Canon EOS 40D - Expert Reviews

Award: Recommended!

Review summary: Superb build quality and performance make this a worthwhile upgrade for serious amateurs.

Verdict: The 40D's resolution is the same as the 400D's, courtesy of the 10.1-megapixel sensor, giving enough pixels to print at up to 13 x 8in at 300dpi

Review summary: This DSLR from Canon performs so well that finding something to criticize about it was difficult. Although it is missing some features compared to other cameras in its class, nearly everything that the Canon EOS 40D does, it does very well. Image ...

Pros: Below average image noise up to ISO 1600, Excellent image details, Highlight tone priority for high-key images, Great dynamic range, Fast and responsive

Cons: Drop in color saturation at ISO 1600 and 3200, Automatic white-balance quite poor under artificial light, White balance system leaves slight color cast, LCD flush with left edge, Weird control ergonomics

Review summary: Forget what you read in the gearhead forums. The Canon 40D is a honey. Here's why...

Pros: Class leading autofocus ; Extremely long battery life ; No image noise to speak of ; Super-sharp high resolution images ; Three custom memories on dial a joy

Cons: Live view isn't as elegantly integrated as Olympus version ; Battery indicator not graded properly ; Incandescent light tricks AWB ; Price Comparison ; Canon 40D

Verdict: There's a lot more, too. Like the fully configurable Picture Styles - six useful presets that can be adjusted for sharpness, contrast, saturation and tone. Then there is the handy 'My Menu' settings, that allow you to move those functions to the top ...

Review summary: Dynamic range is as good as it gets with detail well preserved both in highlights and shadows.

Verdict: The EOS 40D inherits some advanced features from Canon's professional cameras and puts them to good use. It has a newly designed, high-precision 9-point wide area AF that uses cross-type points, enabling the camera to focus faster, more accurately, ...