Canon EOS 40D

Very fast and responsive (the main reason for upgrading from my EOS 350D). Many, many features plus ability to customise and retain own settings. Lens is brilliant - certainly worth the extra over the standard lens.

Rather heavy and cumbersome but certainly robust. Get a lens hood. Needs expensive software upgrade to get most out of new RAW format.

Ease of use, controls are generally of a good size and have a positive feel. The grip feels secure in the hand because of the texture of the finish, which makes you confident you aren't going to drop it. Balance and feel are better than my old T-90. The displays both outside and through the viewfinder are informative and clear. Auto-focus is fast and reliable - manual focussing is easy with the supplied screen. Metering is spot-on. Colours are well presented, if slightly warm under certain lighting conditions. The kit lens has a real quality feel to it. The zoom is silky-smooth and the image-stabilising works very well.

The kit lens is a bit slow f4-f5.6. I'd have liked a faster one, but can't afford it at present.

Fantastic feature set. Very good AF performance - much better than my 30D (which I'm keeping). Nice viewfinder - better than the 30D. The best Canon DSLR you can buy that will still take EF-S lenses, of which I have three. Great price and getting better over the weeks since launch. The only reason I gave an 8 for ease of use, rather than 10 is that it has so many features that there is a lot to get to grips with but the truth is you can't have simple use with a complex feature set. In many ways the camera deserves 10/10 across the board, for the performance it offers at this price point, but if it was perfect there would be no need to get a 1D MK III so ultimately I have to mark it down because I know Canon can do better (at 3-4 times the price). Nonetheless, this camera is a bargain and deserves 10/10 for value now that the price has dropped.

Image quality on out of focus areas seems grainy - certainly not as good as my 30D. I think 10MP on a 1.6X cropper was a mistake. It is a real shame that marketing takes priority over technical excellence.

Easy to use, even for a relative novice. Nice weight, feels as if you have a professional camera in your hand without being too heavy. Produces excellent images nearly every time. Highly recommended.

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Huge array of functions, and highly customisable too through custom function settings. AF-ON button is a useful addition for those that like "back button focus". I was especially impressed that the AF-ON and the "*" (AE-Lock) button can be swapped so my battery grip BG-E2 (for the 20D) can still be used with back button focus (as it lacks the AF-ON button). 3-inch LCD is excellent. Continuous shooting has two speeds (6.5fps and 2fps). The mode dial has 3 custom positions to which you can register shooting configurations. Autofocus is fast and accurate, particularly with USM lenses. The camera supports direct printing and live view although I haven't tried these yet. CF write speeds are quick (I use Sandisk Extreme III cards). Feels very solid and likely to last a long time. I am absolutely amazed at how much functionality the camera offers and just how customisable it is.

Nothing really, this is an awesome camera. Marked down slightly on ease of use but only because the feature count is so high. If you're considering as a first D-SLR you might be better off with something like a 400D which is still feature-packed but probably easier to get to grips with for beginners.

The Camera work as it should and is as fast which when photographing my grandaughter horse riding the images were very very good. The camera is easy to use if you are a Canon person and the lens lived up to its expectations. All in all the camera is doing the job I purchased it for.

None to date

Larger easier to read screen in sunny conditions.Good build quality with improved water resistance. Fast start up time. Easier to download onto computer.17-85 lens with stabilisation good. Camera feels right.

After 350D controls seem complicated although with use they are logical. Not quite "point & shoot" as the 350D but a good step forward.

Great camera !!! Really sturdy, with easy navigation (knowing when to use the Main Dial or the Quick Control Dial is important). Great image quality (stupendous in good light conditions) especially for a non full-frame sensor, really good performance at high ISO levels, pleasingly low shutter sound, very fast - both when focusing OR blazing away at 6.5 fps - as my Biggin Hill Air show pictures would testify. 3 custom modes, 14-bit colours.. In short, some piece of work !!! Really proud to own one (For a slightly heavier price compared to consumer models, you get much more in this prosumer).

