The 40D is another excellent camera produced by Canon. I have a 30D and a 1DMkIIn as well, so I know what a quality camera can produce.
The IQ of the 40D is at least the same as the 30D, if not slightly better in dynamic range and color accuracy. High ISO performance is about the same as the 30D, which is great considering the extra 2 MP's. Its new feature of the high ISO NR works great, good for about a 1/2 stop improvement in noise, while retaining the detail/sharpness. The extra 2 MP's is great for that little bit of extra cropping headroom needed in post processing. The AF speed, accuracy and consistency is slightly better than the 30D. All nine AF points are now cross sensors and the center is a high precision focus point for lenses f/2.8 and larger. The 40D's tracking ability seems to be a little bit better than the 30D as well.The faster frame rate is nicer to have and the shutter is quieter. The deeper buffer is really nice, 75 images +/- until the buffer fills. Won't need that too often, but its nice to know its there. The additions of the My Menu is very helpful to keep your 6 most common menu adjustments on one menu tab, for quick access and adjustments. The 3 Custom shooting modes on the main dial are a plus. I have one set for indoor shots, one for outdoor shots and one for flash photography. Also new is the addition of the red focus box showing up in the full 3" LCD screen playback image, not just in the reduced size thumbnail image next to the histogram. Also, the highlight alert shows up in the full size image on screen, not just in the thumbnail image. It also gives you both histograms (RGB and brightness) side-by-side. You get ISO values in the viewfinder and in the top LCD. Viewfinder is bigger and brighter.
The metering on the 40D seems to be a bit more conservative and accurate than the 30D. It is about 1/3 stop darker than the 30D, but this is mainly because Canon changed how they rate their ISO values. Where the 30D's ISO100 was really ISO125, the 40D's ISO100 is actually ISO100. So there's a slight change in ISO sensitivity between the two cameras. So far, the 40D has blown fewer highlights than the 30D in my typical realm of shooting, while preserving the details in the shadows and in the darker scenes of an image.
I don't care too much for Live View, since I don't do much macro photography, I don't see myself using it, as it also is a major drain on the battery. I don't care too much for the anti-dust shaker sensor either, as it really doesn't work all that well anyways.
The battery life on the 40D is about as good as it is on the 30D. I usually get about 2,000 shots per charge. My first battery charge on the 40D gave me 1,961 shots. But then, again, I use the 6.5 fps quite a bit, as I shoot alot of sports/action.
This camera is very easy to use and adjust. Weight is very solid and well balanced. Build is very solid. IQ is excellent. You really can't go wrong with this camera.
I rated Construction a 4.5 because I felt that this camera should have had more weathersealing than just the battery and CF card doors. The Pentax K10D has more weathersealing, and that camera is one year old already and costs less than the 40D. Canon should have done more here. I really would have rated this a 4.8, but this site only has 0.5 increments.
I rated Features a 4.5 because they should have included the micro lens adjustment feature from the MkIII. Granted, we would not need a memory size for 20 lenses. Memory for 6 or 8 lenses would have sufficed. This feature would save Canon alot of time and money not having to service 40D's and people's lenses that use this camera. I really would have rated this a 4.8 also, but this site only has 0.5 increments.
The 40D is definitely a worthy upgrade, not only for 20D users, but also for 30D users such as myself. I highly recommend this camera.
Problems:
Five problems:
1. Idiots like citidon, steve aero, bbdd and pirinchov for posting 1's and not even owning the camera, and even if they did, for not explaining the 1's. Just a bunch of mean-spirited trolls just trying to knock down the rating of this fine camera.
2. As mentioned above, no additional weathersealing.
3. As mentioned above, no micro lens adjustment feature.
4. The AF sensor should have had 13 AF points, not the same 9 points. The additional 4 points would have closed up some of the gaps between AF points, making it easier to track single moving objects against a homogenous background while using Auto AF Selection.
5. As for what's actually on the camera, my only gripe is the resolution of the LCD screen, or should I say lack of resolution. Canon should have either bumped up the resolution size to 307,000, just like the new Nikon D300 and D3, or Canon should have provided a better quality jpeg image version that shows up in the LCD. Although the LCD is bigger, brighter and more colorful, you cannot verify sharpness/focus with this screen.
One note of clarification regarding the resolution of the new Nikon D300 and D3. Some posters here have referred to its 922,000 pixels. That is completely inaccurate. The new Nikons have 922,000 DOTS, not pixels. There are 3 dots/pixel, so the new Nikons really have a screen resolution of 307,000 pixels, not 922,000.
