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There are a lot of comprehensive reviews out there on this camera, so I'm not going to go into the kind of detail that they do. I suggest you do a Google search if you are looking for this type of review, or just go to Phil Askey's DP Review website for perhaps the most thorough evaluation on the web. But I did want to share with you what a working photographer has found using this camera in the field. First, a disclaimer or two. I buy my stuff, just like you do, and don't get any special treatment from Canon. Second, even though I've been shooting for over 25 years, I guess I'm a bit of a strange duck as pros go, because I've never owned a camera that has been considered a "pro" body. I've always purchased near the high end of what is now called "prosumer" bodies, and have put my money into good glass instead.
Like its predecessors, the Canon 20D and 30D bodies, the 40D certainly blurs the line between "prosumer" and "pro" in several ways. First, it is built extremely well, much better than consumer cameras. Second, the auto focus system is an improvement over its predecessors. Third, at 10+ megapixels, this camera delivers images truly stunning and versatile images, and despite the fact that Canon crammed two more megapixels on the APS-C sensor, the image quality not only hasn't suffered, I believe it is an improvement over its 8 megapixel predecessors. And fourth, high ISO images are not only usable, they can be outstanding. Build and Reliability I don't baby my equipment. Most of the time it isn't even in a camera bag, but is bouncing around in my pickup truck, or being lugged along on canoe trips or to a blind in a marsh. In other words, you probably don't want to buy a used body from me, at least if cosmetics are important. The XXD series bodies, with their magnesium alloy construction, seems to be as tough as any camera I've ever owned. Six months in the field now at the time of this writing, the 40D continues to operate flawlessly. This camera has been cold soaked at -20 F, and still operated just fine, though battery consumption increases (keep a spare warm in an inside pocket!). I've also had this camera out in much wet weather, on rugged wilderness canoe trips, in duck blinds and on boats, and I've not had a problem. While Canon did add some weather sealing to the battery and compact flash card compartments, this is not a weather sealed body. That said, no body I've ever owned has been weather sealed, and I've taken them into the worst field conditions imaginable without problem. Weather sealing, though nice to have, is one of those features that I believe is highly over-blown in importance. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it! Beginning with the 30D, battery life improved dramatically, and the 40D is even better than the 30D. It uses the same battery as its predecessors, which is great for those of us who already own a bunch of these. Auto focus and Frames Per Second I shoot a LOT of action stuff -- mostly wildlife, some of which, like falcons, are traveling at extreme rates of speed. The 40D will nail them (provided I'm doing my job, don't have the shakes from too much coffee, etc.!) time after time. Canon claims it has increased the frames per second to 6.5 from 5 in the 30D. Frankly, I'm not sure that the 40D quite lives up to that claim. Six frames per seconds is probably more like it. Where the real improvement shows is in the autofocus accuracy. I never had any complaints about the accuracy or speed of the autofocus on previous 20D or 30D bodies, and when I heard that Canon had improved those functions on the 40D, I thought it wasn't a big deal. While the improvement isn't so great as to knock your socks off, there is improvement, especially when focus points OTHER than the center one are being used. According to Canon 40D white paper, "the newly-developed AF sensor with 9 cross- type AF points greatly boosts AF performance, improving both AF detection precision and extreme-defocus subject detection capability. AF sensitivity is now EV -0.5 to EV 18. All AF points work as cross-type points at f/5.6 or better. Both vertical- and horizontal-line sensitive focus detection thus works with any AF point for stable focusing. High-precision AF is attained with fewer AF failures with hard-to-focus subjects. Also, with the sensor pitch reduced from 16μm to 14.4μm, detection performance is more accurate. In sum, the newly-developed AF sensor has appreciably higher performance than the EOS 30D's AF sensor." And I'd say that their claims are largely true. But if you're expecting DRAMATIC improvements in speed (locking on a subject) you'll be disappointed. Where the big improvement is in accuracy. I immediately noticed a higher yield of "keeper" images on fast moving subjects, and those keepers seem sharper. That's a pretty subjective opinion, I realize. Weren't all my previous keepers sharp? Yes. But there's sharp (usable/saleable images) and SHARP (as in "wow, that's impressive!"). The 40D yields a much, much higher percentage of the latter images. Pixel Count and ISO Noise Any time you cram more pixels on a sensor, without increasing sensor size, you run the risk of actually degrading image quality. I loved the quality of images the 30D produced, and so was worried that the 40D, with its increased number of pixels, would fall short in this department. I need not have been worried. If anything, image quality in the 40D is an improvement over the other XXD bodies. Here's how Canon explains it: "Although the EOS 40D’s single-piece CMOS sensor is based on the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi’s sensor design and manufacturing technology, new processes were incorporated in the CMOS semiconductor fabrication and microlens-forming process. By improving light-collecting efficiency, the same ISO range and low noise (S/N ratio) as that of the EOS 30D were attained even though the pixels on the 30D are larger. Following its appearance on the EOS-1D Mark III (in tandem form), the EOS 40D also uses Canon’s latest image processor, the DIGIC III. It retains the DIGIC II's widely admired image detail, natural colors and high speed, while providing 1.7 times faster signal processing speed.
