Canon 40D vs 20D Compared
Perhaps you own the EOS 30D and decided to skip the upgrade to the 30D because the improvements in features were not compelling enough (see Buy the 20D or 30D?, and Reasons to upgrade to the 30D from the 20D).
Or maybe, you have to decide whether to purchase the cheaper 20D (new or used), and put the money that you save into better lenses.
Well, I've compiled below links to several discussions comparing both cameras (many of them are made by 20D owners who have upgraded to the 40D), and I hope that these will help you in your research.
Canon 40D - Available Configurations
- Canon EOS 40D Body Only
- Canon EOS 40D 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens
- Multi-vendor listing
20D to 40D - worth the upgrade?
The above link points to a long forum discussion polling whether 20D owners thought that the 40D was a camera worth upgrading to. The following is a summary of the more interesting posts:
- Fotokemist appreciates the larger buffer, quieter shutter and sensor dust cleaning mechanism on the 40D.
- Dave M. Shumway likes the 40D, citing improved viewfinder and buffer, lower noise levels at higher ISO, more resolution and better image quality, better AF when shooting sports in bright sun in terms of subject acquisition and tracking with EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS (with and without a 1.4x teleconverter) and EF 400mm f/5.6L lenses, better menu system, faster shooting rates and LiveView.
- Eric Wilson prefers the out-of-camera JPEGs from the 40D, which require less post-processing.
- Bryan Campbell is happy with the 6.5 fps (frames per second) he gets with the 40D, more natural colors, and Live View which works well for macro shots.
- Being able to see the current ISO value in the 40D's viewfinder is a big plus for Mike.
- Bil Thompson finds the Highlight Tone Priority (HTP) mode on the 40D and the ability to store camera settings in 3 different custom functions very useful.
Autofocus (AF) performance in low light - Not many have talked about this, but if you had difficulty acquiring focus in almost-dark conditions with your EOS 20D, then Markuson's impressions of the 40D's autofocus might be of interest to you. Specifically, he found that the 40D was able to AF in the darkest of rooms without having to use any focus-assist beams from an external flash , or the distracting strobes from built-in flash.
Rear LCD Display
The 40D LCD is larger (3-inch, 230,000 pixels) and has more resolution compared to the one on the 20D (1.8-inch LCD screen, 118,000 pixels), and JimH prefers the unit on the 40D since it makes it easier for him to judge focus.
High ISO photo comparisons
Refer to this link for full-sized photos comparing the 20D vs 40D for noise levels, and a 5 camera showdown at EOS-Numerique.com (40D, 20D, 30D, 400D / Digital Rebel XTi, 350D / Digital Rebel XT).
Bob Atkin's 40D Review - Page 6 of Bob's review has some nice 20D vs 40D points, how HTP helps retain highlight detail in JPGs of high-contrast scenes, and a sound clip comparing the shutter sound of the 20D vs 40D (MUCH quieter and faster on the 40D).