350D or 20D: That's the question

[jlm]

Hello,

I came here looking for information on 20D and found also information on 350D... so I looked for more information, reviews and so on, and saw that in what respect quality image and shutter lag are very similar... it seems there are more features on 20D, but I haven't been able to extract them in practical terms... I'm sure that more than 50% of the menu items are never changed by a normal user... so the question:

Are there any significant features in 20D that one could miss in 350D?

The price difference, more than 500 euros, or approx 700 $, is not negligible! One could buy a decent lens with that money...

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

[Rob612]

Well, the differences between the 20 and the 350 are not so small in terms of control over the camera, and probably AF (I have not tried but I believe that the 9 point AF system of the 20D is better than the 7 points of the 350 when used for quick moving sports in AI-Servo mode, but I would like to hear this confirmed by someone that actually has the 20D). As far as quality concerns, I would say thet the differnce is noticeable mainly at very high ISO (BTW, 3200 for the 20D and 1600 for the 350). Still, I have the 350 and even @1600 ISO I think its manageable. Sure, you do not really want to keep the camera always at that speed, but I believe that the range 100-800 is the best to use. Higher speeds are for very special uses and conditions.

So, if its going to be your first DSLR (mine is the second, but I had a 300D) I believe that placing the price delta on a good lens will be a more interesting option.

It's much easier to change the body only in respect to rebuild a lens set. Starting with the 350 and a good lens gives you space to sell later the body (or keep it as a backup, as it is in my intentions) and upgrate, still retaining the good lens (and maybe add some more :))

Just my .02

And welcome aboard !

[kenyc]

The thing I noticed most is the difference in size. The XT seemed small and cramped and the 20D felt like a real slr.

I chose the 20D for the feel and the extra features.
KAC

[Wazza]

20D has a much greater feel to it. Just the size fits more comfortably in my hands.
Check out my little comparison.

http://wazz*****scity.com/temp/d_compare2.jpg
http://wazz*****scity.com/temp/d_compare.jpg
http://wazz*****scity.com/temp/d_compare3.jpg

[Gerdav43]

I like the 350xt better for feel. So as you read here you will see that you have to determine feel on your own. As far as features, it is my opinion, if this is your first DSLR or SLR style camera, you will have plenty to learn. You can learn all the basics of photography and even most of the sophisticated techniques on the 350. My suggestion is to go with the 350 if it is comfortable in your hand and use the extra money that you have allotted for the 20D to purchase other items, like lenses, filters, external flashes, super duper camera bags and the like. Once you buy a camera these things will become issues whether you like it or not. I know your saying not me.........but the more you read the more you will find things that will make your photography experience more exciting. It's addictive and expensive. No matter what you do the camera body will not be for life, but your accessories will suffice through many generations of camera bodies.

Good Luck!

[Pelao]

One of the differences is the way in which you change settings, and how easy it is to do so.

For me the 20D is easier because it is less cramped and because of the different controls for changing settings.

The 350D operates in a way more si milar to a P&S camera. This is not a criticism. So if you move from a P&S then maybe the 350D is a smart move - familiar, but with a lot of extra ability and features.

In my view, the 20D approaches the ease of use of a pro camera, where things are more intuitive.

Two fantastic cameras. The nice thing is that neither will be a failure for you, or anyone.

I plan to get a 20D.

[David1943]

I'm very happy with the 300D Kit I bought last year but my next camera body will either be a 20D or its successor.

The 300D and 350D are good cameras but the 20D is in a different league, especially for fast action where fast focusing and 5FPS are important. However, if you only intend shooting landscapes, portraits and the like, then a 350D will meet your needs.

Whichever body you buy though, make sure to get decent lenses.

David :)

[micklemuk]

i at first bought the 350D and after a few weeks upgraded to the 20D, for me i find the 20D far better...

[johneric8]

I have them all and to me the 20D wins in every category. You really should save your money and get one. Besides, if you do decide to get into proffesional photography down the line you will have a more capable body. I will be honest with you, I have a friend who is a wedding photographer and he actually didnt get certain jobs because he was using a 300d and a 350d. I know that the cameras are capable of doing fine at a wedding but, some of the people that are getting married buy the 300d or the 350 because it's more of a consumer dslr. You want to at least have something that you can take to a proffesional event and not have someone give you a funny look because they have the same camera. Please dont get mad at me for this post. It's just the reality of owning the rebel line..

