Canon EOS 40D 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Excellent price & service. Only minor complaint is the packing from Amazon was less then perfect. Packed in a large box, but camera was packed in one corner of box, all padding was off 2 the side. Coming from a 300D & 10D, this camera is a big improvement! I highly recommend the 40D with all the discounts available right now.

The quality of the pictures is amazing. The more I use it, the better, the picture. There is so much 2 learn, but that is what makes this camera so fun 2 use. Very easy 2 learn on.

Great camera! Perfect the advanced amateur & the beginning professional. A great camera 2 grow with as well. the camera is managed by buttons on the back rather than an involved menu. Hence it is easier 2 learn & easier 2 make adjustments while shooting. I upgraded from the 20D & it was worth the price of admission. With the introduction of the 50D, prices on this model came down. the bigger LCD is great & so it the option 2 magnify an image before moving on.
I would highly recommend this camera.Canon EOS 20D 8.2MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

I have owned this camera since June 2008, prior 2 this shot with Canon's PowerShot G2. So my review is based on upgrading from an old but still very good point & shoot camera with manual controls 2 a modern SLR. Since there are obvious difference between the two I'll concentrate on some of the features I like: Custom setting (C1,C2,C3) & the My Menu setting.

The 40D has a multitude of options available, highlight recover, iso noise reduction, mirror lock up, bracketing, live view, etc... but generally you don't need all of these options all the time, that's where the custom setting function comes in handy. Swapping between different shooting profiles is as easy as turning the dial.

Another feature I like is the My Menu setting as you can put your "favorite" menu items on this page giving you quick access 2 them as some of the settings are a few menus deep in the system.

Learning how 2 use the 2 features above 2 your advantage makes the camera that much easier 2 use.

What can I say about the Canon 40D that hasn't already been written in dozens of photography magazines & web forums? Probably not a whole lot! LOL!!! If you are seriously considering this camera, chances are you are already familiar with the brand if not the model by now so I will just highlight the things I've found useful & the things I have found annoying about this camera (and YES, there are some things I've found annoying).

First let me say that 4 a "mid level" DSLR, the piece of equipment is, as my review title states, a serious work horse. Having stepped up from a Canon Rebel XT, which was a great DSLR in it's own right, I was quite impressed with the quality, both of the camera itself & the images it creates right out of the box. My first gripe however is that after using my XT 4 a while, I found the 40D 2 be rather bulky & cumbersome. If you are just stepping up 2 a "pro" level camera from something like a regular point & shoot or if you are like me & simply have small hands (or as in my case, both!), this is something 2 be aware of. The best analogy I can give is 2 be used 2 driving a small compact car like an old Chevy Chevette & suddenly finding yourself behind the wheel of a '56 Buick Roadmaster! It's large, it's heavy & it feels rather awkward. Personally I also find having the info LCD on the top of the camera instead of the back of the camera 2 be...well...stupid. I really don't like having 2 stop & "tilt" the camera upwards just 2 read my settings. There is a button on the back 2 use the rear screen 4 this, but it's an extra step 2 have 2 do it...I thought the lay out of the Rebel XT was much nicer in this regard.

Now as I said, the image quality this camera produces makes the annoyance of the camera's size & poorly placed info LCD well worth dealing with. Even with my "cheap" third party lenses, the images that have come off this camera have been superb. I've cropped images at close 2 100% that have still been very printable. Also I shoot in mostly Aperture Priority mode & I've found the camera 2 be pretty much right on the nose most of the time. Speaking of crops, another thing 2 be aware of is that this camera does have an APS-C sized sensor (NOT full frame) so there is aprox a 1.6x crop factor involved with the lenses. Not a complaint mind you, but something 2 be aware of. Please note however this IS just a crop & not an actual zoom factor...and there IS a difference.

And speaking of "IS"...this leads me 2 my second gripe. If you are already familiar with Canon, then you should know by now that they have not yet started 2 incorporate IS or "Image Stabilization" into their DSLR's the way many of the other camera makers have. As such, you usually have 2 pay a great deal extra 4 this feature as most Canon IS lenses are rather expensive. In fact with the exception of a couple of recently introduced EF-S models, Canon IS lenses start around $600 & the sky is the virtual limit compared with many other brands with many of their lenses costing several thousands of dollars.

All & all, this is a great camera but it's not "perfect" in the way some Canon aficionados would have you believe. Another minor gripe was that moving up from my XT I had 2 purchase new spare batteries all over again as the "Rebels" & their higher end counter parts use different batteries...even though both are Li-ion. The same is true of many of the accessories as well...I had 2 get a new remote, the vertical grips aren't compatible, etc., etc.. If you already own a Rebel, this is something 2 be aware of as you'll have 2 replace all of these accessories that you've already shelled out cash for!

Now after reading this I'm sure you're asking, "With all these issues, is it worth it?" & the answer is yes. I've gotten shots with this camera that simply would not have been possible with anything else I've ever owned (digital or film). The focus is fast & accurate, I've had no compatibility problems with any of my lenses (although I do have one fussy flash unit from ProMaster that still won't work with it) & once you get used 2 it, this camera has a lot of very useful features, such as Highlight Priority, etc.. If you already own Canon EOS gear (remember, this bugger won't work with FD equipment) then it's a very worth while upgrade considering the price drop. If you don't need the high ISO's of the new 50D or the full frame wonders of the 5D Mark II, then the 40D is a wonderful investment & should serve you well 4 many years.