Camera Labs

I wondered if you could help me as I'm in an enoromous dilema... I want to buy a digital SLR and after heaps of research i decided that the 350d was the one to buy. I have an old pentax wet film and having used a friends nikon d70 I'm really keen to buy a digital. Everyone has recommened the 350d and although they all recommend the 20d over it they say that there isnt such an enormous difference. Given an open budget I would snap up the 20d, however I thought it would be better to buy a slightly cheaper body and invest more money in my lenses. I don't want to be in a situation where I regret spending an extra £200 but equally if the difference between them is not huge i'd rather spend the extra on lenses. I'm not a semi-professional photographer but am worried that i will limit myself if i buy te 350d.

Would really appreciate any advice!
Thanks, Lucy.

Hi Lucy, thanks for visiting Cameralabs...

Here are what I feel are the key differences:

Most obviously when you pick up the 20D it feels like a professional piece of kit. The classic Canon professional combination of a magnesium alloy shell and mottled rubber finish is both tough and comfortable. The rotating selection dial on the back also feels more tactile than the four navigation keys of the 350D. In comparison the 350D feels light and a little plasticky. The 20D is certainly a tougher camera, but this may not be an issue for you.

Through the viewfinder, the presence of a proper penta-prism is preferred to the cheaper (albeit lighter) penta-mirror of the 350D, and the 9-point AF is quicker and more accurate than the 350D’s 7-point system. Power-up time and shutter lag may be just about identical, but the 20D is faster in continuous shooting with 5fps versus 3fps. Studio users will also benefit from a PC Sync port on the 20D.

There’s no denying the 20D is a nicer camera to hold and use, but only you can decide whether the differences above are worth spending the extra. In terms of image quality the 350D and 20D are essentially identical, and remember while the 20D may be better built, the 350D is smaller and lighter; money-aside, this could be enough to swing it for many photographers.

One thing worth bearing in mind is Canon tends to release new models 18 months after the last one. This means the 20D's replacement is expected to be announced by the end of February, especially as this would also coincide with the annual PMA photographic show in Florida.

We can only speculate about this possible new model, but one thing's for certin: if it does arrive and it is the replacement for the 20D, prices of the 20D are bound to fall - they're already very competitive in anticipation of a new launch.

So anyone considering a 20D should definitely wait a couple of weeks to see what happens. The new model (if there is one) might be everything they want. It might also force prices of the perfectly good 20D down further.

I can however say that both the 350D and 20D are great cameras and whichever one you end up with you'll be very happy. It's also a great idea to invest in good lenses. You must also go into a store though and actually pick up both cameras for yourself as their sheer look and feel may immediately swing you in favour of one over the other.

Hope that's been of some help!

It's a great question and one I'm sure many others will have opinions on...

Gordon