Upgrading from 400D to 40D

[cian3307]

Hi all, I'm planning to upgrade from a 400D to a 40D - I need the better AF and the 6.5 fps. I'm happy with the 10MP sensor on the 400D so no need to increase MP's. I was just wondering if any 40D owners out there have any reservations about my plan? Should I really save a bit longer and go for the 50D? Specificaly,has anyone found the LCD resolution a bit low on the 40D and how would you rate the AF performance especially in AI servo mode? Thanks.

[Dann Thombs]

The 40D is a solid camera and 10Mpx on an APC-S is just fine. The 50D crammed more pixels onto the sensor and resulted in a bit more noise. Also the 40D can be had for a lot cheaper now. It's a good move.

[Oren]

If you can go to some local shop and play with both the 40D and 50D side by side, then I think that's what you should do since 40D vs. 50D is a very very tough question - I personally went with the 50D eventually, but I couldn't find a shop which let me compare them both side by side - I could barely find a shop who let me play with a working (battery + CF card inside) 50D, and couldn't find any shop with a working 40D.


If you have any questions regarding the 50D, I can help a bit I guess.


Also make sure you see Bryan's latest high ISO comparision - especially 500D vs. 50D.

[crystalshadow]

I made the same upgrade for the same reasons 5 months ago and have never looked back. The 40D is a great camera and I truely love it's speed increase above the 400D.

[Itheone]

I needed a second body to my 40D, so I purchased the 50D. I wanted the extra megapixels, andretain the fast frame rate.


Since I just got it last week, I haven't been able to fully play with it yet, but here's a few things I noticed:


The one thing that's noticeably better, is the screen, it's much brighter, much sharper and clearer then on the 40D, your pictures will look amazing on it. But don't let that fool you into thinking your photo is good, since it's displaying a small jpeg version, the full size picture will look way different (quality wise).


The high ISO setting that is new on 50D, IMO is useless, some might argue with that but the picture looks like you took it with a cheap cell phone camera.


Considering you can get a nice used 40D for about 1/2 the price of the new 50D, unless you need the extra megapixels, go for the 40D and buy yourself a nice lens to go with it.





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[HiFiGuy1]

I love my 40D. It is my first D-SLR of any kind, and I agonized for a while over whether to get a new40D or a used 1D Mk II, which were both about the same price at the time. I have to say that I wish I had the AF and 8.5 fps of the 1D Mark II, but I am so happy I have the user interface and large screen from the 40D, since my close up vision is getting slightly worse as I get older. Maybe my next body will be the inevitable 1D Mark IV, but I definitely need to bring my skillset up to the level of the camera before I should reasonably consider a move like that. I'm not even "good enough" for my 40D yet!


Based on the noise comparisons Bryan just posted, I'm a little skeptical of the 50D. I do really wish the 40D had the AF microadjustment, but that is really the only feature I am aware of that I find to be critical. The screen is nice, but when I compared them in a store side by side, it wasn't like the 40D was suddenly terrible. I'm not saying I wouldn't want that screen, but I don't think it is a good reason to buy a 50D over a 40D.


I like the fact that the 40D has a slightly wider range of f-stops on any given lens before DLA becomes an issue. Some will say it is nearly irrelevant, but Bryan thinks it is at least noteworthy. This seems even more importantnow that the ISO comparo is out, since smaller apertures may lead to the need for higher ISO with any given light, so you'd not onlyget DLA, but high noise levels. It would be a double whammy. Of course, this could be mountains from molehills. In the real world it may be a non-issue.


In short, get yourself a 40D and you won't regret it. If it is under your budget, there's always somenewglass that you don't own yet. [;)]

[moldovamark]

I posted a similarish question several days ago (though I'd have been upgrading from a 1000D).


Where is a good place to shop for a used 40D and what would be a good price for a well cared used copy?I occasinoally see them pop up on the Adorama and B&H sites, but the prices are usually within $20 or $30 of the price of a refurb, in which case, my inclination would be to go with the refurb.

[Dann Thombs]

I'd always go with the refurbished at Adorama.

[Dann Thombs]

I'd always go with the refurbished at Adorama.

[cian3307]

Thanks everyone - 40D it is!

[alexniedra]

I say GO FOR IT!


The 40D is a solid performer, and will deliver great AF performance, especially when used with USM lenses.



I recently made the same upgrade, involving the same decision: What do I need, and what do I want. I found that I didn't need 15MP, and sure, a VGA screen looks nice, but I would never pay >$400 just for the 5 MP and screen. It just doesn't make sense to me.


So I got the 40D. It is an amazing camera - You'll have a lot of fun with it.

[Colin]

Can the 40D do Live View with zoomed in manual focus? That might actually be handy in some situations. Myself, I'd lean to the 40D for my own purposes and the price. Though, I certainly wouldn't mind a 50d [:)]

[alexniedra]

Can the 40D do Live View with zoomed in manual focus?


Yes, it can. It's a lifesaver many times.

[Colin]

Crap. I really blew it buying the 30d exactly when I did... [:(] If I only knew, I would have waited.

[alexniedra]

Does the 30D have live view, without the magnifier for MF?

[Colin]

It does not. For all I can tell, it's a 20D with an extra 10 d's...