Canon EOS 40D Review

The EOS 40D is the sixth iteration of Canon’s “prosumer” digital SLR lineup, which began in 2000 with the EOS D30. It’s incredible to think of how far we’ve gone since then. It’s been eighteen months since Canon released the EOS 30D, and although the 40D may seem like a relatively minor increase at first glance, several things make this camera even better than the 30D.

Naturally, we anticipate an increase in the number of megapixels. As a result, the EOS 40D is equipped with a CMOS sensor with ten million pixels and uses the same dust reduction method as the EOS 400D, an ultrasonic platform rattling the low-pass filter.

Get: Best Lenses for Canon EOS 40D

Other enhancements bring the EOS 40D closer in line with the EOS-1D series. These include a move to the same page-by-page menu system, both RAW and sRAW (2.5 MP), a 14-bit A/D converter and 14-bit RAW, cross-type AF points for F5.6 or faster lenses, a larger and brighter viewfinder, interchangeable focusing screens, a larger LCD monitor (3.00″), and faster continuous shooting (6.5 fps).

10-megapixel CMOS sensor

It has been three years since this model line has seen an upgrade in resolution. In August 2004, Canon released the EOS 20D with eight megapixels, but they have maintained the same sensor for the EOS 30D.

There should be no surprise then to see an increase of two megapixels. However, as usual, Canon is stating (perhaps correctly) that despite smaller photosites, noise performance is on par with that of the EOS 30D, thanks to advancements in sensor design.

EOS Integrated Cleaning System: an overview

With the release of the EOS 40D and the EOS-1Ds Mark III, Canon can now say that their whole range of DSLR cameras has integrated dust reduction technology.

At startup and shutdown, we use anti-static coatings and a piezoelectric element that rattles the area of the low pass filter facing the front of the device (you can disable this or operate it manually). It is essential to point out that the precise design of the moving elements looks to have undergone some minor alterations since the EOS 400D.

14-bit analog to digital converter and DIGIC III image processor

The DIGIC III processor is included in the EOS 40D, just like it is in the EOS-1D Mark III and the EOS-1Ds Mark III (although, in this case, only one of them). This enables a whole host of brand-new capabilities, such as Live View, as well as speedier picture processing and, we can only assume, an improvement in image quality. Improved shooting speed in continuous mode and a bigger buffer

The EOS 40D manages six and a half frames per second, an increase from the EOS 30D’s five frames per second. It can buffer more than twice as many images, resulting in a burst of 75 images that can be captured in 11.5 seconds as opposed to the EOS 30D’s shot of 30 images that can be captured in six seconds (based on Canon official specs, however, we achieved 40 images in our review).

The larger, bright viewfinder

The percentage of the frame covered by the viewfinder stays the same at 95%, but the magnification increases from 0.90x to 0.95x. This difference is noticeable when using the camera, and it is safe to say that the View through the viewfinder of the EOS 40D appears to be the same size as that of the EOS-1D Mark III. It is an obvious step in the right direction. Focusing on displays that can be switched out

Additionally, new focusing screens can be switched out. These are available in three distinct varieties: the Ef-A Standard Precision Matte (which is already included in the package), the Ef-S Super Prevision Matte (which is somewhat darker but makes it simpler to focus manually), and the Ef-D Precision Matte with grid (as shown above).

a B&W symbol may be seen in the viewfinder’s ISO display.

This has now been implemented, and a new B/W icon serves more as a warning that you are shooting in black-and-white mode. Finally, a permanent display of ISO in the viewfinder has been something that we have seen requested for quite some time, and it is something that we have asked for as well.

Mirror system that is both quicker and quieter

One of the most visible changes when you first use the EOS 40D is the far speedier and quieter mirror operation. This is in addition to the bigger viewfinder, another welcome addition. It used to be that the mirror was lifted by a spring, but today it is motorized in both the up and down directions (and hence damped). This results in significantly shorter blackout intervals and a generally quieter sound when the shutter is released.

Sensor autofocus with nine points and cross-sensitivity

The EOS 40D retains the same nine focus points initially introduced on the EOS 20D; however, all of the focus points are now cross-type, which means that they are sensitive to horizontal and vertical detail when used with lenses that have an aperture of F5.6 or faster. In addition, the center point is now twice as sharp as any other point when used with lenses with a maximum aperture of F2.8 or quicker and features cross-type sensors calibrated to 45 degrees. Button labeled AF-ON

The dedicated AF-ON button is on the rear of the camera to the left of the AE lock button (just ‘under your thumb’). This feature was carried over from the EOS-1D cameras, which is both a welcome addition and a carry-over from those cameras. This button is beneficial in situations requiring continuous focus, such as when you want the direction to track the subject while also maintaining the ability to activate the shutter release independently.

WFT-E3/E3A is a wireless transmitter, and its grip is WFT-E3A.

The WFT-E3/E3A wireless transmitter, which now functions as a vertical grip, is the most exciting new addition to the accessory lineup. It combines two functions into one convenient package. When attached to the EOS 40D, it offers all of the standard controls found on vertical grips, in addition, to connecting through WiFi, wired Ethernet, and USB storage.

