don 't shoot me...housing for rebel 350

I think both James and David are right.

You really can't go wrong with either one.

The difference comes with how much weight you put on the few $$$ difference. For a few extra $$ you get more features.

The difference between the XT and the 20D is narrower than it was for the Drebel and the 10D. Two notable improvements added to the XT that weren't on the original rebel that DO affect underwater photos is FEC (fixed in Ike TTL housing) and selectable metering mode.

The viewfinder should be adequate on the XT no argument, but more is always better and the 20D has more.

In the end it depends on your budget and how long you expect to keep the camera. Ike housings are great. I love mine but maybe they are not for you? In this case there are more options in the 20D. If you are the type that replaces your camera every generation by all means go for the cheapest one out--it will give the best value. If you plan to keep it 5-10 years the better body would be worth it. Even on two cameras, the cost differential is miniscule in the grand sceme of things.

My apologies if this has already been adressed but IMHO a critical difference between the 20D and the XT or the Digital Rebel (300D or 350D) is that the 300D & 350D have only a single command dial. This means a button must be pressed and held to access the aperture setting in manual mode, making aperture control a two step process. This alone is enough of a reason for me to choose the 20D over the Rebels.

Also the size of the camera is an issue for me, I find the Rebel XT to bee too small for my average size hands.

Personally I prefer the way the controls layout with housed Nikon systems as opposed to Canon systems. So given a choice I'd pick the D70 over the Rebels, but if my choices were Canon systems only I'd choose the 20D over the Rebels.

Dave Marsh brought up a good point.....

Two command dials for those always adjusting shutter speed and f-stop. My experience with 12,000 + exposures the first few months I owned my Nikon D100 and two command dials made me think I'd miss them on the original Digital Rebel and now the Rebel XT. But I haven't missed this feature since most shooters using Manual mode set a shutter speed first then f-stop based on strobe to subject distance.

The Ikelite SLR-DC housing addresses this with a spring loaded "pull in" button on the back which makes your command dial the aperture, the most frequently adjusted parameter...A 1/8 turn and it backs off on a "step" making it the shutter speed wheel. Simple, fast and works fine......

The viewfinder issue Brian Cripe mentioned can be adjusted for by the fact that the Rebel XT has a rear monochrome LCD showing what settings you're at if you can't see them in the viewfinder bottom....With a low volume mask I can see the settings through the Ikelite SuperEye. For some it's OK and for some it's not OK. You have to try the camera first and see if your eye will work with it...

I don't want anyone to think I'm bashing the Canon EOS 20D. It's a great camera! I just don't want new potential dSLR users thinking they can't make pictures with a Rebel XT because it's so inferior....Cause it ain't

New fresh photography is still more photographer than equipment....

YMMV

David Haas

I would certainly agree that the best thing to do is check out the camera yourself. I've looked through a Rebel XT viewfinder and don't recall it as a big problem, although I personally favor the 20D and paid the price for it. But I think it's an individual thing, and price is certainly one consideration for many people. It's also true that the price difference between a D-Rebel XT and 20D is a very minor percent of the total investment in a complete underwater DSLR setup.

Excuse me for chuckling but this thread has been simply amazing. Information I couldn't even begin to get via magazine or web site reviews and it all started with a simple question about housings!! I know so much more NOW than before and little idiosycherasies of each camera which make a difference. You guys ought to publish these "debates" for "camera-challenged-buying" folks like me.

Thank you so much. I definately need to spend time playing with the controls and looking thru the view finders to see which work best.

Thank you so much.

Wendy