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Author
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Steve
Pixalo Crew
Registered: January 2005
Location: An Englishman living in Germany
Posts: 16886
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Review Date: Wed June 7, 2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: £950.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Magnesium casing, excellent picture quality, very good noise control even at high ISO’s, many custom functions for more advance users.
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Cons:
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No ISO display through viewfinder, smaller LCD than the latest models available
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I was already a user of the EOS 10D when the 20D was brought in to replace it. This model benefited from a larger sensor, better noise control at higher iso’s, improved metering system and a faster auto focus system. There were also some cosmetic changes made to the layout and controls.
Throughout my time using the 20D it has always returned constant, high quality results and has performed faultlessly. It has been used in all weathers and all temperatures and is still as good today as when I bought it. The 20D is still my weapon of choice and although has now been replaced by the Canon Eos 30D, it still more than satisfies my personal needs.
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Ally
New here
Registered: February 2006
Location: Dundee , Scotland
Posts: 49
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Review Date: Wed July 26, 2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: £866.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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High Iso, Build quality, shutter lag
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Cons:
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SCREEN!, Changing Iso
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My first every DSLR and I love it!. From the moment that I took it in my hand It felt powerful and has proved to be nothing less. The only let down is the screen it is poor to be honest, a great camera let down buy its screen. I would encourge people to go and get one while thay are going cheap with the release of the 30D.
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Rob Barron
Loves the place
Registered: September 2006
Location: Poole, Dorset
Posts: 5846
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Review Date: Thu October 19, 2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: £900.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Superb pictures, easy to handle, typical EOS feel
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Cons:
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Now mostly 2nd-users available
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What can I say about a camera that has given me such huge pleasure? This is a dream to use and produces cracking photos. Ok, it has since been superceded by the 30D but in terms of image quality, this produces exactly the same.
It has the same 8.2Mp sensor and the same DiGIC II processor so the images themselves are of equal resolution and processing. The main differences on the 30D are the larger screen (2.5" instead of 1.8") and the inclusion of spot metering.
But this is a review of the 20D, not the 30D. However, it is something I know a lot of 10D users have considered upgrading to, just as I did. The upgrade then felt like something worth having as the two most important parts of the camera had both been improved: the sensor which had not only gone up from 6.3 to 8.2 Mps, but also had much better noise reduction at higher ISOs, and the processor which is responsible for producing the final picture. Upgrading was therefore not a hard choice, as good as the 10D was before it.
I still haven't upgraded my 20D because I really don't see the need. As Canon hs just brought out the 400D, you can bet your bottom dollar the 40D will not be that far away. Canon don't want their highest resolution DSLR (for enthusiasts, ignoring the megabucks pro DSLRs!) to be one of their cheaper range as they want to sell more of the better quality magnesium bodies range. I am certain therefore that the 40D will have at least the 10.1Mp sensor and larger monitor but other refinements to make it a positive upgrade from the 30D. I can wait!
Ok, so back to the 20D, mostly for people who will be after a DSLR and can find plenty of 20Ds available at superb prices. You can pick up one of these beauties for under £400 which is, quite frankly, a stunning bargain. For the money you are getting a top quality SLR which feels like a film SLR so for those used to an EOS camera, you will find this intuitive to use with all the buttons, wheels, dials etc all in the 'right' place.
With a top shutter speed of 1/8000th second, you can freeze virtually anything in its tracks and you can add a huge range of lenses depending on your pocket and your usage. If you want a cheap but decent lens, there are plenty of sub-£200 lenses covering a wide focal range. If you are a pro/semi-pro who needs top quality, you can put any of the L series range on and benefit from the superior optical quality they have. You can even use any of the new EF-S lenses which have a specially designed rear element that sits closer to the sensor and are purpose designed for digital usage. These lenses are NOT useable on the 10D.
The build quality is excellent with solid construction, tough materials and weather-proofed buttons so being caught out by a shower won't have you panicking the moment a raindrop hits the body! It is bigger and heavier than the 350/400D range but to me that is a plus unless you have small hands. I find the 400D too fiddly as I have relatively large hands and fingers.
The screen is a touch small when compared to the latest cameras but it is no problem looking at pictures. You can zoom in 10x to see how sharp the image is and move around using the excellent thumb joystick.
That same joystick is also used for making fast changes to which autofocus point you want to use (9-point AF with any one selectable) without ever having to look away from the viewfinder. Indeed, there is plenty of information through the VF so you can make adjustments without looking away at all.
If you have not got a DSLR or you have got a 10D and want to upgrade but can't afford a 30D, this is the ideal answer. You will be getting a quality camera that will keep producing superb shots for years to come. The only part likely to need replacing in the future is the shutter but this is a relatively cheap repair at any canon service centre. My 20D has so far taken about 50,000 photos and nothing has even looked like going wrong just yet.
Given that you can get one of these for under £400, I can't see any logical reason to buy a bridge digital camera of a similar price other than the lens factor. The pictures on this camera will out-perform anything you'll get on a compact or bridge/prosumer camera as the sensor is bigger and the processor superb.
Cheers,
Rob
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Steve400
Forum Regular
Registered: September 2005
Location: Kells, N.Ireland
Posts: 1132
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Review Date: Thu September 18, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: £500.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Easy to use, stong, fast and cheap!
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Cons:
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Smallish screen
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I have had this camera for over a year now. I got it second hand with a 18-55mm kit lens and battery grip.
previously to buying the 20d i had a 300d and was well overdue an upgrade. I had expected to only keep the 20d for a short time and then upgrade again to a newer model but ever since i got out using the camera more the more i realised how good it was. I would never sell this one!
Pros
Easy to use
Stong Build
Very Fast
All the right buttons in all the right places!
Not expensive!
Cons
Smallish Screen
i'd recommend it to anyone! 
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