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October 24, 2007
[ REVIEW—CANON EOS 40D DSLR ]
Price: $2800 with EF-S 17–85mm lens
A fine camera gets better
The low-down: This 10 megapixel digital single lens reflex has several evolutionary improvements over the EOS 30D, including the extra two million pixels, a larger LCD screen and what is called “live view” function. Live view is using the LCD screen as the viewfinder with the mirror locked up. The camera can be tethered through a USB to a computer and operated from the PC using the supplied control software. The LCD is now 75mm. Burst speed has been increased to 6.5 shots per second. There is a highlight tone priority setting that extends the dynamic range of images. The camera body is beautifully made and is heavy. Ergonomics are average for a DSLR. Battery life is good and Compact Flash is the memory medium. There is automatic dust removal at camera start-up and switch-off. The EF-S 17–85 image stabilised kit lens is acceptable, focussing quickly but exhibiting distortion and chromatic aberrations.
Like: The picture quality from the CMOS sensor and image processor is smooth, film-like and noise free even at high ISO settings. Dynamic range is as good as it gets, with detail well preserved both in highlights and shadows. The mechanical refinement of the controls and the mirror/shutter is luxurious.
Dislike: The larger LCD is a low resolution affair, with 230,000 pixels, compared with nearly one million on the Nikon D300 and the Sony A700. This diminishes the usefulness of live view and also affects picture review. And there is no auto-focus assist lamp for focusing in the dark. The flash pops up and fires a few times for focus – very crude.
Verdict: This is a fine camera with worthwhile advances on its predecessor. Canon has dominated this segment of the market for DSLRs between $2000 and $3000, but now faces stiff competition. The Sony A700, the Nikon D300 and the Olympus E-3 are coming soon, which means four superb cameras to choose from in the price range. Camera shops have already discounted the 40D to around $2600, so expect some serious price cutting.
[ There is a collection of sample images from the Canon EOS 40D in the Gallery ]
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Posted by terry at October 24, 2007 11:00 PM
Worth Checking Out
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Comments
Having just bought one of these cameras I must say that I completely agree with your assessment. I was however, surprised to find chromatic aberration in the lens, but such is the joy of Lightroom you see things others might miss.
I have also enjoyed the pics in the gallery. Have you tried to print a colour correct pic from the camera using the RAW files and the Canon profiles in Lightroom? Good luck to you if you can, though that is probably a Lightroom issue as Canon,s DPP works fine.
Posted by: Peter at October 25, 2007 11:51 AM