Canon EOS 20D (παλιά αλλά αγαπημένη)

Model Announced Effective pixels AF Continuous (JPEG)
EOS D30 April 2000 3.1 million 3 point 3.0 fps, 3 frames
EOS D60 February 2002 6.3 million 3 point 3.3 fps, 8 frames
EOS 10D February 2003 6.3 million 7 point 3.3 fps, 9 frames
EOS 20D August 2004 8.2 million 9 point 5.0 fps, 23 frames

List price
(body only) • US: $ 1,499 • EU: € 1,599
List price
(with EF-S 18-55 DC) • US: $ 1,599 • EU: € 1,699

Body material Magnesium alloy

Sensor • 22.5 x 15.0 mm CMOS sensor *

• RGB Color Filter Array
• Built-in fixed low-pass filter
• 8.5 million total pixels *
• 8.2 million effective pixels *
• 3:2 aspect ratio

Image processor DIGIC II *

Image sizes
• 3504 x 2336 (8.2 MP) *
• 2544 x 1696 (4.3 MP) *
• 1728 x 1152 (2.0 MP) *

File formats
• RAW
• JPEG (EXIF 2.21) - Fine / Normal
• RAW + JPEG (separate files) *

Color space *
• sRGB
• Adobe RGB

Lenses
• Canon EF / EF-S lens mount *
• 1.6x field of view crop

Focusing • 9-point TTL *
• CMOS sensor
• AF working range: -0.5 - 18 EV (at 20°C, ISO 100) *

Focus modes
• AI Focus AF
• One shot AF
• AI Servo AF
• Manual focus

AF point selection
• Auto
• Manual
• Home position

AF assist
• Stroboscopic flash
• 4.0 m range (at center)

Metering
• TTL 35 zone SPC
• Metering range: EV 1.0 - 20 EV (at 20°C, ISO 100, 50 mm F1.4)

Metering modes
• Evaluative 35 zone
• Partial (9% at center)
• Center-weighted average
• Metering range: 1 - 20 EV (at 20°C, ISO 100)

AE lock
• Auto: One Shot AF with evaluative metering
• Manual: AE lock button

AE bracketing
• +/- 2.0 EV
• 0.3 or 0.5 EV increments

Exposure compen.
• +/-2.0 EV
• 0.3 or 0.5 EV increments

Sensitivity
• Auto (100, 200 or 400)
• ISO 100
• ISO 200
• ISO 400
• ISO 800
• ISO 1600
• ISO 3200 (Enhanced H)

Shutter
• Focal-plane shutter
• 30 - 1/8000 sec *
• 0.3 or 0.5 EV increments
• Flash X-Sync: 1/250 sec
• Bulb

Aperture values
• F1.0 - F91
• 0.3 or 0.5 EV increments
• Actual aperture range depends on lens used

White balance
• Auto (3000 - 7000 K)
• Daylight (5200 K)
• Shade (7000 K)
• Cloudy (6000 K)
• Tungsten (3200 K)
• Fluorescent (4000 K)
• Flash (6000 K)
• Custom (2000 - 10000 K)
• Kelvin (2800 - 10000 K in 100 K steps)

WB bracketing
• +/-3 levels
• 3 images
• blue/amber or magenta/green bias

WB shift
• Blue (-9) To Amber (+9)
• Magenta (-9) to Green (+9)

Processing params
• Parameter 1 (con +1, shp +1, sat +1, tone 0) *
• Parameter 2 (con 0, shp 0, sat 0, tone 0) *
• Set 1 (con, shp, sat, tone)
• Set 2 (con, shp, sat, tone)
• Set 3 (con, shp, sat, tone)
• B&W (con, shp, filter, toning) *

Custom params
(Set 1 - 3)
• Contrast (+/-2)
• Sharpness (+/-2)
• Saturation (+/-2)
• Color tone (+/-2)

Viewfinder
• Eye-level pentaprism
• 95% frame coverage
• Magnification: 0.9x (-1 diopter with 50 mm lens at infinity) *
• Eyepoint: 20 mm
• Dioptric adjustment: -3.0 to +1.0 diopter
• Precision matte screen

Viewfinder info
• AF points
• Focus confirmation light
• Shutter speed
• Aperture
• Manual exposure
• AE Lock
• Exposure compensation amount
• AEB level
• Partial metering area
• Flash ready
• Red-eye reduction lamp on
• High-speed sync
• FE Lock
• Flash compensation amount
• Warnings
• Maximum burst for continuous shooting
• Buffer space