It comes with its own BP-511 battery, which, according to the manufacturer, will last just as long (when used continuously) as the battery included in the camera. The WFT-E3 has a built-in web server that enables HTTP viewing of photographs and remote shutter release. It supports various protocols, including FTP and PTP (remote control). Doors for the compartments that are weatherproof

While Canon has now weatherproofed the battery and storage compartment doors (water and dust can’t enter these compartments when the doors are closed), other areas, such as buttons and dials, aren’t fully weatherproofed. They are on the EOS-1D series. We are looking for exact clarification on this point. Therefore, although the weatherproofing of the EOS 40D is an upgrade over that of the EOS 30D, it does not appear to be up to the requirements of the EOS-1D.

Larger 3.0 “LCD monitor

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the standard display size these days is three inches, but after seeing how tight the button arrangement is, I’d be shocked to see manufacturers go much more significantly the next time. Resolution identical to that of the 2.5 “. It takes its position but does seem to have a brighter appearance, and of course, when studying photographs, more significance is always preferable. Live Perspective

The Canon EOS 40D features a Live Perspective mode that, once enabled, may be used by pressing the SET button. This model provides a real ‘Through the Lens’ View of the scene in front of the camera. In addition, the AF-ON button may be used to enable the optional autofocus feature.

When this button is pressed, the mirror will temporarily lower to acquire focus, then it will rise again to restore the live View. Magnification (five or ten times), information display, exposure simulation, and silent shooting are other Live View capabilities (a quieter but delayed mirror movement is used).

Display of Information Regarding Shooting

You may now show a live “control panel” style screen on the LCD monitor as an optional extra, taking a page out of the book that Canon wrote with the EOS 400D.

EOS-1D-like menu system

Use the multi-controller (joystick) to navigate between pages and dials. Gone is the long scrolling menu of previous EOS x0D cameras; now, the EOS 40D gets the more logical and easier-to-navigate page-grouped menu system of the EOS-1D. Previously, EOS x0D cameras only had one menu that scrolled continuously.

Adjustments were made on-screen for the settings.

Again, you can repeat settings modifications on the primary LCD screen. This feature may be beneficial when the camera is placed high on a tripod or when the top LCD panel is facing away from you.

Auto ISO (400 – 800)

Auto ISO was not accessible in other shooting modes on the EOS 30D, including Auto or Scene. Now it can be used in all the exposure modes, and the excitement is that the ‘creative’ methods (P, Av, and Tv) start at 400 and go up to 800 for this setting. Unfortunately, Canon has not yet incorporated the extremely flexible automatic ISO seen in Nikon and Pentax digital SLRs. This feature, which essentially becomes an “ISO priority,” is something that Canon should have done long ago.

Camera user settings

The mode dial of the EOS 40D has been updated to include three additional locations labeled C1, C2, and C3. These allow you to rapidly retrieve previously saved camera settings, such as the shooting mode, menu settings, and any custom functionality you may have set up—sculpting, including tilt adjustment.

In addition to trimming (cropping) a picture while in playback mode, you can tilt the crop rectangle by plus or minus ten degrees in increments of 0.5 degrees. This feature is ideal for fixing slightly skewed photographs before they are directly printed.

RAW as well as sRAW

The Canon EOS-1D Mark III was the first camera to introduce the negligible RAW concept. When you take a picture in sRAW mode, the resulting RAW file will have around a quarter of the number of pixels that a regular RAW file will have. This translates to approximately 2.5 megapixels for the EOS 40D.

Despite being stored as unprocessed data with a bit depth of 14, you can still do all of the usual post-processing RAW modifications, such as exposure compensation and white balance correction; nevertheless, the final image is more compact.

Optional noise reduction at high ISO settings

You may activate this “additional” degree of noise reduction to get even cleaner pictures, but doing so will slow down your camera’s continuous shooting buffer. The default setting disables this “extra” level of noise reduction.

If the card door is opened, the device will not power off.

After just seven years of complaining in what must have been a dozen or more digital SLR reviews, Canon has finally listened. When the door to the CF card is opened, the EOS 40D shows a warning message and a countdown indicating how many more photographs need to be written before it is safe to remove the card. In contrast, the EOS 30D immediately turns off when the door is opened. At long last! External USB media support

This feature is only available when the WFT-E3/E3A wireless transmitter/grip is attached to the camera. However, it does allow you to connect USB storage devices (such as external hard drives or flash drives) and use them as storage devices. Again, this feature is only available when the WFT-E3/E3A wireless transmitter/grip is attached to the camera. The EOS 40D / WFT-E3 can power flash-based USB devices. However, hard disk-based drives will require their external power source.

Design

There are very few differences from the EOS 30D visible from the front of the camera. There has been some chiseling done to the viewfinder chamber, and there is a new finger tuck on the hand grip, but other than that, there are no significant surprises. On the other hand, the back has had more of a redesign, and the now three-inch LCD monitor is primarily responsible for this change.

In the EOS 40D, several buttons previously located along the left side of the monitor on the EOS 30D have been moved to the area below the monitor. Additionally, a dedicated AF-ON button is now located ‘under your thumb.’ We need to be glad that Canon has not eliminated the most pointless button, which is the Direct Print button.

