Company: Canon
Phone: 1.800.OK.CANON
Price: $1500 (body only)
Available: Now

Rating:

Pros: Fast AF; Quick Starting; Great Image Quality; Good Built-in Flash;
Cons: Lacks Spot Metering; Viewfinder only 95% View;

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then I've written at least a million with the Canon EOS 20D. In those words are spectacular images that aren't a testament to my abilities, but the camera itself. You can't blame the equipment, right? Well, in this case, I do and that's a good thing. I'm not Ansel Adams; my photos probably won't grace the cover of LIFE, or any other magazine. Still, with the Canon EOS 20D in my hands, I sure felt like a Pulitzer was in reach.

Pro Features in Consumer Dollars

Before I hypnotize you with the performance numbers, consider that digital SLR's aren't svelte, pocket friendly cameras. Digital SLR's are for those that demand the best image quality and most flexibility out of their cameras. Portability isn't the point. It's about taking photographs that are worth more than a thousand words.

At the core of the EOS 20D is an 8.2 megapixel CMOS sensor with Canon's DIGIC II Image Processor. That's the same resolution and processing technology found in the EOS 1D Mark II, the $4,500 relative to the EOS 20D. Granted, the EOS 20D utilizes a smaller sensor and isn't as robust as the 1D Mark II, it's still a lot of camera for the professional wannabe or consumer with high-end taste. I believe “prosumer” is the word to use these days.

For the right brain, let me flex my affinity for numbers. The EOS 20D screams Autobahn style with a fast 5 frames per second for up to 23 frames using a 9-point auto focus system. It warms up in a mere 0.2 seconds for spur of the moment photographs, literally. And its fastest shutter setting is a mere 1/8000 seconds. Users leaning to the pro side of the equation will appreciate the sports car like handling of the EOS 20D.

For low light conditions the EOS 20D includes an automatic pop-up flash. Canon integrates E-TTL II (Evaluative Through-The-Lens) technology for determining flash intensity. The technology also incorporates distance information from the lens for added control. The flash works extremely well illuminating the entire area so you won't see that flash hot spot like some cameras. EOS 10D users will also note the higher flash height for less reduced red eye and lens shadow.