In this economy where the market value of images continues to deteriorate as the cost of top end equipment continues to go up and up, it makes perfect sense for professionals to do all they can to extend the life of their most capable equipment and save it for jobs when those higher capabilities are actually needed by using older, less capable equipment when it is good enough to meet the need. New cameras are truly amazing though, I just think my interests don't line up with the tech side of things when it comes to photography.
I understand that these cameras have a shutter lifespan and my camera is likely getting to the end of it's own (unfortunately there's no way of calculating the actuation count of the original 5D unless you've kept records of it, and also assuming it's original owner did as well if you buy one used), but I'm not someone who cares to have the newest tech so I will likely upgrade to a 5D MKII when I move on from the original, and fortunately with that camera you can get an accurate read of the actuation count to get an idea of how long it will work for you. I just think it's an amazing camera and it has given me no reasons to replace it since buying it eight years ago.
I also currently shoot with an original 5D and have been regularly using this camera for professional jobs since 2012 when I bought it used (this isn't to say I don't rent better cameras when a job calls for images with higher resolution than my camera can make). This generation of camera wasn't so out of date when I first got into photography, so I am likely biased by my nostalgia when I say I love this era of camera. When shooting landscapes with the Canon EOS 20D I was forced to use exposure bracketing more often.
Even the images that were shot with ISO 100 or ISO 200 showed a lot of noise when shadows were raised. Especially the dynamic range of modern cameras has gained an enormous boost. When post-processing the images in Lightroom Classic I was struck by the differences in quality compared with the results from modern sensors. The large LCD screens have become an important tool in my photography, something I also missed while photographing landscapes with the Canon EOS 20D. I realized how much easier it has become to use a camera nowadays. I had to check the ISO level on the top LCD screen on a regular basis because I missed the ISO information in the viewfinder. The dark forest environment forced me to use ISO 400 and ISO 800 a lot. This possibility was not commonly known, back in 2005. Nevertheless, let’s look at the two next to each other.Īlthough there was no dedicated back focus button, it was possible to address the asteriks button for autofocus. They’re different cameras in that regard.
After all, the Canon EOS 20D has a crop sensor while the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV is full frame camera. I know, the comparison is not the most honest one. I placed it beside my Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and looked at the differences. That is when I realized how much has changed over the years. So I took it out of the closet, found the battery, a small 8 GB CF card, and powered it on.
The Canon EOS 20D Next to the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV It was an amazing camera, for that time and era. The TFT-LCD screen measured 1.8” and had 118,000 pixels. It takes almost 13 seconds before the buffer is cleared. It shot up to 5 frames per second with a buffer for 6 raw files, or 23 JPEGs. The autofocus worked up to -0.5EV, and there were 9 AF points available. The viewfinder had a 95% coverage with a 0.9x magnification. It has no live view and no film function. It was capable of shooting reasonable images with ISO 1,600, and had most of the features that we take for granted today. The Canon EOS 20D has a APS-C CMOS sensor with 8.5 million pixels. This is the Canon EOS 20D the camera I bought in 2005, and used for many years with much enthousiasm When I played with these modern digital cameras I remembered the old digital DSLR that I bought so many years ago. These modern cameras are amazing. They are marvels of technology, with lots of options that make photographing so much easier. Recently I have been reviewing the Canon EOS R5 and Canon EOS R6. She used it for a year, but after she chose a camera of her own, the Canon EOS 20D was never looked at again. It got a second life for a short while when my girlfriend started photography. After I got a second hand Canon EOS 5D, I removed the battery from the EOS 20D, and forgot about it. But when I upgraded to the Canon EOS 1D Mark III, the Canon EOS 20D was left in the closet, only to be taken out when I needed a second camera body. I bought lenses, a flashgun, a tripod, and I loved it all. I used it for landscapes, weddings, concerts, and lots more. The Canon EOS 20D with the EFs15-85mm lens.