Why I'm not dissapointed with the 40D

I like to think my expectations are grounded both by what I feel I really need (and would use) and by the knowledge that this is engineering, not magic. Seriously, does anyone really expect:

16Mps, 10fps, iso3200, wifi, bluetooth, GPS, 4" screen, weather sealed, stablised, dustproof, strong as a tank, light as a feather, printer shaped print button for ease of identification, built in bounce flash, physically adjustable sensor size (think folding solar panels like a satelite), lifetime warantee, compensation scheme for OOF images...

all for $300 and the salesman better dam well smille as he gift-wraps it for me?

Yet as sure as eggs become omelettes, I expect the forum to fill with groans of disapproval (admittedly from a small contingent) when the ficticious do-it all now in an xxD camera isn't released.

I have a 20D and this is how I would LIKE to see it evolve:

Similar shape, feel and weight.

8MP - (I'll accept 10 at a push, to keep the gadget boys quiet, but only if noise is controlled. Any bigger than 10 and it will have to be FF please)

Bigger brighter viewfinder

Quieter (much quieter) shutter

Better AF/MF: perfomance AND control of.

Bigger brighter screen - low power

Built in bounce flash, like the Leica

Improved metering

Built in enhanced bluetooth

Colour bitmapped screen (instead of LCD) for top window

Replacement of the basic zone modes with something useful, anything really.

Fingertip controlled slecting of AF/Metering/iso/Bracketing through the viewfinder.

So why am I not dissapointed with the 40D/6D?

Because my 20D is an awesome camera.

If even a couple of my wish-list features make it into the successor (along with the existing 30D improvements) then I will have an upgrade path for when I want it.

If not, I still have my awesome camera to play with today.

Win win

Why do I need these enhancements? See for yourself:

http://homepage.mac.com/miller.a/EFS60/

-Najinsky

Seeing those improvements being put into the 40D, or whatever it will be called, would be great.

But I am loving my 30D, just as your are loving your 20D. Since my 30D is relatively new, I bought it back in October, it will be a while till I decide to get a new DSLR. As long as every sequential canon upgrade takes the lense, and future lens investments, that I own, and eventually will own, then everything is fine with me. Upgrading my camera techinique is more important than getting an upgrade.

So by the time I need to upgrade, we will be probably be hearing about the 90D and whatnot. haha!
--
http://tednghiem.smugmug.com . My smug for your mug.

--
http://www.cvrk.com/indexe.htm

many people who seem to complain about 40D (or whatever) specs (speculations) are 30D (or sometimes 20D) owners, who say "it's not so much an improvement, 8 to 10 MP is not big deal, I will not rwplace my 30D".
But I think they're not supposed to.

Yes perhaps few people will upgrade from 20D or even 30D (I guess that someone who did not miss to replace any camera since D30 even exists, I mean , something like D30 to D60 to 10D to 20D to 30D to ?).

Yet more likely, to me, Canon expects to attract 10D, D60 D30 and rebel upgraders.
For a 10D owner, like me, the supposed 40D could be a real upgrade.

Najinsky said:

I have a 20D and this is how I would LIKE to see it evolve:

Similar shape, feel and weight.

Click to expand...

I don't know how 20D feels like, but the 10D is great

Member said:

8MP - (I'll accept 10 at a push, to keep the gadget boys quiet, but
only if noise is controlled. Any bigger than 10 and it will have to
be FF please)

Click to expand...

When canon released the 20D I was disappointed because I feared that stuffing 8MP instead of 6 in a 1.6x sensor would have increased the noise.

It was the opposite (at high ISO at least), so I would not be concerned about 10 MP, I think Canon knows how to keep noise at bay.

Member said:

Bigger brighter viewfinder

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Oh yes please, please, I miss it so much (in comparison to film SLRs)

Member said:

Quieter (much quieter) shutter

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Oh yes please, please, at least not noisier than the 10D one

Member said:

Better AF/MF: perfomance AND control of.

