Canon EOS 20DBy: Shawn Barnett and Dave EtchellsSlightly smaller and lighter upgrade brings greater speed and ease of use along with higher res and lower image noise. <<Image Storage & Interface :(Previous) | (Next): Test Results & Conclusion>> Page 12:Video, Power, SoftwareReview First Posted: 08/19/2004, Update: 11/19/2004 |
Video Out
A
video cable comes packaged with the 20D, allowing you to connect the camera
to your television set for image playback. The video signal can be switched
between NTSC and PAL via a menu preference. All menus, etc. appear on the
external video monitor, but do note that it won't work as a viewfinder for
the same reason that the rear-panel LCD won't. (The SLR optics mean that the
sensor is only exposed to light when the shutter is open.)
Power
The
EOS 20D uses the same BP-511A battery introduced with the Canon PowerShot
Pro1, and now appearing as standard in many of Canon's cameras. These are
compatible with older chargers and cameras, they're just of higher capacity.
The BP-511A battery pack provides 1390 mAh at 7.4 volts. A separate charger
comes in the box with the 20D. It works much like many of the recent ELPH
chargers, with two flip-out prongs that plug directly into the wall. You'll
need to purchase the AC adapter kit ACK-E2 if you need to run the camera from
AC power.
Because it lacks an external power terminal, I couldn't perform my usual direct
measurements of power consumption on the EOS-20D. I can attest to its excellent
battery life though, as I should shoot literally for days without exhausting
a fully-charged battery. Canon rates battery life at 1000 shots without the
flash, or about 700 with 50% flash use, at 20 degrees C / 68 degrees F, which
certainly seem like reasonable ratings given my personal experience with the
camera.
Of course, regardless of how good a camera's battery life is, there's rarely
an excuse to not purchase at least one extra battery to bring along as a hot
spare. Plan on buying a second battery along with your 20D, it'll save you
a world of grief later on when the battery that you were sure was full of
juice runs out of gas in the middle of an important shoot.
Included Software
The 20D ships with a pretty complete complement of software on both Mac and Windows platforms, including Canon's EOS DIGITAL Solution Disk, and a copy of Adobe Photoshop Elements(tm). The EOS DIGITAL Solution Disk enables image downloading and management, as well as the necessary tools to process the camera's RAW files. Adobe Photoshop Elements is a streamlined version of the larger Photoshop application, and offers creative editing tools.
In the Box
The EOS 20D comes with the following items in the box:
- Neck strap.
- Eye cup.
- BP-511A battery pack and charger.
- CR2025 lithium battery.
- Video cable.
- USB cable.
- Two software CDs.
- Instruction manuals and registration information.
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