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Where premium quality meets exceptional value. ZEISS Conquest HDX.

350d - 20d (1 Viewer)

This is a good link:

http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/digital/eos_digital_rebel_xt_vs_20d.html

Main difference is the 20D is bigger and more substantially built, and has a better shutter that can run at 5fps. It is also quite a bit more noisy, which might be a consideration. AF is said to be superior, but overall the 350D is a very capable camera indeed and undoubtedly the best value D-SLR at the moment.

The other big difference is the cost. You can get another nice lens for the extra over the 350D, which is what I did. Another consideration for me, and this is just crystal ball gazing, is that the 20D may be upgraded soon - perhaps at the PMA show in February next year. The current £100 cash-back could be a clue. Of course, the 350D will get a replacement eventually, but it's a newer camera so maybe not yet. Wait until Feb if this is a concern, but I seriously doubt that you will be disappointed with either camera. They're both superb.

Richard.
 
HoppyUK said:
This is a good link:

http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/digital/eos_digital_rebel_xt_vs_20d.html

Main difference is the 20D is bigger and more substantially built, and has a better shutter that can run at 5fps. It is also quite a bit more noisy, which might be a consideration. AF is said to be superior, but overall the 350D is a very capable camera indeed and undoubtedly the best value D-SLR at the moment.

The other big difference is the cost. You can get another nice lens for the extra over the 350D, which is what I did. Another consideration for me, and this is just crystal ball gazing, is that the 20D may be upgraded soon - perhaps at the PMA show in February next year. The current £100 cash-back could be a clue. Of course, the 350D will get a replacement eventually, but it's a newer camera so maybe not yet. Wait until Feb if this is a concern, but I seriously doubt that you will be disappointed with either camera. They're both superb.

Richard.


WOW! It is really interesting to see the different takes people have on equipment. I have the 20D and some items that Richard mentions as top selling points for the 20D were not even considered by me in my purchase.

The biggest points for me in purchasing a 20D were (other than being a Canon) the extremely fast turn on time from sleep mode - in the range of 1/10 of a second - very quick autofocus and the lower light capability with ISO down to 3200 with minimal noise.

The quick turn on was a feature that got many people to upgrade - a lot fewer missed shots! With digital cameras these days, any model you select will be scheduled for upgrading/replacement by the manufacturer within 12-18 months of its release date. There is always something better in the pipeline. If you wait for the latest/greatest model you will never buy a camera!
 
Jim, valid points. We're all different! But the 350D also has the near-instant start-up time you rightly value.

I may yet have to upgrade to a 20D because I suspect the shutter has a faster trip-to-flash-firing time. This is undoubedly true with the mirror down, but I need to do some tests with the mirror locked up - for high-speed flash birding!

Richard.
 
Just to finish off this thread. I'm grateful for the advice and I've now taken the plunge. The 20D arrived today and I'm playing with my new toy - it's going to take a while to get to grips with it. I just hope it's a nice day tomorrow so that I can really give it a go.
 
eskander said:
Just to finish off this thread. I'm grateful for the advice and I've now taken the plunge. The 20D arrived today and I'm playing with my new toy - it's going to take a while to get to grips with it. I just hope it's a nice day tomorrow so that I can really give it a go.
Good for you, it's an excellent camera, I enjoyed using one a while back. Looking forward to seeing the results in the gallery.

cheers,
Andy
 
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