[GovtLawyer]

Hello,

I came here looking for information on 20D and found also information on 350D... so I looked for more information, reviews and so on, and saw that in what respect quality image and shutter lag are very similar... it seems there are more features on 20D, but I haven't been able to extract them in practical terms... I'm sure that more than 50% of the menu items are never changed by a normal user... so the question:

Are there any significant features in 20D that one could miss in 350D?

The price difference, more than 500 euros, or approx 700 $, is not negligible! One could buy a decent lens with that money...

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

I almost got the Pentax istD, as I am an old Pentax Film SLR shooter and find the Penatx line to be excellent. I decided on the XT after reading a number of reviews. The reason I kept it between the two was the size, more than anything else. I am primarily a street photographer, and I like to walk around with the camera in my hand. The first generation DSLRs, including the 300 and the 20D, were simply too big for me. The XT feels more like my old film camera. I am amazed at how fast it is, from startup, and virtually no shutter lag, like my old Canon G3.

As for the professional look vs the consumer look; don't pay it any attention. Most people have no idea from one to the other. Obviously, go with the black, if you get the XT. If you add a flash braket and a tripod and a slave flash, you can shoot anything and get excellent results. It will be your demeanor and end product which makes you a professional, not whether you purchase an XT or a 20D.

If you will be shooting a lot of sports and action shots, then, yes, as previously mentioned the 20D may be a better choice due to its better auto[focus stats and faster burst shooting.

[trickyricky]

I bought the XT to shoot my son playing basketball. I like how it performs. The key seems to be the lens though - so be prepared to spend $$$$. I wouldn't buy the XT with the kit lens. My G1 takes better pics than the XT's kit lens. Having said this - electronics (like most everything else) seem to be better the more money you spend. I would hope the 20D is a better camera for the extra money spent.

[fortinaa]

The question we all need answered is what you plan to shoot with it. If you're constantly going to be shooting action, the speed of the 20D over the 350D is a sure winner. Comfort is debatable; just depends on the handler. I will say that the 20D is more robustly constructed though. The 350D has most of the same features of the 20D other than speed, slightly cleaner high ISO, and a few custom functions. You're probably right in that most average users won't change many of the custom functions. So, if you're an average user, wanting to step into the DSLR world, I would get a 350D and a good lens that you can keep with you for your next body when you feel the time is right to upgrade. I would have liked to put the extra $500 towards a lens, but I shoot a lot of sports and found the comfort of the 20D to be better as well (not that it was an initial deciding factor). I tried out both cameras before purchasing and mostly paid attention to the frame rate, buffer clearing, ergonomics of the controls, etc.

Either purchase will make you happy.

[robertwgross]

Today, I was out doing a five-mile nature hike with a group. When I got to the parking lot at the finish, I walked over to my car carrying my 20D rig with tripod and big lens. A Nikon guy was standing there trying to take some picture. He struck up a conversation about cameras, and he was asking about my 20D. I showed him a few things. Then he showed his little Nikon Coolpix thingy, and he was complaining about lack of depth of field control, shutter lag, and some other ordinary weaknesses. Again, I showed him the 20D and a few features that show no weaknesses. He kept asking questions as I put my gear into the car to drive off. Finally, he asked me where I had purchased my 20D, and I told him the name of the Canon dealer in the city. Then he asked me if I knew how late the store was open today!

I chuckled as I drove off.

---Bob Gross---

[jlm]

Hello,

Thanks for the replies, during the weekend I saw a list of classical posts like this one. But you all introduced even more data to deal with... I will get crazy. In my case, not being a professional at all, I think the money to invest is very important... and by the way, a lot of people here have lens more expensive that the 20D...

Very funny the story from robertwgross, I did something similar today with my car...(I mean in what the car itself respect... the guy would like to have the same car by tomorrow!)

Kind regards,

[kenyc]

Today, I was out doing a five-mile nature hike with a group. When I got to the parking lot at the finish, I walked over to my car carrying my 20D rig with tripod and big lens. A Nikon guy was standing there trying to take some picture. He struck up a conversation about cameras, and he was asking about my 20D. I showed him a few things. Then he showed his little Nikon Coolpix thingy, and he was complaining about lack of depth of field control, shutter lag, and some other ordinary weaknesses. Again, I showed him the 20D and a few features that show no weaknesses. He kept asking questions as I put my gear into the car to drive off. Finally, he asked me where I had purchased my 20D, and I told him the name of the Canon dealer in the city. Then he asked me if I knew how late the store was open today!

