since no one yet written a review for this camera body, I think I should write one just to give you some idea. The eos 40D is newly introduced in this August, Aug 07. One thing pops up to me is the LCD live preview. The LCD live preview is first introduced in Olympics DSLR. It allows the user to have live preview in the LCD like the most of the Non-DSLR do. It is useful to take pictures in a rather different angle such low in the ground.
another thing is the 6.5 fps shutter mechanic. now you can shoot 6.5 pictures in a second up to 75 pictures. You will never lose any thing with this camera in continuous mode.
The 40D now updated with a dust removing system which first found in the 400D. In my professorial opinion, it really doesn't useful. You just need to be cautious when you change the lens.
The most important update to me is now that 40D has a bigger viewfinder. A bigger viewfinder means brighter, easily to focus, and bigger. Those entry DSLRs just aren't big enough.

In conclusion, the 40D is an affordable professional and serious amateur photographer's first choice. If you don't have one, you should own one.

This is just my comments based on the initial specs. I have not seen the actual camera. I have been awaiting the D40 for a year now. I have the Rebel XT1. Finally the specs were released, I was still excited. However, all the excitement died down when Nikeon released the specs of the D300 and D3. There is a lot of interest in the live-view. However, on closer reading it appears that the Autofocus is disabled during Live-view. Nikon on the other hand does not appear to have any such limitation. AF works during Live view.

Canon's new cameras at this level are often criticized as "merely an upgrade". This stems from two facts, Canon wishes to produce a desirable camera at a reasonable price, and they are starting from a pretty solid base. Yet if you look deeper, the 40D is the most significant upgrade in the 10D, 20D, 30D line. Of course, most things are much like the previous cameras. As far as size and weight, it's very similar, although I thought the grip improvements made the camera fit a little better in my hands. (I did not have an optional grip to try on the camera).

Most of the hype will be on the upgrade to 10 megapixels and the 3" LCD with "Live View". While the former may be criticized as merely catching up to the XTi and competition, we must not overlook the 14-bit processing. This is a huge boost in image capability if used properly. Those that shoot RAW, and those that understand the desirability of the "Hightone Priority", will gain the most benefit. The LCD upgrade is handy, especially combined with its greater color range, but "Live View" without autofocusing my not be that beneficial to most. However, something very interesting for some is "PC Live", which allows the user to connect to a computer, view the image live on that computer, and operate the camera (including focus) remotely from the computer.

While the AF improvements usually get second billing, this may actually be the biggest benefit to sports photographers (although the boost to 6.5 fps is welcome). The 30D only used a cross-basis system at the center point, where the 40D uses this system at all nine positions. This should greatly improve the off center speed and accuracy. Additionally, the center point (the most often used) has been boosted in performance.

The viewfinder has been increased in magnification, which should be welcomed to all. But people who must use eyeglasses should be amazed at the viewfinder being both larger and better eye relief (meaning they will be able to see the viewfinder better, even though their eyeglasses push their eye further back).

Durability has been improved (including extending the internal metal chassis inside the grip) making a good design even better. The sensor cleaning filter is also welcome.

Comparisons to the competition are everywhere. Image quality wise, the 14-bit processing and hightone control can come in handy for more critical users vs. all other 10 megapixel cameras that are cheaper. For sports guys, the 6.5fps comes cheap, as $1,000 will only get you 3fps. Only the Pentax K10D comes close in build quality, under $1 grand.

As of this writing, Nikon has introduced, but is not close to shipping, the D300. On paper, it's all of the 40D and more (12 megapixel, higher quality LCD, more AF points), but at a price rumored to be $1,800-$2,000, body only. Additionally, Sony will soon have a higher end product. Will they have enough more to justify the price? Your call.

Wow, what a difference. I have been using the Canon 540 point & shoot and decided to break the bank and go for this one. I am so pleased I did. I would love to sell some of my work someday and with this camera I feel that day is becoming a reality. Go for it! I can't believe the quality of the camera and photos. I recommend a mid range lens, I have a Tamron Macro and you will need a walk around lens.. but for now I am very pleased, the great 3 inch display is awesome and the auto view was sweet. I love seeing my results immediatly!! I don't think I will ever have the need to upgrade, only invest in new lenses

I was a long time owner of the Canon 10D which I quickly outgrew. Then, I upgraded to the 20D and have been using it for the past few years. I didn't think the 30D was a big enough step forward to warrant the upgrade. Going from the 20D to the 40D is a big leap forward.

Unboxing the 40D is about the same as the other two DSLRs I've owned. Manuals in both spanish and english, plus software for MAC and PC. I got the "body only" package as I already own the 28-135mm lens. That lens is just **ok.** and I really didn't want a 2nd copy. The battery is the bp511A so I can use the already charged one from my 20D. The strap is the same as the 20D. The compact flash memory is the same as well, so I didn't need to buy any new accessories to upgrade.

The first thing you will notice is the big display on the back. It's very nice compared to the one on the 20D. Although, I'm constantly afraid that my titanium rimmed glasses will scratch the screen. The screen is so much closer to the viewfinder compared to the little one on my 20D. I think I'll look for a clear film cover that will shield it.

The controls are very similar to the 20D/30D. However, they are moved around a bit. The menu structure is very different and it will take some getting used to. The first thing I thought of was my old 10D... and how simple it was just due to the sheer lack of features. The 40D has so many that it would be tough for a beginner to get used to them all. It might be good for beginners who are a bit techno challenged to buy a cheaper, used DSLR to get used to using a simple model... then sell it and upgrade.

The camera feels so much more solid than my 20D. The little motor that pops up the flash sounds really solid compared to the old 20D. Even the shutter sounds terrific. Very quick and quiet. The old 10D had a nice shutter sound as well. the 20D always sounded like thrashing metal to me. To contrast, the Nikon DSLRs have a slow sounding swish to them... this one is tight and quick. The camera feels about the same in my hand. Although the lines are smoothed out a bit compared to the 20D.

I tried out the live preview feature and found it annoying since I'm used to looking through the viewfinder. I think I would like it much more if this was my first DSLR as a conversion from a point and shoot where you typically only use a "live view." The LCD is viewable at a strong angle so the live view may be usable for when the camera must be held at odd angles away from the body... like over a stream or something. This camera is heavier than a point-and-shoot and you need your face to help you hold it steady. I found myself a bit wobbly when I was holding it out using the live-view feature. You'll need a high shutter speed to keep from getting shaky looking pictures.

