Canon EOS 20D 8.2MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens

Rating:
Summary: Worth for Money
Review: 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).


Rating:
Summary: Now that I own the 20D...
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: All the advertising talks are true
Review: 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.


Rating:
Summary: Digital image quality to match or surpass 35mm film
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Where have I been?
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Magic in your hand
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Love the Canon 20 D but don't buy from B & H Photo Video
Review: 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!

Rating:
Summary: Canon 20D raisers the bar!
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Great for pictures of kids, lens could be better
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Canon EOS 20D
Review: 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