[MW Forums]

Canon on Tuesday introduced a new digital SLR camera, two new lenses and a new large format printer. more

[MacGod]

What's difference between the newly-announced EOS-30D and the newly-discounted 20D? I know they're both 8.2MPixel cameras, and this article doesn't go into too much technical detail. What's in the 30D that's worth an extra $100?

[Steve_S]

In reply to:

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What's difference between the newly-announced EOS-30D and the newly-discounted 20D?

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From the article, the changes seem to be minor, but certainly welcomed. The following caught my attention:
2.5-inch 230,000 pixel LCD monitor and a shutter rated at up to 100,000 cycles. The camera features new spot metering technology that covers 3.5 percent of the viewfinder.
A nice 2.5" display is now becoming the standard on even the consumer line of cameras. This is a much needed improvement, but I'm not sure how it warrants a new model number. Hopefully we'll learn more about it from other sources soon. Though the 20D is an excellent camera, I was kind of hoping for a little more with their next generation equipment.
Here's more information:
http://www.dpreview....canoneos30d.asp
Steve

[TxTom]

Quality high-ISO performance is a greatly needed improvement. Sports shot with flash just doesn't do it for me.

[leicaman]

Spot meter is much smaller, which means more skill required. It's faster although not significantly faster, in ingesting photos. And it's not more expensive, it's $200 less than the 20D ($1499). The way stores discount these cameras, it should be more like $1,100 at Costco and other places after the first few months.
I'm still not interested in it though. I don't want a non-full-frame camera. I use a full frame digital at work (1Ds Mark II) and I don't want to have to deal with lenses that don't work on all the bodies I use. So I'll wait for the 5D to come down in price a bit. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Still, I do use a 20D at work at times, and it's a sweet camera. I'm surprised this isn't an answer to the Nikon D200, which costs about $1,700. Canon must have something else up their sleeve? Maybe not. They seem to be able to charge a premium over Nikon and keep sales ahead. If the 5D came down to around $2,400 I'd get in line. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[icu400]

The main difference in the 30d is really just the updated RAW support in the buffer, as well as some new printing features. They are playing up the durability a bit more, which is a pro feature, and yet they are adding all this print stuff, which is a consumer feature because any pro user has a pro-grade computer system which is much more adept at printing than just the camera's "print" button is. So yeah, i'm still confused why they made this. All the 30d is is a glorified 20.1d really. The lack of additional megapixels says it all. If this was meant as a medium between the 20 and the 5, it would have done something about that.
The other reason that i'm not sure it was necesary is the 20d was already an amazing camera. I used a 10d for a long time the past few years as a photographer, but I have been able to borrow a 20d from around the office from time to time, and i've always loved it. All in all a great camera. I'll bet they phase out the 20d within a year or two though, now that this thing is out.

[Felix001]

I've been waiting until Canon's '06 PMA releases before deciding whether to pull the trigger on purchasing the Nikon D200. I see nothing here to dissuade me from going the Nikon route.

[icu400]

As a photographer, I can basically tell you that nikon and canon are far different than just the megapixel ratings on the cameras. I have used about half a dozen different nikon digital bodies, from d1's to d70's and 100's, and i haven't been very happy with any of them.
I suppose it is a personal preference sort of thing, but for your own sake put some time into investigating the differences. Spend some time at a photo store and use both systems, because once you select one, you will start buying lenses, and they aren't cross compatible, so you will be stuck with nikon basically for life. I have 3 canon bodies and about 8 lenses and I've never looked back. None of the people I work with regret buying their canon gear, but very few of us jump for joy when the office gives us a nikon body to shoot with.