Customer Reviews:
 A phenomenal picture taking machine! September 6, 2007
71 out of 91 found this review helpful
The 40D is a phenomenal camera with excellent high ISO performance (though not appreciably better than my 20D in my own tests), more megapixels (10MP), rudimentary weather sealing, improved fps rate, automatic dust removal, spot metering, a 3 inch LCD, auto ISO and improved autofocus. Finally, it also has the ISO displayed in the viewfinder which prior iterations of this camera lacked. It is an excellent camera - make no mistake about that, however I'm disappointed that the autofocus wasn't further improved.
The pictures have a smooth buttery depth similar to my 20D - to my eye, possibly slightly better. They are simply beautiful (taken mostly with my 70-200 L). In my own tests, the noise performance is roughly equivalent to the 20D. Canon has managed to add the extra megapixels without additional noise - quite a feat though I suspect that the APS sized sensor has reached the maximum number of pixels that can be packed in without degrading the high ISO performance and dynamic range both every bit as important, if not more so, than the number of pixels. The menu system is much improved over my 20D and there are three user defined modes that one can easily accessed. The camera feels essentially the same in my hands as my old 20D. While the additional 2 megapixels don't add much in terms of picture quality they do provide some head room for cropping. The door to the CF card has a more secure feel to it than my 20D. The 3 inch viewing screen is a vast improvement over my 20D, bright and clear. And it focuses far more quickly and accurately than my 20D.
Canon has enjoyed a dominant position in the digital SLR market ever since the D30. It's lead, in this segment of the market, mostly evaporated with the introduction of Nikon's D200, the D40X and the D80. With these cameras Nikon pulled even, or close enough to establish themselves as legitimate contenders. Still Canon has had the edge in high ISO performance. The problem is that Canon has rested on its laurels and insisted on improving its cameras incrementally, protecting the market of their more expensive cameras. Certain feature sets (such as professional grade auto-focus and weather sealing) have been withheld in an attempt to maintain the clear distinctions between Canon's various camera lines while Nikon has been much more generous in incorporating advanced features lower down their product food chain. Canon's strategy worked just fine when Canon enjoyed a dominant lead over the competition, but as I mentioned its lead has been severely cut into by Nikon and now even Sony is introducing a respectable DSLR. None of the foregoing detracts from the fundamental fact that this is a fantastic camera.
For the money, the 40D is a great buy. It is the best camera for the money Canon has introduced so far and, though not particularly daring, still represents a very good buy at this price point, but Nikon's D40x and D80 currently offer better values and the Nikon D300, though priced higher, is much more feature rich. The 40D's picture quality is simply fantastic and its high ISO performance is, at this point in time, STILL the gold standard for this class of camera and in this size sensor. But it could have been so much more had Canon simply listened to their customers and understood that the digital SLR market is no longer being defined by Canon alone. I'm giving this camera only 4 stars because Canon should have given us more.
If you own a 10D or a 20D (as I did) the upgrade to a 40D does make some sense. However, if you own a 30D the upgrade is a bit more difficult to rationalize. IMO, in the area the counts most, image quality, there is not a significant improvement over the 20D or 30D to justify the upgrade at this time PARTICULARLY in light of the fact that Nikon has raised the bar substantially. Canon will have to come to the table quickly with a much improved version of the 40D including pro grade auto-focus and real weather sealing that most have been asking for.
For first time buyers, the build quality and features are excellent justifying the purchase price, but unless you are married to the Canon system, as I am, take a close look at the various offerings from Nikon including the upcoming D300, the D40x and the D80. I just wish Canon had been more aggressive and daring with this camera giving its customers more of the features they have been clamoring for. The very good news is that Nikon is back in the saddle again. This can only be good for all DSLR consumers in general and Canon owners in particular as more features and capabilities will be packed into all future offerings. I love my camera but am a bit disappointed it did not represent a greater improvement over the 20D.
 Great camera, versatile lens. September 6, 2007
19 out of 20 found this review helpful
The Canon 40d a pretty serious camera for anyone who wants an advanced piece of equipment at a reasonable price. If you are upgrading from the Minolta/Sony/Pentax class of dSLR to the 40d you are taking quantum leap in noise reduction technology, color reproduction, and auto-focus precision among a large list of other features.
I won't mention too much about the 6.5 frames per second shooting other than it is exhilarating hearing the shutter click that fast for the first time. The live view feature is perfect for working with a tripod and macro shooting where manual focus is important. The ability to have live view displayed on your computer with full camera controls is handy when you need to reduce vibrations. Focus is fast, and almost always accurate in ideal conditions, very quick even when searching for focus. Menus are easily navigable with the wheel and joystick controls.
Overall image quality excellent. All your photos can easily turn out great after spending some time behind the view finder of the 40d.