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Better AF VERY important, I can't do MF

Member said:

Bigger brighter screen - low power

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No big deal to me

Member said:

Built in bounce flash, like the Leica

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The built in on mine 10D is broken, that makes me feel like a 5D user ;-)

Member said:

Improved metering

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Wouldn't hurt

Member said:

Built in enhanced bluetooth

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?

Member said:

Colour bitmapped screen (instead of LCD) for top window

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I don't care

Member said:

Replacement of the basic zone modes with something useful, anything
really.

Click to expand...

I shoot M 99.9 % of the times (too lazy to switch to Av or Tv usually)

Member said:

Fingertip controlled slecting of AF/Metering/iso/Bracketing through
the viewfinder.

Click to expand...

?

--
RIccardo BIANchi (equipment in profile)
(english is not my 1st language)
http://www.riccardobianchi.it

A lot of people would really love to see the ETTL flash metering improved so that it does what it's supposed to do with regard to ignoring specular reflections in a scene while in the "evaluative" mode.

Evaluative mode for ETTL is really nice - except that it is useless if there's anything reflective in the scene. So you end up switching to average mode and then you're back to about the same level of "smarts" in your auto-flash exposure that we had with the "auto thyristor" flashes circa 1975.

People who have used Nikon's flash system and then Canon's frequently complain about how bad Canon's is. I've gotten used to Canon's system and get decent results, but only thanks to twiddling the FEC a LOT when shooting and constantly checking the histogram to see what's happening.

And that brings up another few niceties I'd like to see. How about a + or - five stop range for FEC and EC? That'd be cool And maybe a programmable custom "zero point" for FEC and EC? That way, instead of using +2/3 stop of FEC as my baseline for all flash shooting, I could adjust that "zero point" in a buried menu and then, for me, zero FEC would give me what I want to see as an average setting?

I'd also really like to see some "custom recipe" settings on the main dial so that we could program every possible camera setting into one easily selectable custom mode. That way, a person could switch between their favorite group of settings for "indoor" to their favorite set for "outdoor" and be able to shoot, for example, a wedding reception or party with great ease, going back and forth from inside to out with a flick of the top dial. You could eliminate all of the basic zone positions of that switch and replace them with "C1, C2, C3, etc." to bring up your own custom setting sets.

Oh, and if we can have all of those other things you've mentioned, that'd be dandy as well

Meanwhile, as you say, my 20D is capable of a LOT more than I am so I'm pretty happy as it is.

--
Jim H.

It is unreasonable to expect all the features available on similar and lower level competitors cams at a similar price? Maybe with a few additional improvements over the 3yo tech of the 20/30D?

--
Keep photography wild.

I think you're quite right - the 20/30D (I've got the 20D) is a great camera, and definitely sufficient for my needs. And I think you're right that many of the people that complain just complain for the sake of specs - darn fine camera whether its a 20D or 20D with minor improvements.

I will be disappointed over a lot of the small things that could've been implemented, but haven't. You've listed many of them already, and I've got a few of my own, and for the most part, they're minor improvements that could definitely be made (and are already available on some competitor's cameras). Sure a 10MP isn't any worse, but if it's not significantly better, why release another version in the first place? To keep up with marketing, I suppose, but otherwise, even for older D60, 10D, etc. users, what would they gain upgrading to a hypothetical minor-improvement 40D that they couldn't gain by upgrading to a 30D, or even a 20D?

I would like to see:

1. Even better high ISO performance, i.e., 2-stop improvement -- 40D ISO 3200 == 30D ISO 800 or in-body IS -- both would be heaven, but I don't think Canon will do that, at least, not for a long time
2. Better viewfinder
3. Auto ISO

4. Add 2-second self-timer option where the mirror goes up at the beginning -- some other cameras have this and I find it very useful when I don't have a remote release with me
5. Quicker, easier access to mirror lock-up

1. 3, #4, and #5 are trivial firmware changes. Canon should do #2 also since Pentax and Nikon have been able to do it.

