Purchasing a new 20D, lens and memory

[tony_craig]

I'm ready to buy a 20D and think I'll start with the 18-55mm lens

many come with online. I am not sure about the compact flash memory

card, 40x vs 80x. Care to enlighten me on the merits of one over the

other or another alternative? Trying to decide between Adorama and

KEH as well. Experiences with either? Thanks for sharing.

[ozone42]

Depends on what sort of shooting you want to do. Unless you're filling the 20D's buffer regularly (shooting continuously at top framerate,) you probably won't notice any difference at all between even a 4x and an 80x.

 

Might be convenient for pulling the images off later, but the fast cards are really more marketing than anything else.

[g_guhan_gunaratnam2]

Hi Tony,

 

For info on compact flash card performance, you can look at this link...it seems to be the most common resource:

 

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=6007

 

The drop down menu is at the top right, just select the 20D. Speeds vary, as do prices. Its just a matter of finding which is the best fit for you. I found that the Sandisk Ultra II line best fit my needs and budget.

 

About Adorama and KEH, I've only bought from KEH. I'm one of the many happy customers they've had. I always look to see if they ahve a lens I'm planning on buying. There "excellent plus", is "like new" in to my eyes. The comments on there site are real...I checked to see if mine appeared after sending it to them...it did. They aren't made up or anything. Like I said, I've never ordered from Adorama, but they seem to be trusted and liked.

 

Personally, I wouldn't get the 18-55 and a 20D, I'd rather get 350D and better lens. But I'm sure you didn't jump to this decision, and have plans for the future.

 

hth

[robert_reiss]

Get a spare battery. I bought a 1 GB card 80x. Don't know about 40x v. 80x, but a 1 GB card can fill up fast, esp. if you shoot raw+jpeg. Even if you don't, it's nice to have higher capacity since you don't always know when you'll need it. I have the 580 EX flash and I like it. I use the off camera show cord 2 and a stroboframe bracket. I have purchased online from both KEH and Adorama in the past without problem.

[christopher_bibbs]

Both Adorama and KEH are fine to do business with. I've delt with both and will continue to do so. I make my choice between KEH, B&H, and Adorama based on who has what in stock and final cost with shipping. B&H usually wins because of their discounts for NAPP members and discounts on shipping if you have a business acount set up with UPS.

[rick_helmke]

I have seen a noticeable difference in say a 4x or 16x card and a 40x card but only when I shoot at high speeds. I've seen this difference in both the 10D and 20D. As for dealers, KEH, Adorama and B&H have all been great places to do business.

 

Rick H.

[cfimages]

I've got an 80x 1 GB CF card, and a 40X 2GB Cf card, and I don't notice any differences between them. Well, except the storage space of course. But in terms of speed for my style of shooting, I see no difference.

[cfimages]

Oh yeah, forgot to add- I shoot RAW only.

 

And, more importantly, if you buy online, make sure you do it through the links on the photo.net home page, so that p.net make a bit of commission.

[KenPapai]

Adorama is excellent and medium-fast in getting your order shipped. I've also ordered from Abe's, Beach Camera, B&H, and Amazon. Amazon is always fastest in shipping. All are very trustworthy. I trust Amazon and Adorama the most. Adorama always tries to sell you extra stuff like filters and warranties.<p>

As for a new 20D I'd say not waste money on the cheapo, plasticko kit lens. Save that $100 and plow it into a real nice lens, like perhaps the 17-40L. To heck with EF-S lenses, stick with Canon EF lenses only. My first "kit lens" was the 24-85, which is infinitely better than the 18-55. You will NEVER regret starting out with good glass. As for 40X or 80X memory cards -- save your money and stick to 40X.

[steve_dunn2]

<p>40x is 6 megabytes per second, and Galbraith's database shows that he's yet to find a card (even an 80x card) that can hit that speed in the 20D. You may find that an 80x card is marginally faster than a 40x card but it will definitely not be anywhere near twice the speed.</p>

 

<p>If you're not planning on shooting big bursts, you may not need the extra speed anyway; until you fill the buffer, the speed of the CF card has no impact on your ability to shoot. I don't shoot bursts, and I'm using a 4x card in my 20D. Some things would run more quickly with a faster card (such as pulling up images to review on the LCD or downloading images to my PC) but I find a 4x card to be perfectly adequate. Dunno what CF prices are in your neck of the woods, but around here, the fastest CF cards are about 50% more expensive than the slowest, and since I don't need the speed, I'd rather get more storage for my money; I shoot RAW+small/normal so for every hundred photos I want to shoot, I need a gig of flash.</p>

[jim_larson1]

Heh.

 

I use a 1x (that's right, no acceleration!) card in my 10D. I am happy with that speed. I have no desire to pay a premium for faster cards.

[patricks]

best budget alt. for memory is a 1GB Sandisk Ultra II card at Costco for $69. Otherwise, get a Lexar 1GB 80x or Sandisk Extreme III 1GB card, but those are almost 2x the cost.

 

p.

[whwhitejr]

Tony,

I don't know what cameras these people are shooting But my 10d would shoot to the max with 40x or less but there is quite a bit a difference in my 20D. You should use 60x or better. I would recommend the sandisk II or III atleast.1gig size that's about 300 large jpegs. The 18-25 is worth about as much as you are paying for it but it will give you a chance to figure out what focal length you will be shooting before you start spending the big bucks. I hope this will help,

Bill

[chris_whitted]

Depending on where you're coming from (equipment wise), you may or may not be happy with the 18-55. But you won't find a better deal for a lens to start with. :)

<BR><BR>

As for cards, the Galbraith link above is the standard answer, but you might also check out <A HREF="http://bobatkins.com/photography/digital/compact_flash_memory_cards.html">Bob's article</A>. I have not used the two speeds in direct comparison, but quite frankly a Lexar 40x 1GB card is $95 and an 80x card is $110; the price difference is pretty negligible to me. I can get about 77 RAW+highest jpgs on one card - I have two, and I would suggest getting two as well. My personal feeling is that a backup card is more important than a backup battery. That said, and even though I typically go two or three days on a single charge, I'd also recommend getting a second battery.

<BR><BR>

I've ordered from Adorama once. My personal experience suggests: 1) order online, don't talk to them on the phone or at least don't buy anything beyond your original order if you do; 2) don't buy the extended warranty. I have not ordered from KEH. I did order from B&H, and that experience was a bit better than the Adorama one (they didn't try to sell me anything extra when they called to confirm the order).

[yakim_peled1]

The 18-55 has a good value for the money but as I see it, the 50/1.8 is even a better one. If you have the money, consider getting the 17-40/4 instead of the kit lens. If not, add the 50/1.8 to the kit.

 

Happy shooting,

Yakim.

[tony_craig]

Thanks to all who responded. There are many pieces of good information. The 18-55 lens will only cost $77 more than the body only they sell at KEH. I'm going to get it if nothing else than to use as a backup. I plan on saving my pennies for a few good primes. I decided on KEH because they take trades and I have a manual SLR and some lenses that are gathering dust. Will respond after the deal is done to share the experience.

TC

[tony_craig]

Hit return too quickly, wanted to poll you about a general purpose lens. Is there any single lens that would cover non-professional uses like kids, dogs, landscapes, limited nature around the house?