Comments on: Canon EOS 40D 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera Body

By: E. Martin

E. Martin — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:41:35 +0000

Great camera, sturdy, reliable, and easy to use
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I upgraded to this camera from a Rebel XT. I debated for a bit after the 50D came out whether I wanted to spend the extra on the 50D instead of the 40D. I eventually decided to go with the 40D and save the extra money. Overall, I couldn’t be happier with my purchase. The camera is very well built and solid as a rock in the hands even with a big heavy lens on it. I like having the larger size grip area even with my small hands. It makes me more able to control for camera shake. The controls are easily accessible in hand but take some adjustment if you are moving from a Rebel series camera up to the pro-sumer models like the 40D and 50D. The 3.0″ LCD screen is a dream. The histogram features are also very convenient for metering and white balance adjustment while shooting. The noise reduction is very effective and dramatically reduces the noise for high ISO shots. The camera itself is a very sturdy build, much more so than the rebel series cameras, which makes it a much better choice for photographers interested in wildlife or other outdoors photography where the potential to drop or bang the camera around increases. I find that the in camera metering is sufficient for about 95% of the shots I take. Periodically, I have to break out my light meter to get the shot that I’m going for, but most of the time the in camera metering is excellent. The 40D is nothing short of a machine gun at 6.5 fps which makes it wonderful for wildlife photographers and sports photographers alike. The battery life on this camera is also fantastic. I can take this camera out in the field for an entire day of shooting and not have to change out the battery even with my 100-400 IS lens attached with the IS on all day long. For those of you who are concerned about the weight of this camera, it is heavy. I prefer to have a heavier stronger camera body, but if weight is a serious concern, then I would highly recommend you look at the Rebel XS or XSi. Optically they are similar to the 40D, but lighter. Canon’s website offers details on the specs for each camera. The rebel series cameras, however, don’t have nearly the shooting speed of the 40D, don’t have the 40D’s excellent high ISO performance, have less battery life, and are much smaller and less durable. If these concerns aren’t a big deal to you, then the XS and XSi may be a better choice.

I couldn’t be happier with my purchase, especially since the 50D is so much more expensive and with bells and whistles that I did not need. My recommendation to anyone debating between the 40D and 50D is to do your homework and think long and hard about what you’d like to be able to do with your camera before purchasing it. The 50D has some really nice features on it that make it superior for some, but if the extra features are not needed, save your money and go with the 40D. You will not be disappointed! It is a great camera, and is at a great price as well.

By: Marc Ian D. Zubiri

Marc Ian D. Zubiri — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:52:55 +0000

Good camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a good product. I own one. I used it for shooting landscapes and travel. I bought this item because it suffice my need for shooting this type of photography. It has a good built and its perfect for my hands. Since I’ve been shooting in extreme conditions this is perfect because of its build. I also love the dial because I can easily navigate to my photos and swith to different menus. I like the 6 frames per second its fast enought for sports photograpy. For its price I highly recommend this camera you won’t regret it.

By: K. Stephens

K. Stephens — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:45:10 +0000

Outstanding quality
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The Canon 40D is an amazing camera for the money. So much better than any point-and-shoot on the market, but yet does have auto features on it that do the same. This camera is really not for beginners unless you have the time and patience to concentrate on learning and practice, practice, practice. I shot over 900 pictures to achieve the best results in one particular set of parameters before I was satisfied. But once achieved, WOW. What particularly caught my attention about this camera is that they separated the menu selection buttons onto a round wheel you turn, rather than those frustrating right/left/up/down selector buttons on almost every camera body…”I have always hated trying to push the edge of a wheel without pushing the middle button.” That easy-to-use menu selection system really sealed the deal for me. Another big deal was the Image Stabilization is in the lens and not the body. That means that what you see in the view finder is exactly what you get on the picture. If you find the view finder is too close to the display and your nose is squashed, I purchased an eye-piece 0.5″ extension and removed the lens pieces before I attached it to the camera, thus creating an extended hood without reducing the image in the viewfinder. I am so happy with this camera and would have spent more for it. Enjoy.

