Canon 350D vs 20D

[Delta]

Hey all

How big are the practical photo quality differences between the 350D and
20D? I'm thinking of buying one of the two, but due to budget issues, I have
to choose between the 350D with higher quality lenses (Canon EF 70-200 f/4.0
L, Sigma 18-50 f/2.8) and the 20D with some less expensive lenses (Canon EF
75-300 f/4.0-5.6, Sigma 18-50 f/2.8). Since I'm buying a camera to stay, not
just a passing model, I'm wondering will the 350D with my setup be much less
"competitive" than the 20D with its a year or two from now?

Thanks very much in advance

[Rob]

This is a no brainier IMHO. Buy 350D w/ the better glass. Bodies come and
go but you'll always keep your glass. You never know what will happen in
the future. You may decide to carry 2 bodies around. You may come into some
cash and want a more expensive body. If invest in good glass now you won't
be playing catchup when it comes time to buy that better body.

That said, go to the local camera store and try both bodies on for size.
The 350D is markedly smaller and lighter then the 20D. You may like this.
I did not so I went with the 20D, however, I already had a couple of good
lenses.

[Bill]

>This is a no brainier IMHO. Buy 350D w/ the better glass. Bodies come and
>go but you'll always keep your glass. You never know what will happen in
>the future. You may decide to carry 2 bodies around. You may come into some
>cash and want a more expensive body. If invest in good glass now you won't
>be playing catchup when it comes time to buy that better body.

I agree with Robert on this - the glass is much more important to image
quality than the body.

I have the 350D/XT and like it a lot. A friend has both the 20D and XT
bodies, and I opted for the smaller size and lower weight of the XT.
Image quality with the same lense is for all intents and purposes,
identical - no one would know the difference.

>That said, go to the local camera store and try both bodies on for size.
>The 350D is markedly smaller and lighter then the 20D. You may like this.
>I did not so I went with the 20D, however, I already had a couple of good
>lenses.

I agree here as well. But something to keep in mind...I didn't like the
XT at first when I handled it in the store. It felt small and cramped to
my medium sized hands. But I was comparing it to my film bodies and the
20D, and I was used to using a larger body camera.

One day I borrowed my friend's Rebel XT and used my own lenses for some
general shooting. By the end of the day, I was accustomed to the small
size and controls/menus on the little camera. Some say the menu driven
settings are a pain, but there are lots of shortcut keys that are
overlooked. So I decided I could easily adapt to the camera body since
the camera takes excellent images.

Today I can't stand using a larger body. Go figure!

:)