Canon EOS-40D
 

http://crunchgear.com/2007/01/22/can...-40d-imminent/
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/digital-c...ant-230343.php
http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/digital...1983862,00.htm

Competition is good when companies are forced to release their latest products earlier than later.

Well, the 30D seemed a bit odd to me. It was no real improvement over the 20D and with the advent of the 400D the sales of the 30D must have plummeted, because most people mainly look at the resolution of a camera.

The 40D, however, looks promising. It probably will have the same CMOS chip as the 400D, including the sensor cleaning, and the faster frame rate and larger frame buffer of the 20D/30D. That might indeed tempt some 20D users to upgrade.

lol that didnt take long..

IMHO, If they use the same sensor that's in the Rebel, it'll probably dissapoint quite a few.

If they do in fact retain the APS sensor size, and they've made some serious advancements in noise processing (which is what they're believed to have done while the 30D announcement bought them some time) then they could give it a healthy bump to 12MP, and give it the same features of the 30D and a little more.

This would also ensure one more life cycle for the Rebel to advance to after 10MP.
Smart thinking.

Other suspicions are that it could be full frame.
Which isn't too far fetched given the intentions to migrate full frame down the chain as evidenced in the 5D, which is also due for a change soon.

If it is full frame, they'd have to cut costs somewhere to keep it below 2 grand.
Another thing that would move a lot of buyers would be the availability of a High speed crop feature to accomodate EFS lenses. In fact, I think they'd almost certainly have to incorporate this feature given the user base.

Either way, they're going to nibble into 5D sales, but if a successor to the 5D is announced soon thereafter then it really doesn't matter.

Hi all

It seems to be getting silly these days... a camera isn't out five minutes and they are already annoucing a successor...It's like Renault motor cars...

By the way camera resolution isn't the be all and end all.. I, in fact, chose the 30D over the 400D for the simple reason it is a more solid, pro camera, with controls and CF profiles almost the same as the EOS 1 film bodies I have and DCS3's I used previously.
Also if the average user keeps the crappy plastic lens that comes with the camera the extra res isn't really used fully...I prefer my 17-35 f2.8 and 28-70 f2.8 for quality of shot...

I did have a 350D, briefly, but hated the plasticy feel, and the horrible push-button controls nothing fell to hand right...I was for ever cursing it... the 30D however is a pleasure to use.

I couldn't afford or justify a 5D, but would probably have waited for the 40D had I known... Most of these cameras have more resolution than most people need or use anyway...

Cheers
Gareth

It would be well worth it if the rumors of an anti dust mechanism on the 40D is true. With the release of the Nikon D80 and yet to be released Canon 40D, Sony better give us a new Alpha. The Alpha is still an exceptional camera but it won’t be for long. They might as well release 2 versions, a 1,000 dollar Alpha successor and a 2000 dollar advanced model. Now that I think about it, the more advanced model should be called Bravo. As for Nikon, maybe they will show us a successor for the D200 to compete against the Canon 40D.

Well actually...I think Sony would name it Beta based on Alpha being the first letter of the Greek alphabet (alpha is the first letter...alpha is the first sony dslr). Personally I hate the Sony's, I was expecting good things, but played around with one for about a day and it was such a low quality peice of equipment for the money.

I'm holding off getting a second D200 body hoping another model comes out with less noise/more latitude, so I'd definately be psyched to here some news about that. The whole "dust-reduction" mumbo jumbo is starting to irritate me...take care of your equipment and you shouldn't need this feature. The 20/30D is not equal by any means to the D200...there are no Nikon/Canon models that compete directly against each other in my opinion. You've got two low-end Nikons and then two low-end Canons and then it goes back and forth...D80-30D-D200-5D-D2X-1DsMark II with the 1D Mark IIN being an 8MP speed-demon vs. the D2H being a 4MP speed-demon...its like tangarines vs. oranges --- plantains vs. bananas (somewhat similar but not really directly comparible)

Noah, I wholeheartedly disagree. Dust on the sensor is one of two things that I think are a real disadvantage of digital photography (the other one beeing data storage/safety). Granted, I use my DSLRs heavily, about 25,000 frames per year in adverse conditions (I shoot mainly wildlife in Africa and sports). After a four week trip to Africa the cameras always need a wet sensor cleaning, which is not for the faint-hearted (that's why I always have it done by a pro). I would happily trade a few million pixels for a reliable sensor cleaning device.

Yeah I guess for some people doing that kind of shooting its a huge benefit, but I can't imagine anyone shooting fashion, commercial, wedding, event, or portrait photography (for the most part) would really have to clean their sensor more than once a year. Sensors are only exposed to the elements when switching lenses and still they have the shutter to protect them furthur. That sounds like an awesome kind of trip! Did you go to Africa for vacation or do you shoot for National Geographic or something? I'd definately be looking for dust-proof sensors if I was shooting there!

No, it's not for National Geographic, but it's not vacation either. My wife and I are both freelance photographers and we market our pics mainly through photo agencies and submissions to magazines. So far this doesn't pay all the bills so I do some other things on the side (writing Aircraft Maintenance Manuals, for instance).

