The
Canon EOS
Canon EOS (Electro-Optical System) is an autofocus single-lens reflex camera (SLR) and mirrorless camera series produced by Canon Inc. Introduced in 1987 with the Canon EOS 650, all EOS cameras used 35 mm film until October 1996 when the EOS ...
20D is an 8.2-
megapixel
In digital imaging, a pixel (abbreviated px), pel, or picture element is the smallest addressable element in a raster image, or the smallest point in an all points addressable display device.
In most digital display devices, pixels are the ...
semi-professional
digital single-lens reflex camera
A digital single-lens reflex camera (digital SLR or DSLR) is a digital camera that combines the optics and the mechanisms of a single-lens reflex camera with a digital imaging sensor.
The reflex design scheme is the primary difference between a ...
, initially announced on 19 August 2004 at a
recommended retail price
The list price, also known as the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP), or the recommended retail price (RRP), or the suggested retail price (SRP) of a product is the price at which its manufacturer notionally recommends that a retailer ...
of US$1,499. It is the successor of the
EOS 10D, and was succeeded by the
EOS 30D in August 2006. It accepts
EF and
EF-S
The Canon EF-S lens mount is a derivative of the EF lens mount created for a subset of Canon digital single-lens reflex cameras with APS-C sized image sensors. It was released in 2003. Cameras with the EF-S mount are backward compatible with the ...
lenses and uses an
APS-C
Advanced Photo System type-C (APS-C) is an image sensor format approximately equivalent in size to the Advanced Photo System film negative in its C ("Classic") format, of 25.1×16.7 mm, an aspect ratio of 3:2 and Ø 31.15 mm field ...
sized image sensor.
Improvements
The 20D features a new sensor and a greater megapixel count (8.2 megapixels instead of 6.3) and retains the
Canon 1.6x
crop factor
In digital photography, the crop factor, format factor, or focal length multiplier of an image sensor format is the ratio of the dimensions of a camera's imaging area compared to a reference format; most often, this term is applied to digital c ...
. The 20D supports
USB
Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard that establishes specifications for cables, connectors and protocols for connection, communication and power supply ( interfacing) between computers, peripherals and other computers. A broa ...
2.0. The 20D has a larger buffer and can shoot more frames per second. It also uses the
E-TTL II flash metering system and uses the
DIGIC II image processor.
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
Ethernet () is a family of wired computer networking technologies commonly used in local area networks (LAN), metropolitan area networks (MAN) and wide area networks (WAN). It was commercially introduced in 1980 and first standardized in ...
cable or a
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio w ...
network.
Resolution
The Canon EOS 20D has several resolution settings:
* Large/Fine (3504 x 2336 JPEG Fine)
* Large/Normal (3504 x 2336 JPEG Normal)
* Medium/Fine (2544 x 1696 JPEG Fine)
* Medium/Normal (2544 x 1696 JPEG Normal)
* Small/Fine – 1728 x 1152 JPEG Fine
* Small/Normal (1728 x 1152 JPEG Normal)
* RAW + Large/Fine (3504 RAW + 3504 JPEG Fine)
* RAW + Large/Normal (3504 RAW + 3504 JPEG Normal)
* RAW + Medium/Fine (3504 RAW + 2544 JPEG Fine)
* RAW + Medium / Normal (3504 RAW + 2544 JPEG Normal)
* RAW + Small/Fine (3504 RAW + 1152 JPEG Fine)
* RAW + Small/Normal – (3504 RAW + 1152 JPEG Normal)
* RAW (3504 x 2336 RAW)
Features
The 20D is the first Canon
prosumer
A prosumer is an individual who both consumes and produces. The term is a portmanteau of the words ''producer'' and ''consumer''. Research has identified six types of prosumers: DIY prosumers, self-service prosumers, customizing prosumers, colla ...
camera to use the
EF-S lens mount; the first
Canon EOS
Canon EOS (Electro-Optical System) is an autofocus single-lens reflex camera (SLR) and mirrorless camera series produced by Canon Inc. Introduced in 1987 with the Canon EOS 650, all EOS cameras used 35 mm film until October 1996 when the EOS ...
camera to use the mount was the
300D (the Digital Rebel in North America).