So, what about picture quality?? It's a 10mp camera so the pictures are big. I have a workhorse MacPro tower and it has no problem working on the 10-12MB pictures that this camera produces (.jpg processing for now). I'm happy to say that the focus is spot on in all of my sample pictures from 4 different lenses (17-40 f/4L, 28-135 IS zoom, 50mm f/1.4, 100mm macro). The DPP software can be used to edit raw files if you choose to use it. It works pretty well and it was very speedy on my MacPro. You also get direct access to picture styles from within the computer software so you don't have to worry about setting it in camera. The pictures look very nice. The colors are very accurate. at iso100 the pictures are so nice and smooth. My 50 and 100mm lenses make the most buttery out of focus areas on this camera.

******ALERT******
as of this writing(9-2-2007), Aperture, Finder, Preview, Photoshop CS3 (ACR4.1), and iPhoto do not support raw image files from the 40D. This was the case with the 10D when I first purchased it and it took a few months for APPLE and Adobe to deliver updates. I'm sure Canon are working hard with vendors to get their updates in the works. The good news is that there are settings for RAW+.jpg so you can have both files when the software updates come through. If you don't like being on the "bleeding" edge of technology, then wait a few months before you plunk down the cash for the 40D.

Picture styles are easily accessed from a dedicated button on the camera. They allow you to make quick sets for defining different picture taking scenarios. It basically does some basic post-processing work in-camera to save time later. It worked really well. I found that pictures even up at 1600iso looked usable for every day stuff (e.g. not blown up too big.). ISO can be set in 1/3 stop increments which is new for me. having iso250 just seems weird but it's actually very handy. Gives you the ability to really tweak the settings to capture as much detail as possible in a high dynamic range image (like a sunset, or a backlit portrait without fill flash). I haven't taken side-by-side shots yet but it seems like the images are more detailed with a wider dynamic range than the 20D. Maybe this is the 14bit image processing from DigicIII at work?

The camera seems more responsive than the 20D. The menu scrolling seems faster, file writing seems about as fast (probably a faster rate but bigger file).

One of the neatest features is the custom C1, C2, and C3 dial positions. You can set these up to "remember" camera settings for quick access later on. They act like the memory buttons on luxury car seats! Very handy if you take really different kinds of shots. I go back and forth from Macro to Landscape all the time so I can quickly dial in my base set and go from there.

The vibration dust remover might be a cool feature. I can't feel the camera vibrate or hear it working, which is nice. Apparently it vibrates for 1 second whenever the camera is turned on or off. I changed this setting so that it's only triggered manually by me. I figured I could just use it when I need it rather than have it going all the time. .

Another of my favorite features is the spot meter. The 10D and 20D never had this feature. Apparently the 30D does, but this one is slightly higher weight at the center point. I tried it out and it works really well in combination with the AF point selectors.

So what do I hate about the 40D? I really hate the Auto White Balance setting for indoor shots. You want to be sure to set the camera manually when you are taking the 50millionth picture of your dog. Otherwise it'll be all yellow looking. Canon, can you fix that please?? If you set it manually it looks great.

SInce I like to do available light photography I like to use mirror lock-up. I wish there was a button for that as do many other people.
Canon finally has the iso setting in the viewfinder so we'll give Canon props for that.
My last gripe is that the display screen could have a bit higher resolution. It's nice and big but could have a denser pixel set for really checking out your work.

Overall I'm sure anyone would be happy with this camera if you are willing to spend the time to learn how to use it. If you are a beginner, don't expect to take magazine quality shots on day 1. Wait at least till day 2 :-)

I must say that Nikon did come out swinging this time. The newly announced D300 is quite the camera. It will be interesting to compare the Sony CMOS pics to those produced by Canon. Had I not had a bunch of Canon gear already I might have given up the extra dough for the Nikon. Nikon (Sony) blues and reds always seem to punchy to me but that's just my personal taste. My good friend has a Nikon D200 and his pictures are just beautiful out of that camera. The Nikon D300 has some wiz-bang features but I'm not sure I would take advantage of them... nor do I think they will directly result in better pictures. Spend the $500 bucks you'll save on a photography class and you'll have more fun, meet more people, and be taking better pictures at 3 months than if you start with a really fancy camera that you can't figure out how to use.

I'm hoping Canon has been spending some time re-inventing as Nikon have over the last couple of years. The good news is that all of these cameras take good pictures; however, you have to know how to use them. When I pick up my friends Nikon is seems all foreign to me and I feel out of my element. He makes the same comments when he uses my Canon.

I have bought many Nikon cameras, and am in the process of switching over to Canon. Some of the Nikon digital bodies do compete with the Canon digital bodies, but Nikon seems to have given up on making good lenses.

Try to find a F1.4 or F1.2 in any focal length made by Nikon these days... The really nice 28mm f/1.4 AF Lens Nikon discontinued is selling for about three grand (used!) since they are hard to come by.

I do not own this camera but it is safe to say that Canon falls short when comparing features to the new Nikon D300 which will be released soon. Canon has failed to keep up with the competition. Nikon has much more to offer for a little more on price. The 40D is a Canon XTI with a stronger body and few extra features. Its not worth the price regardless of picture quality. According to some reviews that are available it has been said that picture quality on the 40D is no better than the 30D which leaves a blank area on camera features. For those who own a 30D I do not see any reason to upgrade. I believe we will see a large price drop on this model due to numerous complaints of Canon users on every forum and message board where this topic is discussed. Canon users are upset that Canon has not released some high end features to this model while Nikon is offering professional features to their new mid level models. I would wait and see how this plays out after Nikon releases their new cameras.

Canon's new cameras at this level are often criticized as "merely an upgrade". This stems from two facts, Canon wishes to produce a desirable camera at a reasonable price, and they are starting from a pretty solid base. Yet if you look deeper, the 40D is the most significant upgrade in the 10D, 20D, 30D line. Of course, most things are much like the previous cameras. As far as size and weight, it's very similar, although I thought the grip improvements made the camera fit a little better in my hands. (I did not have an optional grip to try on the camera).

Most of the hype will be on the upgrade to 10 megapixels and the 3" LCD with "Live View". While the former may be criticized as merely catching up to the XTi and competition, we must not overlook the 14-bit processing. This is a huge boost in image capability if used properly. Those that shoot RAW, and those that understand the desirability of the "Hightone Priority", will gain the most benefit. The LCD upgrade is handy, especially combined with its greater color range, but "Live View" without autofocusing my not be that beneficial to most. However, something very interesting for some is "PC Live", which allows the user to connect to a computer, view the image live on that computer, and operate the camera (including focus) remotely from the computer.

While the AF improvements usually get second billing, this may actually be the biggest benefit to sports photographers (although the boost to 6.5 fps is welcome). The 30D only used a cross-basis system at the center point, where the 40D uses this system at all nine positions. This should greatly improve the off center speed and accuracy. Additionally, the center point (the most often used) has been boosted in performance.

