISO 3200 without introducing excessive noise into the image and at 1600 and 800, noise is almost unnoticeable. That means you can take handheld photos without flash indoors in the evening under ambient room light conditions (the 50mm mentioned below, with its large maximum aperture helps too in this regard).
You could spend days researching lenses and accessories. If you are just wading in to high-end amateur photography, let me make some quick and dirty suggestions:
The kit lens (EF-S 18-55mm) is a very good lens for the insanely cheap price of $100. The EFS 17-85 which pros rave about is pricey at $600 and you don't need the 55-85 range much I find -- you will probably consider a decent telephoto (like a 70-300mm) to be a better use of your cash. You may well grow tired of the 18-55 eventually, but it does give you access to wide angle shots at a cheap price.
You absolutely MUST buy the ($75) 50mm f1.8. It is a truly outstanding lens for headshots and portraits. It has fantastic depth of field control allowing you to achieve a nice background blur, and is very very sharp within the depth of field. You will use this lens a lot. Some say it's cheaply made. Probably, but it works wonders and the price is definitely right. 50mm was standard on analog SLRs supposedly due to its rough equivalence to how the human eye observed a scene. On the 20D it becomes an 80mm lens due to the 1.6x crop factor, and at that length becomes the perfect portrait lens in my view.
If you want to photograph ships, houses and palaces, the EF-S 10-22mm f3.5 is a treasure that'll set you back $800. It's definitely not a good general purpose lens, but how cool is it to have a wide angle zoom?
You do NOT need a high speed compact flash card, but you DO need a big one. If you have a 4x 512MB CF, keep it and it will work well with the 20D. A 256MB card will fill up pretty fast as you will become addicted to firing off several shots at once. Sure the 1GB cards are down in price considerably, but don't throw out your old 256 or 512s. The buffer on the 20D is very large, and will transfer the images from the camera to the card during idle time quite happily. Of course if you want to run off 30 images in 6 seconds, go for the ultra or 80x cards. You don't need my advice either.
Buy it and love it. You'll never go back.
25 Canon 20D raisers the bar!
The new Canon 20D raises the bar for digital photography at a reasonable price. At 5fps and 8.2 megapixels it obviously puts Canon in a somewhat of a quandry, in my opinion. With this speed and memory, the company should re-think its pricing of the Mark II which entered the market at a high price.
Additionally, the competition is hurrying to introduce a quality product in a modest price range. Frankly, I'm not reading much from the others! Since Canon has introduced the 20D, this marks the third digital they've introduced in 18+ months. It seems to me the other manufacturers are still trying to get out of turn three, while Canon already has crossed the finish line.
26 Where have I been?
I received this camera a few weeks ago. Since then, I have taken a hundreds of shots and it's by far the best camera I have ever owned.
The shots are crisp and clean and the flash works great even though I have not purchased an external flash yet. The speed of the shutter amazes me along with a beautiful captured shot. There are many accessories available, though not inexpensive, well worth the price.
Price-wise: A lot of camera for a little price.
27 Now that I own the 20D...
ALL OF MY OTHER CAMERAS LOOK AND FEEL LIKE POO! My other cameras now feel so sad and pathetic... it's unbelievable. Why didn't I get the 20D months ago?
For the $1500 price range there is no better camera that money can buy.
So what are you waiting for?
-Get it or be envious.
28 Digital image quality to match or surpass 35mm film
I purchased the Canon EOS 20D in order to continue using the lenses I already owned for my 35 mm Canon EOS. All of my original EF lenses work properly on the 20D although due to the smaller image sensor they act as if they are 1.6 X longer. (For example, a 50mm lens on a 35mm acts like an 80mm lens on the 20D. Image quality is fantastic! Very similar to 35mm quality if not better than some films.
The 20D has a fully automatic setting so a new photographer can confidently use it from day one without the fear of outgrowing the camera's capabilities as his/her skills increase. In fact very few people will ever outgrow the capabilities of this camera. The 20D is well into the range of what would have been considered a professional camera only a couple of years ago.
