20d, 30d or 40d

Live View... gimmick
3"... what's wrong with 2.5"?
6.5fps... 5fps ain't that much slower
self cleaning sensor... gimmick
AF system... ok, it's better
10MP... bah, who's gonna print poster size anyways?
$1,300... ouch!

I have remained quite pleased with my 20D, however I just looked long and hard at a 1D Classic to 40D decision. I think if you have made the choice to go crop body (1.6), any of the three will be fine, and the 20D the best bargain if you can find one in great shape in the used market. I haven't had any issues making large prints from the 8MP raw images. I, of course, bought the 1D instead of the 40D, primarily due to the 45 point AF system (really wanted to try that).

The glass issue is an important one in my opinion. Shame to buy the top of the line and not have enough bucks left over for a decent lens.

Stew

ebann wrote in post #4217323
Live View... gimmick
3"... what's wrong with 2.5"?
6.5fps... 5fps ain't that much slower
self cleaning sensor... gimmick
AF system... ok, it's better
10MP... bah, who's gonna print poster size anyways?
$1,300... ouch!

Out of curiosity, if Live View is a gimmick, why are you wishing for it in the 5d MkII? I do not mean to sound accusatory, but I am just wondering.

saab wrote in post #4217699
Out of curiosity, if Live View is a gimmick, why are you wishing for it in the 5d MkII? I do not mean to sound accusatory, but I am just wondering.

Because I shoot macro
Not many people needs that...

liza wrote in post #4215167
Get the best you can comfortably afford. I had a 10 and a 20 and recently added the 40D. It's worth the extra money.

This convince me to ge a 40D

fWord wrote in post #4217221
Just throwing another question into the picture: Does the 30D improve on the AF of the 20D?

No?

I went 10D->20D a coupla years ago. Then last month got the 40D. The 40D is a massive overall improvement over the 20D - much better AF, longer shutter life. More flexibility with folder numbering, highlight tone priority to help dynamic range, permanent ISO in viewfinder, better menu layout, bigger buffer - e.g. shoot JPEG at 6.5fps till the card fills up - even RAW you can shoot insane numbers of frames before it slows down. The screen on the 40D is a massive improvement - not just in terms of size, but also colour rendition. The list goes on. . .

Believe it or not... I'm gonna swap my 1DMkII for a 1DMkI because of the smaller files (RAW)... it's one of my reasons. I found out I don't need more than 4MP anyways!

Why buy old hardware? You know how many bugs they probably fixed since the 20D?

ebann wrote in post #4217323
Live View... gimmick
3"... what's wrong with 2.5"?
6.5fps... 5fps ain't that much slower
self cleaning sensor... gimmick
AF system... ok, it's better
10MP... bah, who's gonna print poster size anyways?
$1,300... ouch!

User changeable focusing screens....useful
Quieter shutter....useful in some circumstances
Better handgrip...useful to some (like me)
Brighter viewfinder...useful
User-defined modes...very useful.
Highlight tone priority...useful
High ISO noise reduction...useful (I have yet to examine it in depth in RAW, though)


There aren't many differences in the basics between the 20D/30D and the 40D (to get that you have to go all the way to the 5D), but the 40D has enough improvements (way more than the 30D has over the 20D) that I think the extra 300 quid over a new 30D is justifiable.

20D/30D no real difference to me - I sat out that change. The 40D after only about 100 shots is very impressive - and the almost 9 stop range on dpreview frankly doesn't surprise me...you can un all the tests you want, but I do see a 3D quality I didn't see with the 20D. That's just me though - could be me wishing it to be true...no long-term viewpoint here. but so far me likey.

im kinda in a boat here too...

i have 2 20d's right now... would it wise to keep them or sell both and get a 40?

i just came from a 10d and i love the 20, my only thing is when i shoot for the magazine, i sometimes travel 4-5 hours from home... nice to have that comfort level...

I have a 20D and got it refurb from Adorama. To me 40D's only appeal is better AF. So I thought about it and decided to stick to my 20D till i save up enough and then upgrade to 1D MK2 or 5D. I do not see enough incentive in upgrading to 30D/40D series.

I just pulled the trigger on a 40D, I own a 10D... can't wait to get it.

gravy graffix wrote in post #4222674
im kinda in a boat here too...

i have 2 20d's right now... would it wise to keep them or sell both and get a 40?

i just came from a 10d and i love the 20, my only thing is when i shoot for the magazine, i sometimes travel 4-5 hours from home... nice to have that comfort level...

I guess the question is, do you find your 20Ds limiting in any of the areas that the 40D improves on? One thing to think about if you decide to upgrade one, is that they swapped the control buttons on the top around - the ISO button was the one in the middle - it's now on the right, which makes it more awkward to change ISO without taking your eye from the viewfinder!

MetalRain wrote in post #4223554
I just pulled the trigger on a 40D, I own a 10D... can't wait to get it.

Wow - that's an awesome upgrade - I went from a 10 to a 20 to a 40, and 10D -> 20D is a big jump, and 20D -> 40D is a big jump, so you'll be one happy bunny!