The viewfinder has been increased in magnification, which should be welcomed to all. But people who must use eyeglasses should be amazed at the viewfinder being both larger and better eye relief (meaning they will be able to see the viewfinder better, even though their eyeglasses push their eye further back).

Durability has been improved (including extending the internal metal chassis inside the grip) making a good design even better. The sensor cleaning filter is also welcome.

Images look sharp, but I haven't really put the continuous AF (Servo) to a real sports challenge (just cars down a city street). Additionally, I don't have any real feedback on high ISO shooting, although Canon has traditionally done well here.

Comparisons to the competition are everywhere. Image quality wise, the 14-bit processing and hightone control can come in handy for more critical users vs. all other 10 megapixel cameras that are cheaper. For sports guys, the 6.5fps comes cheap, as $1,000 will only get you 3fps. Only the Pentax K10D comes close in build quality, under $1 grand.

As of this writing, Nikon has introduced, but is not close to shipping, the D300. On paper, it's all of the 40D and more (12 megapixel, higher quality LCD, more AF points), but at a price rumored to be $1,800-$2,000, body only. Additionally, Sony will soon have a higher end product. Will they have enough more to justify the price? Your call.

Canon has enjoyed a dominant position in the digital SLR market ever since the D30. It's lead, in this segment of the market, mostly evaporated with the introduction of Nikon's D200. With that camera Nikon pulled even, or close enough to establish themselves as legitimate contenders. Still Canon had the edge in high ISO performance. The problem is that Canon has rested on its laurels and insisted on improving its cameras incrementally protecting the market of their more expensive cameras. This strategy worked just fine when Canon enjoyed a dominant lead over the competition, but as I mentioned its lead has been severely cut into by Nikon and now even Sony is introducing a respectable DSLR.

The 40D is a phenomenal camera with excellent high ISO performance, more megapixels (10MP), a 1.6 sensor, some weather sealing, improved fps rate, automatic dust removal, spot metering and improved autofocus. Finally, it also has the ISO displayed in the viewfinder which prior iterations of this camera lacked. It is an excellent camera - make no mistake about that. But it could have been so much more had Canon been more aggressive. The ergonomics still leave a bit to be desired, the weather sealing could have been improved and most importantly the autofocus, in a camera this expensive, should have been of nearly professional quality. Nikon, in its new D300 is incorporating a professional grade autofocus system, better weather sealing and outstanding ergonomics plus 12 megapixels. Still, the Nikon costs $500 more! On paper, Nikon has raised the bar for the serious enthusiast - time will tell if it fulfills its promise.

For the money, the 40D is a great buy. It is the best camera for the money Canon has introduced so far and, though not particularly daring, still represents the best buy at this price point. Its picture quality is simply fantastic and its high ISO performance is, at this point in time, the gold standard for this class of camera. But it could have been so much more had Canon simply listened to their customers and understood that the digital SLR market is no longer being defined by Canon alone.

If you own a 10D or a 20D the upgrade to a 40D is a no-brainer. If you own a 30D the upgrade is a bit more difficult to justify. The build quality and features are excellent more than justifying the purchase price. I just wish Canon had been more aggressive and daring with this camera giving its customers more of what they have been clamoring for. The very good news is that Nikon is back in the saddle again. This can only be good for all DSLR consumers.

It focuses really fast. In a gloomy room at night and no flash, the focus beep would go off within 1/2 second of half pressing the shutter, and the pictures came out sharp.

It gets the focus and stays focused. None of this almost got it, back a bit, forward a bit from older Canon bodies.

The viewfinder is excellent - clear and bright. People with glasses tried it - was the best they'd seen for clarity and viewing the whole frame without sticking your nose through the LCD panel!

It's quiet when taking pictures. Good for taking pictures of the cat - stays posed instead of staring at the noisy black box with the lens. A professional hi-end sound - a sort of muffled thunk. Reminds me of closing the door in a Mercedes instead of a Ford.

Shot's are clean and crisp so far. Could not see noise in bad lighting/shadows up to ISO 800. 1600 also useable. Have not tried 3200.

It feels solid, and the right weight.

LCD is very bright and clear. Nice for shot previews, and the menus are easy to read and get to.

Live View is a good (and fun!) addition. No continuous autofocus which would be an improvement, but I've been using cameras long enough I can remember how to manually focus! Great when composing landscape shots where you need to reach to get just the right position, like over the edge of a steep drop or above some bushes.

Great for wildlife and sports. Already mentioned the fast focus. The other plus is the big buffer and that it seems to be fast getting images onto the Compact Flash Card - at least for a San Disk Extreme III 4GB. Even after the buffer was full, thought the camera was saving about 1 RAW a second which means 10 MB per second, maybe more. With that and the buffer, I can now take long action sequences in RAW. With jpegs, have not had the stamina or reason to just keep shooting to fill up the buffer!

Some buyers remorse, with Nikon and Sony announcing what look like versions of a shared camera technology with 12 megapixels and an LCD with 30% more detail, but on the other hand the 40D takes great pictures and is a pleasure to use. I give it 5 stars as I have it in my hand now and have a bunch of pictures already that look great. The Nikon and Sony are out in a few months, and I'd have missed all those shots.

In less than a couple of months I have gone from a S3 to a S5 to a 30D and I just got my 40D earlier on today. Wow! What a fantastic camera! The pictures that this camera takes are just amazing. I thought it could not get any better than the 30D but Canon has really taken it a notch or two up with the 40D. I am not going to repeat all the new features here since they are well documented. However, I want anyone considering buying this camera to know to get it right away. Trust me. It is worth every penny.

This camera instills confidence and keeps the passion for photography burning brighter each day. Great job Canon!!!

I just unboxed this camera a few hours ago. I've just gotten into SLR Photography, upgrading from a Canon Digital Elph point-and-shoot. Let me just say: if you are an upgrader, you can't go wrong with getting the Canon EOS 40D.

First Impressions:
-The Screen Size is AWESOME. It's really big. The only issue is that, when using the viewfinder, my face was hitting the screen. I decided to place a screen protector I had on it.

-Focusing is fast and accurate - I tested this in a relatively low light situation. I was very impressed in random shots and complicated shots where the focus wasn't evident the steps the camera took to pick an appropriate autofocus.

-Flash is powerful

-The lens included in this kit is wonderful for the many of the reasons listed above - Fast AF and IS (Image Stabilizing).

-The camera is very nice to hold. I was considering the Canon Rebel Xti as well, and the EOS 40D is definitely much more comfortable to hold. The bigger size, I think, is worth it.

-The viewfinder is nice, and gives you all the details you could want regarding your picture.

-The flash is powerful but won't 'overblow' - close flash shots of people's faces look good.

