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canon digital rebel xt vs 20d
- Thread starter TheMasin9
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A bit late to this dance.
I own the XT and it is a great camera for my needs. Save for my recent purchase of the D59 for the great 18-200VR and and the 10.5 fish-eye.
What the 20D gives is faster FPS. And better AF with lenses with a 2.8 aperture. Along with a better 'feeling" body. Being a Lieca user many of the advantages of the 20D were a loss for me.
I own the XT and it is a great camera for my needs. Save for my recent purchase of the D59 for the great 18-200VR and and the 10.5 fish-eye.
What the 20D gives is faster FPS. And better AF with lenses with a 2.8 aperture. Along with a better 'feeling" body. Being a Lieca user many of the advantages of the 20D were a loss for me.
I just bought an XT and it is a great camera. The body is smaller compared to my 35mm EOS A2, but I can live with it. For the price I paid and the features I get it is enough to fill my needs. I would consider myself a prosumer not a pro though. Of course if you were a pro you might consider the bigger dollar higher MP Canon cameras. I went with the Canon since I already had a Canon 35mm and can use my existing lenses. Takes great pictures. The full auto mode allows you to set it and forget it and just take pictures. Or you can play around with the settings.
I bought the XT and everyone talks about the size vs the 20d - I would think most people that will be making this decision are moving from a point and shoot and they are smaller than the XT - so I don't think size matters - when you have lenses on it one would be holding the lens and not the camera alone anyway...
I do agree that the additional focus points are nice in the 20d - but not for the additional $$ in my estimation. The price for the 20d may be easier if something new is announced to replace it next week.
I do agree that the additional focus points are nice in the 20d - but not for the additional $$ in my estimation. The price for the 20d may be easier if something new is announced to replace it next week.
THre are both good and bad sellers
Just ry using it. Ebay is paid for by sellers and it set up to favor them.
The typical scam goes like this: You find a Nikon D50 offered at $475 and you kow they typically sell for $550 everywhwe so you jump on the $475 deal. They run your visa card or you paypall account an sit on the cash. You call them an they claim to be "out of stock" but they do have some package deal left that include extra baterys a filer and an extended warenty for only $650. You say no and they hang up on you. So you try to get your money pack and after several weeks you get a refund but lass a "rstocking fee" of 20% so you ask for the 20% back and go trhrough another 90 day process with your credit card company. The above happens not infrequently. See for yourself. Do a search of "canon 350D" on google find the places with the ultra low prices then do a serch on the names of the shops. (Google will find archive of formums (like this one) and archives of email lists.) Next do a search on "B & H Photo" and you will find 95% of the comments are positive. It's not all one way. All I said was "Do your homework"
And on Ebay tthe scammers there might have 100 Ebay aounts and run each other's rating up by having each send posive feedback to the others. This is a great way for a pawnshop owner to unload junk. These guys are professionals, and spend weeks and months thinking about it, don't think you can outsmart them
On the other hand I've sold camera equipment on eBay and I know I was not out to rip anyone off. There are good sellers out there. Just don't trust the feedback system. It is to easy to "game" it and there is huge incentive to do it.
All you need to do is ask on the various photography forums where is a good place to buy. You'll get many refferals.
TheMasin9 said:
Just ry using it. Ebay is paid for by sellers and it set up to favor them.
The typical scam goes like this: You find a Nikon D50 offered at $475 and you kow they typically sell for $550 everywhwe so you jump on the $475 deal. They run your visa card or you paypall account an sit on the cash. You call them an they claim to be "out of stock" but they do have some package deal left that include extra baterys a filer and an extended warenty for only $650. You say no and they hang up on you. So you try to get your money pack and after several weeks you get a refund but lass a "rstocking fee" of 20% so you ask for the 20% back and go trhrough another 90 day process with your credit card company. The above happens not infrequently. See for yourself. Do a search of "canon 350D" on google find the places with the ultra low prices then do a serch on the names of the shops. (Google will find archive of formums (like this one) and archives of email lists.) Next do a search on "B & H Photo" and you will find 95% of the comments are positive. It's not all one way. All I said was "Do your homework"
And on Ebay tthe scammers there might have 100 Ebay aounts and run each other's rating up by having each send posive feedback to the others. This is a great way for a pawnshop owner to unload junk. These guys are professionals, and spend weeks and months thinking about it, don't think you can outsmart them
On the other hand I've sold camera equipment on eBay and I know I was not out to rip anyone off. There are good sellers out there. Just don't trust the feedback system. It is to easy to "game" it and there is huge incentive to do it.