By: Adam Stackhouse

Adam Stackhouse — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:16:12 +0000

Solid!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is one of those few cameras that makes a brand. Folks will be comparing this to future cropped DSLR’s for years to come. Don’t bother with the 50D unless you plan to buy L lenses.

By: V. Vesselov

V. Vesselov — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:13:38 +0000

Best camera I ever have!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Grate camera. Take grate pictures. Freands borrow for sum time and get one for themselfe. I am trilled!

By: Eric Slay

Eric Slay — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:10:19 +0000

Great camera.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This camera has been my alternate camera (from my 5d) from the day it was released and it is still going strong. I use it because of the 1.6x multiplier to get more reach with my telephoto lenses and also for the super-fast 6.5 frames per second.

The only complaint I have with this camera is the screen seems to have a color cast. Now that I'm used to it, I don't pay too much attention, but when I first used it I thought I was blowing out all my shots.

All in all, it's a great camera and is a perfect compliment to my full-frame 5d mark II.

By: Hinrik Örn Sigurðsson

Hinrik Örn Sigurðsson — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:38:42 +0000

Great quality and usability
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
When I got it, this was Canon's top camera in the ~$1000 range (now replaced by the 50D). The next step up is the 5D series in the ~$2500 range, a bit too pricey for me.

I upgraded to the 40D from the 400D. The most noticable differences are that it's bigger, heavier, more rugged, has some weather sealing, has more controls, and has an extra LCD on top. All these things are good. I am male and have somewhat large hands, so I really like the ergonomics of the camera. I couldn't stand holding the 400D without a battery grip while the 40D feels just right without one. The extra LCD and buttons on top of the camera are really useful for quickly adjusting the shooting parameters.

It has great image quality, low noise, and lots of features. Check out other reviews and/or read the specifications for more details.

The biggest limitation of this camera, in my opinion, is that it only displays lower-resolution versions of the photos on the LCD, making it useless for checking sharpness and focus accuracy. This is important when low depth of field is involved or when you're concerned about camera shake. The 50D displays the full-resolution image while also having a higher-resolution LCD, though I'm waiting for the 60D before upgrading, in hopes of it having video functionality.

So, I heartily recommend the 40D, though you should probably go for the 50D, or wait for the 60D.

By: Michael Sharp

Michael Sharp — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:15:57 +0000

BEST CAMERA YOU CAN UNDER $1000
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
i upgraded from the canon XS if you can, do it…. !!!

I don’t agree when they say the XSI or the newest Canon is great I would rather have this faster 40d hell its like a mini mark II.

Don’t spend your money on the so called features of those beginner cameras just get this one or higher model like 50d some on etc. you will not be disappointed at all. Its a little heavy and big but its takes fine pictures / beautiful pics.

By: KJB

KJB — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:10:13 +0000

Great camera Great price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is the second 40D our family purchased. The new 50D is out and the 60D will be coming out soon. This was the only place I could find the 40D still for sale and the price was right. A refurbished 40D on Canon’s web site was the same price with only a month warranty. This one was new with a year warranty and $250 less than I paid for my daughter’s a year ago.

By: Amol Kumar

Amol Kumar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:27:33 +0000

Awesome camera, all you would ever need
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Hey,

The 40D is probably one of the best semi-pro DSLRs out currently (Aug 2009)… well as far as Canon goes. It is not over-loaded with megapixels, like the newer version. I actually bought it, when price had dropped to about $800. When the 50D came out, a lot of people complained that the newer 50D was very noisy (I don’t know if that’s true). But, because of the negative reviews on the 50D, the 40D price jumped back up, to about $1100. I’m glad I got it, while the price was good. Honestly, think that 10 megapixels… maybe 12, is about the max; mostly because after that, the image size starts taking up a lot of space, with very little gain. With this 40D, (10mp) I can get a decent crop and still enlarge to 16×20 without problems.