The same materials, build, and construction as the EOS 30D, including a two-piece magnesium shell that makes up much of the front and rear of the camera and is well put together without any rattles or creaks, the EOS 40D feels just as solid, and reliable as its predecessors in the EOS x0D line of cameras.

Side by side

Many people would compare these two cameras to the current state-of-the-art serious-amateur (or semi-professional) digital SLRs from Canon and Nikon, even though there is a price difference of $500 between them. The Nikon D300 is both the bigger and heavier of the two cameras by 80 grams; however, it is doubtful that you would feel this difference when you use the camera. Another distinction is that the D300 has an advantage of two megapixels over the other camera.

Within your grasp

The EOS 40D feels virtually the same as the EOS 30D when you hold it in your hand, except for a little new finger hook sculpted into the front of the hand grip. This is something that I’m sure some people will notice, but it didn’t have a significant effect on me (it is, however, more in keeping with the EOS-1D design). The Canon EOS 40D has a strong, trustworthy, and “well-sorted” feel, which can’t be denied about the camera. Ergonomics-wise, it also feels “fully sorted.”

Alterations to the camera’s layout in comparison to the EOS 30D

Move your mouse pointer over any of the images below to see a side-by-side comparison of the EOS 30D and the EOS 40D designs.

LCD Monitor

The EOS 30D got an upgrade to a 2.5-inch LCD panel. The EOS 40D receives a 3.0-inch LCD but keeps the exact 230,400 dot count (320 x 240 x RGB). While impressive, this dot count has been surpassed by the incredible 921,600 dot 3.0-inch LCDs featured on the new Nikon D3, D300, and Sony DSLR-A700. As seen in this picture, the screen does not have an anti-reflective coating, which means it is more likely to pick up reflections than other screens.

LCD control panel

A large LCD control screen can be found on the top of the camera, displaying a great deal of information on the various exposure settings and camera settings. The primary numeric area of the panel also serves a dual purpose in providing other kinds of information, such as the “Busy” alert and the ability to pick an AF point, among other things. On the rear panel of the EOS 40D, there is now a specific readout for the ISO sensitivity.

You may turn on the panel’s orange illumination by pushing the backlight button, which is located in the upper left corner of the board. Once activated, the backlight remains on for roughly six seconds.

Viewfinder

The viewfinder of the EOS 40D has been upgraded to have a higher magnification than the viewfinder of the EOS 20D/30D (up to 0.95x compared to 0.90x). Although this is only a slight increase in specifications, the View through the viewfinder is noticeably larger and brighter. In addition, it does not suffer from any distortion or corner softness. In the same way as in earlier versions, the eyepiece rubber may be removed, making it possible to replace it with the eyepiece cover, a different eyepiece, or an angled finder.

Displays that focus on

Another important improvement to the EOS 40D is the addition of interchangeable focusing screens, which are as follows:

• Standard precision matte ef-a coating
• The focusing screen that was provided for you, was bright and had a standard matte
• Matte EF-D Precision with a grid
• a surface with a matte finish, which makes manual focusing simpler, and the inclusion of a grid pattern
• Super Precision Matte Ef-S Finish
• even more matte, but obviously a touch darker, suitable for lenses with an aperture of F2.8 or faster

Viewfinder view

At first look, the image presented via the viewfinder does not appear to have been altered all that significantly; the spot metering circle still occupies around 3.5 percent of the frame, and there are still nine AF points. However, including a persistent ISO display on the status bar is the modification users have voiced their most satisfaction with.

When using the automated AF point selection mode, the AF points picked by the camera are momentarily highlighted when you commence AF (half-press the shutter release / AF button). Still, if you select an AF point manually, that point is the one that is highlighted. In the setting that allows for automated AF point selection, the AF point won’t get highlighted until after an AF lock has been obtained.

When there is just one AF point set, it will flash twice: once after you are halfway through the shutter release and again when it has locked (or not at all if no AF lock was possible). When using AI Servo AF mode (with the shutter release button held down halfway), the selected AF point only blinks once before beginning to track AF.

Storage Space for Batteries

The door to the battery compartment of the EOS 40D is just a simple clip that locks it, and it’s located at the bottom of the hand grip. The door panel may be removed (to make way for the optional battery grip). The Canon EOS 40D comes with the BP-511A Lithium-Ion battery pack, which has a capacity of 1390 mAh and operates at 7.4 volts (10.3 Wh). The connection connecting the AC adapter’s fake battery to the optional hand grip escapes via a small door located on the inner edge of the hand grip.

Charger for the Battery

The CB-5L battery charger is included with the Canon EOS 40D digital single-lens reflex camera, and it is comparable in size and weight to chargers used with earlier EOS x0D SLR models. Charge completion is indicated by a blinking LED on the top of the charger. The charging process takes around 90 minutes.

Wireless Battery Grip for WFT-E3/E3A Devices (optional)

No less than three different battery grips are compatible with the EOS 40D. These include the BG-E2 (also compatible with the EOS 20D and 30D), the new BG-E2N, which is almost identical to the original BG-E2 but features rubber seals around the door the battery compartment, and finally, the new WFT-E3/E3A wireless battery grip.

As you can see, the WFT-E3/E3A is a different design than the BG-E2 series in that it does not have the dummy battery stalk. Instead, the battery remains inside the camera, and the grip attaches to the bottom. The only thing the WFT-E3/E3A does not do is provide additional power to the camera (and communicate through a new connector).

