Canon 20D vs Nikon D800E
59 Imaging
45 Features
39 Overall
42


54 Imaging
72 Features
80 Overall
75
Canon 20D vs Nikon D800E Key Specs
(Full Review)
(Full Review)
- 36MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3.2" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 6400 (Boost to 25600)
- No Anti-Alias Filter
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Nikon F Mount
- 900g - 146 x 123 x 82mm
- Introduced June 2012
- Older Model is Nikon D700

Canon 20D vs Nikon D800E Overview
Below, we will be looking at the Canon 20D vs Nikon D800E, both Advanced DSLR cameras by brands Canon and Nikon. There exists a substantial gap among the resolutions of the 20D (8MP) and D800E (36MP) and the 20D (APS-C) and D800E (Full frame) use different sensor size.

The 20D was announced 8 years prior to the D800E and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with the identical body type (Mid-size SLR).
Before getting straight into a in depth comparison, below is a concise summary of how the 20D grades versus the D800E when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Canon 20D vs Nikon D800E Gallery
Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon EOS 20D & Nikon D800E. The whole galleries are provided at Canon 20D Gallery & Nikon D800E Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon 20D over the Nikon D800E
20D | D800E |
---|
Reasons to pick Nikon D800E over the Canon 20D
D800E | 20D | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | June 2012 | ![]() | November 2004 | Fresher by 92 months |
Screen dimension | 3.2" | ![]() | 1.8" | Bigger screen (+1.4") |
Screen resolution | 921k | ![]() | 118k | Clearer screen (+803k dot) |
Common features in the Canon 20D and Nikon D800E
20D | D800E | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Very precise focus | ||
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Missing selfie screen | ||
Touch screen | ![]() | Neither has Touch screen |
Canon 20D vs Nikon D800E Physical Comparison
For those who are going to carry your camera, you'll have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Canon 20D has external measurements of 144mm x 106mm x 72mm (5.7" x 4.2" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 770 grams (1.70 lbs) whilst the Nikon D800E has measurements of 146mm x 123mm x 82mm (5.7" x 4.8" x 3.2") and a weight of 900 grams (1.98 lbs).
Check out the Canon 20D vs Nikon D800E in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you use at that moment. Underneath is the front view measurement comparison of the 20D vs the D800E.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the 20D and D800E is 59 and 54 respectively.

Canon 20D vs Nikon D800E Sensor Comparison
Typically, it's tough to imagine the gap in sensor sizing purely by seeing technical specs. The visual here may provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the 20D and D800E.
As you can tell, both the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The 20D having a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field trickier and the Nikon D800E will provide greater detail with its extra 28 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots much more aggressively. The older 20D will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.

Canon 20D vs Nikon D800E Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Canon 20D vs Nikon D800E Specifications
Canon EOS 20D | Nikon D800E | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Canon | Nikon |
Model type | Canon EOS 20D | Nikon D800E |
Class | Advanced DSLR | Advanced DSLR |
Revealed | 2004-11-03 | 2012-06-11 |
Physical type | Mid-size SLR | Mid-size SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | - | Expeed 3 |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | APS-C | Full frame |
Sensor dimensions | 22.5 x 15mm | 35.9 x 24mm |
Sensor surface area | 337.5mm² | 861.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 8 megapixels | 36 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 5:4 and 3:2 |
Full resolution | 3504 x 2336 | 7360 x 4912 |
Max native ISO | 1600 | 6400 |
Max boosted ISO | 3200 | 25600 |
Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW photos | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Touch focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
Single AF | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
AF multi area | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection focusing | ||
Contract detection focusing | ||
Phase detection focusing | ||
Total focus points | 9 | 51 |
Cross type focus points | - | 15 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Canon EF/EF-S | Nikon F |
Available lenses | 326 | 309 |
Crop factor | 1.6 | 1 |
Screen | ||
Type of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen sizing | 1.8 inch | 3.2 inch |
Resolution of screen | 118 thousand dots | 921 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Screen technology | - | TFT Color LCD with 170 degrees wide-viewing angle |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Optical (pentaprism) | Optical (pentaprism) |
Viewfinder coverage | 95% | 100% |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.56x | 0.7x |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 30s | 30s |
Highest shutter speed | 1/8000s | 1/8000s |
Continuous shooting rate | 5.0 frames per second | 4.0 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | 12.00 m (ISO 100) | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Red-eye reduction, Off | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow sync, Rear curtain, High-speed sync |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Highest flash synchronize | - | 1/250s |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | - | 1920 x 1080 (30, 25, 24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 50, 30, 25 fps), 640 x 424 (24 fps) |
Max video resolution | None | 1920x1080 |
Video data format | - | MPEG-4, H.264 |
Mic port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) |
GPS | None | Optional |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 770 gr (1.70 lbs) | 900 gr (1.98 lbs) |
Dimensions | 144 x 106 x 72mm (5.7" x 4.2" x 2.8") | 146 x 123 x 82mm (5.7" x 4.8" x 3.2") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 62 | 96 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 21.9 | 25.6 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 11.0 | 14.3 |
DXO Low light rating | 721 | 2979 |
Other | ||
Battery life | - | 900 shots |
Battery type | - | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | - | EN-EL15 |
Self timer | Yes (10 sec (2 sec with mirror lock-up)) | Yes (2 to 20 sec, 1 to 9 exposures at intervals of 0.5, 1, 2 or 3 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Storage type | Compact Flash (Type I or II) | Compact Flash (Type I), SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-I compliant |
Card slots | One | Dual |
Pricing at launch | $1,300 | $2,389 |