The 28-135 EF IS USM kit lens is a pretty good deal, especially for photographers investing in a Canon camera for the first time. The money you save by buying the lens with the body is a very substantial amount at the time of this writing. The first notable feature about this lens is that it is image stabilized. The picture quality seems better than a stabilized sensor, but it won't keep my images blur free for as long. 28mm is a little wide with the 1.6 crop factor, ok for inside photography in large rooms, the 135mm on the high end isn't bad either, good for zooming in on faces for portraits or to bring the wildlife a little bit closer. Its minimum focus distance of 1.6 feet allows for some close-up macro photography when fully zoomed. This is also an EF lens, this means that if you ever upgrade to a full frame dSLR the lens will still work. It's not an `L' series lens, but if you're upgrading from lesser optics, it really is quite a luxury.
Just got this camera - It's Great! September 6, 2007
11 out of 13 found this review helpful
I just unboxed this camera a few hours ago. I've just gotten into SLR Photography, upgrading from a Canon Digital Elph point-and-shoot. Let me just say: if you are an upgrader, you can't go wrong with getting the Canon EOS 40D.
First Impressions:
-The Screen Size is AWESOME. It's really big. The only issue is that, when using the viewfinder, my face was hitting the screen. I decided to place a screen protector I had on it.
-Focusing is fast and accurate - I tested this in a relatively low light situation. I was very impressed in random shots and complicated shots where the focus wasn't evident the steps the camera took to pick an appropriate autofocus.
-Flash is powerful
-The lens included in this kit is wonderful for the many of the reasons listed above - Fast AF and IS (Image Stabilizing).
-The camera is very nice to hold. I was considering the Canon Rebel Xti as well, and the EOS 40D is definitely much more comfortable to hold. The bigger size, I think, is worth it.
-The viewfinder is nice, and gives you all the details you could want regarding your picture.
-The flash is powerful but won't 'overblow' - close flash shots of people's faces look good.
-I love the control scheme - much more intuitive than many of the point-and-shoots that I have used. The dial wheel is an awesome way to go through your images, and the "joystick" allows you to explore zoomed in images very intuitively.
Overall, I feel I have made a great choice in investing in this camera as I learn more about photography. Luckily, the camera is easy enough to use that one can use it as a very large point-and-shoot, giving me the freedom to take great shots while learning about the more complex details.
Canon 40D -- What I like... What I don't like September 3, 2007
298 out of 316 found this review helpful
I was a long time owner of the Canon 10D which I quickly outgrew. Then, I upgraded to the 20D and have been using it for the past few years. I didn't think the 30D was a big enough step forward to warrant the upgrade. Going from the 20D to the 40D is a big leap forward.
Unboxing the 40D is about the same as the other two DSLRs I've owned. Manuals in both spanish and english, plus software for MAC and PC. I got the "body only" package as I already own the 28-135mm lens. That lens is just **ok.** and I really didn't want a 2nd copy. The battery is the bp511A so I can use the already charged one from my 20D. The strap is the same as the 20D. The compact flash memory is the same as well, so I didn't need to buy any new accessories to upgrade.
The first thing you will notice is the big display on the back. It's very nice compared to the one on the 20D. Although, I'm constantly afraid that my titanium rimmed glasses will scratch the screen. The screen is so much closer to the viewfinder compared to the little one on my 20D. I think I'll look for a clear film cover that will shield it.
The controls are very similar to the 20D/30D. However, they are moved around a bit. The menu structure is very different and it will take some getting used to. The first thing I thought of was my old 10D... and how simple it was just due to the sheer lack of features. The 40D has so many that it would be tough for a beginner to get used to them all. It might be good for beginners who are a bit techno challenged to buy a cheaper, used DSLR to get used to using a simple model... then sell it and upgrade.
The camera feels so much more solid than my 20D. The little motor that pops up the flash sounds really solid compared to the old 20D. Even the shutter sounds terrific. Very quick and quiet. The old 10D had a nice shutter sound as well. the 20D always sounded like thrashing metal to me. To contrast, the Nikon DSLRs have a slow sounding swish to them... this one is tight and quick. The camera feels about the same in my hand. Although the lines are smoothed out a bit compared to the 20D.
I tried out the live preview feature and found it annoying since I'm used to looking through the viewfinder. I think I would like it much more if this was my first DSLR as a conversion from a point and shoot where you typically only use a "live view." The LCD is viewable at a strong angle so the live view may be usable for when the camera must be held at odd angles away from the body... like over a stream or something. This camera is heavier than a point-and-shoot and you need your face to help you hold it steady. I found myself a bit wobbly when I was holding it out using the live-view feature. You'll need a high shutter speed to keep from getting shaky looking pictures.