All you need to do is ask on the various photography forums where is a good place to buy. You'll get many refferals.
barneygumble said:
If you already own a Canon body, you'll find that Canon lenses generally fit onto it better than Nikon lenses
-hh
ChrisA said:
I have bought a ton of camera equiptment from ebay and never had a problem once. Your in pretty good shape getting it on ebay as long as it is a store with over a thousand good comments. I have bought my 300d and PV-GS250 with out any problems. Also, 2 fairly exspensive lens and got great deals on CF.
Lots of good info here.
For what it's worth, I wish I would have gotten the 20D instead of the XT. Mainly because of the feel of the 20D versus the XT. Add a battery grip, and the 20D feels about perfect to me. But I have large hands, so your opinion could vary.
I'm thinking of selling my XT and getting a 20D if I can find a good deal on a body.
For what it's worth, I wish I would have gotten the 20D instead of the XT. Mainly because of the feel of the 20D versus the XT. Add a battery grip, and the 20D feels about perfect to me. But I have large hands, so your opinion could vary.
I'm thinking of selling my XT and getting a 20D if I can find a good deal on a body.
The simple answer
Even if you aren't going to buy from them, go into a Wolf Camera or Ritz or whoever. THink of it as car shopping, no matter what they offer you, don't buy at the moment.
Make the sales guy spend some time with you on both cameras. pop off 100 shots on each, think about what you would be taking pictures of and what you might need the camera for. I mean, in reality, you are going to drop $1k or so on camera equipment. Make em work.
If you put yourself in a "shooting situation", you might be able to come to a simple decision. I believe with both cameras there is not a bad decision - they are both quality. The 20d just has a little more range.
As far as eBay goes, it's essentially buyer beware. You never know 100%. I've sold and bought enough on eBay, but I've heard some real horror stories.
Good luck!
Even if you aren't going to buy from them, go into a Wolf Camera or Ritz or whoever. THink of it as car shopping, no matter what they offer you, don't buy at the moment.
Make the sales guy spend some time with you on both cameras. pop off 100 shots on each, think about what you would be taking pictures of and what you might need the camera for. I mean, in reality, you are going to drop $1k or so on camera equipment. Make em work.
If you put yourself in a "shooting situation", you might be able to come to a simple decision. I believe with both cameras there is not a bad decision - they are both quality. The 20d just has a little more range.
As far as eBay goes, it's essentially buyer beware. You never know 100%. I've sold and bought enough on eBay, but I've heard some real horror stories.
Good luck!
jlyssy said:
Actually, Dpreview.com has a Mac forum; scroll down towards the bottom of the listing of forums and you'll see it.
Clix Pix said:
That is if you can get past the whining and bitching that goes on over there. Never looked at their Mac forum; but the rest of them need a big grain of salt IMO.
I'm coming in late to the game, but here's my personal take on it. I already had a Canon EOS 30 (film SLR), with three lenses: the 50mm f/1.8, the 75-300mm USM (third model), and the 28-105mm USM, so going with a Canon body was pretty much a no brainer.
When I went shopping, I knew pretty much what I wanted to do with it: wildlife photography. This means long lenses. I was going to use the 75-300 until I could afford something better, but one shot was enough to persuade me that it's a piece of junk (harder to tell on film, but digital really showed up the flaws. Hooray for a generous co-worker that has a 70-200 f/2.8 IS gathering dust ...) Anyway.
