Canon eos 20D - My Thoughts

[@robertmccutchan5450]

I just pulled out my 20D and 10D to work with them this week. I shot a LOT of weddings many years ago with the 20D. It is truly one of the most under-rated cameras of all time.....the old sensors produce MUCH nicer images than the ones we have today. Back then, digital camera manufacturers were trying to get us stubborn film shooters to switch to digital because some of the early digital cameras were not good at all and looked very "digital", so they really tried to get the sensors to look more like film. I came from manual film cameras, so when these cameras came out, people were blown away! A roll of film would cost $30USD or so to purchase and process, not to mention we had to wait a week to get proofs back from a wedding. So just imagine how thrilling it was to shoot for "free" all day long, and be able to see the results instantly. Shooting over ISO 800 gets a bit grainy on the 20D, which is probably one of the biggest negatives to this camera. If this isn't a concern for you, then this camera is actually quite a fantastic unit. Thanks for posting!!

[@DavidCuhls]

Wow, thank you for sharing your story with the community and also for watching, really means a lot. Yes I agree, the Canon eos 20D is really underrated. For the price, it still outputs really nice and unique results. Furthermore, it is such a simple and fun camera to operate. Sure, there are limitations due to its age but there will always be a workaround for the most part. :-) The 10d that you mentioned is also another great camera that I also very much enjoyed using (though I really love the 20D more at the end of the day)... I thank you very much again for watching as well as for sharing your stories and experience, very much appreciated it. I wish you a great time, stay safe and have fun shooting! :-)

[@saramakboul5105]

Which lens is best for vintage film look to use with 20D?

[@js2765]

I stumbled upon this gem when someone was throwing it out when moving house. My first thought when I used it was.. hold on a minute? This LCD gives a film-like quality to it. This is a look highly sought after by people who want to simulate the tones and character of film using digital. I was going to sell it but after using it for a day or two with the 50mm prime, I will keep it as a travel camera.

[@walhalladome5227]

Bought my Canon 20D in the fall of 2005 after my Olympus OM1 was stolen. Ever since I love this camera. Such a nice feel in my hands. Very accessible use.

[@kayasper6081]

So nice to see there are other 20D users still around and happy! I bought mine somewhere around 2006. It was a very special edition, the Canon 20Da. That little "a" stands for "astrophotography". So it is like a normal 20D but with some extra specs added to make it more suitable for the use with a telescope. It is still my only camera and I use it intensively! Very happy with, one of the best products I ever bought.

[@funfun_2001]

this was my first serious camera, bought in 2007. I occasionally still use it and am always impressed when I do. It still takes amazing photos if you know its limitations and use raw mode. That 8mp sensor is extremely good and its still the best shutter sound I've heard. I used to use the 30-50D quite a bit(product photographer) at work years ago and I still preferred the 20D. Highly recommended for beginners on a budget, it truly is a bargain.

[@anuragchaudhary6307]

Also it has the biggest rear dial of any camera I've tried, also the most fun to fidget with!

[@DavidCuhls]

Haha, yeah the rear dial is big but I am sure you’ll enjoy the big rear dials of the early 1d series of cameras as well, because they actually have really big rear dial as well. :-) But the 20D in my opinion, also has very simple but logical layout of design with the weather sealing as a cherry on top. For the price, it really is still a great camera that still produces great results. :-) Thank you very much for continuing watching my videos and also for commenting, really appreciated it. :-) I wish you a great time, stay safe and have fun shooting! :-)

[@mrki4937]

I really loved the wheel on it. The 5d ii and probably the 5d i have the exact same dial. I just bought a used 5d ii because I am quite unhappy about the UX of the Sony a7 and the EOS r is just still to expensive for me.

[@KevinSmythPhotography]

The EOS 20D was one of my favorite cameras. Fantastic photos!

[@DavidCuhls]

Yeah, the photos are still good coming out of this camera and being an old digital camera, this also meant that the colours are unique as well. Pair it with a decent lens and I personally think that this camera is still able to produce great results even for today’s standards. :-) Thank you so much for watching and also for sharing your story, very much appreciated it. I wish you a great time, stay safe and have fun shooting! :-)

[@imanuelmichael4276]

they cant taken a video aight?

[@WasionKey]

minw wont turn on, any suggestions?

[@Doos1410]

Just bought one 2day for €25. Looking forward to using it

[@DavidCuhls]

Congratulations on getting the camera, I am sure you'll produce great results with it and 25 euros is really a good deal! :-) I thank you very much for watching, I wish you a great time, stay safe and have fun shooting! :-)

[@ronjenkins4257]

I still have my Rebel XTi (400D) from about the same time. It still works, and its build quality -- even being the bottom tier of the Canon DSLRs of the time -- is better than mid tier Canons today (comparing to my Rebel T7i and Canon R8). Battery grip support too. Such refreshing simplicity -- makes you really focus on the taking of pictures.