Creative Zone
* ''A-DEP'': The camera automatically selects the aperture and
shutter speed
In photography, shutter speed or exposure time is the length of time that the film or digital sensor inside the camera is exposed to light (that is, when the camera's shutter (photography), shutter is open) when taking a photograph.
The am ...
to keep most of the image in
focus
Focus, or its plural form foci may refer to:
Arts
* Focus or Focus Festival, former name of the Adelaide Fringe arts festival in South Australia Film
*''Focus'', a 1962 TV film starring James Whitmore
* ''Focus'' (2001 film), a 2001 film based ...
. (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
Aperture priority, often abbreviated ''A'' or ''Av'' (for aperture value) on a camera mode dial, is a mode on some cameras that allows the user to set a specific aperture value (f-number) while the camera selects a shutter speed to match it tha ...
): 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 attempts to create a more
shallow depth of field to create more striking portraits.
* ''
Landscape
A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes th ...
'': 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.
EOS 20Da
Canon released the EOS 20Da on 14 February 2005 in Japan. It is a variant of the 20D designed for
astrophotography
Astrophotography, also known as astronomical imaging, is the photography or imaging of astronomical objects, celestial events, or areas of the night sky. The first photograph of an astronomical object (the Moon) was taken in 1840, but it w ...
. On 1 June 2005 Canon announced that the 20Da would be made available worldwide.
The main differences between the 20Da and 20D are the replacement of the "hot mirror"
infra-red
Infrared (IR), sometimes called infrared light, is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than those of visible light. It is therefore invisible to the human eye. IR is generally understood to encompass wavelengths from around ...
(IR) filter which covers the
CMOS sensor on the 20D and
live view
Live preview is a feature that allows a digital camera's display screen to be used as a viewfinder. This provides a means of previewing framing and other exposure before taking the photograph. In most such cameras, the preview is generated by ...
mode.
In conventional photography, the IR filter is used to make the
spectral response of the CMOS sensor more like that of the human eye. In this way, the pictures gathered by the sensor more closely resemble the world as we see it. In astro-photography, many objects of interest emit strongly in the red
H-α line, which is heavily attenuated by the IR filter on the 20D. The IR filter of the 20Da passes 2.5 times more light at around this 656 nm wavelength as the filter of the 20D, allowing more fine detail to be revealed in long exposures of
emission nebula
An emission nebula is a nebula formed of ionized gases that emit light of various wavelengths. The most common source of ionization is high-energy ultraviolet photons emitted from a nearby hot star. Among the several different types of emissio ...
e. As a side effect, the color balance is slightly altered in normal daylight photography.
It is extremely difficult to focus an extremely dim image with a reflex viewfinder; locking the mirror up and opening the shutter (live view) was introduced in the 20Da to address this issue. When used the camera provides a live image of the center of the field of view to allow focusing on a bright star. Live view for this application requires a lens which supports fully mechanical focus in manual mode, and is not suitable for normal daytime use.
Reviews report that image noise in the 20Da is lower than in the 20D, and equivalent to that of the
5D MkII.
The EOS 20Da was discontinued when the 30D was introduced in 2006.
Canon produced no similar model for astrophotography for years, resulting in many astrophotographers making similar aftermarket modifications to later Canon models.
In April 2012, Canon announced the
EOS 60Da
The Canon EOS 60D is an 18.1 megapixels semi-pro digital single-lens reflex camera made by Canon. It was announced on August 26, 2010, with a suggested retail price of US$1099.00. As a part of the Canon EOS two-digit line, it is the successor ...
which is the successor to the EOS 20Da.
Firmware
The latest firmware available for the 20D (and believed to be the final update) is version 2.0.3, made available 23 August 2005, which improves the communication reliability with some CF cards and other minor changes.
References
External links
Canon EOS 20D Specifications
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canon Eos 20d
20D
Cameras introduced in 2004