I tried both out in the shop, and had no particular problem with the feel of either. The girl showing me the bodies (who happened to be my cousin ... what a strange coincidence ... ) was pushing me towards the 20D, but I couldn't see any good reason for me to do so. Eventually, on the advice of another friend, I asked her to get down the 100-400mm L series lens (which weighs around 1.3 kg), and put it on the two bodies.
That sold me on the 20D: the feel of that lens on the 350D (the Australian version of the Rebel XT) was not a good one. It felt almost -- not quite, but almost -- like it was threatening to fall off; the camera body didn't counterbalance the weight of the lens ... it just felt plain wrong, and very fragile. On the 20D, though, it felt pretty solid.
There's nothing wrong with the 350D. If you're not going to be particularly serious with your photography, it will do the job, and do it well. But if you want a body that will last a long time, and which will stand up a bit better to the rigours of a long day of shooting, I'd recommend the 20D.
In short: know what you intend to do with the camera, and what the limitations are. Build quality may or may not be worth the extra money to you; the other advantages of the 20D are really just icing on the cake, at least for me. I'm certainly not going to say "don't buy the 350D", because I don't know where you intend to take your photography; the 20D may well be overkill for your needs. I can't judge that. All I can say is "this is what I went through, and this is why I chose the model I chose", and hope it's of use to you.
Good luck ... and if anybody tries to sell you a Canon 75-300mm lens, laugh in their face. It's not worth the money.
Anybody want to buy mine? (I'd post the pic that shows why I'm so down on that particular lens, but it's about 1.7 MB. Too big for most free web hosts ... any suggestions? I don't want to reduce it, as that would reduce the artifacts ...)
When I went shopping, I knew pretty much what I wanted to do with it: wildlife photography. This means long lenses. I was going to use the 75-300 until I could afford something better, but one shot was enough to persuade me that it's a piece of junk (harder to tell on film, but digital really showed up the flaws. Hooray for a generous co-worker that has a 70-200 f/2.8 IS gathering dust ...) Anyway.
I tried both out in the shop, and had no particular problem with the feel of either. The girl showing me the bodies (who happened to be my cousin ... what a strange coincidence ...
) was pushing me towards the 20D, but I couldn't see any good reason for me to do so. Eventually, on the advice of another friend, I asked her to get down the 100-400mm L series lens (which weighs around 1.3 kg), and put it on the two bodies.That sold me on the 20D: the feel of that lens on the 350D (the Australian version of the Rebel XT) was not a good one. It felt almost -- not quite, but almost -- like it was threatening to fall off; the camera body didn't counterbalance the weight of the lens ... it just felt plain wrong, and very fragile. On the 20D, though, it felt pretty solid.
There's nothing wrong with the 350D. If you're not going to be particularly serious with your photography, it will do the job, and do it well. But if you want a body that will last a long time, and which will stand up a bit better to the rigours of a long day of shooting, I'd recommend the 20D.
In short: know what you intend to do with the camera, and what the limitations are. Build quality may or may not be worth the extra money to you; the other advantages of the 20D are really just icing on the cake, at least for me. I'm certainly not going to say "don't buy the 350D", because I don't know where you intend to take your photography; the 20D may well be overkill for your needs. I can't judge that. All I can say is "this is what I went through, and this is why I chose the model I chose", and hope it's of use to you.
Good luck ... and if anybody tries to sell you a Canon 75-300mm lens, laugh in their face. It's not worth the money.
Anybody want to buy mine?
(I'd post the pic that shows why I'm so down on that particular lens, but it's about 1.7 MB. Too big for most free web hosts ... any suggestions? I don't want to reduce it, as that would reduce the artifacts ...)