LCD monitor
• 1.8" TFT LCD
• 118,000 pixels
• 5 brightness levels
• 10x zoom playback

Record review
• Off
• On (histogram via INFO button) *
• 2 / 4 / 8 sec / Hold

Flash
• Auto pop-up E-TTL II auto flash
• FOV coverage up to 17 mm (27 mm equiv.) *
• Guide number approx 13
• Flash compensation +/-2.0 EV in 0.3 or 0.5 EV increments
• X-Sync: 1/250 sec *

External flash
• E-TTL II auto flash with EX-series Speedlites *
• Wireless multi-flash support
• PC Sync

Shooting modes
Auto
• Program AE (P)
• Shutter priority AE (Tv)
• Aperture priority AE (Av)
• Manual (M)
• Auto depth-of-field
• Portrait
• Landscape
• Close-up
• Sports
• Night portrait
• Flash off

Drive modes
• Single
• Continuous: 5 fps up to 23 frames *
• Self-timer: 10 secs

Direct printing
• Canon Card Photo Printers
• Canon Bubble Jet Printers with direct print function
• PictBridge *

Other features
• Orientation sensor
• Automatically writes FAT16/FAT32 depending on capacity
• LCD panel illumination

Auto rotation
• On (playback uses orientation data in file header)
• Off

Playback mode
• Single image
• Single image with info (inc. histogram)
• Magnified view (1.5 - 10x in 15 steps, browsable)
• 9 image index
• Auto play
• Image rotation
• Jump

Custom functions
18 custom functions with 50 settings *

Menu languages
• English
• French
• German
• Spanish
• Italian
• Dutch
• Swedish
• Norwegian
• Danish
• Finnish
• Chinese
• Japanese

Firmware User upgradable
Portrait grip Via BP-E2 battery grip (option)

Connectivity
• USB 2.0 Hi-Speed *
• Video out
• N3 type wired remote control
• PC Sync flash terminal

Storage
• Compact Flash Type I or II
• Microdrive supported
• FAT 12/16 and FAT 32 support
• No CF card supplied

Power
• Lithium-Ion BP-511A rechargeable battery (supplied & charger)
• Supports BP-511 / BP-511A / BP-512 / BP-514
• CR2016 Lithium battery (date/time backup)
• Optional AC adapter

Dimensions 144 x 106 x 72 mm (5.6 x 4.2 x 2.8 in) *
Weight (no batt) 685 g (1.5 lb) *
Weight (inc. batt) 770 g (1.7 lb) *

As soon as we got our hands on the Nikon D70 it became fairly clear that it was a camera which although priced nearer to the EOS 300D (Digital Rebel) could compete with the more expensive EOS 10D. Canon knew this and obviously also knew that they would have to raise the bar still higher to stay ahead. They should then be fairly proud that with the EOS 20D they have certainly done that.

That's not to say the EOS 20D is perfect, the camera still shuts down when you open the CF compartment door which can mean losing buffered images (my pet peeve), it's still missing the flexibility of adjustment of its professional brothers and image processing could be better still (notably sharpening).

Back on the positive, a swathe of improvements and changes from the EOS 10D; faster startup and in-use performance, five frames per second continuous shooting, increased buffer space, an all new improved AF system, white balance fine tuning, USB 2.0 connectivity, improved design and control layout all add up to a camera which is formidable competition for anyone trying to place a digital SLR in the $1500 to $2000 price bracket. Stack that up with the new eight megapixel CMOS sensor and continuing low noise performance across the sensitivity range and the EOS 20D maintains Canon's edge over other manufacturers in this prosumer / semi-professional digital SLR market.

The real question is how many current digital SLR owners will see real value upgrading to the EOS 20D. It's certainly a better camera than the 10D (faster, better AF, more features) however when you see side-by-side image comparisons it becomes clear that the increase from six to eight megapixels doesn't make a very large difference to resolution and for the majority wouldn't add any more value to their photographs.

New entrants to this segment of the market however, those upgrading from the likes of the Digital Rebel or from prosumer level digital cameras, should have the EOS 20D high on their list, it's the best in its class.

Highly Recommended

With 8-megapixel resolution, excellent image quality, reduced noise at high ISO settings, robust shooting performance, accurate AF, responsive Continuous AF, and improved ergonomics, there's a lot to like about the 20D. Canon has certainly set a new benchmark for what an enthusiast dSLR should be, and the under-$1500 20D even encroaches on the performance envelope of the professional camera's produced by some of Canon's competitors! Those in the market for a high-quality enthusiast dSLR, whether migrating from film or upgrading from consumer digicams, should place the 20D at the top of their short list. Users of the Digital Rebel and 10D may find the 20D's improvements sufficient to justify its purchase, especially sports shooters who will benefit from its improved AF and burst performance and reduced noise at high ISO settings. The 20D is yet another winner from Canon; the dealers should order plenty of them now -- they're not going to be on the shelf long enough to collect any dust!