[@peternerenst]

Beautiful pictures you produce. I have mounted a M42 Pancolar 1.8/50 on it. Looking forward to se the results.

[@sonyastefanova5785]

I bought mine 10+ years ago and I still use it. I can't enjoy the same way with the new ones as with Canon 20d. A real challenge for skilled photographers. Used to be one of the best and in my opinion it still is.

[@DavidCuhls]

Yeah, there is a certain "charm" that you get from using this old camera and also looking at the results as well. Despite some limitations due to the age but I think that it is still a really nice camera to use and experience today. Thank you very much for watching and also for sharing your story, very much appreciated it. I wish you a great time, stay safe and have fun shooting! :-)

[@nigelgroves19]

Great review, thank you. I think the price to performance ratio for the 20D is possibly the best available these days, for any used camera. Plus it's a great starter camera for beginners, very simple to use and behaves and handles very much like the 5D with the bonus of the 1.6 crop factor (and a built-in flash too). Also extremely reliable and predictable and as you mentioned, battery life is amazing. One of my favourites :)

[@DavidCuhls]

Yeah, the quality of the 20D is still good and definitely will help out a lot of beginner photographers on a budget. The still big enough sensor is still good at delivering unique colour results and the simplicity also means that there aren’t a lot of technicalities getting in the way. It’s definitely a joy to use this camera. :-) Thank you so much for watching, for sharing your perspective and also for continuing to watch my videos, really means a lot! :-) I wish you a great time, stay safe and have fun shooting! :-)

[@juliechau095]

Thank for this amazing review!! Im trying to find a great beginner camera and I think this is the one!:)

[@DavidCuhls]

Wow, thank you so much for watching and also for the compliment, really means a lot. :-) I am also glad that it helped. I am sure you'll produce really nice and memorable results with the camera. I thank you very much again for watching and also for the kind words. I wish you a great time, stay safe and have fun shooting! :-)

[@kenschestok9515]

I haven't read thru the comments yet, but back in the day there was a canon add on to the 20d that would allow 2 batteries and an additional shutter trigger thingy. it was super helpful especially for shooting weddings where you need to be "on" and not have to worry about swapping batteries

[@Democratiser]

Well done for shining a light on these older cameras and bringing them back to life. It is also timely with the release of the RF mount R7, as there seems to be renewed interest in Canon’s EFS systems. As your sample images demonstrate, the 20D was and is capable of beautiful and unique images. I bought the 20D new and still have it. Ultimately my frustration was noise and blur in hand held evening shots with the 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 IS. My solution, implemented many years later, was to buy the 17-55mm F2.8 IS USM. The 17-55mm is still a good lens by today’s standards and Canon hasn’t produced an equivalent for EFM or RFS. However I bought it at about the same time as a 5D III so rarely used the 20D after that. Having said that, in many ways the 20D is more enjoyable due to its simplicity and smaller and lighter form. You have prompted me to dust it off and take some shots with it again!

[@DavidCuhls]

Yeah, I agree, simplistic cameras are also actually enjoyable. Not too much technicalities getting in the way of the process and just allows you to be with the process of photography as well as what you’re capturing. Sure there are limitations that old technologies naturally will not be able to keep up with their newer counterparts. However, it also has its charm and workaround as well. :-) I am sure once you pick up your 20d again, you might have a different approach and perspective to it. :-) Thank you so much for watching and sharing your story/experience, very much appreciated it. :-) I wish you a great time, stay safe and have fun shooting! :-)

[@triumph_cv]

Shot on a 20d for many years, sold it and I regret it. Such a great camera. Slap a 50mm 1.8 on it, have a great eye, and you will surely get some dynamic, beautiful pics!

[@funfun_2001]

That was my first combo, I fell in love with photography using them!

[@DamianKleiman]

I still use a 30D, it's also 8mp but from 2006. Old, but very nice camera and the pictures I can get are amazing.

[@DavidCuhls]

Yeah, the 30d is great (I also made a video about it as well), I really love the handling of that camera as well as the image quality that it gives. The colour renditions and contrasts are still very nice. If used properly, the 30d is still more than capable to deliver great images even for professional work. It is also a very reliable camera that you can take through many conditions as well. :-) Thank you very much for watching as well as for sharing your story, very much appreciated it. I wish you a great time, stay safe and have fun shooting! :-)

[@DamianKleiman]

@@DavidCuhls Yes I just saw your 30D video.

[@DavidCuhls]

Ohh, thank you so much for watching :-) Happy holidays! :-)

[@DamianKleiman]

@@DavidCuhls thanks, hope you have a great holiday too :)

[@mrki4937]

I think, the 30d had the same sensor as the 20d. When I correctly recall, the main difference was the added spot metering and maybe a little bit faster processor.