You can shoot wirelessly (802.11b/g) directly to FTP servers with the WFT-E3/E3A and have two-way communication through PTP and HTTP with this device. In HTTP mode, you will have complete remote control of the camera, including watching a live view, adjusting the settings, and snapping pictures.

Although only tiny flash drives can be powered by the grip, the USB port may be used to save directly to external USB hard disks and supply GPS data from USB GPS devices. The USB port is located on the bottom of the gadget.

A compartment for CompactFlash cards

The door of the CompactFlash compartment on the EOS 40D may be opened by sliding it towards you and then flipping it outwards. This compartment is located in the back corner of the hand grip. After the CF card has been ejected, the door swings open on a metal hinge, providing ample space for removing the card.

The CF activity light may be seen at the bottom right corner of the quick control dial. The EOS 40D is compatible with Type I and Type II CompactFlash cards, cards with more than 2 GB, capacities, and the FAT32 file system; however, it is not compatible with the current ultra-high-speed UDMA standard.

Connections

All of the connections on the EOS 40D are located on the camera’s left side, just like they are on the EOS 30D; however, the order of the rubber covers and the layout has been altered. There are now two connections columns, each with its body. PC sync and the remote terminal (N3) are on the left side, and video-out and USB 2.0 are on the right (Hi-Speed).

Mounting Options: Base or Tripod

A metal tripod socket can be found on the underside of the camera. This socket is precisely aligned with the optical axis that runs through the center of the lens. It is also essential to highlight the new grip connector, which can be found at the bottom right side of the device.

It would have been good to have a rubber ‘foot’ on the camera’s base, as I’ve asked in previous reviews, but I hypothesize that this may have caused the camera to be incompatible with the optional battery grip.

Lighting from within

The EOS 40D is equipped with an E-TTL II pop-up flash (the same as the EOS 30D and the 20D before it), it has a guide number of 13 (about 3.3 meters at 17 mm and 2.3 meters at 85 mm; ISO 100), and it has a wide-angle coverage of 17 millimeters. With support for E-TTL II, information about the distance between the lens and the subject is now included in calculating the necessary flash power. 1/250 ofpopupond is the flash sync speed.

AF Assist

The Canon EOS 40D employs the built-in flash as its AF assist, the same as its predecessors in the x0D line. You are required to elevate the flash unit, which will strobe to illuminate the AF system when there is insufficient light. This is in place of having a separate lamp to aid the AF system.

Flash from the outside

The hot shoe of the EOS 40D is compatible with Canon’s flash units and those made by third-party manufacturers (sync only). Furthermore, as is the case with the built-in flash, the hot shoe supports E-TTL II metering, which derives the necessary flash power from the lens’s distance information.

This is compatible with every Canon lens (although lenses only provide distance information with ring-type USM motors). You’ll also notice the new weather seal surrounding the flash, designed to operate in tandem with the more recent 580EX II Speedlite.

Lens Mount

Because the EOS 40D is equipped with a standard metal EF/EF-S lens mount, it is compatible with all Canon EF and EF-S lenses, as well as specific older lenses that need manual focusing and third-party lenses that are compatible. Furthermore, all lenses are subject to a field of view crop (also termed focal length multiplier) of 1.6x since the sensor is smaller than a 35 mm frame. As a result, a 17 mm lens delivers the same field of View as a 27.2 mm lens on a 35 mm film.

Sound of the Shutter Being Released

In several of our assessments of digital SLR cameras, we now include a sound clip of a rapid succession of photos taken with the camera. For example, the waveforms of a recording made by the EOS 40D shooting continuously in JPEG Large/Fine for thirty seconds may be seen below. The storage card utilized was a SanDisk Extreme IV Compact Flash with a capacity of 2 gigabytes.

You may purchase the EOS 40D either as a body-only model or as a package that includes either the EF-S 18-55 mm IS or the EF-S 17-85 lens. The following items are contained within the body-only box:

• Body for the Canon EOS 40D Digital SLR camera
• Eyecup Eb
• battery pack with lithium-ion chemistry model BP-511A
• Charger for batteries, model CB-5L (or CG-580).
• Neck strap
• Connector USB
• Video Cable
• CD-ROMs
• Solution Disk for the Canon EOS
• EOS Utility
• ZoomBrowser EX (Enhanced)
• Remote Capture
• The Professional Digital Photographer
• Manuals / Reg. card

Top of camera controls (left) – Exposure Mode Dial

The dial that controls the camera’s exposure settings may be found on the top of the device, to the left. This regulates the operation of the exposure, whether it is entirely automated, a preprogrammed scene composition, a flexible program, a variety of manual and semi-automatic alternatives, or any of the three places designated as “camera user.” These exposure modes are separated into two categories: primary and creative in the user handbook that comes with the Canon camera.

Basic zone exposure modes

Complete Auto and the six scene exposure modes are referred to collectively as the “Basic Zone,” In this “Zone,” specific settings are either fixed, limited, or unavailable, as shown in this table. Full Auto is the only exposure mode that can be used with the scene exposure modes. The second table provides extensive information on the variable settings.