-I love the control scheme - much more intuitive than many of the point-and-shoots that I have used. The dial wheel is an awesome way to go through your images, and the "joystick" allows you to explore zoomed in images very intuitively.

Overall, I feel I have made a great choice in investing in this camera as I learn more about photography. Luckily, the camera is easy enough to use that one can use it as a very large point-and-shoot, giving me the freedom to take great shots while learning about the more complex details.

The Canon 40d a pretty serious camera for anyone who wants an advanced piece of equipment at a reasonable price. If you are upgrading from the Minolta/Sony/Pentax class of dSLR to the 40d you are taking quantum leap in noise reduction technology, color reproduction, and auto-focus precision among a large list of other features.

I won't mention too much about the 6.5 frames per second shooting other than it is exhilarating hearing the shutter click that fast for the first time. The live view feature is perfect for working with a tripod and macro shooting where manual focus is important. The ability to have live view displayed on your computer with full camera controls is handy when you need to reduce vibrations. Focus is fast, and almost always accurate in ideal conditions, very quick even when searching for focus. Menus are easily navigable with the wheel and joystick controls.

Overall image quality excellent. All your photos can easily turn out great after spending some time behind the view finder of the 40d.

The 28-135 EF IS USM kit lens is a pretty good deal, especially for photographers investing in a Canon camera for the first time. The money you save by buying the lens with the body is a very substantial amount at the time of this writing. The first notable feature about this lens is that it is image stabilized. The picture quality seems better than a stabilized sensor, but it won't keep my images blur free for as long. 28mm is a little wide with the 1.6 crop factor, ok for inside photography in large rooms, the 135mm on the high end isn't bad either, good for zooming in on faces for portraits or to bring the wildlife a little bit closer. Its minimum focus distance of 1.6 feet allows for some close-up macro photography when fully zoomed. This is also an EF lens, this means that if you ever upgrade to a full frame dSLR the lens will still work. It's not an `L' series lens, but if you're upgrading from lesser optics, it really is quite a luxury.

The 40D is a phenomenal camera with excellent high ISO performance, more megapixels (10MP), a 1.6 sensor, rudimentary weather sealing, improved fps rate, automatic dust removal, spot metering and improved autofocus. Finally, it also has the ISO displayed in the viewfinder which prior iterations of this camera lacked. It is an excellent camera - make no mistake about that. But it could have been so much more had Canon been more aggressive. The ergonomics still leave a bit to be desired, the weather sealing could have been improved and most importantly the autofocus, in a camera this expensive, should have been of nearly professional quality. Nikon, in its new D300 is incorporating a professional grade autofocus system, better weather sealing and outstanding ergonomics plus 12 megapixels. Still, the Nikon costs $500 more! On paper, Nikon has raised the bar for the serious enthusiast - time will tell if it fulfills its promise.

The pictures have a smooth buttery depth that my old 20D lacked. They are simply beautiful (taken mostly with my 70-200 L). To my eye, the noise performance has improved over the 20D as well. Canon has managed to add the extra megapixels without additional noise - quite a feat I might add. The menu system is much improved over my 20D and there are three user defined modes that one can easily access. The camera feels essentially the same, possibly somewhat better, in the hands than my old 20D. While the additional 2 megapixels don't add much in terms of picture quality they do provide some head room for cropping. Give me quality pixels each and ever time over quanity. I believe that consumers will soon begin asking for better quality pixels once the realization sets in that more can be achieved with this approach. The door to the CF card has a more secure feel to it than my 20D. The 3 inch viewing screen is a vast improvement over my 20D bright and clear. And it focuses far more quickly and accurately than my 20D. All in all it is a marvelous camera, however, with some caveats.

Canon has enjoyed a dominant position in the digital SLR market ever since the D30. It's lead, in this segment of the market, mostly evaporated with the introduction of Nikon's D200. With that camera Nikon pulled even, or close enough to establish themselves as legitimate contenders. Still Canon had the edge in high ISO performance. The problem is that Canon has rested on its laurels and insisted on improving its cameras incrementally protecting the market of their more expensive cameras. Certain feature sets (such as professional grade auto-focus and weather sealilng) have been withheld in an attempt to maintain the clear distinctions between Canon's various camera lines. This strategy worked just fine when Canon enjoyed a dominant lead over the competition, but as I mentioned its lead has been severely cut into by Nikon and now even Sony is introducing a respectable DSLR. None of the foregoing detracts from the fundamental fact that this is a fantastic camera.

For the money, the 40D is a great buy. It is the best camera for the money Canon has introduced so far and, though not particularly daring, still represents the best buy at this price point. Its picture quality is simply fantastic and its high ISO performance is, at this point in time, the gold standard for this class of camera and in this size sensor. But it could have been so much more had Canon simply listened to their customers and understood that the digital SLR market is no longer being defined by Canon alone. I'm giving this camera only 4 stars because Canon should have given us more.

If you own a 10D or a 20D (as I did) the upgrade to a 40D is a no-brainer. If you own a 30D the upgrade is a bit more difficult to justify. The build quality and features are excellent more than justifying the purchase price. I just wish Canon had been more aggressive and daring with this camera giving its customers more of the featuresthey have been clamoring for. The very good news is that Nikon is back in the saddle again. This can only be good for all DSLR consumers in general and Canon owners in particular.

I just got my camera yesterday and I already can see how much better it is. I have a Digital Rebel (Yes the first one that canon came out with) for it's time was a good camera.
Now the 40D is so much better, the image quality is great, although I will test that over the weekend.
Menus and options allow you for better control.
What I did not like:
- minor things like the print buttom, come on! who is going to print from the camera? if you don't know how to transfer the picture to a computer and print from there you should not even buy this camera.
The other one is on 40D there is no wireless remote control, that I will miss from my Rebel. I don't understand why Canon took such nice feature out of the camera.

But still, this is a great camera and I am very happy with it.

Now I just need go buy more memory cards.

I just received this item. I expect to like it--indeed, I had waited for this item for months. I just received the package, and amazon has not really bothered to put ANY packing material in this package. How do they expect that this material will reach me safely? If this camera was broken in transit, how do they expect me to take it up with them?

Is Amazon getting lax with their service? Very disappointing.

I put a deposit on the 40D two days after it was announced and picked up my camera last week. I have the 5D and just sold my 30D after a few days with the new 40D. I'm a Sports Photographer for the most part, and the 3 FPS on the 5D just didn't feel adequate to me.

My first experience with the 40D taught me to use K5200 for white balance indoor, and to make sure I'm not overexposed on my shots. Outdoor shots are beautiful, as are properly exposed indoor shots. Overexposed shots indoors have a ulgy yellow cast to them, I had to learn the camera.
I really love the menu system on the 40D, it's so much easier & quicker then what's on the my 5D, it felt comfortable right away.
The AF-ON button for tracking action shots is wonderful, and worth the money for the camera by itself.

