Canon EOS 40D

The Canon EOS 40D is a subtle improvement over the 30D, but in many ways it’s also an understudy for the EOS 1D Mark III. The 40D is used by many professionals as well as enthusiasts, and in our tests we found the camera does have a lot to offer in terms of functionality.

The 40D is a bit bulky, with dimensions of 146 x 108 x 74 mm, while the weight is about 822g. It feels quite heavy, but not without a reason. The weight is further augmented due to the the kind of lens it uses. However, to keep things in perspective in true Tech2.0 fashion, we tested the camera with the basic 18-55mm kit lens.

The camera comes with a rubberized grip that makes it easy to hold on to. This helps in centering the weight around your palms, and reducing strain on your wrist. The back of the 40D has undergone some remarkable changes. The first and foremost has to be the 3-inch LCD screen, up from the earlier 2.5-inch job.

I like the complete focus that the 40D is able to give you when you fiddle with the controls. This is vastly aided by the operational separation of the controls with the help of the two dials and the 8-way multi-controller. While the main dial is situated on the top right where your index finger can reach without any strain, the Quick Control dial is right beside the screen, housing the set button.

The all-new AF-on button is yet another addition, giving it “under-the-thumb” reach just as the AE/FE lock and the AF point selection button. The 40D offers direct access to white balance options directly using the button on top alongside the AF-drive button and the ISO speed set, which also helps set the flash exposure compensation.

Right above the optical view finder you will find the dioptric adjustment knob. The mode dial has a varied list to select from. I would suggest that you go through the nomenclature list before getting started.

To make things less complicated, the mode is divided into two sections — Basic Zone and Creative Zone. All the icons bunched up above the auto mode (the rectangular box icon) will give you complete creative control, while the rest offer basic operations.

The Basic Zone includes modes like auto, A-DEP etc, making the camera more of a point-and-shoot affair. However, if it’s manual controls that float your boat, there’s the Creative Zone.
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The 10.1MP 40D is probably the most comprehensive SLR in its range. This could translate into being too complicated and exhaustive for some professional photographers, but once you get the hang of things you will truly enjoy shooting with the 40D.

First of all, about the Live View feature; it’s not usual for DSLRs to have one. However, it’s pretty good, although it would make more sense to use the optical viewfinder. Why? To begin with, manual focusing can be a real pain while using Live View. It focuses only in the center, and to top it all the sensor heats up faster than usual. You will need to use the multi-controller to set the spot, and then press the enlarge button to magnify the focusing frame.

Menu operation is of course something that you will need to acquaint yourself with even before you start shooting. Coming to the 9-point focus that the camera is equipped with, while in auto mode the camera will operate all the 9 points, but if you wish to experiment with the subject, you only need to press the AF-on button (not useful when you are in the Basic Zone) and use the multi-controller, or the Quick Control dial to move around the focus points.

To aid you, the camera also offers three Auto Focus modes: One Shot, AI Focus and AI Servo. I won’t describe these in depth; to sum up, the one shot focus mode is more useful for still subjects; the AI focus lets you half-press the shutter release button and every time the subject moves it will refocus on it; and the AI servo mode is an automatic mode that chooses the best focus mode as needed.

However, you can also lock the focus while in auto mode. For example, if you want the subject or your object of focus in a corner of the screen, you can half-press the shutter release and lock the focus, and then move the frame.

The camera offers full manual controls, right down to the toning effects. If you are inexperienced with a DSLR, I’d suggest you select the right picture style before you begin. There’s a direct access button below the screen to get you there. There are four effects — Standard, Portrait, Landscape and Neutral. Through this you can control the vividness and sharpness for skin tones etc.

The effective distance of the built-in flash is 5 meters/16.5 feet, and you can control the flash compensation by using the Quick Control dial, but not while you are in auto mode.

The camera, in case you didn’t know, is also famous for the high-speed 6.5 fps in continuous shooting mode. This, as well as the low-speed 3.5 fps, can be used to shoot as long as the shutter is pressed.
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The 40D uses Canon’s DIGIC III image processor, which is pretty fast. It takes less than a second to start and about a second to be ready to shoot. Shot-to-shot duration is also negligible – less than a second. Obviously, the kind of compact flash card that you use will also make a difference. We tested the camera with the Sandisk Xtreme III 4GB card.

ISO settings can be boosted to up to 3200, while ISO speed between 100 to 1600 can be set in 1/3-stop increments. The 40D does pretty well till under ISO 800. Beyond that you will notice some noise.

Night shots at 1/3 sec exposure at ISO 500 yielded good results and helped in preventing both noise and blur. However, long exposures like 10-30 secs will require you to have a tripod to get the best out of the picture, especially at a low ISO levels.

Daylight shots had a bit of warmth in auto mode; however, this can be rectified by using the right scene mode. The pictures clicked were pretty sharp even after using the regular 18-55mm kit lens.
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The 40D uses the 1390mAh Li-Ion battery, and while the manual claims 1500 shots without flash; I got about 800 pictures with minimal to average flash usage. Of course, you can use the battery extension if you want more.

The camera costs Rs 64,990; this obviously puts it beyond amateur photographers, and into the realm of serious work. The settings are extensive, and the colors are just right, offering the right tonal response. The large screen LCD, fast picture turnout, and lack of artifacts, will be well-appreciated.

Apart from that, the amount of control you have over the various features, along with the small tweaking, is just what you will need. Things like Live View make it an even better deal.

Specs