Hardly any.. Maybe its just me, but the white balance adjustment for Incandescent light can be a bit of a struggle, the auto does not seem to have as yet worked great for me... Apart from that, maybe Live View does not focus that well... and at times, the autofocus seeks for too long, though is generally very fast... I was tempted to give it 10/10 for IQ, but maybe need to shoot many more manual frames before being absolutely sure...

I bought the 40D as an upgrade to my 400D. The first thing you notice is a huge improvement in the feel of quality. The 400D always felt a little plasticy but the 40D is a much classier machine altogether. The image quality in average conditions isn't hugely improved over the 400D but it when the ambient light fades and you are forced to raise the ISO that the improvements start to really show. There is far less noise and a much sharper image on 400 and 800 ISO. The next big improvement is the shooting speed on continuous mode. The 6.5fps is a great help when shooting sports photography as opposed to the 3.5fps of the 400D. The screen is also far better giving a much sharper image making it easier when reviewing your shots to see if you've got your focussing spot-on or not.

One down side to the 40D is the weight. If you're used to a smaller camera then the 40D can feel pretty tiresome if you're using a big lens for a while. I've also found the operating menu a little hard to get used to but then I'm still trying to swap between the two cameras which doesn't help.

The 40D has excellent handling, and is extremely responsive. Image quality is as good as it gets for a 1.6x crop sensor. Auto focus improvements, the 3 inch LCD screen, live view, the 6.5 frames per second capture, and a host of other enhancements make this an excellent product. There are very few things I can think of to improve this camera - those that I can think of are comparatively minor.

Whilst an excellent camera, there are a number of small points that would have made it even better, though probably more expensive. Flash mastering (similar to Nikon's CLS), a button for mirror lockup, and a higher resolution LCD would have made this camera awesome. However, of the the features that it has, there is nothing to complain about.

Bright large LCD screen, great shots at slow shutter speeds with the IS lens, I found dials and buttons easy to use. Battery life exceptionally good.

Nothing found to really irritate me yet.

Great semi-pro type of camera, well build with easy access to functions. Good software.

Kit lents quite poor on low and high endgs, a little bit blurry pictures at crop when sharpness set to 0.

Build qaulity is good, looks good,ergonomics are better than other models easy access to controls. Live view for macro photography and composition of subject matter is a lot easier, use of thirds at the time of the shoot saves time in developing RAW images.

The most infuriating item on the camera itself is the on -off switch, its to small and close to the rear screen and there fore difficult to control and feel it may not stand the test of time. This for me is most annoying, and detracts from the overall qaulity and build factor.

Build, weight and size - you can feel the quality, but it is still comfortable to hold and carry Superior DIGIC III processor (as used on the 1D MkIII) - excellent noise reduction, great colour reproduction A real step up from the entry-level DSLRs, even if there's seemingly little different pixel-wise from the 400D to the 40D Big LCD LiveView (ability to use the LCD to compose and focus the image before it is captured) Top of body LCD, great when you're using a tripod Quick access to many settings from top of body buttons Takes EF and EF-S lenses, so can continue to use any EF-S lenses you might have whilst still getting a more 'pro' body.

No cover for the LCD - have to use stick-ons if scratching a concern No increase in pixels even though launched just before the 450D, perhaps to stop it being more of a competitor with the 5D Still no built-in Image Stabilisation - have to buy expensive IS lenses if you want this Size - if you are used to a 350/400D, this is a lot bigger - you may need a new camera bag! There is probably enough here to move from the 300/350D but maybe not from the 400D (though I did and I'm happy with the slight image improvements and better build) Unless you've made a significant investment in EF-S lenses already, you may want to consider saving up a bit more and getting the 5D instead if you are looking for 'pro' features. If you're moving up from the 300/350/400D, the 40D takes a whole different set of accessories (batteries, remote, etc.) that you'll have to think about whether to replace or not

Large screen on back of camera, high pixels, lovely quality as always

Can only use back screen when in manual mode.

