40D owners, your opinions? sound off.

Well I've been playing with mine for a day now. Figured I would like to hear your opinions of the camera. The preferences or dislikes of fellow owners. Hey you own one, you clearly must have some thoughts.

So far I'm wondering if the WB is as acurate as the 30D or my prior models. But it could just be the LCD tint which appears to be cooler, or more blue, then the 30D.

I'm also up in the air about the buttons near the LCD. The 30D buttons were easier to hit I think.

On the plus side I love the grip and the penta-prism. The Auto ISO is growing on me, but the new delete photo menu function, not sure about that at all. As is the SET function of changing the pic. format on the LCD vs. the top panel.

But over all I do love the 40D in hand, just not sure how I feel about it vs. the 30D just yet. Live View has yet to win me over, but I do like the AF-ON button.

Anyone have the BG-E2N yet, does the feel in hand realy differ from the BG-E2. The 40D grip seems stickier then the 30D but that could just be the new-ness right out of the box.

I'm really upset that only the 580EX II can be controlled from the onboard controls, I have a very new IMO 580EX I'm still ticked about. The shortest lived new flash EVER!

can't help you much except for the part about the flash. i have the mkIII and the 580exII and i can honestly say that the ability to control the flash from the LCD menu is nothing to write home about. the functions are really limited and you can do everything just as fast on the flash itself.

I love it. Honestly I'm not a pro but I will say I have caught some pictures that I find amazing and beautiful that I couldn't have caught otherwise. It bugs me a little that the last really tell sign that this is not a pro camera is the bloody flash on it. Take the flash out make it usable with old school 580's new and put AF on button in the BG E2n and I'd never need another camera...untill the ISO 18,000 120D comes out...Hmm what happens when the 40D get's replaced so many times it's now the 290D what will they name the next one?

I love it too.

What does it for me is mainly the vastly improved AF system compared to it's predecessors.

IQ is top notch as well and the resolution enough for really large prints.

I dislike the new menu system and the placement of the buttons on the back, would have preferred 30D/5D style.

I'm pissed off that they moved around the buttons and functions at the top. This is probably because I use it together with a 5D a lot, very used to the 20D, 30D, 5D button layout.

[QUOTE=BugEyes;3912629​]I love it too.

What does it for me is mainly the vastly improved AF system compared to it's predecessors.

IQ is top notch as well and the resolution enough for really large prints.

I dislike the new menu system and the placement of the buttons on the back, would have preferred 30D/5D style.

I'm pissed off that they moved around the buttons and functions at the top. This is probably because I use it together with a 5D a lot, very used to the 20D, 30D, 5D button layout.[/quote]

one reason i bought the 30d is because the controls are identical to my 5d.

ed rader

I love everything about the 40d, the way it feels, the clarity of the LCD, live view spot metering etc.

So far so good. I have struggled a bit w/ the AI servo, but I'm sure it is user error. Love the FPS, and I'm getting more accustomed to the buttons/menus. The delete photo menu is fine w/ me....much harder to accidentally erase the whole card. I really like the option of going through and checking pictures, then deleting all the checked ones. Not sure if that is new or not, but the XTi did not have that capability.

ed rader wrote in post #3912647
one reason i bought the 30d is because the controls are identical to my 5d.

ed rader

Yes, I've had a 20D as second body up until now and appreciated the similarity in handling. However I'm still happy with the upgrade and I felt I had to upgrade due to the milage of my 20D.
Keeping the 20D as well as wifes camera and second backup in case one of the others need service etc.

I miss my 5D should not have sold it....40D is nothing like 5D from noise to detail is sooo far different...oh well I will wait until the next gen of 5D comes out then I will buy.

this is really entry level camera...5D is total pro

RIDEWYA wrote in post #3912791
I miss my 5D should not have sold it....40D is nothing like 5D from noise to detail is sooo far different...oh well I will wait until the next gen of 5D comes out then I will buy.

this is really entry level camera...5D is total pro

I don't agree at all, I'm utterly impressed by the IQ from the 40D when I compare it to what I get from my 5D, and the AF is better on the 40D.

MikeI wrote in post #3912751
So far so good. I have struggled a bit w/ the AI servo, but I'm sure it is user error. Love the FPS, and I'm getting more accustomed to the buttons/menus. The delete photo menu is fine w/ me....much harder to accidentally erase the whole card. I really like the option of going through and checking pictures, then deleting all the checked ones. Not sure if that is new or not, but the XTi did not have that capability.

When using the motor drive try to take small bursts. That'll help with your AI servo tracking, allowing you to get more spot on photos.

blonde wrote in post #3910659
can't help you much except for the part about the flash. i have the mkIII and the 580exII and i can honestly say that the ability to control the flash from the LCD menu is nothing to write home about. the functions are really limited and you can do everything just as fast on the flash itself.

You really think that? I didn't get a Speedlight until I got my Mark III, but I've found it's so much faster and more clear to change flash C.Fns on camera rather than on the flash. Obviously things like High-speed mode can be changed faster on the flash, but changing from E-TTL 2 to Auto I find is faster on the camera (C.Fn 5-2)...

MrChad wrote in post #3910638
I'm really upset that only the 580EX II can be controlled from the onboard controls, I have a very new IMO 580EX I'm still ticked about. The shortest lived new flash EVER!

Can you at least change the flash exposure compensation from the 40D when using a 430EX or 580EX?

I would be quite annoyed if I couldn't even do that from within the camera, because I can do that on the 30D.

I have no complaints about it so far. in Fact it is great
But I have shoot mostly sports and that in my view the 40D is quite a jump over the 30D

I do find it funny that people even bother to delete shots on their camera, if I fill a CF card, I put another one in, nothing never gets deleted until it reaches Computers.
I like the button lay out, I have got used to it pretty quickly,
The main one that would catch me out is the AF one, but I just switched it to the * same as my 30D was set up.
As for noise and IQ, (what ever that really means) don't see a great deal of difference, both cameras are capable of taking a WOW photo, being your best ever, I would say the 40D is very very slightly above in this possibility, but in everyday use, no difference
Biggest improvements are the VF, AF, Servo,

Until I can actually see the RAWS in CS3, and use them in CS3 I will really see the difference over the 30D, if any.

Little likes:- Faster CF format.
You can hold it with a slight more secure feeling it is in your hand, and most of all,
I still have not learnt 50% of what it can do.
I was expecting the cameras to be pretty similar in use, but actually there is a far greater learning curve

Dislikes:- LCD can give you a slight sense of security, sometimes giving you a picture that is not as good as it looks on LCD.
ISO noise is more apparent if you get the exposure wrong that it was on the 30D, you have less tolerance for getting photo right. I suppose you have to be a better photographer to use it, though there are some good safety features over the 30D to make sure you get it right, (THAT I should be using sometimes).

All in all, A great camera, a far better upgrade than any of us could imagine, and the best value DSLR on the market atm in my view.

I personally think Canon did more than it originally planned on the 40D, because of the lack of faith in the MK3, Customer dissatisfaction, and problems out there, and the new Nikons out soon. It certainly is causing hot debates comparing 5D's to 40D, and even some 1 series, and possible people selling a MK 3 to get a 40D or 4
it is Great for us, I do hope the MK 3 gets sorted soon, and I think the 5D replacement and hope is as good an upgrade as the 40D was.

Terrific camera - burst speed is brilliant, image quality is more than adequate, although the shutter sound is loud and annoying.

But.. I still wish it was a D300