What's struck me most about the 20D is that although it's priced like a consumer digital SLR, everything in Canon's press release says "for professional use". Wedding and news photographers especially. This makes me believe that Canon felt this was the EOS 3 clone we're all waiting for. Is it? Not to me. We all have our favorite features (some want ECF, others want higher RAW frame rates) but to me this camera (which is admittedly nicer than my 10D) needs a few things I would expect in a pro camera:
1. decent spot metering 2. a decent viewfinder 3. ditch the onboard flash to make more room (see #2) 4. rechargeable battery back (not rechargeable batteries) 5. bigger, not smaller 6. LOTS more AF sensors, including a center one that will AF at f/8 7. Wireless connectivity (not "maybe someday") 8. Firewire connectivity 9. a reduced crop factor. Am I the only one beginning to think that full frame is the medium format of the future?
Tom P.
I'll go with most of these wishes, but one of these I strenuously object to. I do _NOT_ want cameras to get bigger. I would have bought a 1D-2 already if it weren't for the size.
We have APS sized sensors, which are smaller than half frame 35mm. Anybody use a PenF in the 70's? A camera with 4 lenses that could fit in your pocket. Small, high quality optics and electronic sync at all speeds. I would love a camera that was that size, or even as huge as a Pentax MX (and that had as good a finder) in a digital. I don't enjoy carrying around more weight than necessary, whether in a car or camera (I have a Lotus Elise on order). I've spent many years dragging 8x10's and 4x5's around (Sinars, with all the accessories and tripods), but my present 4x5 carry-around setup with camera, 3 Graphmatics, 4 lenses and all the other necessary stuff weighs less than the usual 3 lens plus camera D60 setup I use. I just got the 70-300DO to correct that.
I intend to get the 20D; will order it on Monday with the 17-85 and also the 10-22 if I can, and use that with my existing 70-300DO and maybe the 50/1.4 and 24/1.4 for the low light stuff to handle most things. That's enough to drag around.
Battery packs vs. batteries??? You like physically larger stuff, I realize, but what's the point?
BTW, what would anyone need firewire connectivity for? I use a firewire CF reader to transfer files, but haven't hooked up my camera directly to the computer since I first configured it. With USB2 available it seems truly pointless.
The reduced crop factor doesn't bother me since Canon announce the 10-22 lens. It might not be as wide as the 12 I have for my film cameras, but it'll do.
Medium and large format are completely different games. I'm looking at a BetterLight to handle that.
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