-= 40D Owners - Share Tips and Pics

[HKGuns]

My 40D consistently outperforms me, so I'll be keeping it for a while and focus on getting better glass for different shooting situations. Chasing the endless camera body upgrade game is pointless and exactly what they want you to be doing. -No offense to anyone who's upgrading, that is the beauty of free will.

Another point to consider.....Unless you can "really" afford it, upgrading in the present economy is even bigger folly. When I say "really" afford it, I mean you pay your credit card off every month and have at least 6 months of liquid income. I can "really" afford it and I choose not to at this point in time for a lot more than photographic reasons.

[sml]

I'm keeping the 40d.
The 40d is a great camera. I got it to replace the 10d and had originally planned to get a new version every "3" times....in other words, the 70d would be next. But, I am drawn to the wider angle capability of the 5d. And the lower noise at high ISO. We'll see what happens, but I'm sticking with the 40d for now.

[JWright]

I've been skipping bodies as I upgraded. I started with a D60, skipped the 10D and got a 20D and then skipped the 30D to go to the 40D. At this point I think my next upgrade will be in the direction of either 1.3X or full frame... For now I'm staying with the 40D. If it's half the camera my 20D is, it will last for a good long time.

[bric-a-brac]

I initially got my 40D for a number of (I believe) very poignant reasons.

I had a Nikon D80 for a while, and it was a great camera. But with graduation coming up (BA Photography December 2008; Wooo!), I wanted something with more professional performance. Hands down, the 40D is the best camera in its price range. Nikon has nothing to compete with it- Yeah the D90 is nice, but it's less durable (plastic body instead of magnesium alloy), utilizes SD cards instead of CF (so if you were ever to make the jump from the Dxx series to the Dxxx or Dx series you'd be SOL on all the memory you already acquired), slower in frames per second, and (IMO) does not process color as accurately or intuitively. The 40D offered me everything the D90 lacked even though both were in the price I could afford, so switching systems was a no brainer.

Now that I have a 40D and the 50D is out, I'm not about to jump ship. I actually debated between the two for a while before settling on the 40 because there weren't enough differences in features to me that it was worth spending an extra 300$ from the lens fund for it instead. If anything, in the near future I'll be picking up a 10D or a 20D as a back up, but the next serious camera body I get will definitely be a full frame or 1.3 crop- as an addition to the 40D, not as a replacement!

[snmichaels]

Seems there are a number of loyal-ish 40D users.

[Tahoe Slim]

I just bought my first DSLR. I was looking at the 40 or 50D. The low light issue was the main reason I went with the 40.

[dino8031]

I love my 40D and I have no plans to upgrade. The 50D doesn't really interest me and the 5Dmk2 is just too expensive.
I might consider a 5D once they drop below $1000 but for now I'm very happy.
The 40D is an excellent body.

[Stealthy Ninja]

Originally Posted by dino8031

I love my 40D and I have no plans to upgrade. The 50D doesn't really interest me and the 5Dmk2 is just too expensive.
I might consider a 5D once they drop below $1000 but for now I'm very happy.
The 40D is an excellent body.

You should be able to get a 2nd hand 5D for about that much I suspect.

[Trout Bum]

I really like (the nuns always said you can't love an inanimate object) my 40D. I haven't outgrown its capabilities nor used it to its maximum potential. And I love, I mean really like, my 17-55 2.8 IS.

That said, I'm bailing and can't wait to get my hands on the 5DMkII. I've been waiting for decades, since I quit using my Nikon SLR, to have a camera with this type of IQ.
Throw in the very good VF, excellent LCD, lack of noise and great dynamic range and I'm sold. My only regret will be the way my savings account looks when I'm through...

[pdccameras]

Originally Posted by S2IS-SA

Staying with my 40D...it was an upgrade from a 350D, so was a pretty big jump at the time. I love my 40D...don't see anything compelling enough in the 50D to warrant an upgrade at this stage. Have invested in more good glass instead.

I have pretty much followed Dave's up-grade path:

Agfa 1280 (kept) - Nikon D100 (sold along with all AF lenses) - Rebel 350D (sold) - 40D (current)

I bought the Rebel 350D with a Katz-Eye screen initially as a second body to use all my great old MF Nikon lenses, which were a pain to use on the D100, than I got Canon Glass Fever and haven't touched the Nikon gear in a while. I am getting a 5DII, but I am definitely not dumping the 40D. It will be my 2nd body for several reasons:

1) Greater telephoto reach
2) Fast AF and FPS
3) I love the 17-55 IS Zoom

It'll be interesting to see which gets more use, 40D or 5D 2 when the 5D 2 arrives!

Best,

Paul

[Roy Webber]

Originally Posted by S2IS-SA

Staying with my 40D...it was an upgrade from a 350D, so was a pretty big jump at the time. I love my 40D...don't see anything compelling enough in the 50D to warrant an upgrade at this stage. Have invested in more good glass instead.

Plus 1

[Gabe63]

I am thinking about the 5D2 or a used 5D when they are sub $1k. I like the 40d a lot but I would like to have both a crop and FF just so I can change the FL on some of my glass. I have not even paid attention to the 50d so I have no idea what features it offers over the 40d.
I probably will wait and get the 5D2 over the original since I like what it has to offer. The hard part is how low the 1DM2 price is now. There have been a few local with under 10k for $1100-12.

[beepclick]

Picked up a 5D Mk II. Sold myXTi. Keeping my 40D - it's just too good to let go, esp. with Tokina 11-16mm,Tamron 17-50 and Canon 300 f4LIS w/1.4x tc. My 40D is gripped and that's a better fit for me than 5D, though I'll likely get the BG-E6 soon.

[Stealthy Ninja]

Originally Posted by beepclick

Picked up a 5D Mk II. Sold myXTi. Keeping my 40D - it's just too good to let go, esp. with Tokina 11-16mm,Tamron 17-50 and Canon 300 f4LIS w/1.4x tc. My 40D is gripped and that's a better fit for me than 5D, though I'll likely get the BG-E6 soon.

Try the Tokina 11-16 on the 5Dmkii.

[mattograph]

I truly love my copy of the 40D. I doubt I will ever get rid of it. I am not excited about 15 mp on a crop sensor, and I doubt the 60D or whatever will get smaller.

Once I add my 5D mKII, I will have two awesome bodies to last me a long time.