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Now I had my heart set on a 60d or 7d but it's too much for me to shell out at the moment, coupled with the fact I'm not sure if it's the right path for me as it will be my first dslr, so i'm thinking about getting something older and used.
Now I've seen the 40d recommended more than once, but there popularity keeps the used prices up.
As I would need lenses as well would it be worthwhile getting something older like a eos 20d with some lenses cheap and to play with and upgrade the body and lenses at a later date if required.
I prefer the controls and layout of the xxd models over the xxxd range.
But then there is always Nikon's offering such as the D80 or D200.
Main uses other than normal family photo's will be fireworks and cycling photography.
 
I've recently sold my 20D and I thought it gave good image quality, really clean images that compared well with todays crowded sensor jobbies IMVHO, but they're getting on in years now and that maybe matters much more with digital than with film stuff so personally if buying used I'd go for something as new as possible.
 
I use a D200, actualy bought it to replace a newer D60. As long as you don't require video or very good high ISO performance it's a very sound idea.

Also if you get bored you can probably sell the camera for virtually what you paid for it.
 
I've a 40D and it's a great camera and I'd def recommend one...

The only body thats got me really thinking about upgrading is the new 5D MK III, but at the moment it's out my price range.

And don't forget the 60D and 7D's are coming up 2nd hand now at some great prices...
 
The 20D is a good camera, I still use mine occasionally. I'm a big advocate of buying cheap gear to start with, then you know what features you need at lens/body upgrade time.
 
I currently use a 20d, albeit I'm hoping to upgrade very soon. Its a decent enough starter camera, probably about £100-£150 less than getting a 40d. I'd suggest a 20d for now, spend whatever you can afford on quality lenses, then upgrade your body once you outgrow the 20d. You won't lose too much on it even if you keep it for a year.

All my shots on flickr at the moment are with the 20d, but with good lenses.

Mike
 
Although I'm a bit of a fan of the 20D as I was a happy owner from new until very recently... I've just remembered the 20D's shutter rating is lower than on some of the later metal bodied cameras, Canon say 50k, but of course YMMV, but there's a rating for a reason. You may get a low count one, you may get a good one but as the years pass the likelihood must IMVHO reduce.

A quick Google tells that the average number of actuations after which shutter died is 70K, although rather worryingly the 40D average is 64k from the same site.
 
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On the other hand the 20D is the only camera I've had where I haven't needed to replace the shutter.
 
Yes, as I said, YMMV, but Canon applies ratings for some reason(s.)
 
woof woof said:
A quick Google tells that the average number of actuations after which shutter died is 70K, although rather worryingly the 40D average is 64k from the same site.
Click to expand...

but that's the perversity of that statistic taken alone. As the 40d is newer, what you see are stats of earlier shutter failures. So if there are a few thousand users out there with 40d's with 80,000 actuations they won't affect the average fail rate until they fail?

The data capture is effectively flawed until every body built has had a shutter replacement. Or; the sample size might prove to be enough for an accurate result. :THINKING:
 
woof woof said:
A quick Google tells that the average number of actuations after which shutter died is 70K, although rather worryingly the 40D average is 64k from the same site.
Click to expand...
Phil V said:
but that's the perversity of that statistic taken alone. As the 40d is newer, what you see are stats of earlier shutter failures. So if there are a few thousand users out there with 40d's with 80,000 actuations they won't affect the average fail rate until they fail?

The data capture is effectively flawed until every body built has had a shutter replacement. Or; the sample size might prove to be enough for an accurate result. :THINKING:
Click to expand...
Stand back, make way for Statistics Man!!!

I'm assuming that you're referring to this web site: [click].

The average number of actuations after which the shutter failed (64,000) is pretty meaningless, because it doesn't take account of all the cameras whose shutters haven't failed.

The statistic which is meaningful is the Kaplan-Meier statistic (Wikipedia reference here: [click]), which is also published on that site. This is a statistic which is widely used in medical research to estimate the expected lifetime of a population. You might use it if you wanted to see whether a new cancer treatment prolonged life expectancy, for example, without having to wait potentially decades for the last patient to die. (It would be a bit inconvenient if you had to hang on for years and years and years before you could publish your results!)

In the case of the 40D, the K-M statistic says that the camera has (very roughly) a 90% chance of reaching 14,000 actuations, a 75% chance of reaching about 55,000 actuations, and a 65% chance of reaching about 140,000 actuations. It's hard to estimate the average from this data but the median - the figure which you have a 50/50 chance of reaching - looks to be between 150,000 and 200,000.

All this assumes, of course, that the cameras in this database are a representative sample.
 
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I still use my 20d on occasions, but I did always think the wifes 30d did produce better results and has a larger screen, and is available for very little extra.
I would buy either if I was just starting out and money was tight.
 
Hi Bloater
I have just bought a 40d on the selling forum Im chuffed with it

I was using a 20d that i was really pleased with, did a good job for about 2 years.

It going for sale shortly on the forum with a Canon 90-300mm lens.

I would recommend a 20d for a 1st DSLR
Check my Flickr all images with 20d

Mal
 
Bought myself a 20d on ebay for a good price, with the 18-55 lens and a few bits thrown in, so should be here for next weekend, which is good as I'm going to an event where it will get some use, just toying if to go with the 18-55 to get used to things or hire a better lens for the weekend.
 
50D price is dropping these days below £450 and for cycling would be a good buy if its racing you are shooting.
 
If I remember rightly canon never officially published a shutter life figure for the 20D.

I'd still rate the 20D on a budget, only recently sold the last of our pair. Great for sports and takes a good portrait too, just gets a little poor in low light. Above ISO800 is pretty noisy.
 
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