Canon EOS 20D, reviewed by Lester Wareham

Very nice! What more could you ask for? There is something special about the older sensors that I just love. I own the 10D now and previously the !D and 5DMKII. All of my favorite photos are from the 10 and 1D.

I'm on my second 20D. My first 20D was issued to me as a backup body to a 1D MkII when I worked for a newspaper. That 20D became my work horse. It worked faultlessly for me for over two years of hard newspaper grind. The 1D MkII often remaining in my bag.

My second 20D I bought second hand off a POTN member in late 2008. Still have it and I can't kill it. I bring it out occasionally and it still produces fine images.

The 20D is one camera Canon got right from the beginning.

That owl shot is extraordinary ... makes me want to go grab a 20D (maybe a 300 f/4L IS too ...)

Maxdave

A few years ago I had a month with no photo commitments. So I sold my 1D2N and backup to finance my 1D3. And all of a sudden my buddy calls, he is in the hospital and can't make a shoot he has contracted for. So he wants me to step in and cover for him.

He loans me all of his top notch Nikon gear. But if you shoot Canon or if you shoot Nikon the other feels so odd in your hands that you can't stand it.

So I pull out my old long time not used 20D. Put top notch L glass on it and shoot the wedding. Images were fantastic and the client was very happy.

This taught me a huge lesson. Don't get so hung up on 'high iso', 'dynamic range' and 'IQ'. Just look at the images and you'll see that most of the older bodies render great results. I pass this story on to my photo students.

The old 20D is still a great camera body. Nice review and great shots!!! , Thanks Lester!!!!

I started out doing weddings with the 20D and 30D. Bought them both brand new. I still have both. I still use them but it's not solely because they are great cameras. I bought them new for like $1200 each. I'll be damned if I will sell them for a hundred bucks.

Unless of course I really NEED a hundred bucks.

I might have to drag the 20 d out of the bag again.

Still got mine that I bought new a long time ago. Given how little they are worth second hand there is no way I will ever sell it. Still produces great shots....

Got mine cost me over £1000 with a couple of lenses still pull it out and take a few shots will be mine forever love it

I find it most amusing that people continually get superb results with cameras which objectively are far inferior to today's average Rebel in terms of measurements. Seems to me that finding a camera which does what you need - and then mastering it - is greatly preferable to going on a spec hunt for numbers which may or may not give you added value. Let the pictures speak for themselves and keep shooting!

agree completely....have had the 30d the first year it come out. Going to put some good glass on it (eventually) and let my grandkids use it. Will emphasis the importance of "good glass" rather than all the hype about ISO, DR and pixels.

thanks for the post!

I agree, it is the photographer that makes or breaks the shots.

For many types of shots the camera is not that important. There is an exception for some wildlife shots where the AF and low noise performance make a difference, or at least allow a more relaxed approach (IE no tripod) and lower end lenses.

Still using mine its my only camera saving for a ff 6d or 6dmk2. But will keep 20d for aps-c
shots and to teach my daughter photography. Just ordered Sigma 150-600mm c lens
wonder how images turn out with 20d.

Had mine since new back in 2005, around 70k clicks and still my workhorse

I can honestly say its everything I ever wanted in a camera, both film and digital

My first DSLR was a 20D and I shot the daylights out of it. It went across the country and up to Alaska many times. At that point, I didn't know what I had.

There have been many cameras since but every once in a while I open up Bridge, scrolling for something, and those now ancient CR2 files stop me every time. I just picked up a 30D for a song and am pressing it to its limit. Still love the files but do crave a few more pixels.