Our next trip is to Botswana, the Central Kalahari and the Okawango Delta of course. Very few opportunities to charge the batteries of the cameras and the data storage devices, so there will be loads of batteries and CF-cards in our (excess) baggage.

Sounds like an awesome trip! I think I'm gonna need to save up my vaction time for the next couple years and take a trip like that! :)

Update
 

Apparently, Amazon.com had put up pages for the 40D, 1Ds Mk. III and a wide angle lens? Saw it today on Ken Rockwell's site (August 19, 2007):

http://kenrockwell.com/tech/00-new-today.htm

heath

Sony... Beta...
Sony... Beta...
Sony... Beta...


Where have I heard that before?

Canon Australia have got all the details up on their website (www.canon.com.au) no specs or prices on the 2 new lens though (better IS, but too slow with just f4.5/5.6).

This decision is getting to be a pain in the arse, I was about to order a Nikon D200 in a day or so - really like it, but new job prospect would require a Canon (they have fast, expensive Canon telephotos they'll lend me). Wouldn't have bought the 30D I don't think, didn't come close enough to the D200, but this 40D is the extra step up.

Doubly frustrating because I had my heart set on not being just another Canon shooter, but that 6.5fps and the all-magnesium alloy body are tempting... but then Nikon seem to have the upper hand in lens offerings at the moment (not in the telephoto end of things though).

Decisions, decisions.

canon 40d
 

Speed and control. The high performance digital SLR for creative photographers.
· 10.1 Megapixel CMOS Image Sensor
· DiG!C III Image Processor
· 6.5 fps (up to 75 in a single burst)
· 9-point AF
· ISO 100-1600 (expandable to 3200 via Custom Fctn)
· Spot Metering
· Live View Mode
· Picture Style Modes
· EOS Integrated Cleaning System
· 3.0" LCD Screen
A 10.1 Megapixel Canon developed CMOS sensor and DiG!C III Image Processor combine to deliver superb image quality with low noise and natural colour. Key new features include the EOS Integrated Cleaning System and Live View Shooting (with AF capabilities). With the ability to capture up to 6.5fps in incredible 14-bit colour, the EOS 40D is the only option for the enthusiast photographer.

Outstanding image quality

-10.1 megapixel Canon-developed CMOS sensor captures superb image quality with low noise and natural

High Performance Features

-Digi III Acting as the brain inside the camera, this chip produces unsurpassed detail & 14-bit colour
-9-point AF for ultra sharp images. You can manually select on of the 9 points to ensure correct focus
-Capturing 6.5 fps with the ability to capture an incredible 75 shots in a single continuous burst

Be more creative

-Live View Mode Just like a compact camera, you can hold the 40D away from your face and still clearly see what you are shooting on the 3.0" LCD screen

Clearer Vision

-On the huge 3.0" LCD Screen
-Picture Style allows you to customise the look of your images with modes such as monochrome and landscape

Canon 5D might be great for you, Mark.

heath

ps-Official on the 40D: http://kenrockwell.com/canon/40d.htm

and the 1Ds Mk. III: http://kenrockwell.com/canon/1ds-mk-iii.htm

heath

Is that because the type of camera you use determines the value and quality of your photographs?

Or are people who use Canon simply more average because Canon sells more cameras than anyone else?

:)

Frankly speaking, I don't care about all new features. All I want is to allow me take at least one million shot with my nikon d40 camera. I am worried about my d40 can't take any shot anymore everyday because I took around 40,000 shots by using the camera for four months. It should be covered by 12 month warranty. I hate that feeling.

I can't imagine any camera not lasting a long time if you take care of it. Someone put the strap on my D40x camera wrong, it came apart and fell to the brick sidewalk (who lays bricks down for sidewalks in South Florida?!). I had a small dent on the back corner, but it still worked! And this was two hours after I received it!

I should probably send the camera in to get it checked up, just in case. But the D40x still works!

heath

5D has a lot of appeal Heath, especially since I tend to prefer shooting wide-angle over telephoto, and from what I can make out most of the wides needed for DX cameras are somewhat compromised by the extreme focal lengths needed due to the 1.5/1.6x multiplier. Because this new job prospect is shooting sports they expect me to use a "fast" camera body - whether they consider the 3fps of the 5D "fast" enough, I don't know.


Just a niggling desire to be different Dylan! From what I could tell the 30D is a bit faster focussing than the D200 which could make all the difference shooting sports (I don't know, haven't shot sports before) I just find a strange appeal in the idea of being the one bloke in the stands without a big white lens on the end of my camera... it's a personal quirk, I have nothing against Canon shooters, I just prefer to be different if I can. :)

The 40D will make a welcome addition to my 5D... it offers new options only available on the higher end MKIII's so I've got the best of both worlds, plus a backup if need be.

My buddy bought a 20D in 2005, our mutual friend bought a 30D in 2006 and now, 2007, it's the 40D. SHEESH!