The image quality on the 40D is excellent, IMHO better then the 30D which is why I sold mine right away.I wanted a better camera for fast action that had picture quality like the 5D. The 40D is pretty close, nothing quite equals the 5D images ( I don't have the Mark 111 ). As far as comparing it to Nikon's D300 coming out, I just sold all my Nikon gear to switch to Canon low noise images. Now Nikon addresses the noise issue by coming out with the D300, for me it's too late. I have excellent Canon L lens and two great cameras, I'm satisfied.

I bought a Canon 20D just over 2 years ago and thought it was a brilliant camera. I've never had problems. I saw the 5D come out and didn't see a need to "upgrade" to it. But the new 40D is just something else. I have it about 5 days now and I'm like a child at Christmas.

There is just so much to praise about this camera - large LCD screen which is very clear, faster focusing, especially when using centre focus point, larger burst rate - ok, this has now caused me no end of problems, like firing off a burst of 20 images when I really only needed 3, and filling my memory card in no time.

This camera is well worth it's price. It's a brilliant step between the 400D and the 1D. I don't have the need (nor money) for the 1D Mk III. This new 40D is just what I need.

My first day of shooting with it was at a horse racing event. I was between two other photographers - one using a 30D and the other using a 1D. I felt like mine was capturing just what I wanted and in brilliant clarity. Ok, not the same fps as the 1D, but my friend with his 30D kept looking at me and laughing - it was because he would get 2-3 shots and I was taking about 20.

For anyone thinking of this camera - try it out. You will not fail to be impressed.

it's big, ok, but the pixels are so so big and the colors so inaccurate. When in the field, it's impossible to say if the focus is right or not. Makes me strongly think about bringing it back.

The Nikon D300 will have 922k pixels, the Canon 30D only 230k!!!!

First off, I'm no camera pro - very amateur. I moved from my P&S to a DSLR this summer. My first DSLR was a Canon Rebel XT. While I was happy with the XT, it was too small for my hands. So I plunked down $$$ for this Canon EOS 40D with the 28-135mm IS lens. My review will compare the XT to the 40D (as that's all the DSLR experience I've had).

I did not purchase this Canon EOS 40D from Amazon - that is why I've had this Camera since late August.

First off, the 40D is the perfect size for my hands. The Rebel XT would leave my pinky hanging cramping my hands after a few shots. The Canon EOS 40D is perfect in terms of hand comfort. All my fingers fit on the grip making the camera feel very solid. The 40D's build quality feels a lot better than the XT.

I noticed that my Rebel XT's autofocus would search a lot over and over. This was extremely annoying especially while trying to take moving pictures. I can tell that the 40D's autofocus is a bit faster and quite a bit more accurate in those situations.

Be aware that the 40D weighs quite a bit more than the Rebel XT. I am still getting used to the weight. However, I am noticing that the heavier 40D is a lot easier to hold resulting in a clear shot than the Rebel XT (at least for me).

The viewfinder is quite a bit bigger than the Rebel XT. I also noticed that it has a "tint" look and takes some getting used to. The viewfinder is a bit brighter than the XT as well.

As far as the lens goes: I had a 28-105mm (nonIS) on my Rebel XT. The 28-135mm is awesome. It zooms further than I've ever needed it to. What I like the most is that it has a nice macro range (better than my 28-105mm lens). The autofocus is extremely fast. I'm sure the Image Stabilizer has saved many of my pictures...

At Large Fine picture sizes average around 4.5MB per shot. So be ready to have a large storage device handy nearby (I use my 500GB external drive).

All in all - I will and have recommended the Canon EOS 40D as a good DSLR for the photography enthusiasts such as myself. I will be keeping this camera for many years. After all, the camera doesn't produce pro shots - the photographer does.

The new Canon 40D is more than great, good quality pictures, and all those sweet features that you can read in other reviews.
I absolutely love my 40D, but I gave it 4 stars because of one thing. DUST!
It's amazing how much dust can the camera get! Every time I go out shooting, when I get back home I have to open it an blow some dust out.
I believe it is because the EF 28-135mm, the lens doesn't seal the camera well enough.
Other than that, this is a fantastic camera, read other reviews... and buy it! If you can find it..

"I do not own this" pressure cooker but it is safe to say that Canon exceeds expectations when comparing features to the new Nikon D300 air purifier which will be released soon. Nikon has failed to keep up with the competition. Canon has much more to offer for a little more on price...

For all those people who are upset that I gave this mixer/blender a 5 star rating. First let me say that everyone has a right to their own opinion. I have owned and used a Nikon 300D garbage disposal and have used a Flowmaster 50 Series and let me tell you it's loud...

"I don't own the" 40D... and I would love to go on and on about "comparisons" between the iPhone, iDog, and the iNanny.

Again, I repeat, "I don't own this". This is not a review on the image quality of the camera, it is only to show how ignorant and childish I am.

- I.D. Not Ownthis

The Canon 40D is the most camera for the money that Canon has ever provided. The highlights:

- The new improvded Autofocus: Yes, it's still 9 point, and I was skeptical about how improved it would actually be, but having used in the field on several photo shoots, I was able to compare it directly to my Canon 5D, and the AF on the 40D was noticeably more accurate & sensitive to subtle differences within the Depth of Field. The new system performs especially well with my 135mm 2.0L, and my 70-200mm 2.8L IS. But this is what is advertised about it (i.e. better performance with lens w/ Maximum apertures of 2.8 and greater).

- The 3.0" LCD: Once again, comparing this to my 5D, which has a 2.5" display, the color reproduction is noticeably more accurate. Initially I thought that the colors were being captured differently by the camera, but when I realized they were very similar once I looked at them on the computer, it became apparent the difference was in the display on the camera. Also, the display on the 40D is brighter. I have not yet noticed as dramatic a difference as Canon has made it seem in their product detail when viewed in sunlight, but especially in darker settings, it is noticeable that there's a difference.

- The frame rate & buffer size: The increased buffer is very apparent, in particular at the low speed continuous setting (3 fps), where the speed at 3fps seems faster than the 3fps on the 5D simply because it can continue shooting (seemingly endlessly). In the high speed continuous mode (6.5fps), the speed is mind-boggling. I have not had a chance to fully test this out yet (look for a future edit to this).

- The viewfinder: The size and brightness are noticeably & dramatically better. The look through the viewfinder is so improved over my old 20D, they almost can't be compared. It's not quite as big as the 5D, but not far off either. And it's just about as bright as the 5D, if not as bright.

