Can someone lend some advice?

I have been on this site all day reading and taking in posts and replies. I have noticed alot of problems with the new Canon 20D. Just post after post of people having troubles with the new camera. Although I have not seen near as many posts about the Canon 10D.

I am going to purchase a Digital SLR after the first of the year. I have another post on here about what type of photography I will be doing. It will be portrait, nature/landscapes, and motorsports. Now when I mean motorsports I am talking about drag racing and 95% of my shots will be launch shots from the starting line. No down track shots.

I mean I would like to buy the 20D but with all the problems it is having I don't know that it would be worth it to possibly get the camera and have problems with it alot.

I know a person that uses the Nikon D70 and his shots are terrific with the motorspots shots. I mean I am not going to be taking multiple shots, but if the chance arrived I guess that is one good thing about the 20D is the 5fps option.

My wife and I do alot of lanscape photos which would be shot at very low ISO's and I do not think I would need to go higher than 1600 ISO on the motorsports, and the portrait photography would be shot at very low ISO.

What I am basically getting at is how much BETTER image quality is the 8.2 MP of the 20D going to be versus the 6.3 MP of the 10D. The largest prints I would produce photograph wise would be a 16x20 print in any of my catagories. And maybe a poster size image of the drag racing possibly a 20x30 poster size image.

It is a hard choice and I see that alot of people really like there 20D, but I just wonder if the price difference is worth it. I am wanting to start making a living at photography and I need a set up that is going to yeild me the best images, and also be able to be used as a back up unit once I save enough money up for the 1D M II.

Also another question that I have is if I decide to go with the 10D system. How hard will it be after the first of the year to purchase a new unit from stores? Or do you see the price dropping with the 20D after Christmas?

Any help or information you can provide would be greatly apprecaited. Thank you......

You're seeing a relative lot of posts about the 20D and problems because the 20D is a new camera. This doesn't necessarily mean that there are a lot of problems with the camera, or that a lot of the cameras are having problems, just that right now there are a lot of people buying new 20Ds, so statistically, you'll see more 20D new owners with problems than you will new 10D owners. There just aren't as many new 10D owners. When the 10D came out, there were a lot of posts about problems with it, but that's almost 2 years ago. I'm not saying that people haven't been having problems with the 20D, just that you'll see more people complaining about problems with their Toyota Corolla than about their Kia Sedona. Because a lot more people are buying them, even if their problem rates were the same.

Using the rule of thumb 240 pixels/inch, a 20D will easily blow up to 10x14 while a 10D will blow up to 8.5 x 13 at the same settings (rounded, the 20D's a bit better, the 10D's a bit less). So a 20D will need less post-processing for larger prints than a 10D will. If that's worthwhile for you, then go for it.

I wouldn't count on seeing new 10Ds after the first of the year - I think you'll really have to hunt for them by then.

Nemesis311 welcome to the club. We have a couple of things in common......I bought a 20 D a couple of months ago and have found it to be trouble free. Keep in mind that people are more inclined to post about problems than they to post about the good points. I was a crew chief on a top fuel car so I understand what you want to do. The 20 D will work GREAT!!!!!! The only problem is there are SO MANY lenses to choose from.

GOOD LUCK

Thanks for the info concerning a few of my questions. Good to find a fellow drag racing fan here as well. Which side gramps...N.H.R.A or I.H.R.A. Hope you weren't with Eddie Hill or Don the Snake or Big Daddy Don....just teasing you with the nick like gramps.....But you know what I'm referring to as launch shots though. Thanks for the imput.....Take care all....

the NHRA "side".............my first race was against "the snake"......he lost!!!!

You look like a good candidate for a 1D, old or new.

In terms of image quality, the 20D and 10D are the same, however, you get better high ISO performance from the newer model. 2 mpx makes a difference, but not a HUGE one.

The reason I speak of the 1D is that
- 1.3 crop is perfect for landscape.
- In terms of shooting drag, the 1D is considerably faster then any of the D series camera's.
- Full Spot metering for portrait and landscape are quite helpful.
- Depending on the volume you shoot, the 1D will last much much longer.

The 20D is buggy, but the number of complaints I have seen is decreasing as new firmware updates are introduced. My only concern with the 1D is pixel count, which in the 4 mp area, not very good for very big blowups. What is your budget? what kind of lenses do you own? If you want the truth, the body is the cheapest part of a system. If you don't have any lenses, I would suggest ditching any idea of a 20D and investing in some good lenses.

Cheers

I have 2-20D's and 3-10D's........I like the feel or the grip on the 10D better than the 20D's but that is about all I like better on the 10D's. The color on the 20D is gorgeous right out of the camera. The focusing is much more accurate on the 20D. I crop wedding pictures and the 20D holds up much better with severe cropping. The 20D makes gorgeous enlargements....I have the latest software installed in both 20D's and they have been great. I think Canon has made a real winner here and I've had a D30,D60 and the 10D's. I would definitely recommend the 20D.

I have to agree with Mr. Photographer. The 1D would be a good choice.

As a blatant self promo ....I just so happen to have a 1D for sale.

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Thanks for the info guys. As for the 1D I don't have that kind of budget. Trying to finish up college and all. I was hoping to get a 10 or 20D and sell enough work to save up for the 1D. I will prob. go with the 20D anyway. I just hope that the updates have all the bugs out of them by the time I decide to purchase. Thanks for the information you have provided to me.

That Barracuda is launching hard Larry B. Can't beat that Mopar muscle, but you gotta spend too much cash to get it....

What camera set up where you using on that shot Larry.

Thanks again for the information.