I swear, the megapixel count in DSLRs, along with the crazy features in low-cost HD/HDV camcorders remind me of the computer wars in the late 1990s/2000 when megahertz was king.

heath

5D and 40D would be a killer combination! Throw a nice wide-angle lens on the 5D and make the most of the 1.6x multiplier of the 40D with a good telephoto zoom - assuming you were willing to lug both cameras around, you'd be covered for just about everything (with no need for lens swapping!). I can see the same appeal with a combination like the new D3 and D300 from Nikon.

I just purchased the 40D last weekend and have to say that it is great. I've seen a lot of comparison shots with the 40D vs 5D and a lot of users (of both) are saying that they are close to even. There is talk of a new 5D model coming soon though.

I was originally settled on the 5D and saving for it when the 40D was released and the comparison shots were trickling in. Compared to the 30D (which I deceded against getting when it was released), the 40D is exactly what i was looking for. I never really considered the XTi because of the small plastic body. Tried all 3 at the store and the XTi was just too small for my hand (and I'm a girl!)

I am really diggin' the "Live View" for extreme positions (like when the cam is on the ground or close and i cant look through the viewfinder). The sensor cleaner is nice, the MP is nice, overall a great camera and I'm 100% glad I picked it up instead of the 5d that was $1000 more. I can use that $1000 for glass now.

Hi Lisa,

Any of your 40d photo to share?

Regards
Leigh

Mark -
I would suggest that you're probably not expected to show up with fast bodies so much as it's recommended because they will give you a better chance of getting peak action than slower bodies will. But timing's everything, and for some people 10fps isn't enough... for others (David Burnett), 1 frame per 5 seconds is enough to hit things on the dot. Shoot what you choose to shoot, and when you learn the response of your camera, it's your instinct more than your motor drive that will help you nail it.

Just FYI, the 5D vignettes pretty badly on even a 16mm lens. I too like shooting wide, but I felt that even with great lenses, the difference in quality between my 1DMKII's wasn't worth the sacrifice in speed and interface. I sold my 5d, and am far happier now with my additional 1's.... though I'll probably get a 40 for underwater and additional long lens use.

And as for being different, in the sports photo game, that's about the worst thing you could ask for. Its a lot easier to get help troubleshooting or loaners from colleagues that use the same gear as you. Need a 400/2.8 for a couple minutes to snap that portrait you need for deadline? Probably a lot easier to borrow one from the guy next to you than to go searching around. The majority of pro shooters and photo departments wholesale dumped nikon a few years ago with the 1DMKII, and I can't find a single person who regrets it, or is considering swapping back. For hobbyists, the brand decision is a tough one because there are so many good options out there. For pj pros, you basically just need to pick which Canon you want.

IMHO Nikon still makes decent stuff (with noisy sensors), but the lack of a contingency on-site isn't worth the "different" factor. I have leant out many things to coworkers over the years, including one of my MKII's today to a friend who took a hard spill on his camera and needs to send it in. Plus, CPS (Canon Professional Services) is absolutely fantastic, SPRINT to your mailbox once you get a camera to enroll. They'll even lend you lenses to try if you need something special for a day, or think you're gonna buy one but need a test drive first.

http://darkdragon.smugmug.com/gallery/3572923#203025332

Note that what's up there as of right now was taken with the stock lens (28-185mm) on the first day of owning the camera. I hope to get better photos this weekend, now that I'm starting to learn my camera more.

That is quite cool animal ;-)

Can you post original photo from the camera?

TIA

Regards
Leigh

The original JPG doesn't look very good (my fault, not the cam), and I don't want to post the original CR2 file. But, just so you know - the lizard photo (if that is the one you are talking about) is a crop of the original, white balance set in Adobe Camera Raw, unsharp mask used in Photoshop CS3, saved as JPG.

The 4x6 prints look great from this camera (from the JPGs, haven't tried printing anything from the raw files yet).

LOL!!! And we will be hearing it again and again for a long time, I'm sure. Week before last, I was shooting on one that had to be 20 years old, so far.

I'm kinda partial to Nikon D40x since I own one, but Canon EOS-40D is great camera.

Of course, I would be partial to the brand I alerady own. To get a Canon now, when you already have a Nikon, would mean you couldnt use any of your present lenses, accessories, etc. Switching brands is almost never worth the pain of the changeover.

I read somewhere that there's an adaptor to stick Canon lenses on Nikon cameras, and possibly vice versa. Anyone know of that?

Heath

There are adapters Heath, but you generally lose AF and often metering as well. And with all these new lenses that don't have aperture rings on the lens you often can't adjust your aperture either.

Unless you're using manual lenses, I get the impression that the adapters are not particularly useful.

Thanks for the heads up, Mark. I think I'll stick with one camera and its lens system. Though I can only use AF-S lenses (where the lens handles autofocusing vs. higher-end models) on my Nikon D40x, most of the lenses I buy are modern, and if I move up to a Nikon D300, I can use the same lenses.

If I use an older lens, I can simply manually focus it, no sweat. Other high-end Nikon cameras will handle most older lenses that can do autofocus from the camera.

heath