- The AF button on the back: Although I still use the regular half push on the shutter button the majority of the time, I have found the rear AF button to be very handy at times. At certain times, the way in which I hold the camera makes using the traditional half push much easier. However, as a tip, I have found that in focus-recompose situations, the rear AF button is invaluable, as it is MUCH easier to continue holding down the rear AF Button while recomposing and then snap the shot, whereas with the traditional system, it is more difficult to recompose without accidentally releasing pressure slightly on the shutter and having to try again (or accidentally taking the shot after it refocuses to an area you didn't want).

The menu system: The new tab based menu system is much more intuitive & much better than scrolling through one big list. If you've ever seen the menus on some of the more recent Powershot mini point and shoots, it's like that (similar specifically to my knowledge to the SD630, as that is the one I own).

Battery management: I used this camera at the Redskins/Dolphins home game last week, and I have a routine of where and how much I take pictures, and how often the camera is on. My camera came in the day I had a photo shoot with a model later, so I put in a battery I had already charged to use with my 5D, and left the brand new battery to charge at home. So, I was using one of my old batteries, in other words. This was not a long photo shoot with this model, I shot maybe 50 pictures of the shoot with the 40D. I never changed the battery before the game & what was noticeable was that the indicator did not drop off of "full" until the end of the fourth quarter, right before they went into OT. Since I was shooting with a new 40D as opposed to my old 20D I was shooting more, also - probably 33% more than normal. And with the 20D, if the battery had just been charged and no other use, it would have been down from "full" by halftime, slightly beforehand. The camera is clearly managing the power consumption better. (NOTE: The one improvement that did not make the 40D, disappointingly, is a better battery indicator - it's still the same annoying little 3 bars, of which 2 always go away when it drops from full, so really a two bar indicator).

- The speed of scrolling through pictures: I know this has to be a result of the DIGIC III processor. It's absurdly better than the 20D or the 5D. If you scroll the knob real quick to zip through a bunch of pcitures, it's there in a second or less. The best way I can describe it is the difference in a computer that you'd been running 256MB RAM on & you just upped it to 1GB. It makes the "Jump" button seem almost unneccesary, however, I'm glad that it's still there!

- Picture Style Button: This is very convenient. I hated looking for that through the long menu.

- Flash management: I don't have the new 580EX II yet, but with the 580EX, it's still noticeable that when using the E-TTL automatic mode, it does a better job of managing the output, using a lower output at times when I know it would have overfired or drawn more power on the 20D, and the end result is you can get more good shots quicker. NOTE: I was using the external power pack also. But I'm making my assessment based on use of the power pack with the flash when using the old camera as well.

- Visible ISO on the display on top. And better, although still familiar, layout on the top display.

Assessment: In terms of specs, this camera is amazingly close to it's new big brother the 1D Mark III, more than past models have been. This is a big plus to those of us who don't have a fortune to spend on the top of the line Canon cameras. The image quality of this camera is not noticeably different than that in the 5D, although there is a slight difference when you look carefully. And of course it isn't full frame, which is a minus in certain applications, and a plus in others. The improvements between the 20D and the 30D were negligible, to say the least - it was clear Canon was just extending the lifecycle of the 20D, and the 30D should have been called the 20D Mark II. However, the 40D has many dramatic improvements over both of these previous models, and scrapes at the heels of the 5D in all of the areas where the 5D once had a clear advantage - let's hope for a 5D Mark II (or 7D, or whatever it will be called) soon. I've been reading rumors that it will be the 1st quarter of next year. I will admit that when this camera was first announced, and the Nikon D300 announcement came a few days later, Nikon caught my attention big time. But obviously, with all my investment in so much Canon equipment, it was a no-brainer to continue with Canon. Even to own both brands would be a considerable additional investment for that one body, as I have no Nikon lenses. At this point I will preach the gospel of "L." To truly appreciate how good Canon photography can be, you need to own at least one "L" lens (although it will become more than one once you do, LOL). I own the highest rated (and still somewhat "affordable") L lenses, the Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM Lens for Canon SLR Cameras, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS Image Stabilizer USM AF Telephoto Lens & Filters & 5 Year Warranty & Accessory Kit(both previously mentioned here), the Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras and the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras, which I haven't used on the 40D yet, as I prefer the idea of using it on the full frame 5D for the wider angles it provides. I haven't used the 100-400 on it yet just because I haven't had a chance or the right opportunity. They're all worth every penny, and I would note that the 135mm 2.0L might be the best lens, period. It's defintely my best one, although the 70-200 2.8L IS comes close.

Once again, the 40D is the best body for the money that Canon makes.

I love this camera, I had been putting off for years to buy a digital SLR and finally pulled the trigger. I am by no means a pro, but I am tech savvy, so I love all the knobs, buttons, and possibilities to customize.

I will say that there is no substitue for skill, no matter how good the camera is. Out of the box I started taking pictures and while the quality was impressive, it wasn't exactly magazine-quality or like what'd you see on brochures--that's going to take more skill working the aperture and speed settings using Manual.

Also, another thing that's very important but often overlooked: Vista comptibility! I didn't even need to install drivers, just plugged in USB and got my pictures. This is not typical! I have several other gadgets (camcorders, printers, etc.) and for some it was a nightmare to get drivers to work. What a relief to see Canon spend the effort to make their products work with current OSs. Thanks Canon!

My 40D arrived today. I'm loving it. 3in screen, large viewfinder, liveview with live histogram, solid feel of the body, pretty clean ISO800, ISO1600 images are all big upgrades compared to earlier Canons (400D/20D/30D).

What surprised me most is the so-called "3-D effect" that some people were claiming in other forums. Some pictures I took during daytime have depth (i.e. 3-Dness) that I wasn't seeing with 400D/20D/30D. Canon 5D is supposed to be similar in this respect. Some claim that it is because of smoother tonal gradation (i.e. high precision A/D, 14 bit raw etc).

If you are a first time buyer, skip the Rebel line and go to 40D (or, maybe 30D) directly. In my opinion, the color reproduction of Rebel line (300D/350D/400D) is inferior to that of 20D/30D/40.

Nikon D80 is also a pretty good camera with a lower price & decent performance. But, image quality at high ISO (i.e. ISO >= 800) is better with Canon.

Don't get the kit lens. I would recommend Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 or Sigma 18-50 f/2.8---both very sharp, great all-around lenses with performance comparable to Canon 17-55 f2/8 IS. I would also recommend Sigma 10-20 f/4-5.6 and Canon 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS further down the line.

