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: Best Fit
Summary: 5 Stars
I went to my local camera shop without a budget in mind determined to get a really good DSLR. I admit this was maybe a little crazy but this is an approach I sometimes will take to shop for features, fit and function and then roll the price into the analysis on the last step. I had no existing buy in to an existing brand or any inventory that I needed to be compatible with. This left me free to look at Nikon, Pentax, Sony, Canon and a couple of others that escape me now. I actually think that almost any of these brands have fine products. I am convinced they all have marketing departments that are professionals at price pointing and feature trade offs. Plus my local camera shop buyer knows how to buy and make sure he covers all of the price points.
So after going through abut 8 models all lined up on the counter I ended up selecting the Canon 40D. Here was my rationale at the time. Most of the models in this price area have remarkable similar features and prices with the end result being there are pretty simliar. So with the feature, function, price trade offs being relatively equal I decided on the Canon 40D. This camera fits my hand better than any other model regardless of maker. It also at 6+ frames per second was faster than any other camera without REALLY ignoring price.
Now that I have had the camera for a while there are more reasons to own it then the sales rep was able to pass on at the time of sale. The build quality is just awesome and there are more options for controlling the 40D than I had a clue about. Another thing I discovered are the Canon L series lenses. I now have two of the F2.8 zooms each of which cost more than the camera. So in the future I am bought into Canon camera bodies but the 40D and the L lenses produce stunning results. So for me the fit and function were just right and the future is bright (F2.8 at 200MM). So if you think you will add lenses to your bag I would put that into any camera body decision. The 40D and the 70-200L F2.8 with the 24-70L F2.8 zooms will be around for a long time.
Customer Review: Don't worry about the Canon 50D - buy this camera!
Summary: 5 Stars
If you are ready to move up to a DSLR and appreciate the great optics/ low light performance of Canon cameras, then the Canon 40D is a great choice. I have been shooting since I was 5 Y.O. (and that is a long time). I have used 120 film, 35mm and now digital SLRS. I have owned Kodak, 2 Olympus, 2 Nikons and now 2 Canon cameras. I have been exclusively using Nikon and Canon for the past eight years. The Nikons were comparable in build quality and functionality (and lens quality) to the Canons but the pricing clearly was not - so the value proposition is clearly with Canon. Most recently I was shooting with a Canon 20D with which I traveled quite a bit. I have many great enlargements from these trips on our walls. I loved that camera faithfully until I started using the 40D.
I was given a Canon 40D as a gift and I couldn't be happier with the results I am getting. The quality of the images are noticeably better and I feel I have more latitude in how I approach the subject matter I perfer to shoot. There are many improvements in use (menus and controls), metering improvements (accuracy and spot metering), speed (6 FPS and much faster start up) and new features (live view and programming improvements)that have made a great difference in my photographs. I am shooting more and have recently bought an Epson R1900 printer (terrific!)to have better control over the entire process.
I was concerned, as you may be, that the Canon 50D was available but if you take the time to read the comparative reviews (make sure to do your internet research) you will find that the increase in MP produced perhaps inferior or limited performance at a higher price. If you believe in Canon and don't want to spring several thousand more for a Professional DSLR then you won't make a mistake in buying this camera - especially with the recent price reductions. You can put that money toward a great lens!
Customer Review: Amateur Sports Photog--Thumbs Way UP
Summary: 5 Stars
Just bought the 40D w/ the 28-135 IS Canon lens from Circ City, about $1400. I've used the Rebel 35mm before this, and have been using pocket digital for 4 years. Tired losing all sports images of my kids' incredible plays, I decided buy the Canon 40d.