Conclusions
Well, the EOS 20D is a better camera than the EOS 10D. I like it a lot. The question is whether or not it's worth the cost for an EOS 10D owner to upgrade. I'd suggest 10D owners in such a position put a dollar value how much each of the following major features is worth to them.

Slightly higher image sharpness (8.2MP vs. 6.3MP)
Slightly lower noise levels at high ISO settings
Slightly better autofocus, more AF zones.
1/8000s shutter and 1/250s sync (vs. 1/4000 and 1/200)
Instant start up (vs. 2s)
Ability to use EF-S lenses
ETTL-II capability
5 fps vs. 3 fps
29 frame JPEG buffer (vs. 9 frame)
If they add up to more than around $600, maybe it's worth upgrading. I'd say that the improvement in image quality alone would not be worth $600 to most users who don't make prints over 11x14". If some or all of the other new features are important, then maybe it is worth upgrading. Or you could wait another 18 months for the EOS 30D (no, that's not a rumor, just a guess!).

Right now I'd say that the Canon EOS 20D represents the "state of the art" in what might be called "prosumer" DSLRs, i.e. those selling in the region of $1500. If it meets your needs I can highly recommend it. If you're already shooting Canon, I think it's definately the "best bang for the buck" in the EOS Digital Line. It's $3000 cheaper than a 8.2MP 1D mark II and has just about the same image quality (maybe slightly lower) and it's $6500 less than the 16.7MP full frame 1Ds mark II. It's maybe $700 more than a Digital Rebel, but it's a much more capable camera. The only real competition would be an EOS 10D at a bargain price!

I'll be blunt: the Canon EOS-20D is the best reasonably priced digital SLR that I've tested. And by reasonably priced I meant under $2000. There's so much to like about the 20D, I don't know where to start. Photo quality is excellent, with photos having an ultra smooth look to them. Color and exposure were both accurate. Personally I'd crank the sharpness up another notch, but that's just me. Noise levels are very low, even at ISO 1600 -- try that with your fixed-lens camera!

Camera performance is first rate, from an instant startup to nearly zero shutter lag or shot-to-shot delay. Continuous shooting performance is amazing, as well. I was able to take fifty-five 8 Megapixel JPEG images in a row at 5 frames/second before the buffer filled up! As you'd expect from a D-SLR, there are full manual controls, including an unlimited bulb mode. The 20D goes a step further than most D-SLRs with its powerful white balance adjustment features. And, like all D-SLRs, the 20D is expandable, with support for both EF and lower cost EF-S lenses, numerous flashes, remote controls, and much more.

Build quality is excellent -- the 20D absolutely feels like the expensive camera that it is. The body has been refined a bit since the 10D, and I appreciate the changes, especially the new joystick on the back. The camera uses the powerful BP-511A battery which can take a whopping 1000 shots per charge!

When you connect the camera to your Mac or PC, you'll be able to take advantage of the USB 2.0 High Speed standard, for fast image transfer. FireWire would've been nice, though. The bundled software is pretty darn good, though I would've like a more refined user interface for Digital Photo Professional (at least on the Mac).

Trying to find fault with the EOS-20D is a difficult task. In fact, my two or three complaints are mentioned in the previous paragraphs. It's just that good. Now, for some buying advice. If you're stuck between the D70 and 20D, I'd choose the 20D without hesitation. If you've got a Digital Rebel and want higher resolution, more controls, and faster performance, I'd say go for it. If you have a 10D then I wouldn't be as quick to recommend an upgrade -- see if the 20D's improvements are what you need before you buy.

What I liked:

Excellent photo quality, even at high ISOs
Full manual controls
Robust performance, especially in terms of continuous shooting
All the expandability you'd expect from a D-SLR
Advanced white balance controls
Excellent battery life
RAW, RAW+JPEG supported
No redeye
Support for EF and EF-S lenses
USB 2.0 High Speed interface
Impressive software bundle (though DPP could be better, at least on the Mac)
What I didn't care for:

Images aren't overly sharp at default settings; I'd personally crank it up a notch or two
AF-assist lamp uses flash, which isn't terribly discreet
FireWire support would be nice