Having upgraded from an EOS 300 (35mm), I was amazed at the functionality of the EOS 40D. Most functions can be customised, making it a very powerful camera. Despite being 'only' 10.1Mp, the picture quality is superb, thanks mainly to the superior CMOS sensor. The EOS 40D feels very solidly built. I bought the camera with the 17-85mm EF-S lens - it is quiet and quick to focus

Parts of the manual can be pretty difficult to follow - I would recommend a 3rd party guide in addition

Excellent image quality and low noise even at high iso. Very accurate exposure metering, both underexposure and blown highlights uncommon. Very good build quality. Very fast start up time and focusing. No perceptible shutter lag. Easy to use menus. Good software included in the price. Built in Japan.

Rear LCD screen fairly low resolution. I had dust on the sensor despite it having in built sensor cleaning and very few (careful) changes of lens.

Easy to use and takes fab. pictures

Exposure control and multi point focusing Robust and solid feel Autofocus fast and quiet With a very comprehensive menu there is not much you cannot do with this camera I have lenses that range from 10mm to 300mm with some overlap. Excellent results.

The reality of moving from a high end compact digital camera to full size DSLR means you also have to think about your photography. I used to have a 35mm SLR (OM2 SP) for around 10 years and then moved to compact cameras, then into digital photography with high end compact camera's. These return excellent results for simple snaps largely because of the processing and intelligence in the camera. Buy a DSLR and while it can also do some of these things you are buying it mainly so you have full control. What you don't realise is now you have to work and think to take a great picture. The camera does not compensate for you. Something you don't realise when you switch back into serious photography having left it 15 yrs ago. Not a fault with the camera, but something that we may not think about. Anyway no regrets on purchasing decision.

Grip and balance. Speed of focus.

Power switch a bit fiddly especially with cold fingers.

If there's anything you can't do with this camera, it's probably not worth doing, but the automatic and preset modes mean that you can also just start snapping.

None that I can find.

Feels great to hold. All the features are logically and intuitively laid out. A great upgrade from a starter DSLR offering pro features and quality.

I have read some reviews that mention negatives, but all conclude positively. I think you would have to be hyper critical, as it is a great camera at a fantastic price.

Image quality is excellent for this class of camera, the colours are very accurate and need little post processing. (I shoot RAW). Live view, larger viewfinder with ISO displayed are also welcome. The new menu is more like the 1 series and is easy to use. The shutter sound is much quieter and 6.5 fps means that it is a very quick camera. Overall I am very pleased with it.

The LCD display does not have enough resolution to check the focus or sharpness of images. I have got used to this and can now usually work out if the image is ok, but still it's a bit disappointing. Noise levels at high ISO are pretty good but not as good as the 30D which seems to handle the shadow areas in low light better. I also prefer the feel of the 30D, it is just more comfortable to hold (personal)

Very well built and lots of options to customise. A very affordable and well built camera at a good price. Anyone thinking to upgrade from 400D should instantly feel the difference. Picture quality is excellent.

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Good build - nice feel in the hands. Bright viewfinder. sensor cleaning. Good image quality. Good Canon lenses tend to be a bit more affordable than the competition. Loads of custom options. Spot meter. Removable focus screen.

Not much.

Image Quality, Speed to start, high speed winding, number of features

Number of features takes some time to get to get grips with

Well featured camera. Lightning-fast, accurate autofocus. Great image quality. Well built, solid feel.

As a consequence of the build quality it is quite heavy.

Excellent image quality. Easy and comfortable to handle (big improvement on my 350d). Sturdy construction. Speed!

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Brilliant screen. Much better menus than the 20D and 350D. Live view is a bonus when using on a tripod. Nice weight and balanced when using 17-85IS. Not too heavy with Canon 100-400IS lens. Will be my primary camera from now on.

None that I have found yet

The ergonomics of this camera are wonderful with all the most used functions coming easily to hand whilst in use the camera seems to fits like a glove. Allied to the excellent build quality and resultant photo images this camera has star quality.