The only slight disappointment is the 18-55 EF-S lens included as part of the kit. At roughly $100 you can bet that it isn't representative of Canon's better lenses. It looks and feels cheap and doesn't have the resolution one expects from Canon. However it will suffice for the needs of many people and, since it is an inexpensive lens, it can be easily supplimented with better lenses as the photographer learns what his/her needs are. The camera won't be outgrown, the 18-55 EF-S lens probably will be.
29 Love the Canon 20 D but don't buy from B & H Photo Video
The camera is top of the line--no regrets here, except...I have purchased from B&H Photo Video (online)before and did not have a problem. My Husband placed a very big order for my surprise gift, and it turned into a nightmare for both of us. Maybe it's a fluke accident, hey it happens to the best of us, but the customer support service was TERRIBLE. After he placed an online order using his debit card, it automatically withdrew the amount from his bank. To confirm the order he called them...it took talking to 3 or 4 different people to actually locate the order, because according to them the order does not exist (remind you, that amount was already withdrawn from his account). It took them 4 days for the $$$ to be credited to his account. He wrote them a dissatisfaction email...but no response. This was a large order too over $2,300, so you think a company would do anything to keep a customer: maybe reenter the order for them, or atleast apologize and offer a discount, but they chose to ignore that this was actually their mistake. In the age of so many photography businesses and so much competition, their blatant indifference for making such a large sale shocks me. As a business owner myself, I'd say I would do everything in my power to leave a positive impression of myself and my company. Obviousle B&H Photo Video has grown their ego to such extent that they don't care if they lose customers. We will not be return shoppers here. Instead the Canon 20D was purchased from Amazon and it was shipped the same day!
30 Great for pictures of kids, lens could be better
This review is targeted mainly at amateurs looking for their first digital SLR - someone like myself, that is.
My main purpose for getting this camera is to take picture of my kids. Sure, it's big and heavy, but it's really fast (shutter release as well as focusing) and the low light performance is fantastic - all critical for taking pictures of kids at play. My main issue with my Nikon 5700 is slow focusing (esp. in low light) and dismal flash performance (with built in flash). This camera has no such issue. In low light it uses the flash for AF assist.
Compared to the 300D (which is a great camera too), the 300D feels like a toy. The plastic body of the 300D just doesn't feel as good as the metal body of the 20D. But the main reason I got this is for the low noise photos at high ISO settings.
You cannot use the LCD as a viewfinder. This is probably the case with all digital SLRs (I've only tried a few - the reviews usually assume you already know about such things and don't mention it). This means you'll not be able to take well framed shots from strange angles.
Finally, be prepared to spend a lot more. The 18-55 EF-S is an okay lens, but you'll soon start wishing for more. A kit with the EF-S 18-85 IS USM will be a better value - but I can't seem to find it anywhere.
Anyway, be prepared to spend a lot more. An extra battery or two (few things worse than a digital camera with no power), lenses (unless you already have a good collection of Canon lenses), filters, flash. The good thing is, other than the battery, you don't need to rush out and buy all the rest of it now. This is a camera to grow into as you learn, and you can pick up a piece or two as you go on. And the major investment - the lenses - will continue to serve you as you upgrade the camera body 3 to 5 years down the road.
Don't throw (or eBay) that compact digital camera away. You'll still need it for the times when a bulky camera is not convenient. But this camera will give you lots of fun if you enjoy photography.
31 All the advertising talks are true
All the advertising talks are true
I am one of the oldest users of digital cameras. The advent of 800 thousand pixels (not 8MP!) digital camera was a great milestone in my digital camera life. I'm always totally enchanted by the ever-growing intelligent features of newly announced digital cameras so far. My most favorite digital camera was NIKON Coolpix 5000 which was an 8 megapixel machine with superb image quality.
However, the limitations by its compactness are as follows:
- Long startup time (many lost shots)
- Frequent off the marks shots
- Frequent battery changes required
(3 changes per half a day)
- Night shots unsatisfactory
- Many, many blurred images
Last year, magnificent advertising talks of EOS 20D attracted my attention:
- A top shutter speed of 1/8,000 seconds
- 5 fps performance for up to 23 consecutive frames
- Long battery life (700-1000 shots per one charge)
My EOS 20D completely shattered my strong belief that digital cameras were not suitable for long range shots. To my great surprise, the shots taken by the EOS 20D proved otherwise! This is the moment I really felt the happiness of having purchased the EOS 20D.