In the primary zone, the camera will signal that blur may occur due to slow shutter speeds by blinking the shutter speed on the LCD and viewfinder status bar. This is done to warn the photographer of the potential for blur.

Creative zone exposure modes

Most professionals and prosumers will be more comfortable with and gravitate toward using the five exposure options. These modes make all menu functions and camera settings available to the user and may be combined in any way they see fit.

In the manual exposure modes (Tv, Av, and M), you control the shutter speed with the main dial (located on top of the camera) and the aperture with the quick control dial (located on the back of the camera). You may switch the operational direction of these dials by using the C.Fn IV-4 button.

Controls at the very top of the camera (right)

The LCD status panel is located on the top of the camera on the right side. Directly above this are four buttons, including one for the LCD backlight and three control buttons (see below). The direct dial and the button that releases the shutter are in front of these.

The AF-ON, AE-Lock, and focus point selection buttons are located along the camera’s rear, directly ‘under your thumb.’ To return to shooting mode, you must first push the settings buttons once, then spin a dial to alter the setting value, and last, you must press the shutter release halfway (or press another button).

Top panel buttons

The following table explains the connection between the buttons on the top panel settings and the parameters that may be modified by rotating either the main dial (top) or the tight control dial (rear).

Where your thumb buttons are located (Shooting mode)

The beginning of autofocus

Thanks to the AF-ON button, you can activate the autofocus feature without ” half-pressing” the shutter release button first. The AF-ON button was recently added to Canon’s professional EOS-1D series, making the EOS 40D the first camera in the EOS x0D line to get it. Note that you may re-program the specific function of the AF-Of button by using C.Fn IV-1, or you can swap the AF-ON button and the AE/AF lock button by using C.Fn IV-2. Both of these options are accessible through the menu system on the camera (all custom functions are detailed in the menus section of this review). Lock for AE and FE

When you press the button, the automatic exposure will be triggered, and you may then lock the direction for the following photo. Depressing and holding the button may close the exposure for several shots. AF point selection button

You can select a single AF point by pressing or browsing between the various AF points by turning either the primary or tight control dial. You can also set a location directly with the help of the brand-new multi-controller (press the selector for the center point). Using the C.Fn III-3, the precise operation of this button may be altered.

Where your thumb buttons are located (Play mode)

If you are using the single view play mode, clicking this button once will move to a thumbnail index of 2×2, and hitting it twice will transition to an index that is 3×3. If the current magnification level is too high, pushing this button will bring it down. Enlarge

To enlarge the current image, press; fifteen levels leading up to a maximum magnification of ten times the original size. After you have magnified the image, you can use the multi-controller to navigate around it.

Controls on the back of the camera

Because of the new three-inch LCD panel, the control buttons had to be moved from their prior location down the left side of the screen to a row of five buttons below, and the menu button was pushed to the top of the screen. The “new addition” is the dedicated Picture Style button, which displays the Picture Style selection/adjustment page. Aside from the AF-ON button we have already discussed, this is the only other “new addition.” Last, let’s not forget the least helpful button: direct print. Unfortunately, this button is still not adjustable.

Quick-Adjust Dial for Controls

The Quick Control Dial may adjust exposure compensation while the power switch is in the third position (one step past the ON position) (steps depend on C.Fn I-1).

CANCEL button

If Live View is turned on, hitting the SET button will enter or exit the live view mode. If Live View is not turned on, pressing the SET button will not affect shooting mode. However, pressing the SET button will enter or exit the live view mode if Live View is turned on.

You may adjust the type of information and the amount of detail that is displayed with the image by pressing:

• Large picture Plus status line (shutter speed, aperture, comp, filename, card)

• Large picture + status line + image size & quality + image number

• A little picture with a status line, lum histogram, and comprehensive shooting information

• A little image together with a status line, lum histogram, RGB histogram, and comprehensive shooting information

Jump mode

Image browsing on the EOS 40D differs slightly from image browsing on the EOS 30D. The quick control dial (rear) on the EOS 40D scans photos one at a time, while the main dial (top) jumps using the jump mode that has been selected. You can choose between several jump modes by pressing the JUMP button:

• Jump 1 picture

• Jump 10 pictures

• Jump 100 pictures

• Screen

• Date

Play

Shows the most recent image that was captured (or the last image on the card). The Canon EOS 40D is a shooting priority camera. Regardless of what is displayed on the rear LCD, it will be overwritten if any of the camera’s photographic functions (for example, half-pressing the shutter release or AF-ON) are accessed. This applies even if the camera is set to a different mode than the shooting priority. Erase

When you press, the current picture will be deleted, and an OK or Cancel popup will appear.

Quick-Adjust Dial for Controls

Rotate the Quick Control Dial to view a gallery of pictures (the main dial can be used to jump images).

Lens mount controls

The last set of controls for the camera is located on the side of the lens mount. The first button is the flash open button, which will bring up the onboard flash if you are in a popup appropriate setting. After that, you’ll see a button labeled “lens release,” Below that, you’ll see a button labeled “depth of field preview.” When you press the depth of field preview button, the lens will stop down to the aperture indicated or selected.