The IQ of the 40D is at least the same as the 30D, if not slightly better in dynamic range and color accuracy. High ISO performance is about the same as the 30D, which is great considering the extra 2 MP's. Its new feature of the high ISO NR works great, good for about a 1/2 stop improvement in noise, while retaining the detail/sharpness. The extra 2 MP's is great for that little bit of extra cropping headroom needed in post processing. The AF speed, accuracy and consistency is slightly better than the 30D. All nine AF points are now cross sensors and the center is a high precision focus point for lenses f/2.8 and larger. The 40D's tracking ability seems to be a little bit better than the 30D as well.The faster frame rate is nicer to have and the shutter is quieter. The deeper buffer is really nice, 75 images +/- until the buffer fills. Won't need that too often, but its nice to know its there. The additions of the My Menu is very helpful to keep your 6 most common menu adjustments on one menu tab, for quick access and adjustments. The 3 Custom shooting modes on the main dial are a plus. I have one set for indoor shots, one for outdoor shots and one for flash photography. Also new is the addition of the red focus box showing up in the full 3" LCD screen playback image, not just in the reduced size thumbnail image next to the histogram. Also, the highlight alert shows up in the full size image on screen, not just in the thumbnail image. It also gives you both histograms (RGB and brightness) side-by-side. You get ISO values in the viewfinder and in the top LCD. Viewfinder is bigger and brighter.
The metering on the 40D seems to be a bit more conservative and accurate than the 30D. It is about 1/3 stop darker than the 30D, but this is mainly because Canon changed how they rate their ISO values. Where the 30D's ISO100 was really ISO125, the 40D's ISO100 is actually ISO100. So there's a slight change in ISO sensitivity between the two cameras. So far, the 40D has blown fewer highlights than the 30D in my typical realm of shooting, while preserving the details in the shadows and in the darker scenes of an image.
I don't care too much for Live View, since I don't do much macro photography, I don't see myself using it, as it also is a major drain on the battery. I don't care too much for the anti-dust shaker sensor either, as it really doesn't work all that well anyways.
The battery life on the 40D is about as good as it is on the 30D. I usually get about 2,000 shots per charge. My first battery charge on the 40D gave me 1,961 shots. But then, again, I use the 6.5 fps quite a bit, as I shoot alot of sports/action.
This camera is very easy to use and adjust. Weight is very solid and well balanced. Build is very solid. IQ is excellent. You really can't go wrong with this camera.
I rated Construction a 4.5 because I felt that this camera should have had more weathersealing than just the battery and CF card doors. The Pentax K10D has more weathersealing, and that camera is one year old already and costs less than the 40D. Canon should have done more here. I really would have rated this a 4.8, but this site only has 0.5 increments.
I rated Features a 4.5 because they should have included the micro lens adjustment feature from the MkIII. Granted, we would not need a memory size for 20 lenses. Memory for 6 or 8 lenses would have sufficed. This feature would save Canon alot of time and money not having to service 40D's and people's lenses that use this camera. I really would have rated this a 4.8 also, but this site only has 0.5 increments.
The 40D is definitely a worthy upgrade, not only for 20D users, but also for 30D users such as myself. I highly recommend this camera.
Problems:
Five problems:
1. Idiots like citidon, steve aero, bbdd and pirinchov for posting 1's and not even owning the camera, and even if they did, for not explaining the 1's. Just a bunch of mean-spirited trolls just trying to knock down the rating of this fine camera.
2. As mentioned above, no additional weathersealing.
3. As mentioned above, no micro lens adjustment feature.
4. The AF sensor should have had 13 AF points, not the same 9 points. The additional 4 points would have closed up some of the gaps between AF points, making it easier to track single moving objects against a homogenous background while using Auto AF Selection.
5. As for what's actually on the camera, my only gripe is the resolution of the LCD screen, or should I say lack of resolution. Canon should have either bumped up the resolution size to 307,000, just like the new Nikon D300 and D3, or Canon should have provided a better quality jpeg image version that shows up in the LCD. Although the LCD is bigger, brighter and more colorful, you cannot verify sharpness/focus with this screen.
One note of clarification regarding the resolution of the new Nikon D300 and D3. Some posters here have referred to its 922,000 pixels. That is completely inaccurate. The new Nikons have 922,000 DOTS, not pixels. There are 3 dots/pixel, so the new Nikons really have a screen resolution of 307,000 pixels, not 922,000.