The EOS 20D features high-resolution of 8.2MP which is the only unsatisfactory point in the long range viewpoint because the race for high-resolution continues on and on. More amazing fact is that it can record 4-5MB data in JPEG and nearly 9MB data in RAW mode in 5 fps performance!
It is possible to take 400-500 shots in one charge even if you check every shot on the rear display. You will be marveled at the battery life continuing for 100-200 shots after the warning of insufficient charge indicated. It is very convenient.
I'm enjoying EF-S17-85mm f4-5.6 IS USM lens which is admirably free of blurred images by its stabilizer feature. It is worth buying for all dim environments holding off the use of flashes.
32 Canon EOS 20D
Very nice camera, after a few days of shooting and reading the manual a couple times you'll feel comfortable with the layout and use of the buttons. This is my first digital SLR I have a couple 35mm SLR's. I am very pleased with quality of the camera and photos
33 This is the best...
Best deal about the camera, go and buy Canon EOS 20D 8.2MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens. You can add flash memory to increase its memory and can record a good amount of video clips as well.
34 Camera is amassing`
This is real a great thing and also it is good to capture the momments of your life.
35 A fantastic serious amateur or even semi-pro body
This camera has been reviewed to death so i'll be brief. I needed this for wedding photos. The Digital Rebel was slow to start and come out of 'sleep', buffer was tiny, slow to save pictures to CF card, had no PC Sync port, had occassional focus problems, plasticky body. The 20D solves almost all those problems. low light focusing still needs infrared/flash help, but the buffer is LARGE, file saving is FAST, and this makes for a great all around pro-sumer camera body.
Only gripe is that mirror is tiny and for those of you (like me) used to bigger mirrors from film 35mm cameras...yo'ull find the light coming through the viewfinder is MUCH dimmer. this makes manual focus all but impossible in low light situations.
i'd get this again in an instant. if you have the extra $, get the vertical grip.
36 Excelent camera and price
I have spent a long time considering the purchase of a SLR digital camera to upgrade from my old EOS 35mm. I was set to purchase the 10D for christmas this year but my oh my was I glad the 20D came out, it is faster, quieter, and has 8.2 mp insted of the 6.x mp in the 10D.
The 10D is a great camera and the 20D is only better, the start up takes about 1/200 of a second so you probably won't even notice it, you can shoot repeating photos as fast as the flash will allow (depending on the media card of course) but the system is quick and takes great photos.
The lens that comes with the set is, well, not the greatest, but for costing basicly nothing over the body alone it is a good add on and will shoot some good pictures for you. If your looking to do professional work I'd get a better lens (or purchase the professional EOS digital and professional lens). For the rest of us Sigma has always made great EOS lens.
If you are looking to buy a high quality digital camera this is the one for you, if you want a cheaper camera that is still excelent check out the rebel.
37 Very solid, great quality, but cheap-looking lens
I'm not going to repeat all the accolades others have bestowed on this great interchangeable-lens digital SLR. I just want to add a few real-user observations:
1) The 20D is a very solid camera in your hands. From the hefty weight to the sizable size and the solid grip, it makes you feel you are holding a real SLR, unlike with the Digital Rebel (EOS 300D). BTW this is assembled in Japan instead of Taiwan (300D).
2) The camera is very fast. It's not "instant on" like the Nikon 70D but it's still damned fast with very littel shutter lag. When you use a high-speed CF card, the shot-to-shot performance is satisfying for most fast-action scenarios.
3) Great auto focus, great exposure, and great picture quality. Canon's expertise in combining optics and electronics once again shines through. The prints made from this baby, and in part thanks to the 8MP resolution, is just total pro-quality.
4) The kit lens is not really that good, unlike what Nikon bundles in their kits. It's still a high-quality lends but the max aperture is slow and the lens itself looks and feels cheap.
5) The old photography wisdom about how an expensive camera does not turn an amateur into a pro overnight still applies. At least you can impress your girlfriend with cr*p that looks like gold for a second there. :) (sorry didn't mean to sound sexist...)
The EOS 20D is one AWESOME digital SLR. If you are real serious about getting a high-quality SLR, consider the 20D or its Nikon competitor, not a low-priced model.