Image Quality

JPEG versus RAW

Hover your mouse pointer over the links to compare the difference in sharpness and clarity that results from having a camera JPEG file processed vs. having a RAW file processed using Canon Digital Photo Professional or Adobe Camera Raw. The JPEG settings of the camera were set to Standard, the default option for the Canon 40D. We utilized the most recent version of Canon’s Digital Photo Professional (DPP), which is 3.1.0.5, and set the sharpening amount to 3. DPP delivered a superior result overall.

Performance in Terms of ISO and Noise

Extremely little loss of adequate information was seen in regions of subtle contrast when the Canon 40D was used at low ISO settings—the camera-generated deficient noise levels overall (where anti-noise processing takes its toll). The images were relatively noise-free, up to an ISO value of 800. Still, beyond that, a gradual but discernible loss of delicate information occurred when the ISO value was increased.

At an ISO of 1,600, we can see that the shadows are beginning to become blotchy, but the detail is still fairly decent. The grain pattern and chroma noise become more noticeable at an ISO setting of 3,200, particularly in the darkest regions of the image. The Canon 40D has exceptionally excellent noise performance at high ISOs; it finds the optimal balance between reducing noise and maintaining subject detail. Please refer to the section titled “Output Quality” for further information on the appearance of these findings when they are printed.

JPEGs from the camera versus RAW files regarding noise reduction and detail.

Let your own eyes be the judge, but ours say that the Canon 40D does a better job than most SLRs of striking a balance between the amount of image noise and the amount of subject information it captures.

The examples of image detail shown below were captured with an ISO setting of 3200 and cropped from the original RAW file created by Bibble, directly from the camera, from a RAW file created by Bibble using the built-in Noise Ninja function of Bibble (with the amount and level settings set to 20 and 0.8, respectively), and from Bibble with no noise reduction or other processing enabled.

Even at an ISO of 3200, the Canon D40 can produce very clean RAW files, as seen in the crop that is furthest to the right. Although the in-camera JPEGs (the yield on the left of the image above) sacrifice some subject detail in return for lower noise, the trade-off is not nearly as significant as other cameras we have seen.

You can obtain decent-looking photographs at ISO 3200 using a competent noise-reduction tool. There will be a minimal indication of noise or loss of clarity in the images that you create. Using the Noise Ninja feature that is included in Bibble, the picture in the upper left-center was able to have noise reduced while maintaining as much of the image quality as possible.

(The full version of the Noise Ninja application might do an even better job, but the free version included in Bibble only gives the most fundamental capabilities: Entering a valid license code for Noise Ninja is required to access all of the program’s functionality.

The Canon 40D does include a setting that allows users to disable the high-ISO noise reduction in the JPEG files produced by the camera. The consequences of this setting can be seen in the image at the top right-center. However, when you compare it to a RAW export from Bibble in which all noise processing was turned off (as seen on the far right above), it is clear that the camera always does at least some noise-reduction processing. Although more subject detail and less noise are present than in the default camera JPEG, the camera always does at least some noise-reduction processing.

Low light

In our low-light test, the Canon 40D performed admirably, capturing photos that were adequately bright down to the lowest light level we tested at and doing so regardless of the ISO setting used. This amounts to around 1/16 the brightness of the regular city street lighting at night, which means that the 40D should produce properly-exposed images in any location you can see well enough to walk around.

The degree of chroma noise was lowered to even lower levels at higher ISOs because of the camera’s Long Exposure Noise Reduction setting, which made the overall noise level pretty standard; according to Luke, our senior lab technician, the camera’s autofocus system could focus on the subject without assistance down to just below the 1/16 foot-candle light level. This was in line with the camera’s exposure system. However, Luke noted that the autofocus system was not always accurate at the lowest levels.

(The 40D does feature an autofocus-assist light option, but as it utilizes the flash tube of the camera as the illuminator, it needs that the flash system is activated for it to operate.)

A slight degradation in image quality with high ISO and lengthy exposures: The ISO 1,600 and ISO 3,200 images taken here exhibit noticeable horizontal banding in the shaded regions at the lowest light levels. The full extent of this may be seen in the crop on the right, which was taken at ISO 3,200 and exposed for 0.6 seconds.

Even though it is minor, the impact may be seen, especially when looking at the whole image at a 1:1 scale onscreen. The effect is less noticeable with an ISO of 1,600, but it is still to be seen. It’s not what we’d call a significant issue, but it may be a problem for some people working on vital applications, so we felt it was necessary to bring it to your notice.

