Canon EOS 20D

From Free net encyclopedia

The Canon EOS 20D is an 8.2-megapixel semi-professional digital single-lens reflex camera, initially announced on August 19 2004 at a recommended retail price of US$1,499. It is the successor of the Canon EOS 10D. It can accept EF and EF-S lenses; it uses an APS-C sized image sensor and so does not require the larger imaging circle required in 35mm film cameras.

1 Improvements
2 Resolution
3 Features
4 Firmware
5 See also
6 External links

[edit]

Improvements

Major changes over the 10D, aside from the new sensor and increased resolution, include almost instant power-on (0.2 seconds instead of the 10D's 2.5 seconds), support for Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and support for the EF-S lens mount. Despite the resolution change, the sensor remains the same physical size as per its predecessor; all lenses still have a angle of view crop of 1.6. Other changes include improved continuous shooting mode (5 frames per second), a larger 23 frame JPEG buffer but a smaller 6 frame RAW buffer, a new E-TTL II flash metering system, new DIGIC II image processor, a black and white mode as well as a brand-new nine-point autofocus system which is more responsive. The central cross-sensor has a high-precision mode which is activated by use of a lens of f/2.8 or faster. The 20D can record in both JPEG and RAW in .cr2 files.

The EOS 20D (with appropriate firmware updates) can also accept the Canon Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E1/E1A for fast file transfer to a remote file server, either through an ethernet cable or a Wi-Fi network. This capability expands the EOS 20D's range of applications to sports & news photojournalism and studio set ups where real-time transfer of the images is crucial.

[edit]

Resolution

The Canon EOS 20D has several resolution settings:

Large/Fine (3504 x 2336)
Large/Normal (3504 x 2336)
Middle/Fine (2544 x 1696)
Middle/Normal (2544 x 1696)
Small/Fine (1728 x 1152)
Small/Normal (1728 x 1152)
RAW .CR2 format (3504 x 2336)
(There are also six resolution settings for JPEG+RAW which are the same as the first six but which also attach a RAW file in a separate .cr2 file).

[edit]

Features

The Canon EOS 20D features a Mode Dial on the top which lets you select the shooting mode for each situation. It is divided into two sections: Creative Zone and Basic Zone. Obviously the Creative zone is dedicated to a more professional shooting yet it gives the user more advanced options to change such as the RAW shooting function and manual exposure, aperture and ISO sensitivity which can only be set under the Creative zone. Each function is explained below:

Creative Zone:

A-DEP: The camera automatically selects the aperture and shutter speed to keep most of the image in focus. (Only recommended in high light conditions as the camera tends to choose smaller f/stops)
M (Manual): The camera lets you choose manually the aperture and shutter speed.
Av (Aperture priority): The camera lets the user choose the aperture (f/) value and then automatically adjusts the shutter speed for correct exposure.
Tv (Shutter speed priority): The camera lets the user set the shutter speed and automatically sets the aperture for correct exposure.
P (Program AE): The camera automatically chooses an aperture and shutter combination for correct exposure and the user can change between one of these combinations.

Basic Zone:

Auto (represented with a green rectangle): Completely automatic shooting.
Portrait: The camera tries to blur the background for better looking portraits.
Landscape: For shooting landscapes and sunsets.
Close-Up: For shooting small objects near to the camera.
Sports: For capturing fast moving objects.
Night Scene: Shoots with flash and with slow shutter so that the subject is illuminated by the flash and the background (e.g: a city) is also captured naturally in the night.
No Flash: All automatic with no flash.

The camera features (like many others) two LCDs, one monochrome at the top which shows all important aspects of photography and one at the back which is used for picture reviewing and menu navigation.

The Canon EOS 20D also features a large dial on its back which is used for fast scrolling over the stored pictures or over the settings in the menu.

It features no dedicated AF assist lamp but its internal flash can be set to release several consecutive "short-flashes" to help focusing in dim situations. This can be solved by attaching an external flash with AF assist lamp like many of Canon's Speedlights.

[edit]

Firmware

The latest firmware for the 20D (as of April 11, 2006) is version 2.0.3 which improves the communication reliability with some CF cards and other minor changes.

A firmware upgrade is always recommended for best results but instructions for doing so must be read carefully. Latest firmware and software upgrades can be found at Canoneos.com.

[edit]