38 Unbelievably great camera
For anyone considering getting back into photography after spending a few years 'just taking snapshots' with a point and shot digital camera, this one is your camera.
Shooting with a digital SLR is an absolute pleasure after the last few years of pointing a camera (held at arm's length) and guessing when the the camera would decide to take the picture.
The D20 is incredibly responsive. It's on as soon as you flip the switch and can fire off a rapid fire salvo of pictures that will allow you to capture any scene or event.
The preset functions work beautifully to optimize your photos and the final product is truly impressive.
A skeptical friend who owns the digital rebel and I took photos of the same subjects one day and printed the pictures professionally. We found that we were able to identify the pics taken by the D20 when we were both blinded. I'm not sure if it was the 2 additional megapixels, better metering or better lenses, but at the end of the day I felt that for the extra $800 or so that I spent, I was getting better results.
39 Low latency, amazing quality
This is my 5th digital camera. Previously had used my trust EOS-1N and just accepted that my pictures were going to be a lot worse and (because of > 1 second latencies) never in the thick of the action. The 20D is my first digital camera experience that brings me back to the EOS-1N experience. Wonderful. Latency is subsecond and enough to catch my kids in full unposed action and the photographs are looking good again. As this is an SLR I had to give up my habit of using the LCD to frame the shot. Also realized that this camera does not take video (another newer habit from the other digital cameras).
40 excellent in all aspects
This camera is the absolute best you can get for the price. It's sturdy, durable, has excellent resolution, and is under $2,000. It produces excellent images and has the highest resolution in its category. Over all this is an outstanding machine.
41 Very nicely designed camera - fun to use.
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.
42 Great Camera
I received my 20D last week and have been finding excuses to take out the camera to take great pictures. Start up on the camera is indeed almost instantaneous - as quickly as you can get the viewfinder to your eye, it's ready for you. Being able to use my existing EF lenses was the primary consideration for me and because it costed $5K less than its big brother. One minor quibble that I have with this camera is its lack of spot metering. In some circumstances this would come in very handy but 99% of the time, center weighted would be fine.
I would strongly recommend the extension grip for this camera. Partly because it has the dedicated portrait shutter button and the shutter speed dial but more importantly it extends the grip in landscape mode just a tad bit more. The added height and other features that the extension grip adds more than justifies for the added weight. The grip can also accomodate a second battery.
43 This is the way to go!!
I previously owned the Digital Rebel and decided it was time for an upgrade so I bought the 20d. All I have to say is WOW!! Everything about this camera is lightning fast. One of the most noticable features is the VERY fast shutter speed. There is no time for camera shake with this baby!! The speed to the CF card is also a very quick, especially when you combine it with a fast CF. People seem to have problems with lockup issues, but as long as you download firmware 1.0.5, you'll be fine. Some 20d's already come with the upgraded firmware.
For those of you looking for a very fast professional camera at a reasonal price, this is it!! Very crisp and sharp images.
44 Flash exposure
My first 20d had a problem with flash exposure in auto mode. I returned camera and the replacement worked fine in auto mode. (with flash) Good for that quick picture, and helps out greatly while I'm learning all the many features. The lens for me was great for that extra $100. Later I can get the 17 to 85. Also I must add, after learning how to use the built in flash, it does everything I want it to. Very happy with my purchase.
45 Hey, Nice camera!
I was a 10D user for about 1.5 years. The 10D takes great pictures so why bother upgrading right? Well, now that I have messed around with the 20D a bit it was clearly the right choice... although not totally perfect.
The useful improvements for me have been 1. Faster time from turning on the camera to taking a picture. It's virtually instantaneous. The 10D took a few seconds to get going. 2. Faster writing to the CF card. This feature is nice when you are in a hurry to take several shots and then get the pics to your computer. 3. Built-in black and white mode that allows for photo filters to be digitally applied in camera with pretty darn good results. Although I prefer to apply filters in Photoshop. 4. The taller pop-up flash works better with my 17-40mm canon lens. The 10D would leave a half circle blackout between 17-24mm due to the top of the lens blocking the flash. The taller pop-up flash shoots right over it. 5. Super low noise at ISO400 and ISO800. It's even pretty good at ISO1600. With ISO expansion on you can go to 3200 but it was pretty grainy. My 10D shows noise at 400 and above.
