There’s a depth-of-field preview button at the base of the lens mount, and a mirror pre-lock via Custom Function 12. A dial at the top right of the viewfinder eyepiece lets you set dioptric correction from –3.0 to +1.0. The fixed eye-level pentaprism viewfinder shows about 95% of the actual image area, with a magnification of 0.9X. A new Precision Matte focusing screen optimizes light distribution for easier manual focusing. The image area contains a central partial-metering circle and the nine AF points, the point(s) used to establish focus briefly glowing red as focus is achieved. Pertinent data appears below the image area, with newly developed superimposition optics providing a bright, easy-to-read display. Where the EOS 10D comes with a 1100mAh Li-ion battery, the 20D comes with a 1390mAh Li-ion battery that provides about 25% more shots per charge (both batteries can be used in both cameras). An optional Battery Grip BG-E2 holds two of the batteries for extra shooting capacity, and provides handy controls for vertical-format shooting. A supplied AA battery magazine allows use of ordinary alkaline, lithium or NiMH AA batteries in the grip. Eighteen Custom Functions, accessed through the LCD monitor menus, let you customize camera operation to suit your preferences. The EOS 20D is compatible with the full line of Canon EF lenses, including the EF-S series of digital lenses, which now has two new members, the EF-S 17–85mm f/4–5.6 IS USM standard zoom, and EF-S 10–22mm f/3.5–4.5 USM wide zoom (the latter provides framing equivalent to a 16–35mm lens on a 35mm camera, providing true superwide-angle capability with the 20D and its 1.6X “crop factor”). EF lenses range from that 10–22mm to a 1200mm supertelephoto (which effectively becomes a 1920mm on the 20D). Camera: Canon EOS 20D Category: AF Digital SLR AF Performance * * * * * Metering Performance * * * * * Feature Set * * * * * Ease of Use * * * * * Ergonomics * * * * * Value * * * * * Digital Features The 20D offers a variety of image-size and quality choices, to suit a host of needs. Unprocessed RAW images provide the best quality; they measure 3504x2336 pixels (8.2 megapixels) and take up about 8.7MB on storage media. You can also shoot 3504x2336-pixel images in Fine (3.6MB) and Normal (1.8MB) compressed JPEG format. When you don’t need the full 8.2 megapixels of resolution, you can shoot JPEG images of 2544x1696 pixels (4.3 megapixels) or 1728x1152 pixels (2.0 megapixels), at Fine and Normal compression levels. You can simultaneously record RAW plus JPEG images of any of the above sizes/compression levels. The 10D will record RAW and JPEG images simultaneously, but with the 20D the RAW and JPEG images are stored separately, so you can access the JPEGs without special software. Images can be recorded in sRGB or Adobe RGB color space. Canon designs and manufacturers its own image sensors, using equipment designed and manufactured by Canon, giving them total control over the process. The 20D’s all-new 8.2-megapixel CMOS sensor obviously has smaller pixels than the same-size 6.3-megapixel sensor in the EOS 10D. But it delivers a higher dynamic range and lower noise than the 10D thanks to new features including larger on-chip light-gathering microlenses with reduced gaps between them, the elimination of transistors in each pixel to make more of the surface area available for light-gathering, second-generation on-chip noise-filtering circuitry, a low-noise high-output amp, and an infrared-blocking low-pass filter, all optimized from the start to work with the sensor. The DIGIC II image processor (introduced in the pro-model EOS-1d Mark II) features a newly developed signal-processing algorithm, four-channel high-speed signal reading, improved color reproduction with bright high-saturation subjects, a wider dynamic range in the highlight areas, and lower power consumption, resulting in better image quality, faster operation and longer battery life. The EOS 10D doesn’t have any noise-reduction features (image noise is minimal without noise reduction). The 20D has several, one result being that images shot at ISO 1600 with the 20D show about the same noise level as images shot at ISO 400 with the 10D (see the accompanying kitty photo). Besides high-ISO shooting, noise tends to be a problem with digital images made using long exposure times. The 20D inherently produces less noise during long exposures than the 10D, but adds a long-exposure noise-reduction feature (via Custom Function 02.1) that optimizes image quality with exposures of one second and longer (bear in mind that using this feature also doubles the recording time, since the dark-frame subtraction processing is done after the exposure, not during it). All the usual white-balance settings are provided: auto, daylight, shade, overcast, tungsten bulb, fluorescent light, flash, manual/custom, color temperature). Like the pro EOS-1d Mark II, the 20D lets you modify white-balance settings, correcting each color in up to nine increments for very fine tuning. There’s also three-shot white-balance bracketing (blue/amber or magenta/green), which can be used in conjunction with white-balance correction and auto exposure bracketing. Images are stored on Type I and II CompactFlash cards. We transfer images to our computers via a FireWire card reader, but the 20D also lets you do it directly from the camera via a USB 2.0 High Speed interface, which transfers data to a USB 2.0 High Speed-compatible computer 11X faster than the 10D’s USB 2.0 Full Speed interface. The 20D also allows for direct printing from the camera with PictBridge, CP Direct and Bubble Jet Direct printers, and printing is faster than with the EOS 10D due to the 20D’s DIGIC II processor. The 118,000-pixel 1.8-inch color LCD monitor on the back of the camera shows the image right after you shoot it (but not before—as with all SLRs, film and digital, you focus and compose using the