» Canon EOS 40D 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens

Canon EOS 40D 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens Reviews

Customer Rating:
Summary: Totally satisfied
Comment: I own a Canon XTi camera and was very pleased with it. The 40D is a step above the XTi. The image quality is a step better. When you buy a particular brand of camera, whether it be Canon, Nikon, whatever, you "get in bed" with them because of ALL the accessories. I have more money invested in Canon compatible lenses, than just the camera. The Nikon D300 came out and it is a step above the 40D. I could not consider going for it because of having to start over again with all new lenses, flash units, etc.
The 40D is a very high quality camera and the owner sees this the minute you turn the camera on. I am very picky when it comes to picture quality, and although a $4,000 camera will be better than the 40D, I have to be practical. I think the 40D is the best deal (camera) you can get for this amount of money.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great upgrade!
Comment: I started off with the Digital Rebel..... next was the 30D.......but the 40D is better than the previous two put together. If you want to take some serious cameras on a middle budget, this is the camera you want!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: The 40D - a review from the point of a Rebel XTi owner
Comment: The 40D is an amazing camera, it's loaded with features, takes incredibly sharp photos, and is an all around fun camera. As is tradition with my reviews - i'll break this down into a pros and cons section for readability. Also at the end of the review, i've included some remarks on canon's big brother model for this camera, the 50D.

Pros -

-Autofocus capabilities - one of the biggest advantages of SLR cameras of today as opposed to SLR cameras of many years ago is the ability to autofocus. Not only is the autofocus with the 40D fast (with the 28-135mm USM kit lens) it is also fairly accurate. A difference between this camera and canon's lower EOS models (400D, 450D, etc...) is the performance of the camera in low-light situations. I am a former owner of a Rebel XTi (aka 400D) and the camera's ability to focus in low-light situations (Without firing an AF assist beam) was moderate at best. This is completely different with the 40D. Also, while the XTi and 40D both share 9 autofocus points (and so does every canon EOS model up to the 5D), the points on 40D are much more sensitive and accurate.

-Dynamic range - the camera allows you extreme flexibility in exercising your desire to get the creatively correct exposure (if you don't know what this is check out "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson). For example, in comparison to the Rebel, the camera adds an extra stop at the shutter speed (1/8000 sec), includes an Auto-ISO setting, and you don't have to set the ISO at 1 stop increments (i.e. ISO 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600). A nice feature on this camera is that it has three Custom settings on the dials where you can save presets for various shooting situations (for example, I have C1 set as my mirror lockup setting - so instead of entering the custom function menus and finding the mirror lockup and enabling it, i just turn my dial to "C1").

-Speed - at 6.5 fps this camera is a machine! To get anymore than that you'd need to have a 1D Mk III. Unfortunately adding the BG-E2N (or BG-E2) battery grip doesn't add any speed to this already blistering mark (unlike it does with some Nikons) but 6.5 fps is going to be more than enough for most proam photographers. Of course be sure to get a quick memory card (Don't waste your money on the SanDisk Extreme IV though becuase I don't believe the 40D supports the new UDMA standard - you're better off with a nice Extreme III. Also, as a side note, for the next two weeks or so SanDisk is offering a big rebate on its cards - check it out).

-Image quality - with the correct equipment (a good tripod, the 40D, the 28-135mm USM lens, and canon's $50 shutter release) the sharpness in the photos that this camera puts out are amazing (before even using an unsharp mask in photoshop). Of course the photos are still high quality while handholding - but some situations mandate that a tripod be used (and really if you always want to get tack sharp photos, then all situations mandate it). The bottom line is you won't be disappointed by the IQ. Even the JPEGs on the camera are high quality (thanks to Canon's Digic 3 image professor). Despite this, i still recommend shooting in RAW + JPEG format for those tricky lighting situations.

-The LCD - granted, the LCD is the 900,000 pixel LCD that's found on the D300 (also several hundred dollars more expensive) or the 900,000+ pixel VGA LCD that will be found on the new 50D (see more info below), but at 300,000 pixels and 3.0'', the LCD is a big plus. The brightness on the LCD of this camera is much improved over earlier EOS Rebel cameras so that you can check out the specs of you photos in the high mid-day sun without looking around to find a shady area. The ability to view the three separate RGB histograms on this camera is a big plus (as opposed to just the brightness histogram).

-Build Quality - with its rugged magnesium alloy body and the weatherproofing measures canon has taken, the 40D is built like a truck. If you're going to invest over $1,000 in a camera you'll want it to be able to take a beating. I'm confident in the fact that the 40D can withstand the daily wear and tear of using it. Granted this isn't the 1Ds Mk III which you can essentially take into a tornado and come out without a scratch on it, but it's also not $7,000.

-Noise levels at high ISO settings (ISO 800-1600) - If you plan to be shooting in low light situations, you'll undoubtedly be forced to use higher ISO settings. Of course higher ISO settings is going to make the images noisier (grainier) as well as possibly distort the color and decrease contrast. The degree to which the 40D is plagued by these issues is very small. While i try to make every exposure at ISO 100, there are some situations where I have to reach up for ISO 800-1600 and I'm never disappointed by the resulting photographs.

