Canon EOS 40D 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)
by Canon
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon EOS 40D 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)
Customer Review: Should you upgrade? Heck yah!
Summary: 5 Stars
After less consideration than I probably should have given such a big purchase, I decided to upgrade from my Canon 20D to the Canon 40D shortly after it was announced. Let me start out by saying that I haven't been disappointed by my rash decision; Canon has improved so many aspects of the camera since the 20D (two models ago) that it's definitely worth upgrading if you're using a 20D or earlier. For those of you with 30D's, that might be a harder decision as fewer things have changed.
Without trying to be too wordy, let me list a few of my favorite new or improved features over the 20D (in no particular order).
- Huge, beautiful LCD screen makes it much easier to see and show others your photos.
- Playback mode now lets you see the RGB histogram as well as the traditional luminance one.
- Hitting the info button twice shows an enlarged and easier to read/understand view on the main LCD of the data normally shown on the top LCD. For example, when switching metering modes, it lists the name (spot, center weighted, etc.) in addition to showing the symbol.
- Much improved menu system which is better organized and easier to navigate.
- Custom menu which you can populate with those items you use the most (I *love* this feature).
- Three custom modes on the mode dial which you can pre-set as you desire.
- Much hyped live view mode which lets you compose photos with the LCD screen is actually pretty useful for macro work, or any shot which you want to focus manually. You can zoom up to 10x to focus precisely on a certain region.
- Can you say six and a half frames per second! Wow!
- ISO is now displayed in the viewfinder which makes it easier to see when you've left it on 1600 by accident.
- A new auto ISO mode is included which attempts to choose an ISO fast enough so you can handhold the camera. One less thing to worry about when shooting in situations where you don't have time to mess with the ISO setting.
- Beautiful grain on the images - I like the way the grain (noise) looks better than the 20D.
- Ultrasonic dust shake off system for reducing sensor dust. I still have managed to get a few flecks of dust which won't come off, but after taking 5000 photos with many lens changes in the wild, it's not nearly as bad of a problem as on the 20D.
- Improved autofocus system is more accurate than before.
- 14 bit RAW files! This gives you many more gradations to work with than 12 bit (16,384 per channel instead of 4,096).
I'm sure there are many other things I've forgotten. I've been using the camera now for over a month, taken 5000 shots, and love it!
There are still a few things missing about this camera which I wish Canon had addressed.
- Still can't use infrared shutter releases with this model. Canon lets you use these with the consumer oriented digital rebels, so why not on the 20, 30, and 40D models? Go figure.
- Optional wireless file transmitter / GPS connection, but why not just build wireless into the camera?
Go upgrade before your old camera is worthless! You can still sell the old one now before too many people get the new ones.
Customer Review: Canon 40D w/EF 28-135 IS USM lens
Summary: 5 Stars
Canon 40D dSLR
PROS: Too obvious and numerous if you are upgrading from an older dSLR or from 35mm film technology.
CONS: a) Size b) Live View is problematic (other reviewers have noted this as well)
SIZE: Too big in size for consumers and for outdoor or travel use. This is a BIG camera - much larger than the XT or XTi. I like big because I have big hands and size doesn't come into play in a studio setting - unless maybe you are shoooting live moving models. Buy the XTi instead if you were/are used to the smaller size of a Canon AE-1 film camera.
LIVE VIEW: My understanding is that the LiveView feature "heats up" the CMOS and thereby introduces noise into the shot. That issue detracts from the intended use of LiveView in Product Photography under hot lights while LiveView-ing on an LCD monitor - if anyone has other experience - please let me know. We are still getting familiar with the camera but we have put it through quite a few operational paces directly related to our business use.
LOW LIGHT: We've yet to get it in the field for night photography tests but that is not an operational field for use for us - more at my hobby and art - but the blacks in our product photography are noiseless - unlike our Olympus C2500L.
INTENDED USE: My purchase of this camera is strictly for the part of my business involved directly in a) Product Photography and b) Giclee printing. It fits into our workflow perfectly with Adobe CS2-3 and we won't be lookng back - we're glad to dump the film camera. My previous camera was an 35mm AE-1 Program film camera which is the same size as the Canon XT and newer XTi dSLR's. My other dSLR is an 8 year old Olympus C2500L which is about 2/3rds the size of an AE-1 and continues to be a fantastic digital workhorse camera for product shots intended for online catalogues or small image catalogues.