Things I didn't realize were going to happen: My digital workflow is a bit messed up now. I usually shoot in RAW, and I use the Macintosh OS to process images. Image capture application in MAC OS 10.3.5 does not support the raw files (now .CR2 files instead of .CRW files in the 10D). 10.3.6 update now allows image capture to recognize the .CR2 files, but it won't build previews for them. That means you have to use a file browser to manage the files. iPhoto will not read the .CR2 files. The new Camera Raw Plug-in (v2.3) for Photoshop CS supports the 20D images (but is not on the list of supported cameras.) So I now use the Photoshop CS filebrowser to look at my files and figure out which ones are good. However, I still can't build icon previews for the .CR2 files so it's a bit hard to find the pics you want in a file folder. I make contact sheets for each shoot and store them with the raw files. None of these problems exist if you shoot in any of the .JPG modes.
My top five good things and my one bad thing. I'm sure the one bad thing will go away after the camera has been out a while and becomes more popular. I would highly recommend this camera to anyone who's graduated from their Digital Rebel and is wanting more.
3-2-05 **** update: iPhoto now supports .CR2 files directly from the camera or a CF card reader. You can drag them to your photoshop icon in the doc to edit the original or you can set a preference to have the jpg preview from iPhoto open in photoshop with a double click. iPhoto, image capture, Digital photo professional, phtoshop CS, photoshop 7, photoshop elements 2, 3 still will not build icon previews viewable in the finder for .CR2 files as of this update. At least iPhoto will allow me to browse photos without having to open them in DPP.
46 The Best for the Price
I've only had this a few days and I consider myself slightly beyond beginner. First, it is easy to understand overall. I was using only the LCD viewer before and this camera ONLY allows the eye viewfinder in taking pictures. It turns off the LCD for the actual photo, something I have to get used to again but is a better way to take a picture to avoid stray light problems. Fortunately, the viewfinder has adjustments for near-sighted folks like me and it is bigger than in my other cameras, a plus.
I thought a camera producing photos of high quality would be more complex - this is not. I wish I could turn the flash off in combination with macro in automatic mode, though - but no such ability. At any rate, the macro pictures with the flash were fantastic. The lenses are the best. I've had no problems with the picture quality using flash. Other flash accessories are available if the built-in one doesn't suit you or use the flash settings - they are not difficult to learn. And get the EF-S 17-85mm lens instead of the default one. It's worth every penny for the anti-shake ability alone.
Second, the 8.2 mp pictures are the best for a camera in this price range or lower. I had done much research before purchasing the 20D. Other cameras doing 8 mp or less have issues that the 20D does not have. This is a little treasure that I plan to use for years.
47 Looking for speed and good pictures?
At last, a digital that not only looks like a 35mm camera, it works like a 35mm. If you are an amateur in taking pictures, you will soon feel like a professional. Get the action shots you couldn't seem to get before. The 8.2 MP will give you the best pictures ever, canon is back with another great camera. The best choice in cameras and your choice in EF-S lenses. Larry Hobson-Author- The Day Of The Rose
48 FLASH! I GOT NO PROBLEMS It's called flash exp compensation
Anyone buying this camera to use in basic/automatic mode is not getting their money's worth. This camera was made to be shot in the creative mode - P,Tv,Av,M mode. In these modes you can set the camera up in any way that you choose. The internal flash works great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The camera is unbelievably fast!!!!!!!!!!! The focus is unbelievably fast and accurate!!!!! Buy this camera to shoot in the creative modes and you will be totally satisfied. If you intend on using the fully automatic modes you might as well buy a digicam. If your images are a little dark with the flash all you have to do is add a little flash exposure compensation and solve the problem. Don't buy this camera if you are looking for something light, small and simple to use. PS the flash works great in creative mode!!!!!!!
49 Erratic Flash Exposure
I owned the D30 before this camera, which I loved and had no problems with. I upgraded to the 20D and enjoy the speed, but pictures using the internal flash are often underexposed. There are many discussions on the Internet about this problem. Some people have exchanged the cameras several times before getting a good one, others argue it's a pro-level camera where the user should manually adjust everything first (why have an automatic mode then?).