Cons -

-Cost - This toy does of course come at a fairly hefty price premium. At $1150 this camera is not going to be for you if you're very budget conscious. Especially because 1150 is just the beginning, all of you newbies out there will soon discover that as soon as you get the camera you'll be lusting for (very expensive) lenses and (less expensive) acessories.

-Weight - the weight on the 40D is certianly formidable. If you're looking for a camera that's light-weight and small - take a look a the EOS rebel series. This factor might not affect you if you don't plan to haul or carry your camera around for longer periods of time, but if you do plan to use it in such a manner go to a local camera store (or electroncs store) and be sure to put the camera in your hands, hold it, get a feel for it.

-Get the 40D now or wait for the 50D? As some of you may know, Canon announced that it will be producing what I view as the bigger brother of the 40D and surprisingly they're going to call it the 50D. I imagine the idea of waiting for the 50D has crossed some of your minds - so I've outlined below some of my ideas on the issue.

-Increased number of MP - The number of megapixels on the 50D will be 15.1 as opposed to the 40D's 10.1. On the same sized sensor, this raises issues of noise, but canon claims the noise levels on the 50D are 1 or 2 stops below those of the 40D. However, if you plan on consistently making very large prints - then this will be an advantage. For the rest of us - it's really not worth the extra money.

-Digic 4 image processor - Like i mentioned above, the 40D has Canon's Digic 3 image processor while the 50D will have the updated version of this processor - which will probably make a small difference in IQ for someone who shoots in JPEG, but if you shoot in RAW and edit your photos anyway - it doesn't make a difference.

-SD as opposed to CF memory - if you have an earlier canon camera and you have money invested in expensive CF cards - beware because like the new Rebel XSi (450D), the 50D will use SD and SDHC cards. While this is nice for someone who has no money invested in CF cards because SD/SDHC cards are typically cheaper, it's pain for those of us that do have several cards.

-Expandable ISO feature - The camera has the ability to shoot at ISO levels up to 12800. This is a useless feature. There will really never be a need to use an ISO level that high. It's really just a marketing thing because Nikon cameras can reach ISO levels that high.

-Speed - the 50D will only be able to shoot 6.3 fps as opposed to the 40D's 6.5 fps. This is probably a negligible difference.

-LCD - as i mentioned above, the LCD on the 50D will be a 900K VGA LCD which promises to be better for viewing images in the field. If you really rely on your LCD for your workflow then this is a big difference.

-Face detection technology - like many of Canon's point and shoot models, the 50D has incorporated face detection in its live view mode. This is nice but not really that useful because you can just select which AF point you wish to utilize. Plus Live View really runs the battery down on the camera.

-HDMI output - once again, this is a marketing thing, if you really like to look at your pictures on your big screen HD TV though, this is a nice feature.

-Cost - of course the 50D is going to cost more than the 40D with the approximate cost for the body $1400 and the cost with the kit lens (supposed to be the new EF-S 18-200mm) at somewhere between $1600-1700. The final issue is time. While Canon says that the 40D will be available in October, it's likely that the camera will be delayed because that is often how things work out.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Canon EOS 40D DSLR Review
Comment: It is the most awesome camera with limitless possibilities. Taking pictures is fast and easy once you do a bit of experimenting and practice the same. The pictures captured are so real and alive that it surprises me. And especially the live preview shooting is like an added blessing.
My Congratulations to Canon for introducing such a wonderful camera.
Cheers..!!!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Photography With Ease!
Comment: I've wanted a D-SLR for the longest time, and I always knew Canon made some great cameras. However, now that I've had this for over a month... the EOS 40D isn't just a great camera... it's amazing!

The pictures are outstanding (even in compressed mode!), and this bad boy is so easy to use. I've never used an SLR camera prior to purchasing this (I'm a TOTAL novice here LOL), and in just a weeks time, I felt completely comfortable shooting pictures fully manual.

Features:
The 3" screen is awesome for quick reviewing pictures. My friend has a 20D (I think it's only a 2" screen), and it's so difficult to tell whether or not the picture turned out good.

The AF on this is awfully quick, and really shines when shooting multiple frames per second. I took my 40D to the zoo only days after having it, and my goodness... I couldn't believe the quality of the pictures.

Liveview is pretty cool... but I prefer using the viewfinder. Much easier to tell if the picture is focused.

Battery life is great, and when it's time to recharge... it charges up pretty quick.

I definitely like the IS (Image Stabilizer) that's on the 28-135mm lens. I have a pretty steady hand, so shooting pics at slower speeds still turn out great!

Comfort:
The camera seemed a little large at first... but I noticed it fit in my hands very well. Another friend of mine has a Rebel XT... and I HATE it. It's so small, my hands cramp up after using it for a few minutes.

Build Quality:
The camera feels very solid when holding it, which adds peace of mind as far as lasting a long time.

OVERALL:
I really feel that the novice photographer can enjoy this camera, and not feel intimidated with the amount of features it offers. I'm sure the vets out there can REALLY appreciate what this camera can do. I highly recommend this product!

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