Hi Sue, check out the side by side comparisons here... Pick your two cameras and click on compare side-by-side..

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sidebyside.asp

Good luck...

Norman,

Do you really think what can be transmitted over the internet will really reveal anything indicative of what a camera will do? Unless you download the full 12MB raw file and convert and process it yourself, how do you know if what you are looking at is really representative of what the camera can do?

For anyone seriously concerned and about to invest in a high-end digital camera, it is really a small price to go to a pro store and rent the model you are interested in and do some test shooting with it. With some camera prices approaching the cost of a car, it makes sense to test drive the camera before purchase, just as it makes no sense to buy a car without ever driving it first. And, most dealers will deduct the cost of the rental from the purchase price if you buy the camera from them.

Your absolutely correct.... My humble apologies... Thought the two in a side by side comparison may help.. Given the price of these, I would also give it a test ride...

sue
Both cameras are capable for starting in business, but you left out one thing. What kind of business? I have a 20D and it works well for most things, however I find that when I am indoors in close quarters I would rather have a full frame scencer with the 24 to 70 zoom, instad of changing to a wider lense, but the smaller sencer has benifits out doors,
Here is a Idea, get a coin toss it in the air and ............................................................... Buy Both

Sue:

Since you state your going to start a business with the use of camera's!![ dumb statement (maybe) ]

When in the photography business you will at some point you will have or want other equipment like maybe 2 or 3 camera's and assortment of lens

my thoughts are I have the EOS20D I feel it will do more than enough for me ,But I did give the EOS5d some thought
but came to this concluesion is what the 5D will cost me
I can get the 20D and a couple of lens to start with and when I am ready to go to the 5D it just might be lower in cost or canon may come up with another trick from their sleeve's

So with that said you could get the EOS 20D and a couple of lens and then get the EOS 5D and have the 20D as back up
for your self:

So sue read a lot and ask a lot of question, and then go for IT

Good luck
sqjaw

I am waiting for my new 5D to arrive next week. I shoot portraits and some wedding work also, currently with a 10D. Most of the wedding photographers that I work with are using 20D's, some are starting to upgrade to the 5D.