--
Henry Richardson
http://www.bakubo.com

Henry Richardson said:

5. Quicker, easier access to mirror lock-up

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I'd like to see a purely mechanical button for mirror lockup. One that for instance, we could manually lock up slowly and not even have to worry about vibrations because the mirror locks up too hard. Additionally, I think it'd make for useful "blind" shooting - quiet settings like theater or other performances where we already have the shot framed just fine, but just need to take the shot without making such a loud mirror slap

for most parts, the 40D is litle too late,.....
the 30D was not enough , so when the 400d with the dust buster showed up,
I liked the idea to reduce the dust in studio use, and have a bigger buffer,....
the low end body, just did not do it for me,... waited,waited,....

recently checked out the a100,K10d with the buildin IS,... though that would be very usefull,...

IS lenses aside,... 70-200 to long in studio,. so was waiting for the 50-150 sigma to show up,...

that would be perfect,... yes the 28-135 is there and the 28-105, but I want an 2.8 or better with IS,.... if possible,... 8mp ok, 10mp a litle incentive, don't need more thant 400 iso,...

so far no easy choice, the minolta/sony glass especially with zeiss, is expensive,

and so far they only have a low end body,.... wait again,.... pentax k10d, sounds resonable, usable, lens prices not cheap but not overprices, but availability a problem,... so far I think canon has great lenses, and happy with it,

but think a lighter setup with buildin IS is hard to beat, love my 20D , still waiting till mid march,

to flip a coin, who knows, it might be the 40D if I could my hands on it, its hard to argue with your hands,....
cheers, Robert

--
http://www.RobsPhoto.com

Najinsky said:

Fingertip controlled slecting of AF/Metering/iso/Bracketing through
the viewfinder.

Click to expand...

Get a P&S. Bright 100% viewfinders and many show metering mode, iso, etc. around the edges of the LCD.

Well you did have a smilie so you probably know what I'm getting at, but just in case...

* * *

• o *

* * *

Here's 9 AF points with centre selected. Using the grip hand, apply a little (customisable) pressure with the middle finger. Selection moves a column to the right (wrapping at the edge). apply a little pressure with the ring finger, selection moves down 1 row. Any AF point is now only 2 finger(s) gestures away.

Not saying specifically this, just easier more intuitive control of the vital functions while shooting without having to take they eye away from the finder.

-Naj

ribian said:

Najinsky said:

Built in enhanced bluetooth

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?

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Enhanced bluetooth is a low power high speed wireless cable. By itself it isn't anything. It's an enabling technology that allows you cable free connect and interaction with other bluetooth gadgets, for example:

BT GPS for location data
BT Mobile phone for sending pictures
BT Wireless flash firing
Synchronising multiple cameras to fire at once (or offset a-la-matrix)
Send Contact data from BT PDA/Phone into the Exif (contact card)
Wireless pics from cam to PC

etc etc etc

ribian said:

ribian said:

Fingertip controlled slecting of AF/Metering/iso/Bracketing through
the viewfinder.

Click to expand...

?

Click to expand...

see:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1019&message=22154617

Regards,
-Najinsky

Why not 12.8 mp full frame, and the ability to switch to 8mp 1.6 crop mode?

Then you could offer a 12.8mp ff camera with the ability to use EF-S lenses, as well as offer extended reach with zooms while saving on file size for large JPG and RAWfiles.

Given that Canon knows a lot of people upgrading from rebels, etc have invested in EF-S lenses it would make the transitio to full frame easier and more cost effective. It'd help encourage a lot of photographers to make the switch.

sbushman said:

Why not 12.8 mp full frame, and the ability to switch to 8mp 1.6
crop mode?

Then you could offer a 12.8mp ff camera with the ability to use
EF-S lenses, as well as offer extended reach with zooms while
saving on file size for large JPG and RAWfiles.

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, you wouldn't be able to use EF-S lenses, because they wouldn't fit into the lens mount (the rear of the lens would smash into the mirror). Other crop lenses from Sigma and Tamron would work though, I think.

sbushman said:

Given that Canon knows a lot of people upgrading from rebels, etc
have invested in EF-S lenses it would make the transitio to full
frame easier and more cost effective. It'd help encourage a lot of
photographers to make the switch.

Click to expand...

A good idea, except for full-frame making the camera much more expensive. It would be a good idea to simply add onto the existing full-frame, however.