The EOS 20D is an 8.3MP semi-proffesional digital SLR which can produce excellent photographs even in the hands of an amateur! At around £1000 including a lens this isn't the cheapest camera but it is quality! You can buy it from most places that sell cameras and it may be worth checking your local independant camera shop as I got a good deal from mine.
As I have become increasing interested in wildlife photography the time came to move up from my much loved Canon Powershot A70 point and shoot camera to play with the big boys and telephoto lenses on a digital SLR.
Before I bought the Canon EOS 20D I did a lot of research into different digital SLR cameras and the only bad comment I could find about the EOS 20D (apart from the price tag ) was that the on/off switch was fiddly.
Well the switch is a little fiddly but the camera has an excellent power management system and almost instantaneous start up time so I haven't found this an issue. When I go out on a trip I turn my camera on and then turn it off at the end of the day. In between shooting the camera turns itself to standby, you can set the time it takes before this happens. The
battery life is good. I have taken at least 500 shoots over a couple of days, using the flash and leaving the camera on standby on one battery.
The camera takes compact flash memory cards which is good as these are one of the cheapest and most reliable types of memory. It will also work with the larger 2GB cards which not all cameras will. The camera kit I bought didn't include a memory card and I would advise buying a large one as each full resolution JPEG format image is about 3.5MP (larger if you are using RAW format).
You can choose between using a fully automatic mode, controlling the camera yourself using the creative modes or using the basic modes which have settings preset for taking landscapes, portraits, close up work, action shots, night portraits and a mode where the flash will not fire. The one thing I would change about this camera is that you can't change any features in the 'basic' modes apart from shooting mode. You can change the shooting mode between single shot, continous and self timer although not all are available in each mode - for example portrait mode can use continous or self timer. You can of course take a single shot by pressing the button briefly. It would be good to be able to adjust the white balance in these modes - although that said the auto white balance (which is the default in the basic modes) is much more sohpisticated than that of my little Canon A70.
When I first had the camera I took hundreds of photos (oh the joy of digital) in the fully automatic mode and the basic modes and was delighted with the results. The camera uses top level technology for the automatic modes which enables even a novice photgrapher to get great results (obviously the camera can't alter composition but apart from that..). The photographs I have taken with the EOS 20D seem much more 'alive' than other digital pictures I have taken. The light seems to dance around the subjects and everything has real depth (often digital images seem a little flat). The colour reproduction is great.
As you would expect with a semi-proffesional camera you can use the creative modes to control the camera fully and I am slowly learning to use these features with the help of the instruction manual, trial and error and photography books.
This isn't a small camera but then what would you expect for a top of the range, well built camera packed full of features. It does fit comfortably in my hand being a lady my hands aren't huge. It is a little on the heavy side particularly with a long lens. I will have to invest in a tripod to make sure I don't get camera shake when using my telephoto lens. Be warned when buying camera bags that this camera won't fit in a lot of bags designed for SLR cameras as this is a little larger in size than many of the cheaper cameras.
The instruction manual is compact, easy to read and will help you learn to use the camera. This is just as well as the camera wasn't was easy to get to grips with as I expected. Many of the features are the same across the Canon range (looking back to using a 35mm EOS 3000 and my Powershot A70) but this camera is significantly different.
There is a built in flash and you can also add a flash gun using the hotshoe. The flash pops up automatically when needed in the basic modes, or you can select the no flash mode if you don't want it and there is a button to press if you want to use it in the creative modes.
When taking a picture you use the viewfinder to look 'through the lens' rather than seeing the image on the LCD on the back of the camera. It took a while to get used to this after getting used to taking pictures at wacky angles at arms reach using the LCD screen with other digital cameras. The LCD screen is used for reviewing images and displaying the extensive menu options. There is a large dial on the back of the camera which allows you to quickly scroll through the menus and the pictures you have taken. It is easy (but thankfully not too easy) to delete pictures. You can also opt to protect images if you have taken a really good one - just in case!
When reviewing your pictures on the camera you can zoom in, zoom out to see 9 at once or show the image information including a histrogram, shutter speed, apature, date etc. Any areas of an image that have been overexposed flash when you are reviewing them which is useful as it allows you to retake the picture adjusting the exposure if you wish.
I bought an EOS 20D body and lens kit. This came with the camera, a lens, leads to connect to a USB port and a TV, instruction manual, a rehargable battery, a mains battery charger, EOS viewer software (for downloading and organising photos), RAW processing software, Adobe Photoshop Elements v2 (a very good 'home' version of Photoshop for editting images) and a Canon neck strap which has a rubber eyepiece to fit over the viewfinder to block extra light when you are using self timer or the optional extra remote control unit.
So remember to buy a memory card and consider an extra battery as you cannot just buy a new battery when you are on holiday so it is handy to have a spare to use while you recharge.
I am sure there is loads more I could tell you but I think you have got the picture (so to speak). As far as I am concerned if you want to take good quality digital pictures and don't mind carrying a camera bag (rather than having a tiny thing that fits in your pocket) the only reason not to buy this camera is if you can't afford it!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Great review! I recently reviewed one of it's rivals the EOS 350D and found it hard to think of what to include and what to leave out but you've done a great job here. Perhaps you could upload some examples of photos you have taken with it? I'd be interested to see some x
LegendaryMrDude 07.05.2005 08:50
A couple of folks at work have invested in the 20D and they too seem very happy with the results. I've never been able to get to grips with the Canon control system though (probably too many years of using a MInolta). Great review. Sam.
Callahan 07.05.2005 03:18
Just what An old duffer like me needs.
Technology thats easy to use and produce results required.
Nice review...........Phil
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Advantages: Great strong body, professional features, great performance. Disadvantages: Now a succeded by the 30D, smallish screen that can sometimes be hard to see in direct sunlight.
leebo87 26.08.2006 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Canon EOS 20D
Advantages: Build quality; fast autofocus; programmable to suit you Disadvantages: VERY HEAVY; complex; battery pack ESSENTIAL; needs EX-series flashgun
happydadtoo 22.10.2006 (22.10.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Canon EOS 20D
Advantages: Great strong body, professional features, great performance. Disadvantages: Now a succeded by the 30D, smallish screen that can sometimes be hard to see in direct sunlight.
leebo87 26.08.2006 ·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Canon EOS 20D
Advantages: Build quality; fast autofocus; programmable to suit you Disadvantages: VERY HEAVY; complex; battery pack ESSENTIAL; needs EX-series flashgun
happydadtoo 22.10.2006 (22.10.2006)
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Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Canon EOS 20D
May 7th, 2005
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