40D Features: Gimmick or Not a Gimmick

Highlight Priority (40D): The jury is still out, but I’m leaning towards it being not a gimmick. I want to spend some time with a few big white birds to settle this once and for all.

Super-sensitive Center Point AF (40D): Gimmick. With some testing, I am not convinced that the center AF point on the 40D is any more sensitive with a f2.8 lens than the other AF points are with the same lens. I’m starting to believe this is a marketing move to make me think I need to replace some expensive f4.0s with even more expensive f2.8s.

Live View (40D): Not a gimmick. I originally had no intention of ever even learning how to use live view. After trying it just to be able to say that I used it, I can’t wait for the wild flowers to start blooming.

Not camera related but important:
IS: Image Stability on a lens is definitely not a gimmick. I am consistently able to shoot shutter speeds down to 1/25 sec with a 200mm lens on a 1.6 cf camera.

Just some random thoughts on the 40D...I'd like to hear other's opinions on gimmicks or not.

Besides macro, i still dont get the live view.

The live view hasn't even been turned on yet, except for by accident. I don't like it. Confuses me. Maybe if I had it connected to a laptop. . . . Ah, nope.

Yea liveview for me was def a consumer sales gimmick. I dont find it very useful at all. I guess as long as Im not paying more for it its an okay feature to have.

I agree about the LiveView.
For what I shoot, it isn't necessary at all.
In fact I don't think I used it even to try it out before I ended up selling the 40D.

Not sure about the center AF point, however the AF system as a whole definitely felt better compared to the 5D. Is it a huge difference? No. But it's there.

Rubberhead wrote in post #4681586
Highlight Priority (40D): ...
Super-sensitive Center Point AF (40D): ...
Live View (40D): ....

Not camera related but important:
IS: Image Stability
Just some random thoughts on the 40D...I'd like to hear other's opinions on gimmicks or not.

I have not found a use for highlight priority. The few times I have played with it, I could never tell a the difference.

As to the center point, I can't really tell the difference there either.

But I love the live view feature. I use it for macro, product shots, and even for portraits. Pretty much any time it's on a tripod or I'm in a situation where manual focus is needed, live view is working for me.

I was never a fan of in body IS and always believed that in lens IS is better touting the Canon and Nikon party line. Then I got to play with my friends Sony A100 and his Biggma. A IS Biggma just rocks and comparing it to my 100-400IS, I'd say the Sony in body IS does just as good of a job as the in lens IS of the 100-400 and gives you an extra 100mm to boot. I really didn't get to do a lot of side by side comparing but were headed to Starved rock some time in Feb if it gets cold enough and the eagles congrats at the dam and hopefully I'll get to play around with it a bit more.

I was a fan of highlight priority when I first got my 1d-III, but the newness wore off. The difference is subtle, and you need to shoot JPG, or process in DPP to make use of it. I've never turned it on, with my 40d.

I like Live view. For close-ups of still objects, nothing beats using 10x magnification to fine-tune the focus. You see exactly what the sensor sees, so its perfect every time. It adds some value to the DOF button too

I wish Canon put IS in-body, at least for the shorter lenses. I'd love hand-held lower shutter speeds on some of my primes, especially the longer ones(85 and 135).

Edit: I don't think any of the new features are gimmicks. Not everyone needs or takes advantage of every feature, but I bet all the features will be of use to someone. Thats the reason more features and more customization is a good thing.

I think the center focus point is not a gimmick. I believe my 40D focuses faster and more accurately than my 20D did, with the same lenses. According to the info supplied by Canon, all 9 focus points are of the vertical and horizontal type, and the center point also has diagonal capability. I don't have my 20D to compare to, nor have I compared it to another camera, but focusing seems to not take as long in low light, and works very well in very dim light with my 30mm f/1.4 wide open.