Chip NoVaMac said:
Actually the Mac forum isn't too bad,but I sure know what you mean about the other forums -- whew! A lot of Nikon users have migrated over to Nikon Cafe for that very reason. I don't know if there's an equivalent place for Canonites to call home or not, but if there isn't, someone ought to take the initiative and start up their own websites and forums the way they did with Nikon Cafe. It's really a nice site at Nikon Cafe, free from a lot of the whining, one-upmanship and bashing that you see on DPreview's forums, and also free of the adverts that you run into on the Nikonians site.
The Mac forum on DPreview is pretty useful, with a lot of info for someone who is considering switching and a lot of discussion of new software as it comes out (Aperture, for instance). There's usually a fair amount of "I do this type of shooting/post-processing: should I go with a Power Mac or is an iMac enough?" There's not a lot of bashing (except, of course, of Windoze!) and it's more about how the Mac can be a useful tool in someone's overall photography experience rather than about which camera gear someone uses.
Chip NoVaMac said:
I got really tired of DPReviews forums.
You'll learn a lot more and get advice from far more advanced (and polite) photographers at Fred Miranda.
I freaking despise the "Pro Talk" forum at DPReview. It's like you need a license to post in there.
okay...
so, im thinkin i am slowly being pushed to the 20d, alot of people say the build quality is far superiour to the rebel, which i felt myself. how the the other minor features stack up(focus points etc).
also, what size microdrive/flash do you recommend and how much would each hold shooting at max resolution.
so, im thinkin i am slowly being pushed to the 20d, alot of people say the build quality is far superiour to the rebel, which i felt myself. how the the other minor features stack up(focus points etc).
also, what size microdrive/flash do you recommend and how much would each hold shooting at max resolution.
I started off with the Digital Rebel 300D, and then upgraded to the 20D. Granted my Rebel wasn't the XT, but the 20D just blew it out of the water, and the Digital Rebel wasn't a bad camera at all.
First off, the spin wheel on the back is MUCH better than the 4 buttons offered on the XT. ISO3200 IS useful for night time pics. I picked up a Canon 50mm f/1.8 for $60 on Amazon and you can take pictures on dark nights ISO3200 and have no camera shake. If you set it to BW mode, you have no noise even at ISO3200.
My Rebel did 2.5fps, the 20D does 5. It's so fast, and, the buffer is where you'll really notice it. My Rebel did 4 frames that fast, then delay, the 20D can go for 25 or so. I believe the buffer on the XT is pretty shallow compared to the 20D.
RAW+JPG - 20D can...can the XT (I don't know)...
Go for the 20D, or wait a little while and see if a replacement comes out.
First off, the spin wheel on the back is MUCH better than the 4 buttons offered on the XT. ISO3200 IS useful for night time pics. I picked up a Canon 50mm f/1.8 for $60 on Amazon and you can take pictures on dark nights ISO3200 and have no camera shake. If you set it to BW mode, you have no noise even at ISO3200.
My Rebel did 2.5fps, the 20D does 5. It's so fast, and, the buffer is where you'll really notice it. My Rebel did 4 frames that fast, then delay, the 20D can go for 25 or so. I believe the buffer on the XT is pretty shallow compared to the 20D.
RAW+JPG - 20D can...can the XT (I don't know)...
Go for the 20D, or wait a little while and see if a replacement comes out.
I own both
I have the 20d as well as the rebel xt. I bought the xt first. I had several lenses from my canon 35 mm's. I love my xt, when I had the chance to get the 20d with 2 lenses for $800.00 I almost wet my self. It was only a month old & I new it was from a person who is meticulas about care. I love my 20d as much as my xt. I am moving into the professional field next year as a wedding photographer. I know all about the faults with digital photo's & lace dresses. Ok back to the debate. The 3 to 5 fps is not really useful unless you are taking burst shots in high action situation. Is it good to have? Yes Is it necessary? No. How about 8 mp to 8.2. This is not a noticable feature, unless you are blowing up large photo's. The few pixel difference is not a concern. The 3200 iso compared to the 1600 iso is a big difference for me because I take alot of low light photo's at my mobile DJ jobs. As far as the larger lenses not feeling right on my xt. That is true. I added the battery grip & it helped alot. The 20d size & look is more professional. Now the real dirt...I took them both to Disney World. I had the 20d & my wife had the xt after 1 day(14 hours) I knew that my 20d would stay & my xt would be going with me for the rest of the trip. The lighter smaller plastic body & smaller 18-55 &80-200mm lenses made the difference. For every non professional use the rebel xt gets the pick. If you need a larger, heavier more durable body go with the 20d. The xt has everything you will need for any camera use. Save some $ & buy the battery grip, better lenses, speedlite & 2 gig or larger flash card. I am now considering selling my 20d to upgrade to the 5d, maybe even the mark II series. I will never get rid of my xt. Hope this short book will help.
