Ist * DS vs Canon 20D

Guys, bear with me here will ya?

I'm about to invest in a 20D, just about saved the momney, got my lenses identified (sigma's 18 - 125 and their 100 - 400 OS ). BUT...the forums do contain a fair bit of "lock out", "lock up", etc etc. Worrying when I'm about to sopend the equivalent of a small used car on gear!

Does the ist DS have such concerns?

I currently use (and have all my life) Pentax film gear, but I dint think that should necessarily sway me. I want fast AF, GOOD clear images (not soft!!!!!!), I use PS and am happy to shoot RAW and tweek.

So, before I spend the kids food money for the next year, the 20 is better camera...right?

David

--
Ron Johnson
'The only stupid question is the one that goes unasked.'
http://www.pbase.com/ronk7uv

If you want fastest autofocus in low light and don't mind the size, get the 20D. But, why waste your money on the Sigma lens when Canon has so many great lenses?
--
Thanks,
Hugnut

DS has been very reliable and you don't see much complaints in this forum.

However, if you are after fast AF, then the Canon maybe better. For image quality; many people feel DS is on par with the Canon.

IMO, (not considering the very, very expensive lens options) Pentax lenses are better in the under 100mm range. And, given the fact that you can get IS with Canon, they have better selection in the 150mm+ range.

--
.Sam.
Agfa 1680 ~ G1 ~ *istDS ~ DPR addict 4 years & counting

yes, but assuming both cams will have the same lenses fitted, the same photographer behind the viewfinder, etc, the 20D will give a better account of itself surely? Its twice the bloomin price! I know the specs, so the 20d is faster etc and gives rear curtain synch etc, so it's speed of autofocus that matters (lens for lens) and quality of image at no greater than A4.

But, why waste your money on the Sigma lens when Canon

hugnut said:

has so many great lenses?
--

Click to expand...

Because it seems that the sigma lenses I mentioned are better than the lowe end canons I woul get for the same price. Am I wrong here? I gathered the canon units were way too "soft" for the camera...not really doing it justice.

snippysnapper said:

Does the ist DS have such concerns?

Click to expand...

Not that I am aware of. Very few Pentax electronic failures from what I hear.

snippysnapper said:

I want fast AF

Click to expand...

Canon is the only solution

snippysnapper said:

GOOD clear images (not soft!!!!!!), I use PS and am happy to shoot RAW

Click to expand...

If you are willing, then Pentax and Nikon should be very high on your list.

snippysnapper said:

So, before I spend the kids food money for the next year, the 20 is
better camera...right?

Click to expand...

Based on AF speed and accuracy alone, yes.

My experience (and I am not that critical in this area admitedly) the AF is not necessarily faster with 20D but depends on lenses used. My friend that has the 20D and I have toyed with each others camera and found they were similar in that regard. I think the 20D is a bit more solid (it is a bigger camera). He was using a Tamron zoom and that might affect AF speed.

Viewfinder on the DS is better as are ergonomics. Quality is better with 20D if enlarging beyond what the DS (6.1) can handle.

I'd buy the DS again hands down.

df

A friend of mine shoots a 20D and I shoot a DS and I don't see that much, if any difference in the images we both get on a shoot. In fact sometime his images are inferior to my DS photos, especially whey there are a lot of highlights in the shot.

It is much faster than the DS, but for the larger price, I will keep my DS thank you!

Tom

If I was going to spend the money to get a high end DSLR like the 20D, I would put premium lenses on it, your pictures are only as good as the weakest link. I started off using Sigma lenses when I first bought my D last year, after seeing the light I have upgraded to mostly Pentax primes and high quality zoom.

snippysnapper said:

snippysnapper said:

has so many great lenses?
--

Click to expand...

Because it seems that the sigma lenses I mentioned are better than
the lowe end canons I woul get for the same price. Am I wrong
here? I gathered the canon units were way too "soft" for the
camera...not really doing it justice.

Click to expand...

--
Thanks,
Hugnut

For autofocus speed, the Canon will win hands down. For quality of photo at A4, they will be equivalent,a lthough very different. Personally, I find the "look" of the photos from the Pentax preferable, but that is probably more because it is what I am used to. Others would argue for the Canon and they wouldn't be wrong either.

As I have said many times on these forums, my experience with Canon metering is very dissappointing. Using a 10D and a 300D, I have had multiple bad experiences with the Canon's blowing highlights badly, sometimes with up to two stops of exposure compensation. The 20D might be better, but it is using basically the same metering system, which means I will never touch it. The lack of spot metering is something that I find not just dissappointing, but almost assinine in a camera at the level/price of the 20D. For these reasons, I have a big personal distaste for Canon's entry level cameras.

You could buy at least one really nice lens for an *istD with the difference in price. The *istDS will certainly produce better photos with a really good lens than the Canon will using mid quality glass, no doubt about that.

Good luck.
--



http://www.trekearth.com/members/Darren/photos/
http://www.darrenmelrose.com

Have camera, will travel

In A4 size prints there should be little difference in picture quality. The difference between 6 and 8 mp is not that great. What is most important in picture quality regardless of camera is focus and Camera movement. Whichever Camera you get it will be obsolete in 18 months.

Darren is right.
If you are looking at the 20D, try to stay away from the Sigma 18-125
I went that way and regreted it, I returned the Sigma.

For the same price as the above set up you could get better glass with your Pentax and end up with an overall better package.

If you can stretch yout budget to include some Canon lens ( ie Canon 17-85 IS), then the 20D will have the edge.

Good luck
Didier
http://www.pbase.com/didierv

thanks all. appreciated.

David

«Whichever Camera you get it will be obsolete in 18 months...»

So you have to decide how much you are willing to pay every so and so. Given the fact that lenses have a major impact on the result, you'll have to take some other expenses in account... to say the least.

Very satisfied with the DS. When I heard of the 20D lock up problem, I ran. I Guess the 20D won't be housed for UW photo very often...

V.

vincent_d said:

«I Guess the 20D won't be housed for UW photo very
often...

V.

Click to expand...

sorry, dont understand. Whats this bit?

David

If you put a DSLR in a housing for underwater photography, you definitely can't take the batteries off and reboot it like some Canon users are used to.
--
V.

Ah! Good point.

Since you list the 100-400 IS as one of your lens choices, you would probably want to get the 20D, Pentax has no IS type lens offerings.

snippysnapper said:

Guys, bear with me here will ya?

I'm about to invest in a 20D, just about saved the momney, got my
lenses identified (sigma's 18 - 125 and their 100 - 400 OS ).
BUT...the forums do contain a fair bit of "lock out", "lock up",
etc etc. Worrying when I'm about to sopend the equivalent of a
small used car on gear!

Does the ist DS have such concerns?

I currently use (and have all my life) Pentax film gear, but I dint
think that should necessarily sway me. I want fast AF, GOOD clear
images (not soft!!!!!!), I use PS and am happy to shoot RAW and
tweek.

So, before I spend the kids food money for the next year, the 20 is
better camera...right?

David

Click to expand...

--
Kristian Farren
http://kf3.net/gallery/

IMO, with the price to pay for 20D, you could get a few used nice Prime Lens for Pentax..

I try my friend's 20D before I get my DS, and I still choose DS.

--
kk1979
Simply DS...