LENS: The standard Canon EOS Kit lenses are generally various stages of horrible EXCEPT for the EF 28-135 IS USM Standard Zoom lens. This lens has decent reviews and it is a perfect walkaround (outdoor) lens - I was rather surprised to see that it had a 72mmm filter thread. One should consider getting that lens for the smaller XT or XTi models as the 40D isn't what I would call a walkaround camera body. A professional acquaintence uses the XT for outdor model photography, backpacking and city shoots and they are perfectly sized for such assignments. Most outdoor duty really only requires a consumer point and shoot model anyway.
We can't help but be impressed and thrilled with the Canon 40D - unless the dreaded Canon "ERROR-99" should rear its ugly head (check forums on other EOS models). Oh, I should mention - 1) Only shoot in high-end RAW and 2) any dSLR capable of large RAW shots MUST be paired with a FAST (60x or better) flash memory if you intend to do ANY burst shooting.
Good shooting!
Customer Review: The Prosumer SLR Value
Summary: 5 Stars
Summary: I'm a very happy owner after 2 months and 3,000 exposures
Pros:
1. Quick, accurate and flexible focus with easy selection of focus points.
2. Very good exposures in difficult light.
3. Rapid and logical access to controls and displays.
4. Flash metering and control, especially with the external 580exII, are superb!
Cons:
1. Custom white balance set-up could be easier.
2. The manual is poor enough that I purchased and aftermarket book on the 40d.
My Rig:
1. 40d body dual battery pack.
2. 17-85 EFS, USM/IS lens
3. 70-200 f2.8L, USM lens
4. 2x Telextender
5. Manfrotto monopod.
6. Lowepro Fastpack 250 backpack w/laptop compartment.
7. 580exII speedlight w/Gary Fong "Whale Tail"
8. 430ex speedlight to use as slave to 580 for fill.
Uses:
1. Girl's fastpitch softball games. These range from bright sun to artificially lit night games.
2. Colorguard and drill team competition. These are often indoors or on field at night.
3. Product photography for high tech semiconductor equipment. This is usually on site vs. in a studio due to equipment size.
Discussion:
I purchased this camera to take over where my Konica-Minolta 5d and Minolta legacy glass left off in my tireless effort to chronicle my kid's lives. The KM5d was not a bad rig, but as the kids got older the action moved too fast for the KM to catch it. The main issues were the focus speed and the shutter speeds allowed by the legacy lenses. Sony Alpha made some of these issues better, but that system only has two fast focus motors - for the 70-200 and one other. It's just very limiting and about 25% more expensive than Canon or Nikon equivalents. So, I decided to change to one of the two big guys. After extensive testing, I settled on the Canon system and the 40d in particular because of the speed of operation (at least in my hands) and the price point for the items I wanted, which ended up being almost $1k less than the Nikon solution based on a D300. Also, the Canon system had lenses that overlapped range where I wanted them to, and this is reflected in the system I carry. Many other reviews split hairs on ISO 3200 performance, and this got me going for a little bit, but the fact is that if you are pushing that hard, the photos are going to be very grainy. Slightly less or more is not the issue, IMHO. Over quite a broad range of conditions, this camera is just great.
So, now I have the equipment performance headroom that my KM was nowhere near providing, and my photography, which did NOT stink previously, has taken a good step up. I get the action shots on a more consistent basis. The slides into second base are spectacular! If you are looking for a step up from the older Canons, or are switching to a system with some breadth like I was, this is a great choice!