Get a good monitor. If you want precise color reproduction, you'll need to calibrate your monitor. Spyder Pro etc. kind of products are good for that. On a bad/uncalibrated monitor, images from all cameras may look the same!

i just got my 40d last week and it's great. 6.5 bursting mode, big viewfinder, live view and all. it's great for those who do high burst shooting and use the tripod a lot (live view). definetely recommend it.

when i opened the box, it's not that i was really surprised, the 40d has a really tough body, feels really great to hold. then i started shooting w/ it. Lo and behold, i got kinna dissapointed by the LCD screen.... pictures look kinna blue on it. so i played around w/ the picture style setting and altered the Tone making it warmer, so it looked better on the screen. the actual thing is, the picture on the LCD is actually slightly different than on the computer. so would you rather have a nice picture on ur camera LCD or on your actual image on the computer? =P

so in conclusion, i just don't think i need to make this kinna 'trade-off' and settle w/ the 40d screen considering the amount of money i'm paying. =P my suggestion is like anyone else would say. if you have a decent camera body like the 30d or xti, invest on great opticts then maybe the 5D replacement or the one generation after 40d will have much better to offer.

As a 3 year dRebel (300D) owner - I've spent the interval time acquiring better lenses than the kit lens I originally purchased rather than upgrade camera bodies. My old (300D) friend has served me well over the years with Battery Grip, Eye Piece Extender and a host of affordable Canon lenses that I've used for portrait and general walk-around photography. My review is more subjective that capability based - as it has renewed interest in portions of my hobby I've not experienced since the 35mm film days. This purchase has supercharged my excitement in digital photography like nothing since my first hands on with the 300D.

In looking for another camera body and lens combination - I considered the XT/XTi series but my attention quickly turned to the newest 40D. I'm a serious semi-pro (do extensive portrait work for formal charity fund raising events) and wanted to upgrade to a second camera body and give my charities the finest portrait work I could afford.

The 40D had enough features (many still being practiced from the manual-highly recommended) that allowed me to invest in this next generation camera body. I ordered the camera with the BG-E2 battery grip - Eyepiece Extender with a diaptor insert to compensate for my eyeglasses) side hand strap (which I absolutely LOVE) and the 28-135mm 'kit' lens to compliment my 'portrait posse' 50mm f1.8 and prime 85mm f1.8 that I also absolutely love - tack sharp and bokeh to die for (jmho)...

The body of the 40D is solid as a rock - the kevlar/plastic 300D never gave me problems - but... this inspires more 'confidence' to last a longer time (more camera - less expendable computer feel). The fps for action shots is outstanding - on a 4 gig CF memory card (SanDisk Extreme II) is adequate for my needs and pocketbook).

Added to this was an upgrade from my 420EX TTL speedlight with a newer 580EXII ETTL which is giving me BEAUTIFUL indoor high ceilinged shots (using a flash diffuser) with no blowouts to date and great exposures over a variety of indoor situations. The 420EX is now a wonderful slave unit to the 580EXII.

I'm now shooting RAW instead of JPEG for the majority of my shots and the difference is noticable. Better able to tweek these RAW images in photoshop also.

If I'm sounding like a kid with a new toy - well - yes! This rig and upgraded accessoriues has breathed a little excitement into this digital photographer. The 3" LCD, Liveshot capabilities and IS 28-135 lens has given me a burst of creativity on the MACRO side not present with other lenses I have owned. A new light tent has renewed my interest in my wristwatch hobby with wonderful macro shots.

This camera body exceeds my present digital photo experience - but as I go thru the manual I'm learning so many useful items on focus range, manual exposure techniques, ISO, and speedlight boundaries the 300D never had. It will be about another month or so before I am "comfortable" again with my ability to better utilize this camera than my 300D mainstay.

This camera is not for everybody - the XT/XTi being a great pro-sumer body for the 'average' recreational photographer (jmho). As I get more serious - I can now concentrate on a series of 'L' lenses to continue my semi-pro hobby. New photographic worlds I could not imagine await me using this camera body. A camera that feels like it will last a lifetiime (until a better technology emerges anyway).

Picked this up 3 days ago with the lens. First let me say the lens feels and looks solid but isn't as sharp as the 18mm-55mm lens that came with my Digital Rebel. Even though the lens has Image Stabilization, it just isn't as sharp as other lens but its ok for the extra $200.

Now, for the camera, I think its fantastic. Its got a solid magnesium alloy body and looks and feels more expensive than it is. It's got all the features you would want including Live View which can come in handy at certain times. The 10.1 megapixels is an improvement over the Digital Rebel at 6.3 megapixals. The camera is very fast at 6.5fps compared to the rebel's 2.5fps. The rebel can only take 4 pictures until the memory catches up but the 40D can take up to 75! That is really good.

Another thing I love is that the camera displays the iso in the viewfinder and the LCD info screen. That is very handy compared to the Rebel. The 40D is the first prosumer SLR to have a 3" screen. The screen does not have as many pixels as the Nikon's new D300 but that camera cost's about $500 more.

Are the pictures that much better than the Rebel? Not really. The Rebel takes phenomanal photos but you just won't be able to enlarge as much. You won't have the control on the Rebel as you will the 40D.

Is it worth upgrading? I say yes because I have had the Rebel for almost 4 years now and this new 40D will probably be the last SLR I'll have to buy (unless it breaks). 10.1 megapixels is way plenty and more would be redundent so hopefully this is the last camera I have to buy.

Hope this review helps you decide.

This is the Best Bang for your Buck of any of the D-slr out there. The quality is great, and the build is also wonderful. Pair it with one of the fine L series lens, like the 17-40 F4 or the 24-105 IS and you have a true Picture taking machine!!! It is basicly a Mark 3 in Pro-Consumer clothes!!! Blows the pants of all the other brands out there and the image quality is almost the same as a 5D. The 14bit processing helps give a lot more Color detail and depth to the Photo. The Guy from Alaska about the Mark 3 was right about the wonderful colors, and the 40D has them as well. Puts the Nikon D200 to shame, at a fraction of the price! I got mine From Sal's Camera in La Verne CA since Amazon was on backorder and I am so glad I got it, it is by far the finest camera I have ever used!

I made the jump from a Canon S2 IS (with which I was very happy using) to the 40D recently. I consider myself an amateur but with a decent amount of disposable income, and having outgrown the S2, the 40D was the next logical step in terms of moving to a DSLR, having cross-shopped it's predecessor the 30D and the Rebel XTi.

The 40D's advantages over the XTi and 30D were considerable enough that I could justify the increase in price, and not feel like I had "settled" for something that I would later on regret. Yes, the technology of camera bodies progresses so quickly that the 40D might easily become obsolete by this time next year, but at the same time there's enough in this camera that I think, for someone like me, it will be very hard to outgrow it.

I will be using this camera mainly for photographing outdoor action, specifically automotive racing and events. For me, the 6.5fps will be extremely important. The live view is not a big plus for me, I don't foresee myself using that feature much.

