What would be the ideal aspect ratio??? I now have a 24 inch monitor and the resolution is 1920 x 1200 which now throws a new curve. Some pictures appear cropped on my screensaver but I think the 20′ds are now full screen. My old 1280 x 960 wallpapers don’t fit the full screen.

As for presets, they are timesavers. On my a95 I know it so well I can turn it on and flip the dial and get exactly the right settings so qucik I don’t miss many shots if any. The “sports setting” is so great it helps me get shots that otherwise blur and it’s auto so the exposure is always spot on. I know a lot of pros think using auto settings is cheating but as long as the photos are good who cares what the setiing was?

Yes I knowI can get those settings on the 20d but I like to take pictures fast and while I am inspired not break out my sliderule and make calculations. No offense to those that like to analyze what settings, but I’ll get more shots and to the eyes of most people they will not see a difference.

What I do love is the 30 sec. long exposure the 20 d allows. Night time sjots are so beautiful with next to zero noise.

That’s 1 question I have - will there ever be a smaller a95 like camera that can take ppictures in challenging conditions and light levels with less noise??? I hope the next generation improves upon that. That is my biggest compalint with the a95. Sky has noise almost always (never as bad as my Nikon coolpix was though).

Oh well. But all in all I am happy with the 20d. Just wish it weren’t so damn huge. But the pics are soooo clean and pretty. Cheers!

The 3:2 aspect ratio isn’t a design limitation. It’s the same aspect ratio Canon has been using on SLRs since 1934. Other manufacturers have been using it even longer. Yes, it’s outdated, but it clearly was a design goal. With the advent of HDTV, the 4:3 aspect ratio (which was designed for television) of your point-and-shoot cameras are arguably outdated, also. Of course, a 16:9 still camera would really suck.

Digital SLRs do not have electronic viewfinders. Not a single one. They’re all optical. That’s the whole point of SLRs, you see what the lens sees.

I see this post was made last April, so by now you’ve had plenty of time to get used to your DSLR. I’m sure you’ve realized that those picture modes actually slow you down. The 20D has them because it’s a prosumer camera, and Canon understands that many people need them until they learn how to use a DSLR.

I can see how you’d be irritated by the self-timer, but Canon wants you to buy a cable release and image stabilized lenses. One of the pitfalls of having an expensive product in the age of marketing.

I’d be curious to know if your views on the 20D’s functionality have changed over time.