Next forum...the xt & 20d vs. the 5d...........
I have the 20d as well as the rebel xt. I bought the xt first. I had several lenses from my canon 35 mm's. I love my xt, when I had the chance to get the 20d with 2 lenses for $800.00 I almost wet my self. It was only a month old & I new it was from a person who is meticulas about care. I love my 20d as much as my xt. I am moving into the professional field next year as a wedding photographer. I know all about the faults with digital photo's & lace dresses. Ok back to the debate. The 3 to 5 fps is not really useful unless you are taking burst shots in high action situation. Is it good to have? Yes Is it necessary? No. How about 8 mp to 8.2. This is not a noticable feature, unless you are blowing up large photo's. The few pixel difference is not a concern. The 3200 iso compared to the 1600 iso is a big difference for me because I take alot of low light photo's at my mobile DJ jobs. As far as the larger lenses not feeling right on my xt. That is true. I added the battery grip & it helped alot. The 20d size & look is more professional. Now the real dirt...I took them both to Disney World. I had the 20d & my wife had the xt after 1 day(14 hours) I knew that my 20d would stay & my xt would be going with me for the rest of the trip. The lighter smaller plastic body & smaller 18-55 &80-200mm lenses made the difference. For every non professional use the rebel xt gets the pick. If you need a larger, heavier more durable body go with the 20d. The xt has everything you will need for any camera use. Save some $ & buy the battery grip, better lenses, speedlite & 2 gig or larger flash card. I am now considering selling my 20d to upgrade to the 5d, maybe even the mark II series. I will never get rid of my xt. Hope this short book will help.
Next forum...the xt & 20d vs. the 5d...........
I have the 20d as well as the rebel xt. I bought the xt first. I had several lenses from my canon 35 mm's. I love my xt, when I had the chance to get the 20d with 2 lenses for $800.00 I almost wet my self. It was only a month old & I new it was from a person who is meticulas about care. I love my 20d as much as my xt. I am moving into the professional field next year as a wedding photographer. I know all about the faults with digital photo's & lace dresses. Ok back to the debate. The 3 to 5 fps is not really useful unless you are taking burst shots in high action situation. Is it good to have? Yes Is it necessary? No. How about 8 mp to 8.2. This is not a noticable feature, unless you are blowing up large photo's. The few pixel difference is not a concern. The 3200 iso compared to the 1600 iso is a big difference for me because I take alot of low light photo's at my mobile DJ jobs. As far as the larger lenses not feeling right on my xt. That is true. I added the battery grip & it helped alot. The 20d size & look is more professional. Now the real dirt...I took them both to Disney World. I had the 20d & my wife had the xt after 1 day(14 hours) I knew that my 20d would stay & my xt would be going with me for the rest of the trip. The lighter smaller plastic body & smaller 18-55 &80-200mm lenses made the difference. For every non professional use the rebel xt gets the pick. If you need a larger, heavier more durable body go with the 20d. The xt has everything you will need for any camera use. Save some $ & buy the battery grip, better lenses, speedlite & 2 gig or larger flash card. I am now considering selling my 20d to upgrade to the 5d, maybe even the mark II series. I will never get rid of my xt. Hope this short book will help.
Next forum...the xt & 20d vs. the 5d...........
Next forum...the xt & 20d vs. the 5d...........