Canon EOS 20D vs Canon EOS 30D

      Canon EOS 20D

      Canon EOS 30D
      55
      Image cannot be found
      55
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found

      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Canon EOS 20D and the Canon EOS 30D, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Canon EOS 20D was introduced in November 2004 and Canon EOS 30D was introduced in April 2006. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Canon EOS 20D Highlights

      • 8 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 1,600 Native ISO
      • 9 Focus Points
      • 1.8" 118k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 5.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Built-in Flash

      Canon EOS 30D Highlights

      • 8.2 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 1,600 Native ISO
      • 9 Focus Points
      • 2.5" 230k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 5.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Built-in Flash
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Canon EOS 20D
      4. Advantage of Canon EOS 30D
      5. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      6. Screen and Viewfinder
      7. Sensor
      8. Photography Features
      9. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
      10. Other Features
      11. Physical Parameters
      12. For Different Types of Photography
      13. Evaluations
      14. Specifications  

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Canon EOS 20D and Canon EOS 30D.

      PROS

      Canon EOS 20D

      Canon EOS 30D

      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Canon EOS 20D

      Canon EOS 30D

      •   No Video Capture
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 8 Megapixel
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Small Screen - 1.8"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   No Video Capture
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 8.2 Megapixel
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 59
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Canon EOS 20D

      Canon EOS 30D

      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   DxO Overall Score - 62
      •   Weight - 770 g (1.70 lb / 27.16 oz)
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Weight - 784 g (1.73 lb / 27.65 oz)

      Advantage of Canon EOS 20D

      Canon 20D
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS 20D over Canon EOS 30D.

      Canon EOS 20D vs Canon EOS 30D
      Timelapse Recording vs
      Higher DxO Color Depth 21.9 vs 21.5
      Higher DxO Dynamic Range 11.0 vs 10.8
      Higher DxO Overall Score 62 vs 59
      Lighter 770 g (1.70 lb / 27.16 oz) vs 784 g (1.73 lb / 27.65 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Canon EOS 20D.

      Canon 40D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      10.1 MP

      Canon 70D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      20.2 MP

      Canon 60D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Canon 20Da
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      8.25 MP

      Canon 50D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      15.1 MP

      Canon 10D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      6 MP

      Canon 77D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon 80D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon 60Da
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Canon 90D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      32.5 MP

      Nikon D7200
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Nikon D5300
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Advantage of Canon EOS 30D

      Canon 30D
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS 30D over Canon EOS 20D.

      Canon EOS 20D vs Canon EOS 30D
      Higher Sensor Resolution 8 Megapixel vs 8.2 Megapixel
      Larger Screen 1.8" vs 2.5"
      Higher Resolution Screen 118k dot vs 230k dot
      Higher DxO Low Light ISO 721 vs 736

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Canon EOS 30D.

      Canon 60D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Canon 70D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      20.2 MP

      Canon 10D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      6 MP

      Canon 90D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      32.5 MP

      Canon 80D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon 50D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      15.1 MP

      Canon 77D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon 40D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      10.1 MP

      Canon 20Da
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      8.25 MP

      Canon 60Da
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Canon Rebel SL1
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Panasonic S5
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      24.2 MP

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Canon EOS 20D Canon EOS 30D
        High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain)1/8000 sec1/8000 sec
        Built-in Flash
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Canon EOS 20D Canon EOS 30D
        No Video Capture
        Low Resolution Sensor8 Megapixel8.2 Megapixel
        Low Native ISO1,6001,600
        Few Focus Points99
        No Face Detection
        No Image Stabilization
        Screen TypeFixedFixed
        Low Resolution Screen118k dot230k dot
        No Live View
        No HDMI Output
        No Microphone Input
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi
        No Built-In Bluetooth
        No Environmental Sealing

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Canon EOS 20D has a 1.8" screen with 118k dot resolution and Canon EOS 30D has a 2.5" screen with 230k dot resolution. Both have Fixed screens.


      Viewfinder

      Cameras have built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinders. They both have 95% coverage and 0.90x (0.56x 35mm equivalent) magnification.

      Sensor

      Canon EOS 20D features a 8 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 22.5 x 15 mm and a total area of 337.5 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 1,600 and expands to 100 - 3,200 in boosted mode. Canon EOS 30D features a 8.2 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 22.5 x 15 mm and a total area of 225 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 1,600 and expands to 100 - 3,200 in boosted mode.


      Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

      Sensor size chart
      Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Canon EOS 20D can take pictures up to 3504 x 2336 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 2544 x 1696, 1728 x 1152 with 3:2 aspect ratios. Canon EOS 30D can take pictures up to 3504 x 2336 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 2544 x 1696, 1728 x 1152 with 3:2 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Cameras have Canon EF/EF-S lens mount. Due to their APS-C sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is equal to 1.6x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.6.


      No Image Stabilization

      The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Canon EOS 20D it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS 30D nothing can be done. On Canon EOS 30D it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS 20D nothing can be done.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer.


      External Storage Slots

      Cameras have a single CompactFlash (Type I/II) card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Canon EOS 20D and Canon EOS 30D have Electronically Controlled Vertical-travel Mechanical Focal-plane. shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec on Canon EOS 20D, and up to 1/8000 sec on Canon EOS 30D. Cameras can shoot continuously up to 5.0 fps.


      Exposure

      Both cameras' exposure metering ranges from +1 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±2 EV range. You can also do exposure lock and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS 20D and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS 30D.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 12.00 m at ISO 100.. They also accept external flash. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/250 sec on Canon EOS 30D.

      Physical Parameters

      Canon EOS 20D body has dimensions of 144 x 106 x 72 mm (5.67 x 4.17 x 2.83") and Canon EOS 30D body has dimensions of 144 x 106 x 74 mm (5.67 x 4.17 x 2.91"). Canon EOS 20D weighs 770 g (1.70 lb / 27.16 oz) and Canon EOS 30D weighs 784 g (1.73 lb / 27.65 oz).

      Canon EOS 20D

      Canon EOS 30D

      144 mm

      106 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      144 mm

      106 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      106 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      106 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      72 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      74 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      Size comparisons of Canon EOS 20D and Canon EOS 30D

      Canon EOS 20D and Canon EOS 30D for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Canon EOS 20D

      Canon EOS 30D

      AVERAGE
      63
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      AVERAGE
      63
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Canon EOS 20D

      Canon EOS 30D

      AVERAGE
      55
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      55
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Canon EOS 20D

      Canon EOS 30D

      POOR
      53
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor
      POOR
      53
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Canon EOS 20D

      Canon EOS 30D

      GOOD
      71
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Small Screen - 1.8"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      70
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Canon EOS 20D

      Canon EOS 30D

      GOOD
      74
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 770 g (1.70 lb / 27.16 oz)
      GOOD
      74
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 784 g (1.73 lb / 27.65 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Canon EOS 20D

      Canon EOS 30D

      GOOD
      74
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 770 g (1.70 lb / 27.16 oz)
      GOOD
      73
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 784 g (1.73 lb / 27.65 oz)

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Canon EOS 20D and Canon EOS 30D and give both of them the score of 55 out of 100. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Canon EOS 20D

      Canon EOS 30D

      OVERALL
      55
      OVERALL
      55

      Sensor

      Canon EOS 20D

      Canon EOS 30D

      AVERAGE
      66
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 8 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 62
      AVERAGE
      66
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 8.2 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 59

      Photo

      Canon EOS 20D

      Canon EOS 30D

      AVERAGE
      66
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      AVERAGE
      61
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec

      Video

      Canon EOS 20D

      Canon EOS 30D

      BAD
      0
      •   No Image Stabilization
      BAD
      0
      •   No Image Stabilization

      Focusing

      Canon EOS 20D

      Canon EOS 30D

      AVERAGE
      69
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      AVERAGE
      69
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Canon EOS 20D

      Canon EOS 30D

      AVERAGE
      64
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Small Screen - 1.8"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
      AVERAGE
      67
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot

      Connectivity

      Canon EOS 20D

      Canon EOS 30D

      POOR
      41
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      POOR
      41
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Canon EOS 20D

      Canon EOS 30D

      BAD
      39
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 770 g (1.70 lb / 27.16 oz)
      BAD
      39
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 784 g (1.73 lb / 27.65 oz)


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

      Amazon Affiliate Disclosure
      ZKelectronics is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon (.com, .co.uk, .ca, etc) and any other websites that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program.