I chuckled as I drove off.

---Bob Gross---

:) :)

KAC

[BigBlueDodge]

I went with the 20D after holding the XT, Nikon D70, and 20D side by side in a camera store. After holding the XT for 5 minutes I immediately eliminated it from the selection. It was small, felt like a toy, and the construction had me worried. I would have gone with the Nikon D70 over the XT. In the end I spent the extra to get the 20D over the D70 because in every review I read, the Canon 20D was the bar that all other SLR's in this space were measured against. So, I knew if I got anything less than the 20D, I'd always been wishing that I had got the 20D.

The 20D is an EXCELLENT camera, and I say yes it is worth the upgrade. If you read these boards you'll see lots of instances where someone who owned a XT upgraded to a 20D, but I have yet to see anyone who has a 20D downgrade to an XT.

[RbrtPtikLeoSeny]

When I had to make the choice between the XT and my 20D, it came down to the feel, and ease of operation. The 20D has that sweet scroll wheel, rubber grips, and great size. It feels fantastic in my hand. All settings (AF points, apeture, shutter speed, ect) can be very easily opperated with the right hand without even looking out of the view finder (once you get used to it). The XT is just far too small, made of plastic, and lacks the features.

[liza]

I opted to purchase the 20D and have never regretted spending the extra money. It's great for shooting sports!

[wolf]

I was going to upgrade from a 300D to an XT after reading a ton of stuff on the net about the XT and the 20D until I went to my local camera store and compared the two side by side. There is really no comparison between the two in build, easy of operation, specs and all round feel.

[Lotto]

Since we are talking about car and camera, let me throw it a twist...

Local Cinco de Mayo parade, me with my 20D + battery grib sitting on the sidewalk. This car load of Miss Chinatown drove by. They were doing the standard smile and wave routine. Suddenly the parade and that Miata slowed and stopped right in front of me. For the next 15 seconds, it became a little scary. All four of girls at the back started to dodge and duck each other, just to get a clear sight toward me. They posted for me the whole 15 seconds. Never in my life, there were so many beatiful women pay that much of attension to me for SOOO long:oops:

Then I realized they did it for my camera, because mine was bigger than any of the P/S around me:D

Enough said, now go get the 20D and enjoy this picture.

http://home.pacbell.net/coolbit/miata.jpg

[canon2od]

20D fits larger hands better. Go to camera shop and handle both.

[lostdoggy]

Since we are talking about car and camera, let me throw it a twist...

Local Cinco de Mayo parade, me with my 20D + battery grib sitting on the sidewalk. This car load of Miss Chinatown drove by. They were doing the standard smile and wave routine. Suddenly the parade and that Miata slowed and stopped right in front of me. For the next 15 seconds, it became a little scary. All four of girls at the back started to dodge and duck each other, just to get a clear sight toward me. They posted for me the whole 15 seconds. Never in my life, there were so many beatiful women pay that much of attension to me for SOOO long:oops:

Then I realized they did it for my camera, because mine was bigger than any of the P/S around me:D

Enough said, now go get the 20D and enjoy this picture.

http://home.pacbell.net/coolbit/miata.jpg

I like that story. Cute Babes, Oops women.
Sorry!!!
Yesterday I took some pictures at the local parade and people would pose for me thinking I'm from the media, sorry to disappoint them when asked I told them sorry I'm just taking Pics for my enjoyment!!!

[kenyc]

That, "are you a professional" happened to me this morning as I was shooting the pelicans at Cherry Creek State Park. :)

KAC

[lostdoggy]

20D fits larger hands better. Go to camera shop and handle both.

Ditto, since the XT is smaller then my DRebel, the XT will not be an option when I'm ready to upgrade. This is not to say that the XT is a bad choice. Its just that it is too small for my hand and I like a firm grip on my camera. I tried the 20D and it fit nicely. Whatever camera you decide to get you made the right choice to choose Canon. You'll love it.

[lostdoggy]

That, "are you a professional" happened to me this morning as I was shooting the pelicans at Cherry Creek State Park. :)

KAC

Its great isn't it!!!