The analog output signal from the
imaging element is converted into a digital signal with 14 bits (16,384
colors) per channel instead of the previous 12 bits (4,096 colors). The
result is digital data with finer gradation. With RAW/sRAW images
recorded at 14bits, one can use Canon DPP (Digital Photo Professional)
software to process and save the image as a 16-bit TIFF image. This
yields the maximum range of colors afforded by14-bit processing. Also,
because images recorded in JPEG (8 bits per color) are alsogenerated
from 14-bit RAW data, there are fewer blown highlights than before and
gradation is excellent. Even in the case of highly saturated subjects or
subjects with high contrast and clear differences between light and dark
features, high quality color
When compared to the EOS 30D, the
image quality of the EOS 40D is appreciably better. Resolution is now
higher, with approximately 10.1 megapixels versus the 8.2 megapixels of
the EOS 30D. Image quality is higher because of the DIGIC III and 14-bit
image processing. Noise reduction of high ISO shots, first offered on
the EOS-1D Mark III, is enabled via C.Fn II-2. Highlight Tone Priority
(ISO range 200-1600*), makes gradation Ok, that's a lot of tech-speak. Suffice it to say that the Digic III sensor delivers astounding images on this small sensor. Color, sharpness, saturation and contrast are, in large part, a function of what Picture Style or other in-camera settings you use (when shooting in JPEG mode -- RAW allows these things to be changed after the fact), so apple to apple comparisons are difficult unless you are using the same settings on the 40D that you had on a previous model. And that's exactly what I've done, since I tend to reduce in-camera sharpness and saturation because I like to be able to control these things in Photoshop. Though the changes are subtle, I believe the 40D produces images with better saturation and contrast. There are two custom functions that you should be aware of that I've found perform admirably. The first is high ISO noise reduction. While this isn't a new feature to Canon bodies, the version in this camera works far better. While enabling this will reduce your burst rate substantially, when light requires you to shoot at ISOs higher than 800, it is well worth the price in reduced FPS (I've found that you can shoot about 6-8 frames before the capture rate slows down dramatically). I've taken many images at 1000, 1250, and even 1600 ISO that are, well, just gorgeous. In the past, I've always hesitated to send images shot at high ISO to my clients. No longer. These images are more than just passable. They are great. The second custom function is the Highlight Tone Priority. Originally requested by wedding photographers to help provide a wider gradation from grays to whites while photographing brides in their bright, white wedding dresses, I find this feature quite useful for several nature photography situations. The white flashing undersides of wings are no longer blown out. A bald eagle's white head now has detail that wasn't there before. Photographing on snow? Wonderful detail is retained. This is a great custom function, and if you own a 40D and haven't tried it yet, I strongly suggest you do. Another useful feature is Auto ISO, which can be enabled in the Creative modes. This feature initially sets the ISO at 400, and will automatically adjust up in 1/3 stop increments to 800 ISO to preserve reasonably fast shutter speeds to reduce camera shake. It will also adjust up or down, even to below 400 ISO, to keep you from under or over exposing a subject. This feature really works quite well and is a nice tool if you're photographing subjects that may be moving from bright areas to dark areas and back. That said, don't rely on it too much if you're doing action photography. Like shooting in the P mode, the camera program is trying to provide a balance of aperture and speed, and that shutter speed may not be fast enough to stop really fast moving subjects.