I used it for 2 games so far--one soccer, one football. I kept the mode in the sports (little guy running icon on the rotary) mode. I used it in cloudy conditions on day 1, bright sun on day 2. Excellent results of absolutely stunning photos of the kids in action. The image stab combined w/ extremely frames per second yeilds frozen shots that are amazing: eg: 6.5 FPS will allow you to push the button down about a second before a football punting situation, hold it down through the action, and have 6-12 photos of just before the kick w/ his leg 6 inches from striking the ball, then next will be his foot actually touching the ball, then the ball in the air away from his foot w/ the kicker in the air off two feet--flying if you will. Great stuff, the kids love seeing themselves frozen in the air. So, yes, this camera is fast and it makes a difference being 6.5 frames per second vs 3.5, in my opinion. Just buy at least 2MB memory (gives 400 shots w/ max resolution, but at 10/event, you could burn through it in one game, believe me), I'd say the 4MB would be better.
I just have been popping the memory card out and reading the photos directly into my computer, seems the easiest way to edit, plus doesn't run down the battery. Battery has been good, hasn't run out yet on either day, though I didn't use the flash much. Image Stab didn't take too bad of toll on it.
The camera does many more amazing things, right now I'm looking into aerial photography. Will update results, though I may need a stronger zoom. Very happy so far, sports shots well worth it, and I basically have no clue what I'm doing.
Customer Review: 40D Fantastic
Summary: 5 Stars
I just went through the debate between the 40D and XSi. I finally chose the 40D since it is supposed to be built to last, and the recent $200 rebate from Canon placed the cost ($950 body only) on par with the XSi ($800 body only) at the time of this review. Up until now, I have been using an XT and in only 2 years (and about 6000 photos) the auto focus (AF) LEDs began burning out. One is completely gone and the others have dimmed considerable. I have not found anyone else with this problem so it could be that I had a bad XT. Never the less, the XSi has similar dot type AF LEDs and I was worried that an investment in the XSi would lead to another camera with a limited lifetime (I depend on these LEDs a lot).
Although I liked the compactness and lightweight of the XT, little did I realize how convenient the 40D is for fast switching of settings. I love this! I won't go into all the positives/negatives of the 40D as it has been beaten to death by now. However, I will mention a few minor pros and cons that are either seldom mentioned, or not mentioned at all.
Pros:
1. Much better AF LEDs - more visible squares instead of little dots, hopefully longer lasting.
2. More multi-controls and generally setup more user friendly.
Cons:
1. Auto WB is a little off - especially with incandescent lighting and AUTO setting (seemed more accurate on my XT)
2. Thin male pins for the remote connector. Male means that there are pins instead of sockets. The sockets are on the switch itself (RS-80N3 or equivalent). This means if the thin pins bend, the camera gets hurt instead of the cheaper switch. I wish Canon had stuck to the 1/8" stereo jack as that solution was much more rugged and allowed the wire to rotate (the wire on the RS-80N3/equivalent point out in the direction of the lens only).
Hope this helps!
Customer Review: solid camera
Summary: 5 Stars
I will not try to summarize the many tech reviews of this camera. There are plenty of highly competent websites to visit for this info.
Firstly, cameras are personal and this camera just feels great in the hand. It is complex to use every facility but to take competent shots is easy.
I said I would never buy a DSLR without serious dust removal/masking facilities. I have owned this camera for a month and no dust problems so far, Eventually it will need to be cleaned professionally either by me or someone else - that is a fact of DSLR life. But serious congratulations to Canon for addressing the problem head on.
So how does it work. Well the beast is simply superb. It's like a marriage - it takes a while to meld - same here - after a month we are still learning how to do things better together. But so far everything is working as well or better than could have possibly been expected. And considering the hype surrounding this camera that involves very high expectations.
A further comment: this imager is so good that you need very good lenses to see its best. I'm afraid both kit lenses fail this camera miserably. It's not that they are so bad, rather that this camera is so good. I expected this.
Now I have to fork out for an EOS 70- 200mm IS USM, to really see what this camera can do. The kit 17- 85 USM is not so good at the wide end. That is not the camera's fault. You can see what this camera can do by looking at the long end of the 17 - 85mm.
Life is full of compromises. The best camera/lens would take great photos but would be so heavy, you couldn't lift the kit up a mountain. The 40D is hikable (just):
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shows some 40D images taken very far up (2605m) a mountain. Now I've gotta pull the 70-200 f4 up the same mountains! Ugh!