Canon 20D?

[jerricasjohnson]

Hi all! I am new around here and just wondered if someone would mind giving me some advice. I have been saving up for a Canon XS for a few months now and was just offered a Canon 20D from a relative of a friend for a really reasonable price. I really don't know a lot about the differences between the two but had heard that the XS was good for a beginner. I am looking for a camera to take pictures of my daughter and really would love to learn the ins and outs of the world of photography...but just as a hobby, of course. Could anyone offer any insight on the differences between these two, or advise if I would be disappointed in one over the other? I have always heard to spend the money on lenses rather than the camera body, so I am thinking the 20D would be the way to go. It would definitely free up some money to purchase a decent lens. Also, this may be a really silly question, but would lenses from an older 35mm Canon be compatible with these newer models? My dad has several in storage that I would love to use if possible. Thanks so much!

 

[CMT]

The 20D is a great camera and perfect first DSLR. The XS has a slight bump in megapixels but it is barely noticeable when it comes to image quality, and the faster 5 fps of the 20D can come in handy when shooting sports. I started my Canon DSLR career with a 20D will always remember that camera fondly.

For what it's worth, I say go for it.

 

[Big Mike]

The 20D is a higher level than the XS, but the XS is a much newer model.
To put it another way, it would be like choosing between a 7 year old BMW and a brand new Hyundai.

The 20D will be bigger. It will have more external control buttons where-as the XS will be more menu based. The 20D has a control dial and a thumb wheel, the XS has a control dial and some directional buttons.

In favor of the XS, it has a newer sensor and processor, which besides more MP, means that it can probably get cleaner shots at higher ISO, than the 20D.

In a pure image quality test, I would expect the XS to outperform the 20D easily. The differences are mainly in the size, shape and layout of the bodies, and some of the features like the auto focus, shooting rate etc.

 

[10 Gauge]

The 20D is a great camera, I had one before I bought my 40D. I think the build and quality of the camera itself is worth choosing it over the Rebel unless megapixels are a deal breaker for you.