Mark II or 20D

[ebsen]

Hi all

So tell me....

Why should I buy the MKII and not the 20D.

I know there is some "Buffer size" matter and 45-focus insted of 9-focus. Other than that, why should I spend three times the money...?

[Jesper]

The 1D Mark II and the 20D are made for different users: the MkII is for professional sports photo journalists, who need a superfast camera, which is paid for by their employers. According to Canon's press release, the 20D is meant for "professionals who buy their own equipment", small scale newspaper journalists and advanced hobbyists.

Ofcourse there are also a number of rich amateurs who want the best and buy the MkII, but they're not the main clients that Canon made the camera for.

You should decide for yourself which camera meets your needs and budget best. Personally, I don't need something like the MkII. I'm not doing action photography 99% of the time so I don't need the speed of the MkII and besides that it's far too expensive for me - I can make great photos with my 10D.

[Pekka]

Hi all

So tell me....

Why should I buy the MKII and not the 20D.

I know there is some "Buffer size" matter and 45-focus insted of 9-focus. Other than that, why should I spend three times the money...?

You should buy a camera that has features you need - not based on features available.

Most Mark II features are there because you need to get the job done:

Weather sealing. You can shoot in rain, snow and dust.

Buffer size and speed is all that matters when you must have the shots and your subjects do not wait.

45 point AF (less is not enough for reliable tracking because of the too large gaps in AF matrix).

Data saving security: two card slots (mirrored if needed) and opening card door does not halt saving.

Personal functions and custom functions. You can configure the camera exactly to your taste, save the settings and load them. For example I have set two thumb focus buttons, one for center point and on for 45 points. You have one button to reset settings.

Bright and very sharp LCD with extremely fast preview and zoom. RGB histogram.

Large bright viewfinder with configurable view data (I want to see ISO there so I can) and interchangeable focusing screens.

True spot metering with multispot metering feature.

Inbuilt vertical grip.

Long battery life, over 1000 shots RAW with one charge. Only one battery needed. Charges in 2 hours.

[Andy_T]

Bottom line ...

... there's now a new camera available that might have many more of the features you need at a much more affordable price.

If you need one or more of the Mark II's features real bad, you have to decide if it's worth the difference in price.

I can just say that (for me) it was worth waiting for the 20D and holding on to my G2. This camera definitely has most of the things I need.

Sure, I'd like to have 1.3 or even FF sensor, but most likely I'll just settle for the 10-22 lens and enjoy the great performance AND great price of the camera.

Best regards,
Andy

[CyberDyneSystems]

** CONGRATUALTIONS ***
Your our LUCKY WINNER!
Cue balloons dropping from ceiling and "oompah" band

You are the First to ask this question here on this forum! :wink:

All kidding aside.. I expect that this will be "THE Repetitively asked Question of the Season" starting in a few short weeks! :)

We will need to put togthter a side by side.. (actually I'm sure one of the review sites will do this soon)

Features aside.. two major considerations will be cost (obviously) and weight.

The New 20D is even lighter than the 10D... which compared to a MkII feels positively feather weight!

As none of us have ever even seen a 20D yet.. it is hard to imagine we can make an accurate assesent for even our own needs.. let alone for someone elses.. But even if we had... as Andy and Pekka say.. only YOU know what features are required for the type of shooting you do.

Whatever you decide.. before you can get a 20D a few weeks will pass (more like months really) ... so you have ample time to do some research. In the meant time get a 10D and a 1D in your hands if possible so you can see and feel the difference in build, bulk, weight etc...

There is no doubt though,.. that the 20D has just made deciding on a Canon DSLR a little more complicated for some.. and a lot easier for others.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Should I just Sticky THIS thread now?

...or wait untill the question comes up again... ? :wink:

[ssim]

Should I just Sticky THIS thread now?

...or wait untill the question comes up again... ? :wink:

yes... Hopefully that would limit the number of threads that get started on this subject.