Specifications

Body material	Magnesium alloy
Sensor *	• 22.2 x 14.8 mm CMOS sensor • RGB Color Filter Array • Built-in fixed low-pass filter (with the self-cleaning unit) • 10.5 million total pixels • 10.1 million effective pixels • 5.7 µm pixel pitch • 3:2 aspect ratio
Image processor *	DIGIC III
A/D conversion *	14 bit
Image sizes *	• 3888 x 2592 (L; 10.1 MP) • 2816 x 1880 (M; 5.3 MP) • 1936 x 1288 (S; 2.5 MP)
File formats	• RAW (.CR2; 14-bit *) • JPEG (EXIF 2.21) – Fine / Normal • RAW + JPEG (separate files) • sRAW (2.5 MP) *
File sizes (approx.) *	• JPEG L/Fine: 3.5 MB • JPEG M/Fine: 2.1 MB • JPEG S/Fine: 1.2 MB • RAW: 12.4 MB • sRAW: 7.1 MB
Lenses	• Canon EF / EF-S lens mount • 1.6x field of view crop
Dust reduction *	Autofocus
• +/-3 levels • three images • Blue / Amber or Magenta / Green bias	• 9-point TTL CMOS sensor • All points cross-type for lenses of F5.6 or faster * • Center point additionally sensitive with lenses of F2.8 or faster * • AF working range: -0.5 – 18 EV (at 23°C, ISO 100)
Focus modes	• One-shot AF • AI Servo AF • AI Focus AF • Manual focus
AF point selection	• Auto • Manual
AF assist	• Stroboscopic flash • 4.0 m range (at center)
Metering	• TTL 35 zone SPC • Metering range: EV 0.0 – 20 EV *
Metering modes	• Evaluative 35 zone • Partial (9% at center) • Spot metering (approx. 3.8% at center *) • Center-weighted average
AE lock	• Auto: One-Shot AF with evaluative metering • Manual: AE lock button
Exposure compensation	• +/-2.0 EV • 0.3 or 0.5 EV increments
Exposure bracketing	• +/- 2.0 EV • 0.3 or 0.5 EV increments
Sensitivity	• Auto ISO (see below) * • ISO 100 – 1600 • 0.3 or 1.0 EV increments • ISO 3200 (Enhanced H)
Auto ISO *	• P, Av, A-Dep: ISO 400 – 800 (will drop to ISO 100 to avoid over-exposure) • Tv: ISO 400 (will use 100 – 800 if required) • M: ISO 400 • Scene modes (apart from Sport and Portrait): ISO 100 – 800 • Sports scene mode: ISO 400 – 800 • Portrait scene mode: ISO 100 • With flash (all modes): ISO 400
Shutter	• Focal-plane shutter • 100,000 exposure durability • 30 – 1/8000 sec • 0.3 or 0.5 EV increments • Flash X-Sync: 1/250 sec • Bulb
Aperture values	• F1.0 – F91 • 0.3 or 0.5 EV increments • Actual aperture range depends on the lens used
Noise reduction	• Long exposure (1 sec or longer) • Optional for High ISO (default Off)
White balance	• Auto • Daylight • Shade • Cloudy • Tungsten • Fluorescent • Flash • Custom • Kelvin (2500 * – 10000 K in 100 K steps)
WB bracketing	• Quick-return half mirror (transmission: reflection ratio 40:60) • Mirror lock-up (once or multiple exposures)
WB shift	• Blue (-9) To Amber (+9) • Magenta (-9) to Green (+9)
Picture style	• Standard • Portrait • Landscape • Neutral • Faithful • Monochrome • User def. 1 • User def. 2 • User def. 3
Custom image parameters	• Sharpness: 0 to 7 • Contrast: -4 to +4 • Saturation: -4 to +4 • Color tone: -4 to +4 • B&W filter: N, Ye, Or, R, G • B&W tone: N, S, B, P, G
Color space	• sRGB • Adobe RGB
Viewfinder	• Eye-level pentaprism • 95% frame coverage • Magnification: 0.95x * (-1 diopter with 50 mm lens at infinity) • Eyepoint: 22 mm * • Interchangeable focusing screen Ef-A standard (2 other types optional) * • Dioptric adjustment: -3.0 to +1.0 diopter
Focusing screens (optional)	• Ef-A (Standard Precision Matte – included) • Ef-D (Precision Matte with grid) • Ef-S (Super Precision Matte for easier manual focus)
Mirror	• 3.0 ” TFT LCD • 230,000 pixels • seven brightness levels
Viewfinder info	• AF points • Focus confirmation light • ISO sensitivity * • Shutter speed • Aperture • Manual exposure • AE Lock • Exposure compensation amount • AEB level • Spot metering area • Flash ready • Red-eye reduction lamp on • High-speed sync • FE Lock • Flash compensation amount • ISO speed (while changing) • WB correction (while changing) • B&W mode icon * • Warnings • Maximum burst for continuous shooting • Buffer space
LCD monitor *	1. Single image with exposure, file number, storage slot 2. As one but also image count and quality 3. Detailed exposure information, thumbnail, and luminance histogram 4. Less detailed exposure info., thumbnail, luminance, and RGB histograms
LCD Live view *	• Live TTL display of scene from CMOS image sensor • 100% frame coverage • Real-time evaluative metering using a CMOS image sensor • Best View or exposure simulation • Grid optional (thirds) • Magnify optionally (5x or 10x at AF point) • Optional Auto-focus with mirror-down / mirror-up sequence • Two modes; normal and quieter • Remote live View using EOS Utility 2.0 (via USB or WiFi/Ethernet using WFT) • Manual focus only
Record review	• Off • On (histogram via INFO button) • Display mode same as last used Play mode • 2 / 4 / 8 sec / Hold
Playback modes *	• On (recorded and LCD) • On (recorded only) • Off
Playback features	• Live TTL display of scene from CMOS image sensor • 100% frame coverage • Real-time evaluative metering using a CMOS image sensor • Best view or exposure simulation • Grid optional (thirds) • Magnify optionally (5x or 10x at AF point) • Optional Auto-focus with mirror-down / mirror-up sequence • Two modes; normal and quieter • Remote live View using EOS Utility 2.0 (via USB or WiFi/Ethernet using WFT) • Manual focus only
Flash	• Auto pop-up E-TTL II auto flash • FOV coverage up to 17 mm (27 mm Equiv.) • Guide number approx 13 m / 43 ft (ISO 100) • Cycle time approx. 3 sec • Flash compensation +/-2.0 EV in 0.3 or 0.5 EV increments • X-Sync: 1/250 sec
External flash	• E-TTL II auto flash with EX-series Speedlites • In-camera flash configuration (currently only 580 EX II) * • Wireless multi-flash support • PC Sync
Shooting modes	• Auto • Program AE (P) • Shutter-priority AE (Tv) • Aperture-priority AE (Av) • Manual (M) • Auto depth-of-field • Portrait • Landscape • Close-up • Sports • Night portrait • Flash off • Camera user settings 1 * • Camera user settings 2 * • Camera user settings 3 *
Drive modes	• Single • High-speed continuous: 6.5 fps * • Low-speed continuous: 3 fps • Self-timer: 2 or 10 sec (3 sec with mirror lock-up)
Burst buffe r *	• Large/Fine JPEG: 75 frames • RAW: 17 frames • RAW+JPEG: 14 frames
Orientation sensor	Yes
Auto rotation *	• On (recorded and LCD display) • On (recorded only) • Off
Custom functions *	24 custom functions in 4 groups
Menu languages *	• English • German • French • Dutch • Danish • Portuguese • Finnish • Italian • Norwegian • Swedish • Spanish • Greek • Russian • Polish • Simplified Chinese • Traditional Chinese • Korean • Japanese
Firmware	User upgradeable
Portrait grip	• Optional WFT-E3/E3A * • Optional BP-E2N battery grip * • Optional BP-E2 battery grip
Connectivity	• USB 2.0 Hi-Speed • Video out • N3 type wired remote control • PC Sync flash terminal • Communication terminal on base for WFT-E3/E3A *
Storage	• Compact Flash Type I or II (inc. FAT32) • Canon Original Data Security Kit supported (“Original Image Data”) • No CF card supplied
Power	• Lithium-Ion BP-511A rechargeable battery (supplied & charger) • Supports BP-511 / BP-511A / BP-512 / BP-514 • CR2016 Lithium battery (date/time backup) • Optional AC adapter
Wireless connectivity * (optional WFT-E3/E3A)	• Mounts on the base of the camera and also acts as a vertical grip • Has its own BP-511A battery • Wireless 802.11b / 802.11g • Wireless security: WEP, TKIP/AES, WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK • Wireless methods: Infrastructure or Ad Hoc • Wired ethernet (100 Base-TX) • Transfer: FTP, PTP (remote control by computer), HTTP (view / remote fire) • USB host capable: External hard drives, flash drives • USB comms: GPS devices (records coordinates and altitude in image header)
Dimensions *	146 x 108 x 74 mm (5.7 x 4.2 x 2.9 in)
Weight *	• No battery: 740 g (1.6 lb) • With battery: 822 g (1.8 lb)