Not exactly a lightweight camera when being carried around all day but that is the price for build quality.

it comes with a great macro - to medium zoom lense

i had to trade in my first one as the body stopped working after 3 weeks but the issue was solved in minutes by jessops staff when i took it in to be examined and i recived a brand new camera and lense

I have always had a Canon EOS and was looking for a body to go with the lenses I already had. I have not been disappointed - this digital SLR lives up to the expectations I had and even goes beyond it with some of extra features. I love this camera!

It's a little on the heavy side which is a bit of a challenge when you are travelling on a flight with only hand luggage.

Excellent image quality, particularly noise control. I can get much more usable images at much higher ISO settings than I could with my previous 20D. Built in sensor cleaning might also prove to be a big bonus, only time will tell. Excellent build quality with better weatherproofing than my old 20D.

None at all.

Improved AF, good High ISO noise reduction, impressive FPS. Live view is also capable of being run remotely via computer which is excellent for night time work. Stellar work is now also feasible with the 14bit sensor.

3200 ISA is only good for print, not screen. sRAW is pointless and weather sealing needs taken seriously.

The 40D is very easy to use. I upgraded from a 300d and the controls were similar enough that the transfer was painless. The additional functions, such as live view (especially through the lap top!) are fantastic. The camera feels well built and is extremely comfortable to use. The shutter is quiet, and the rapid shot superb. Being able to take raw and jpg together is a useful (if data-hungry) function.

It would be handy to have a live view button on the body itself, rather than having to go through the menus. The live view is a little complicated to use effectively. The kit lens is probably more basic than I would expect for the money - it's good that it has IS, but is not fabulous in low light.

Outstanding Camera, Excellent build & Image quality. Great all round performance.

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Very happy with the 40D my first DSLR, great fun learning to use, surprisingly easy to get to grips with the main functions, great quality results and good build, really appreciate the display on the top, lens is excellent, not at all cheap. Battery lasts for ages and charges quickly, PC remote control software is fun, editing software is ok. Feel like the paperazzi with the 6 shots/second, girls love it. For results I'd say the 40D with17-85IS lens is three times as good as the best compact and 50% better than the 400D.

PC Software supplied didn't work properly, had to download updates for 5 programs from cannon site. Your nose touches the LCD display when you take a photo, leaving a greasy screen, ergonomics are ok but could be a bit better. Difficult to decide which additional lenses to buy, few obvious upgrades.

well made and easy to handle

cheaper if brought with camera

Live view is a boom for low down angles and clean knees. The settings are easy to use but only after about the 2nd time around the manual, but it feels great to have such control. FPS is a great improvment from the 3 fps on my 350 /400 .

The auto iso favours 800 and that makes getting prints impossible. Canon need to improve the high iso quality in general.

excellent features for the Money. High ISO settings are really good, not like shooting in a blizzard on the budget models.

I upgraded from a 350EOS and it takes a while to get use to the extra weight. That is it really an excellent buy,

Superb product, will be even better when I master all the features.

It will not cope with my Mecablitz flash on "Program" as the EOS-1 does .Therefore I have to use Manual flash

A stunning camera--lots more to explore

None yet

So much faster than the 300D it replaces in my bag. Image quality of raw much better than before

this camera is large and robust and does not feel heavy over long periods, image quality is excellent and the features is has is also excellent

the usb connection port is a little awkward to plug your cable into

Image quality is superb. The depth of colour and contrast is exceptional

No infrared for remote

Functions, speed - great range of products

Dust

Easy to pick and use. Settings available to point and click. Lots of extra features. Very versatile camera.

Can be a little fiddly when trying to master the extra features that are available with this camera. And there's plenty of them.

6.3fps, 10.1 mega pixels easily good enough for everyday use, 3.0" monitor is well lit.

Heavier than others in the Canon line-up, might be an issue if you're planning on holding it for a day.

Well built, solid camera and lens, feels good to hold - especially with big hands. Brilliantly clear viewfinder. PC socket for non-Canon studio/hammerhead flash units. I''m really pleased with it.

