Agree - it's the turn to crosswind which is important, not the turn to downwind.
As long as you don't turn crosswind before 500', you will always be at circuit height (assuming a 1000' circuit or lower, and assuming a reasonably constant or improving rate of climb) before you pass abeam the upwind end of the runway, thus avoiding any danger of collision with joining traffic. And this would be true regardless of how tight you fly the downwind leg.
I should probably take back my statement that "I can't see any reason to not be at circuit height by the time you turn downwind" - that's not quite true. It probably comes about because I fly at an airfield with an 800' circuit, and some very wide published noise abatement circuits. Sorry for any confusion!
FFF
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