Canon 20d

TederS · Dec 23, 2007

Hi!

I'm a young photographer and i'm using Nikon d40 with KIT lens. It's a quite good camera but i don't like the fact that i can't use AF lenses :grumpy:

. Some days ago i got a mail and an oportunity to buy a few years old Canon EOS 20D body that has taken about 10 000 pictures and it comes with 2 memory cards(1gb each). It costs 760 USA dollars. My Nikon d40 has 1 gb memory card , SB-400 flash and a small bag to put all that stuff. In Estonia this set cost about 1000 USA dollars (when it's new).
So here is the question: should i sell my d40(for about 700 USA dollars) + a little extra money from my budget and buy a 20d with 50/1.8 and some cheap/used KIT.So in summer i could go and work to buy a 70-200/2.8 or something like that. Is it worth it? Or should i stay with my d40 and buy a 55-200 or something like that and someday buy a greater nikon body.

Btw: Sorry for my bad english ... i'm still learning

Sideburns · Dec 23, 2007

that used camera is not worth that much. Especially if it's used a few years. Give him a cheaper offer.

TederS · Dec 24, 2007

But should I still buy it (for a cheaper price then). Is it a good camera?

Jbs · Dec 24, 2007

It is a good camera, if i were you i would definitely buy it... just not for even close to that much.

remember, glass is more important than the body, and with bad (non auto-focusing) lenses, you are going to have a much harder time than if you had the 20d.

but yea, you could go either way really (20d or new body/lenses eventually)... id go the canon tho because im biased

bhop · Dec 24, 2007

Since you already have one Nikon lens, you could just get a different Nikon body. A D70s, or used D80 would be better than the D40 IMO.

Of course, the 20d is a good camera too if you wanted to switch to Canon. I was looking around on the internet recently for them since my friend was going to sell his to another friend of mine, they seem to average in the $500-600 area depending on condition... usually just for the body.

Big Mike · Dec 28, 2007

20D is a great camera, but I agree that the price is too high. Also, switching from Nikon to Canon seems unnecessary. Maybe you should look for a used Nikon D50, it's basically the previous version of the D40 but it has the AF motor.

TederS · Dec 31, 2007

Yes, that's a good idea Big Mike. I'll check the market ...
Because i love to take photos of wild animals and birds then it's quite obvious that i should buy a fix lens (for example Nikon AF-S 300/F4). In Estonia Canon 300/f4 and Nikon 300/F4 are almost equal in price. But can i use canon lenses with my nikon body? Is canon fixes better than Nikon?

Big Mike · Jan 2, 2008

But can i use canon lenses with my Nikon body?

The quick answer is NO. The mount is different...So don't bother.

Technically, you could use one brand/mount on a different camera...if you use an adaptor. However, an adaptor may cause problems like loosing the ability to focus at infinity (no good for wildlife).

Because i love to take photos of wild animals and birds then it's quite obvious that i should buy a fix lens

Fixed lenses will usually give you a better image quality...but modern zoom lenses are pretty darn good.

Is canon fixes better than Nikon?

I can't say for sure...but I'd guess that they are pretty close.

TederS · Jan 2, 2008

I was offered a nikon d70 that has taken 18 000 pictures with a very cheap price. Should i buy it. Dpreview.com says it's a good camera. And cause i have a D40 kit lens already then it would be a good deal or what? And i can buy a Nikon 55-200VR for the money that i've collected. What do you think?

Sideburns · Jan 2, 2008

TederS said:
I was offered a nikon d70 that has taken 18 000 pictures with a very cheap price. Should i buy it. Dpreview.com says it's a good camera. And cause i have a D40 kit lens already then it would be a good deal or what? And i can buy a Nikon 55-200VR for the money that i've collected. What do you think?

I say go for it. If it's cheap enough, the D70 is a good camera.

hawkeye · Jan 2, 2008

stick with nikon and what ever lenses you have now, and whatever you get in the future will work just fine when you upgrade to a D80 down the road... Once you cross that threshold, your old lenses will still work fine, so you will have those, and a camera with an AF motor. Besides, I'm sure there is more than enough glass out there that will meet your current needs. And they are nice lenses too... perfectly usable when you upgrade your body when you deem fit to do so