Other New Features The 40D boasts "Live View" which means that you can use the rear monitor to compose a shot in real time, like all point and shoot digital cameras. This is not a feature I've found particularly useful for my work, but I can see where it would be a real bonus for those who shoot portraits, shoot product images (you can tie it to your computer and use the computer screen) or for producing web content images. For those of us in the wildlife business, I can see where it would be of use in shooting close-ups or macro photography, though I've not yet played with it. In addition, the LCD screen is now larger and brighter, though not significantly so from the 30D. However, if you own a 20D or earlier model, you'll be astounded by the improvement. The viewfinder, by the way, is larger and brighter than the one found on the earlier XXD bodies. A nice touch... Menus are far easier to navigate and more user friendly, using the "tabbed menu format" first introduced on the 1D Mark III. Two battery grips are available for this camera, including one that has wireless connectivity for backup, external drive, or remote control of Live View. One of the most useful new features for my job are the new Custom Modes. In addition to AV, TV, etc. on the Mode Dial, you now have C1, C2, and C3. These are customizable modes that make it easy to quickly switch camera settings. Think of them as sort of a tape recorder. You set up your camera (everything from ISO, other modes such as AV, exposure compensation, ISO noise reduction or not, etc.) then tell the camera, in the menu, to record and then always use those settings when the dial is set at one of the Custom modes. I frequently shoot birds on the wing. I like to have a fast shutter speed, a particular ISO, and a degree of exposure compensation, center-only focus point, etc. And I want the camera in AI Servo mode, and in high speed burst. But while out shooting birds on the wing, I may have a subject land, or spot some other subject, that requires more of a portrait or landscape setting, with greater depth of field needed, no exposure compensation wanted, and a different focus point or mode. Consequently, I can set the camera up to record both of these broad use settings, record them as C1 and C2, and with a flick of the mode dial, be able to change instantly, without having to go into the menu or push a lot of other buttons. As you can imagine, this is a truly useful function. The 40D also has Canon's Integrated Sensor Cleaning System. I was very skeptical that this would work as advertised, but honestly, it is remarkable. In the six months, I've only had to clean the sensor once. That's incredible, because I often shoot in dusty, windy conditions, and needed to clean the sensor at least monthly on the previous XXD bodies. Sensor cleaning is neither difficult or time consuming, but it also is something that I'd rather not do. Even though I've done it a zillion times, there is always that nagging feeling that I might somehow harm the sensor. This new feature greatly reduces the number of times I need to clean the sensor, and that's a good thing no matter how you look at it. There are other changes and improvements over the 30D, but the ones I've mentioned are those that I've found most significant and useful. Your shooting style and subject matters may be different, and you'll likely find some of these features less useful, and others more useful. Suffice it to say, that this camera can do many things well for a variety of applications. Which brings me to one last point... Is The 40D Suitable For Professional Use? Yes, the 40D is a rugged, feature packed camera well suited for professional use. In fact, Canon's 40D White Paper recognizes that this camera will indeed be chosen by professional photographers. In that paper they state: "The 40D is a camera that will appeal to a vast range of photographers from advanced amateurs to working photojournalists and wedding photographers." I would add that this camera will be very popular with wildlife photographers shooting the Canon system. As you probably are aware, the smaller APS-C sensor provides an approximately 1.5x field of view "crop factor" that changes subject framing to make it appear as though the focal length of the lens is increased. A 400mm lens, used on a camera with the APS-C sensor, frames the subject as if it were seen through a 600mm lens (actually Canon uses a 1.6x crop factor which would equal 640mm lens -- Nikon uses 1.5x which equals 600mm). In any case, this is a feature I've grown to like, as have many other wildlife photographers. Canon does not, at this time, offer a "true" pro body with this size sensor. The 1D line uses a 1.3x size sensor (400mm x 1.3x = 520mm -- a significant difference from the XXD framing of 640mm). Canon seems to be on the "full size" sensor bandwagon, and that's fine. But it would be great if they moved their 1D line to the APS-C sensor. That said, the 40D has the features needed for pro work, a body rugged enough to withstand it, and a price that is less that is nearly one third that of a 1D body. Frankly, I also like the smaller physical size. The pro bodies have a built in "grip" that makes them much heavier, and much larger. The XXD series allows you to add a grip if you want, but gives you the option of not using one either, which makes stashing them in a pack, or carrying them, less difficult and lighter. For the kind of work I do, I much prefer the smaller size and lighter weight. Yet it is bigger and more "sure handed" than the Rebel series. Would I recommend this camera? Absolutely. There is no question that it is an improvement over the 30D, and worth the upgrade. While I've never subscribed to the pixel wars mantra that more pixels are better, I have to admit that the larger resolution this camera delivers makes my images more desirable to my clients, as it gives them more "room" to work with as far as cropping goes. The image quality is outstanding. The camera is compact, rugged, and packed with features. It has just about everything a working professional photographer needs. Yet its controls are laid out intuitively, as are the menus, making it as easy to use for a beginner as most point and shoot cameras. Would I recommend it over a similar Nikon or Sony body? That depends. Both companies are now making cameras that compete, maybe even beat, the 40D for about the same amount of money (maybe less). I will say this -- most people are going to stick with the company that makes the bodies that match the lenses they already own. I'm a Canon shooter. I'm not going to take it in the shorts financially by trying to unload Canon lenses to switch brands, and frankly, if I ever did that, I would only consider switching to Nikon. Sony still has a very limited assortment of lenses for their system, few of which are professional grade, and after market lenses just aren't an option. Only Canon and Nikon have a line up of lenses that a serious or professional photographer needs. And both have -- wisely -- stuck with image stabilization in the lenses. In-body image stabilization still is not as good as that designed for an individual lens, and I doubt that it ever will be. I may be wrong, but I just don't believe that a body will ever be able to adequately stabilize a super-telephoto lens. There's just too much mass and inertia involved with these big lenses for in-camera stabilization to overcome. So...if you're buying a new system from the ground up, take a look at Nikon's offerings. But if you're a Canon shooter, it is my honest opinion that you will not be disappointed with the 40D. It is a remarkable camera for the money. Compared to what we were using a few years ago, it is a technological leap forward.
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