Conclusion

Seven years have passed since Canon released the EOS D30, and the sixth iteration of that camera showcases all of the benefits of a progressive progression in both the functionality and the quality of the camera. With each successive step up the evolutionary ladder, Canon has exhibited advancements in picture quality, performance, usability, and functionality, culminating in the EOS 40D. They also demonstrated that in addition to meeting the market’s requirements,’ they also listened to owners and reviewers by implementing the most commonly requested feature changes.

This demonstrated that not only did they meet the market’s requirements,’ but they also listened to the market. These include the permanent display of ISO sensitivity on both the top LCD and viewfinder status bar, the warning message that appears when the CF compartment is opened while a writing process is in progress, and the inclusion of the AF-ON button. All of these features are included in the EOS 40D.

Because of the combination of the Canon CMOS sensor and the DIGIC III processor, images produced by a Canon camera have the same level of clarity regardless of the sensitivity setting (with the possible exception of ISO 3200), very little noise, and no artifacts that aren’t naturally occurring. In addition, the new high ISO speed noise reduction option does not impact the image’s luminance detail. Still, it eliminates any remaining chroma noise, which gives high ISO photographs a grain reminiscent of film.

Nikon has been doing this for some time. It is a minor point and would only be noticed by “pixel peepers” if Canon used a less powerful anti-alias filter. This would mean JPEG images require less sharpening and are naturally “crisper” straight off the sensor. However, we would be interested to see Canon use this filter because it would mean that JPEG images would require less sharpening.

When we tested the camera’s dynamic range, we were taken aback to find that it offered a field that was consistently higher than its predecessor and the other cameras in its class. We estimate that the new 14-bit processing pipeline is responsible for most of this improvement, primarily seen in the shadow range.

Negatives? Even considering that we are typically more critical of cameras with a strong legacy, like the EOS 40D, it is impossible to discover any significant flaws. Even while the automatic white balance in artificial light is still not very good, there is no indication of the tone curve applied by the various Picture Styles. The continuous shooting speed wasn’t as quick as advertised; we are just nitpicking here.

Canon EOS 40D Price

Canon EOS 40D FAQs