The amount of features can make the camera a little intimidating for a beginner. If I was on a tighter budget, its very likely that I could have been content with the XTi, or Nikon's D80. One thing that I am still having trouble getting used to is the inability to use the LCD as the viewfinder (except in live view mode, it's not really the same thing). Also, at 10 megapixels, even the S-normal sized pictures come out huge. It's not like the S2 IS, where I could upload casual shots onto the computer and not have to resize, simply save and upload and publish. But then again, this camera isn't for the casual photographer taking casual photos (at least, not JUST for that purpose).

I have not had it long, but recently took it to NAPA Valley and was surpised at the quality of many of my photos (I'm still trying to learn its features, so some shots were not as good as I expected.) Looking in the area for a class. I did find it cheaper (by nearly $200.00) and with more (especially an additional lense) included at two other sites, so do what I did not do . . . research for a better deal.

I received the Canon EOS 40D on 9/26/07. From the time I took it out of the box and held it, I knew I was going to like this camera.

Ergonomics: I've been using a smallish Rebel XT for almost a year, so the larger size and grip of the 40D was a delight. And the 40D is nice and grippy in all the right places. And all the controls fall readily to your fingertips--very ergonomic.

Build quality: It has some heft to it, which lends a sense of sturdiness and quality. Also, the extra weight provides a better balance for my EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM lens. My Rebel XT, when I had the strap around my neck with the camera hanging down in front, would tend to twist forward under the weight of the lens. With the same lens mounted to the 40D, the camera tends to stay straight--much better balance.

Viewfinder: The viewfinder is another thing that Rebel XT owners will smile about regarding the 40D. The viewfinder is much larger and brighter than the Rebel XT's.

Top LCD: The top LCD display has lots of helpful information that remains displayed at all times (f/stop in Av mode, white balance setting, est. remaining shots on card, battery indicator, metering mode, auto focus mode, exposure scale, ISO, and shooting mode (single shot, 3 fps, 6.5 fps, or timer)). I look at the remaining shots indication all the time.

Rear LCD: The rear LCD is huge (3-inches). And the lettering is large, bright and easy to read--much better for those of us who have difficulty seeing small writing close up. I find that it can be read even if you turn the camera almost all the way sideways to your face. Therefore, the 140 degrees viewing angle rating appears to be quite conservative. The menu options are well-organized, intuitive, and easy to navigate and use. You can set the amount of time the image displays on the rear LCD after you take the shot (Review time = Off, 2 sec., 4 sec., 8 sec., or Hold). I did notice that, despite how very bright this display is, in bright sunlight, it is nearly impossible to see the image in the display. So, I just had to look for some shade (or shield the display from the sun somehow).

Taking Pictures: The 40D lends so much confidence, it is almost impossible to adequately describe. Especially with the excellent EF-S 17-55 lens, there seems to be no shooting situation you can't conquer. The Auto Focus (AF) locks on fast and sure with a quick "beep-beep" in all lighting situations. I generally have the camera set to just the center AF point, since I want to choose the specific spot I want to focus on. The 40D has a high-precision cross-type center AF point that, when used with an f/2.8 or larger lens, provides twice the sensitivity as the other AF points. Lately I've been utilizing the 40D's Highlight tone priority mode and the High ISO speed noise reduction mode. The Highlight tone priority mode expands the dynamic range from gray to bright highlights and the gradations in between become smoother. This mode forces the minimum ISO to be 200. This is no problem, since the 40D produces very low noise, even at elevated ISO speeds. I have noticed that detail in highlights is well-preserved, though I still frequently need to reduce the highlights in post-processing (I shoot RAW almost exclusively). The High ISO speed noise reduction mode applies noise reduction at all ISO speeds, which is particularly effective at high ISO speeds. This mode also reduces noise in shadows. I am having no problems with noise on this camera. And despite this in-camera post-processing, in Photoshop Elements, I still can level, saturate, sharpen, etc. to my heart's content and still wind up with a sharp image, due to the excellent 10.1 megapixel sensor, and the inherently low amount of noise it produces.

Live View: I briefly played around with the Live View mode hand-held, since I have yet to receive my new ball head I've ordered for the tripod legs I recently received. It is really convenient to move the little joy-stick on the back of the 40D to place the little box over the point of interest and zoom in 5x or 10x and manually focus to fine-adjust the focus. You can auto focus during live mode by holding down the AF On button until you hear the quick "beep-beep" of the AF locking on (rear screen goes blank), then release it and the Live View display comes back on immediately. When you press the shutter release in Live View mode, it is nearly silent, since the mirror is already locked up and out of the way. [Note that you initiate Live View mode by pressing the "set" button in the middle of the big wheel on the back of the 40D and the mirror locks up and out of the way immediately, and you get a nearly full-screen, live view on the large rear LCD with info underneath showing (in Av mode) f/stop, exposure scale, shots remaining on card, and ISO speed.]

General observations: The battery seems to be lasting a long time, despite me playing around with the Live View mode, and spending a lot of time going through menu items and deciding which modes I want to use. As of this writing, I've taken about 200 photos (some of which are posted here for you to see). I got the 8GB Sandisk Extreme IV Compact Flash card, so I can just walk around popping off shots without worry of running out of space. I have received a Bogen-Manfrotto 055mf3 tripod, but I am waiting on the Kirk BH-1 ball head to arrive. Then, I will give the Live View mode a thorough going over.

Conclusions (9/29/07): This camera simply does all that is asked of it. There is no better camera that can be used with the top-performing Canon EF-S 17-55 lens, since the 40D is the best 1.6x crop Canon camera body, and the EF-S 17-55 lens can only be used on 1.6x crop Canons. The 40D is ergonomic, sturdy, feature-packed, high performance, high IQ, low noise, and an exceptional value. I'm sure many pro shooters will be snatching these things up, too. And I'm going to have a ball exploring all that it can do. Bravo, Canon!

When I took the first couple of shots with the 40D, my
reaction was Wow.

The 40D is 80% to 90% of the 5D, The slight change to the control layout is an
improvement. Spot metering, is a real plus. The sensor seems to have
significantly lower noise than the 20D. This is my new happy-snap camera. It
goes everywhere with me. I've only taken a few thousand photos so far, and I
have to say I am very impressed. I really look forward to the times I can get
out just to take photos with the 40D.

For it's class, just a little lower than the 5D, this is the finest camera I
have ever seen. The value, the bang (or should I say click) for the buck is
the best value I have ever seen. The 40D, delivers more than I ever expected
to see in a camera at this price point. I think Canon, has once again,
undeniably taken the lead, in the Digital SLR camera market with the 40D.

Last but not least, ordering through Amazon, I was able to get the 40D when
all of my local camera stores were sold out...

I will not try to summarize the many tech reviews of this camera. There are plenty of highly competent websites to visit for this info.

Firstly, camer