ebay: DSLR on the cheap

today i won an ebay auction on a Canon EOS 20D. i bought this camera to take it on my upcomming trip to Cuba. i wanted to have a second camera with me because of various reasons:

• to have a backup-body in case one camera fails 
• to minimize lens swapping and to always have the right lens on the camera (no lens swapping means i can remove the camera straps as i alwasy hung the camera from my neck while changing lenses.
• the 20D comes with two additional batteries so i will have more batteries with me (maybe i can leave the charger at home too), it shares the same type of batteries as my workhorse, the Canon EOS 5D, same goes for the memory cards. this was the deciding factor over the other models i looked at like the 350d, 400D and 450D. the 20D also has the same control layout, larger viewfinder, better autofocus and is sturdier at the expense of higher weight.
• the higher pixel-density of the 20D lends itself for use with longer lenses which turn into higher magnification or more pixels per duck.
  

But actually i wanted to tell you something else instead. the Canon EOS 20D was one of the first really mature digital single lens reflex cameras back then. today the price for used 20Ds is very low, the camera still offers the same magnificent image quality and will do so for the comming years. this makes it a real bargain today. the one i bought from a commercial seller via ebay is in good condition, comes with 2 batteries, charger, cables and the box, and this all for only 226€. many point&shoots cost more and can´t deliver the same image quality. the economic crisis makes ebay a great place to buy photogear, for example  last week i got a polaroid back for my Mamiya RZ67 (more about this baby later) for only 10,50€!