[@lordsirnoelmanchester3592]

I have that Canon 20D bought in the year June 17, 2005 Friday @ 7:30pm brand new at Henry's Camera Store Quiapo Manila. My first ever DSLR an upgrade from my Nikon F80S film camera just bought brand new on Nov. 2002 from the same store.

[@pictureeyecandy]

Definitely a great camera, then and now.

[@DavidCuhls]

I totally agree, it’s still reliable and still capable with delivering great results as well. I thank you very much for watching as well as for commenting, really appreciated it. I wish you a great time, stay safe and have fun shooting! :-)

[@loeil2loizeau876]

Nice video ! What's lens did you use for the redhead girl's portrait please ? Thank you.

[@nikiniki-ms6ie]

OK!Canon 20 D nice still camera now!I like this.

[@mauriciocaballero8773]

I have one 20D in perfect conditions but I can't connect to the computer using Sonoma on Mac and originals cables ... any idea how to solve this problem ?

[@DamianKleiman]

mine does not connect either, I boght an external card reader and I use that to transfer files.

[@K1N1-i6g]

Great review. I believe there's a hidden setting for unlocking 3200 ISO, I've personally never done it as 1600 has always been plenty for me. I heard canon made it a hidden setting to stop people accidentally setting it to 3200 ISO and getting bad photos. Might be worth looking into.

[@mrki4937]

Now that you say it. I always wondered why people kept saying it only goes up to 1600. I switched mine for 3200 nearly 20 years ago and forgot about that this was a setting you actually had to release. 😊

[@paulp3053]

thanks for sharing

[@DavidCuhls]

Thank you for watching as well as for commenting, really appreciated it. I wish you a good time, stay safe and have fun shooting! :-)

[@michaeltuffin8147]

I don’t use mine anymore, but it still works after many years.

[@DavidCuhls]

Yeah, this camera is still quite tough and I am sure that it will still survive for many more years to come. But the older sensor does deliver some unique results that you don't really see with more modern sensors anymore. So maybe give it a try and experiment a little. :-) I thank you very much for watching and for commenting, really appreciated it. I wish you a great time, stay safe and have fun shooting! :-)

[@YEZAR_SIF]

Plz how can me activate thes camira on video 📹 mode

[@DavidCuhls]

This camera does not take video, it was released way before DSLRs in general were able to record videos... Sorry.. I thank you for watching, I wish you a great time, stay safe and have fun shooting! :-)

[@tapasycocteles5396]

Hello. Does it worth it to use ir for portraits with a 50 mm lens? Thanks

[@DavidCuhls]

I'd say if you are looking into getting some older unique digital look, then it's definitely worth it and the 50mm lens will also provide a very nice portrait focal length for this camera with a nice depth of field as well. But if you are looking for more demanding cameras with very fast autofocusing system for fast moving portraits and/or a sensitive camera for lowlight portraits, then this camera might not be such a good option... Hope that helps. I thank you very much for watching, I wish you a great time, stay safe and have fun shooting! :-)

[@adude394]

Just purchased a 20D on the recommendation of my friend in the UK who takes photos of National Geographic quality. He's also the one who sent me the link to this video. Very useful to hear a professional's take on this hardware. Thanks for your insights! Looking forward to getting mine.

[@qqtai7776]

Camera ,battery,charger are OK,but CF card, and card read are malfunction,can't use.

[@DavidCuhls]

I am sorry to hear that... Maybe try returning it back and look for another model? I am sure there are many offers out there for a reasonable price. :-) I hope things will work out, thank you very much for watching, I wish you a great time, stay safe and have fun shooting! :-)

[@tanthaman]

More camilla grando

[@DavidCuhls]

I have about two more photoshoot videos with Camila for this year that will be released in the near future. Thank you very much for supporting here and also for watching, I wish you a great time, stay safe and have fun shooting. :-)

[@tanthaman]

@@DavidCuhls no worries thanks 🙏🏻

[@brugj03]

I bought this camera back in the day. Got tricked by dpreview. Man it sucked. As flat as a pancake, high noise, very digital looking. I never got the focus right. Returned several times and kept having issues with front and back focus. Went back to my 300D and everything was fine.

[@DavidCuhls]

I am sorry to hear about your experience with the 20D. The canon eos 300D is indeed a good camera and also one of the cameras that I really enjoyed using. Personally, I think that the 20d is still a good camera with decent enough autofocusing system. In most cases it was able to focus with f/1.4 and f/1.2 with not much trouble assuming the subject does not move much and the lighting is not too low. I do love the details in the shadows of the 300d more than the 20d but I feel that the rendition of the skin tones on the 20d is better and the 20d has better controls and colour depth in my opinion. But this is just my experience of course. I thank you very much for watching as well as for sharing your story/experience. I wish you a great time, stay safe and have fun shooting. :-)

[@brugj03]

@@DavidCuhls Thx. Well i guess those where the days. Cameras are so good these days, the lens makes the difference. And Sony autofocus, man back then you couldn`t even dream about that.