SLR viewfinder), and displays three color-coded menu sections that make it easy to set shooting, playback and set-up preferences. In playback mode, you can enlarge images up to 10X in 15 steps, and scroll via the Multi-controller. You can also display nine tumbnail images simultaneously. RAW images are now in the new 12-bit CR2 (Canon RAW 2nd edition) format, which offers higher image quality and lossless image compression, but requires processing via compatible software such as Canon’s Digital Photo Professional 1.1 software supplied with the camera (DPP also comes with the pro-model EOS-1d Mark II, and provides high-speed RAW conversion). Canon also supplies an EOS Solution disk with the 20D, which includes the EOS Viewer Utility (for downloading, editing and conversion of RAW images—EVU works with Mac OS 9 as well as OS X, while DPP requires OS X; all the provided software works with recent versions of Windows) and EOS Capture for remote operation of the camera from the computer. The camera also comes with Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0, a powerful yet easy-to-learn image-editing program. You can also use the optional DVK-E2 image data verification kit introduced with the EOS-1d Mark II to check original image data authenticity. In Use As mentioned at the start of this report, my biggest gripe about my EOS 10D is its long start-up and wake-up time. The 20D and its 0.2-second wake time solve that problem, and this feature alone is worth the cost of admission. The 20D is smaller than the 10D, enough so that it felt a little small in my hands the first time I used it. But I soon got to really like its feel, and never suffered the “carpal elbow syndrome” I get from holding the 10D with 300mm lens in shooting position for long spells waiting to catch a bird in just the right pose. Autofocusing performance is excellent, better than the EOS 10D’s (but not quite as good as the EOS-1d Mark II’s on tough action subjects such as birds in flight). Actually, the AF system might be a little too sensitive: When photographing birds foraging behind wisps of grass, the system would actually focus on the wisps, so I had to switch to manual focusing (or select a single AF point, but with the bird moving constantly in the frame, it was easier just to focus manually). The 20D delivered a higher percentage of excellent exposures than the 10D (which does a very good job of it). The 35-segment metering system, DIGIC II processor and dynamic range of the image sensor gave good results even with white birds in harsh light (with my 10D I have to dial-in –0.5 exposure compensation to keep from blowing out highlights in those circumstances, then salvage the darkest tones in Photoshop). Canon says the 20D has approximately the same noise level at ISO 1600 that the 10D has at ISO 400, and this does appear to be the case. I would not shoot at ISO 1600 with my 10D unless absolutely necessary, but ISO 1600 is quite workable with the 20D (although it doesn’t quite have the resolution of ISO 400). As with film, it’s best to use the slowest ISO that will let you get the shot, but the 20D gives you more tools to work with. Bottom line: The new EOS 20D fixes the few gripes I have about the 10D, improves some things I didn’t even realize could be improved, and provides 8.2 megapixels vs. 6.3—all for what I paid for my 10D last year. Now that is a deal! To read past reviews of other Digital SLRs, visit the archive section of our website at www.photographic.com. Specifications CAMERA: Canon EOS 20D TYPE: AF digital SLR LENS MOUNT: Canon EF bayonet FOCAL-LENGTH CONVERSION FACTOR: 1.6X IMAGING ELEMENT: 8.5-megapixel 22.5x15.0mm Canon CMOS sensor with RGB color filter; 8.25 effective megapixels IMAGE RESOLUTIONS: 3504x2336 (RAW); 3504x2336, 2544x1696 and 1728x1152 (JPEG) pixels IMAGE FILE TYPES: RAW, JPEG, simultaneous RAW and JPEG capture STORAGE: CompactFlash cards Type I & II FOCUSING: TTL phase-detection AF with 9 AF points; AF range EV –0.5 to 18 (ISO 100); One-Shot AF, Predictive AI Servo AF, AI Focus AF (automatically selects One-Shot or AI Servo) plus manual via focusing ring on lens METERING: TTL 35-zone evaluative linked to AF points, 9% partial, and centerweighted average metering EXPOSURE MODES: Shiftable program AE, shutter- and aperture-priority AE, six PIC modes (portrait, landscape, close-up, sports, night portrait, flash off), metered manual SHUTTER: Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter with speeds from 30 sec. to 1¼8000 plus B ISO SETTINGS: 100–1600; 3200 via menu selection ADVANCE MODES: Single-frame and continuous (5 fps for up to 23 shots in JPEG or 6 shots in RAW) FLASH: E-TTL II auto flash with built-in pop-up autoflash and optional shoe-mount dedicated Canon EX-series Speedlite flash units; PC terminal for studio flash; built-in flash has ISO 100 GN of 13/43 (meters/feet), covers angle of view of 17mm lens (which frames like 27mm lens on this camera); maximum flash-sync shutter speed 1¼250 VIEWFINDER: Fixed eye-level pentaprism type shows 95% of actual image area, 0.9X magnification with 50mm lens at infinity; 20mm eyepoint; built-in eyepiece correction from –3.0 to +1.0 diopters VIEWFINDER INFORMATION: AF points (active point glows red), partial-metering circle, focus status, exposure status, flash status, shutter speed, aperture, AE lock, exposure compensation amount, FE lock, flash exposure compensation, CF card warnings, maximum burst for continuous shooting, shots remaining TOP LCD PANEL: Displays all pertinent shooting data LCD MONITOR: 1.8-inch TFT color LCD displays exposed images, setting info SELF-TIMER: Electronic, 10- sec. delay (cancelable) POWER SOURCE: One rechargeable lithium-ion BP-511A/511/512/514 battery pack, AC via optional DC coupler DIMENSIONS: 5.7x4.2x2.8 in. WEIGHT: 24.2 oz. STREET PRICE: $1499 DISTRIBUTOR: Canon U.S.A., Inc., One Canon Plaza, Lake Success, NY 11042; 800/OK-CANON; www.usa.canon.com