Customer Review: Great camera, sturdy, reliable, and easy to use
Summary: 5 Stars
I upgraded to this camera from a Rebel XT. I debated for a bit after the 50D came out whether I wanted to spend the extra on the 50D instead of the 40D. I eventually decided to go with the 40D and save the extra money. Overall, I couldn't be happier with my purchase. The camera is very well built and solid as a rock in the hands even with a big heavy lens on it. I like having the larger size grip area even with my small hands. It makes me more able to control for camera shake. The controls are easily accessible in hand but take some adjustment if you are moving from a Rebel series camera up to the pro-sumer models like the 40D and 50D. The 3.0" LCD screen is a dream. The histogram features are also very convenient for metering and white balance adjustment while shooting. The noise reduction is very effective and dramatically reduces the noise for high ISO shots. The camera itself is a very sturdy build, much more so than the rebel series cameras, which makes it a much better choice for photographers interested in wildlife or other outdoors photography where the potential to drop or bang the camera around increases. I find that the in camera metering is sufficient for about 95% of the shots I take. Periodically, I have to break out my light meter to get the shot that I'm going for, but most of the time the in camera metering is excellent. The 40D is nothing short of a machine gun at 6.5 fps which makes it wonderful for wildlife photographers and sports photographers alike. The battery life on this camera is also fantastic. I can take this camera out in the field for an entire day of shooting and not have to change out the battery even with my 100-400 IS lens attached with the IS on all day long. For those of you who are concerned about the weight of this camera, it is heavy. I prefer to have a heavier stronger camera body, but if weight is a serious concern, then I would highly recommend you look at the Rebel XS or XSi. Optically they are similar to the 40D, but lighter. Canon's website offers details on the specs for each camera. The rebel series cameras, however, don't have nearly the shooting speed of the 40D, don't have the 40D's excellent high ISO performance, have less battery life, and are much smaller and less durable. If these concerns aren't a big deal to you, then the XS and XSi may be a better choice.
I couldn't be happier with my purchase, especially since the 50D is so much more expensive and with bells and whistles that I did not need. My recommendation to anyone debating between the 40D and 50D is to do your homework and think long and hard about what you'd like to be able to do with your camera before purchasing it. The 50D has some really nice features on it that make it superior for some, but if the extra features are not needed, save your money and go with the 40D. You will not be disappointed! It is a great camera, and is at a great price as well.
Customer Review: Well worth upgrading from my 20D
Summary: 5 Stars
I've long been a user of Canon cameras and always have to decide if it's worth the cost to upgrade to newer models. I skipped the 30D but decided it was finally time to upgrade when the 40D came out. Since there are already some good detailed reviews of this camera, I'll just run down some of the great improvements that made this a winner for me.
1. Larger LCD. Yes, it could be higher resolution but it's so much bigger and clearer than the 20D that I barely notice. Also higher resolution usually comes at the expense of battery life, so it's always a tradeoff.
2. Live View. Not for everyone, but I find it really useful for certain shots that I do tripod-mounted.
3. New menus. I love the new menuing system and particularly the ability to have my most commonly-used functions on one screen. A real time-saver out in the field.
4. Sensor cleaning. Okay, probably not going to mean never cleaning the sensor again, but any improvement in dust is good.
5. ISO display. Yeah, I don't have to remember what ISO I had set, it's there in the display all the time.
6. Much better buffer and higher fps. Big improvement here over my 20D. I don't always run into buffer problems with the types of photos I do, but it's nice to know it's not even a concern for me any more. The power-up is also way faster than my 20D.
7. From 8 to 10 MP. Not a big deal to me, but as long as the image quality and noise are the same, bigger is better!
8. Bigger viewfinder. Wow, noticeable improvement here too, it really doesn't feel as "tight" as the 20D.
9. Quieter mirror. Really important for some of the situations I shoot in. I sure would like it even quieter, but glad to see it's getting better as the 20D was annoyingly loud.
10. Custom User Settings. Ability to create 3 sets of custom settings for specific shooting situations is something I will definitely use. I shoot both indoor and outdoor canine sports and have very specific settings for each, this is a great time (and mistake) saver.
11. No accidental loss of photos if you open the card door. You had to be careful with the 20D not to open the door to pull out the memory card before the camera was done writing the images or it would just instantly power down. This has been fixed in the 40D.
There are a bunch of other various updates and changes that are of less interest to me...sRAW, some weatherproofing (better than none, but needs to be complete to really be worthwhile), wireless capabilities, tilt correction with the crop function, high ISO noise reduction, etc. It's clear a lot of work went into this camera and it definitely shows. It's a pleasure to hold and shoot with and will definitely be getting a lot of use with me!