Not found any yet other than I don't really get the point of the little joystick thingy. Most of it's operations can be done by the control wheels, and the odd one or two that can't could have been. It seems more like a gimic than anything useful - but it doesn't get in the way so it's not really an issue. Cost of spare batteries - but that's not just with this camera.

Usual good Canon build, handles nicely, great quality.

None.

Excellent build quality, fine lens and whole range of features that you would expect from a camera of this price range

Nothing that I found yet, and I'm not expecting to find any

worthwhilst upgrade from my 20d , slightly larger, better built and feels like a pro camera.

still not full frame and the 5ds just too much money,

It feels really solid to use, and fits well in the hand despite being much larger and heavier than my old 300D. The image quality is fantastic, and the feature set will allow me to grow into this camera for years to come!

The power switch is quite fiddly and stiff, but this may ease with greater use. Whilst most of the switches are well laid out and easy to find, there are so many features on this camera that (at least initially) it is quite hard to get to grips with them all.

Fast start-up time, superb picture quality, good build quality. Large screen.

Always seems to under-expose by around 1/3 stop especially with flash exposures Iincluding internal flash & external 580EX flash gun). Spot metering is only selectable via buttons and wheel, spot metering should be available instantly as it is usually only used in difficult lighting situations as a one-off "get out of trouble card". Canon should give you the option of using the 'new' AF-on button to be used for the spot meter option. For me the AF-ON button is a complete waste.

Plenty of features - though lots to learn!

Large and heavy compared to some SLRs.

stunning images

weight

This is an absolutely amazing DSLR camera! It easily compares to and outperforms in many respects (such as autofocus speed and frames per second) the much more expensive EOS 5D camera. It feels very solidly built and shoots amazing photos especially when combined with quality lenses like the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM and the EF 70-200mm fs/4 L IS USM.

None!

Solid build quality. does what it is supposed to without bells and whistles that would never be used.

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image quality, large screen, quality

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Well built User friendly Trusted brand Wide range of lenses and accesories

No specific canon case for this model.thats it !

The EOS 40 was replacing my EOS 350D. The camera is very nicely balanced with a much better display screen than that on the 350. The controls are well laid out but with so many setting options the manual needs to be at hand to make changes. The review screen is much bigger and clearer than the 350 but is still difficult to clearly review in bright sunlight. So far picturers taken with the 17 - 85 have been very good and the image stablising feature has noticeably reduced blured shots. The battery appears to hold its charge much longer, which is good as I haven't yet bought a second battery. I have since purchased a 75 - 300 IS lens and am very pleased with action shots taken with this lens. Overall I am well pleased with the Camera and would definately recommend it to others.

None really, possibly the review screen could be brighter. My wife's Canon IXUS 860 screen is brighter and the picture rotates too when turned from horizontal to vertical. This is not a real critism of the camera which I am more than pleased with.

The auto system makes it easy for people new to this type of camera.

Lots of buttons.

Overall, this kit is superb. Picture Quality is faultless at 200 ISO and below. 10 Megapixels is plenty! If you can, buy an L Series Lens.

No HDMI, Average LCD screen.

Handling is good. It is quick in focusing and is quiet.

Lens isn't the best, but it's acceptable as part of the package you get for the money

Have always used canon cameras and find this to be the easiest of all to use. It's like they picked up on all the minor flaws on the previous models and perfected them for this one! I just love it!

Not a bad point but it took me a little while to get used to the live-view!

A big step up in both quality and features from the 20D

This camera does everything most experienced and semi pro photographers demand of it, I am still amazed by it's specification and as a photographer that's finally taken the plunge from 35mm to digital I am kicking myself for waiting so long. As one well known photo magazine said: The EOS 40D does everything that 99% of it's owners will ever ask of it.

The camera has none really, the biggest gripe is that it takes a long time to understand the menu system and layout of the controls. This problem will be common with all photographers moving from the simplicity of 35mm SLR to Digital SLR.