I'm not a pro and just want a fast camera with interchangeable lenses that works well in automatic (and P-mode). I don't want to have to fiddle with a bunch of settings just to get a good flash shot.
I wish Canon would address this issue (perhaps something to do with the DIGIC processor?).
50 Holy Moly
This is the greatest camera. The pictures are unbelievably awesome. The flexibility is unparalleled. Words escape me.
I used to shoot with a Powershot G2, and had a lot of fun, took a lot of great pictures. However, with this new camera, I simply can't put it down. I look for excuses to use it.
I'm totally addicted.
51 Almost Perfect
I've owned most all the previous versions of the Canon dSLRs and have many Canon lenses. Lately, however, I been trying to decide between the 20D and the Nikon D70 (which has a better lens with the kit version), especially since I've heard of numerous issues with the 20d. Well, I've now tried both and here's my assessment of the 20d.
What I like about this camera:
- Very fast all the way around
- Nice look and size to the camera
- 8MP CMOS sensor is great
- I generally like the Canon lenses better than Nikon's
What needs improvement:
- Flash pictures are very often underexposed and not consistent
- Mirror click is louder than on previous models, making unobtrusive shots difficult
- 18-55mm lens in kit looks and feels cheap
- Camera seems to lock up often (probably an early firmware bug that will be fixed)
Overall a camera with great potential, but I'm going to go with the D70 until Canon fixes the flash and lockup issues. The flash is probably the deal-killer for me - it takes worse flash pictures than my Canon S400, especially for quick, casual shots (a $1500 camera should do better!). The D70 is a mature camera and has no such problems (even though it's not quite as fast).
I'm going to hold on to my Canon lenses and hope for a fix or wait for the next version.
52 The best digital camera available for the money!
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!
53 A good upgrade from the Digital Rebel
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.
54 Canon delivers with the 20D
This replacement to the 10D certainly delivers the goods. It is more like the 1D Mark II than the Digital Rebel. It writes very fast to the CF so it will take advantage of high speed cards -- I can barely notice any hit to the CF card when recording RAW files (amazing). Startup time is super quick (0.2 seconds), as is AF. Pictures are amazing even at high ISO ratings (1600 is actually not very noisy). Of course, it is a true Digital SLR, so you can exchange lenses to fit your needs and you have very fine control over how pictures are taken. As for SLRs, It does have a set of "basic" modes which help grab quick shots or allow novices to use the camera like a "Point and Shoot" camera. In addition, the Creative Mode (Advanced) let you take control of the pictures. RAW conversion is not bad, but not great either. I usually just use the Canon RAW conversion software to export to TIFF and go from there with another program. What is nice, you can have the camera record RAW and JPEG versions of each shot at the same time -- so the JPEG gets the immediately gratification and quick viewing and the RAW allows the finer control and no loss of data. Highly recommend this camera and being one of the first (few) pro/sumer DSLR to make 8.2 MP sensor -- it's a no brainer. My only complaint is you cannot record RAW or RAW+JPEG in Basic modes (only JPEG). Even at full retail price, it is a good value.
55 CANON EOS 20D Amazing? YES IT IS !
Is the EOS 20D all it's cracked up to be? After using it a couple of days I have to say yes. What makes it so amazing?
My top reason, LOW NOISE even at ISO 1600. At ISO 3200 it will create a photo that is ok if you run it through Neat Image. (a free noise reduction program)
Here are some of the other reasons I love it. Excellent quality images. Virtually NO shutter lag, instantly starts up from standby, shoots 5 frames per second. I was able to shoot 32 continuous frames set at 8mp fine using a 1GB Lexar 80X CF card. It has simple to use menus. Very fast to focus (I used a Sigma 24-135mm lens.) The built in flash is good. It has a solid feel; it's light but not too light. Battery life is great; you can set it to go to standby after 1 min because it starts instantly when you press the shutter release.
I have tried to find something I can complain about but I can't. This camera is great!!!! At the price it is in a class by it's self. This is minor but the camera raw software is so so. I'm sure Adobe will update their camera raw plug-in for Photoshop before too long.
