Canon EOS -40D

Value (8.75)
The Canon EOS 40D retails for $1,299 for the body and $1,499 when an EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens is included. The price is fair. The 30D originally retailed for $1,399 for the body only, and the 40D makes several marked improvements over its predecessor: more resolution, larger LCD screen with live view, faster burst mode, ISO 3200 extension, dust removal, and a few weatherproofing features. Granted, this is a year later and since the 30D’s release, the market has matured; there is more competition this year than last. The DSLR prosumer market is no longer solely dominated by Canon and Nikon. Fujifilm, Panasonic, and Sony all have formidable alternatives within a $100 of the 40D.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters – Point-and-shooters can easily adjust to the 40D. Canon has included a set of automatic modes (Basic Zone), six preset scenes, and a Live View LCD to ease the transition.

Budget Consumers - Professionals on a budget will find the 40D as friendly on their wallet as any for its capabilities. First time SLR owners, however, may find its sticker price a bit steep for experimentation.

Gadget Freaks – Canon added some newfangled gadgetry to its well-aged design; the 40D drops sRAW files, Highlight Tone Priority, Live preview, an Integrated Cleaning System, and two Drive motors. We’re not sure if that’s really enough to satiate true gadget freaks, however.

Manual Control Freaks – There’s plenty to twiddle on the 40D, with full manual control over exposure, ISO, focus, white balance, and image size/quality. This Canon also carries Picture Style settings and a range of custom options to tailor the interface and rendering properties to the shooter’s personal preference.

Pros/Serious Hobbyists – Like the 30D, there’s sure to be a number of professional shooters who opt to make a living off the 40D. At $1,299, it’s an economic alternative with outstanding image quality – ultimately what this constituency demands.

Comparisons
Canon EOS 30D – This DSLR is a bit lighter but the measurements are about the same. Compared to the 40D, the 30D has less resolution and a slower 5 fps Burst mode. It also has a smaller 2.5-inch LCD screen although the 230,000-pixel resolution is the same. The 8.2-megapixel 30D has the same exposure modes and settings though, for the most part. There are a few minor differences, such as the 30D’s 100-1600 ISO range that doesn’t have a 3200 extension. The Canon EOS 30D has an older Digic II image processor, but still produces accurate colors and excellent dynamic range, along with great noise control. The body originally retailed for $1,399 but now sells for about $1,000.


Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro – This DSLR is very similar to the Nikon D200 and is designed for wedding and portrait photographers. It has post capture Face Zoom, along with excellent performance: low noise, great 12.3-megapixel resolution, good colors, and impressive dynamic range. The S5 Pro has an 11-point autofocus system and a slower 3 fps Burst mode. The camera body is bigger and accepts Nikon’s Nikkor F-mount lenses. There are no Scene modes, but there are three "film simulation modes," similar to Canon’s picture styles. The Fuji S5 has a 2.5-inch LCD screen with a live view and 230,000-pixel resolution. It is compatible with CF and Microdrive media but has a weak 400-shot battery. The S5’s body sells for about $1,600.

Nikon D300 – The D300 spruces up the specs with 12.3 megapixels and a 6 fps Burst mode that moves even faster at 8 fps when an optional battery pack is purchased. The autofocus system has 51 points along with an interesting focus tracking mode. Nikon introduced picture control settings similar to those on Canon DSLRS: standard, neutral, vivid, and monochrome are included on the D300. It has a 3-inch LCD screen with two live preview modes and superior 920,000-pixel resolution. The Nikon D300 has a bigger and heavier body with an optical viewfinder that has 100 percent accuracy, as compared to the 40D’s 95 percent accurate viewfinder. The Nikon D300 has a dust reduction system that shakes grime off the image sensor and a Nikon F-mount for Nikkor lenses. This DSLR retails for much more at $1,799.



Panasonic Lumix DMC-L10 – This DSLR is the second release from Panasonic; the first was the overpriced 7.5-megapixel L1 that retailed for $1,999. The L10 improves upon the resolution with 10.1 megapixels and puts the price at a realistic $1,299. It comes with a face detection system that recognizes up to 15 faces at a time and throws in a few Scene modes to appeal to point-and-shooters who are stepping up from compact digital cameras. The Panasonic L10 has a 2.5-inch live view LCD screen with sub-par 207,000-pixel resolution, but the monitor folds out from the camera body and rotates 270 degrees. Like the 40D, the L10’s optical viewfinder is 95 percent accurate. The L10 has a 9-point autofocus system and a dust reduction system to keep the Four Thirds image sensor clean. The L10 has an unimpressive 3 fps Burst mode. The body is much lighter weighing in just over a pound and accepts SD, SDHC, and MMC cards rather than CompactFlash like most DSLRs. The Panasonic Lumix L10 comes with a Leica 14-50mm lens. 

Sony α DSLR-A700 – The Sony A700 has 12.1 megapixels and comes with a $1,400 price tag for the body. It has an 11-point autofocus system and a hand grip that activates the autofocus system when touched. Along with its slew of manual controls and settings, the A700 includes 14 "creative style settings" that sound similar to Canon’s picture styles with options like "vivid" and "autumn leaves." The Sony A700 is weather resistant and comes with a 3-inch LCD screen that has ultra-smooth 920,000-pixel resolution. It does not have a live view like the Canon 40D. The A700 has a slower 5 fps Burst mode. There is a dust reduction system included along with built-in image stabilization. High definition output is available with an optional cable, and the camera accepts CF and Memory Stick Duo media.