The new Canon Digital Rebel XT --- the 350D --- is an 8MP camera that reviewers have said is almost identical to the 20D in featuers for $500 less.

If you are looking to upgrade on a budget, the new Rebel XT would be a great choice. It has many of the 20D features, but obviously not all. The biggest differences are all speed related -- speed and precision of auto-focus, how many frames per second you can shoot, etc. My understanding is that the 20D still has a cleaner picture in higher ISO settings, has a wider range of shutter speeds and other "pro" feautres not found on the XT ....

In short, if you are using it for family fotos, go with the XT for the bang for the buck. If you will be giving your camera a real workout, the 20D is a better choice!

I would also love to know about any rumors of a new camera. I want to buy either the 20D or a successor model and I am not interested in a version of the Rebel.

I note that the 20D was announced last August. Extrapolating on past experience, it probably means that by January 1, 2006, if not before, we should see a new camera, though of course, it could be announced any time. I find that frustrating and am faced with the decision to either accept the 20D or wait, without knowing what new features to expect in the next camera iteration.

I would certainly love to see a real spot meter and perhaps, although less important, a rise in megapixels to 10 or more. Unfortunately, there is no way to know now. Also, most people will tell you that no matter when you want to buy, the moment you order your camera, it becomes somewhat obsolete since a new model is always just around the corner. My take on that is that I would at least like to commit to a particular camera as soon as it is available, so that the period before Canon comes up with an improved model is the longest and that gives me a feeling that for the longest time I have made the best possible purchase.

I have been using my 20D for about 6 months now, and I'm very happy with it. In fact, I've been seriously neglecting my film cameras lately (Minolta Maxxum 7 and Hasselblad 501C). One of the things I like about both the 20D and the Rebel is that "instant obsolescence" is offset somewhat by downloadable camera firmware upgrades from the Canon website. True, while I'd really like to have a full-frame 20mp camera at a reasonable price, that's far enough into the future that I'll have no regrets about buying the 20D.

For the scoop on the new 20D (called the 20Da) check the news desk on the Shutterbug web site, www.shutterbug.com.