So, what about picture quality?? It's a 10mp camera so the pictures are big. I have a workhorse MacPro tower and it has no problem working on the 10-12MB pictures that this camera produces (.jpg processing for now). I'm happy to say that the focus is spot on in all of my sample pictures from 4 different lenses (17-40 f/4L, 28-135 IS zoom, 50mm f/1.4, 100mm macro). The DPP software can be used to edit raw files if you choose to use it. It works pretty well and it was very speedy on my MacPro. You also get direct access to picture styles from within the computer software so you don't have to worry about setting it in camera. The pictures look very nice. The colors are very accurate. at iso100 the pictures are so nice and smooth. My 50 and 100mm lenses make the most buttery out of focus areas on this camera.
******ALERT******
as of this writing(9-2-2007), Aperture, Finder, Preview, Photoshop CS3 (ACR4.1), and iPhoto do not support raw image files from the 40D. This was the case with the 10D when I first purchased it and it took a few months for APPLE and Adobe to deliver updates. I'm sure Canon are working hard with vendors to get their updates in the works. The good news is that there are settings for RAW+.jpg so you can have both files when the software updates come through. If you don't like being on the "bleeding" edge of technology, then wait a few months before you plunk down the cash for the 40D.
***** ALERT UPDATE *****
As of 9-13-07, Adobe has released Camera Raw updated 4.2 which now supports the Canon 40D.
As of 10-26-07, Apple's Aperture and Mac OS 10.5 (Leopard) support Canon 40D raw files.
Picture styles are easily accessed from a dedicated button on the camera. They allow you to make quick sets for defining different picture taking scenarios. It basically does some basic post-processing work in-camera to save time later. It worked really well. I found that pictures even up at 1600iso looked usable for every day stuff (e.g. not blown up too big.). ISO can be set in 1/3 stop increments which is new for me. having iso250 just seems weird but it's actually very handy. Gives you the ability to really tweak the settings to capture as much detail as possible in a high dynamic range image (like a sunset, or a backlit portrait without fill flash). I haven't taken side-by-side shots yet but it seems like the images are more detailed with a wider dynamic range than the 20D. Maybe this is the 14bit image processing from DigicIII at work?
The camera seems more responsive than the 20D. The menu scrolling seems faster, file writing seems about as fast (probably a faster rate but bigger file).
One of the neatest features is the custom C1, C2, and C3 dial positions. You can set these up to "remember" camera settings for quick access later on. They act like the memory buttons on luxury car seats! Very handy if you take really different kinds of shots. I go back and forth from Macro to Landscape all the time so I can quickly dial in my base set and go from there.
The vibration dust remover might be a cool feature. I can't feel the camera vibrate or hear it working, which is nice. Apparently it vibrates for 1 second whenever the camera is turned on or off. I changed this setting so that it's only triggered manually by me. I figured I could just use it when I need it rather than have it going all the time. .
Another of my favorite features is the spot meter. The 10D and 20D never had this feature. Apparently the 30D does, but this one is slightly higher weight at the center point. I tried it out and it works really well in combination with the AF point selectors.
So what do I hate about the 40D? I really hate the Auto White Balance setting for indoor shots. You want to be sure to set the camera manually when you are taking the 50millionth picture of your dog. Otherwise it'll be all yellow looking. Canon, can you fix that please?? If you set it manually it looks great.
SInce I like to do available light photography I like to use mirror lock-up. I wish there was a button for that as do many other people.
Canon finally has the iso setting in the viewfinder so we'll give Canon props for that.
My last gripe is that the display screen could have a bit higher resolution. It's nice and big but could have a denser pixel set for really checking out your work.
Overall I'm sure anyone would be happy with this camera if you are willing to spend the time to learn how to use it. If you are a beginner, don't expect to take magazine quality shots on day 1. Wait at least till day 2 :-)
I must say that Nikon did come out swinging this time. The newly announced D300 is quite the camera. It will be interesting to compare the Sony CMOS pics to those produced by Canon. Had I not had a bunch of Canon gear already I might have given up the extra dough for the Nikon. Nikon (Sony) blues and reds always seem too punchy to me but that's just my personal taste. My good friend has a Nikon D200 and his pictures are just beautiful out of that camera. The Nikon D300 has some wiz-bang features but I'm not sure I would take advantage of them... nor do I think they will directly result in better pictures. Spend the $500 bucks you'll save on a photography class and you'll have more fun, meet more people, and be taking better pictures at 3 months than if you start with a really fancy camera that you can't figure out how to use.
I'm hoping Canon has been spending some time re-inventing as Nikon have over the last couple of years. The good news is that all of these cameras take good pictures; however, you have to know how to use them. When I pick up my friends Nikon is seems all foreign to me and I feel out of my element. He makes the same comments when he uses my Canon.
Check out lenses, too September 3, 2007
8 out of 57 found this review helpful
I have bought many Nikon cameras, and am in the process of switching over to Canon. Some of the Nikon digital bodies do compete with the Canon digital bodies, but Nikon seems to have given up on making good lenses.
Try to find a F1.4 or F1.2 in any focal length made by Nikon these days... The really nice 28mm f/1.4 AF Lens Nikon discontinued is selling for about three grand (used!) since they are hard to come by.
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