Canon Reveals Weatherproof 40D Consumer DSLR with Live View
The Canon 40D is the replacement model to the midrange 30D DSLR released last year. With significant upgrades, the 40D offers weatherproof capabilities, Live View, dust removal, and the latest Digic III processor. When released next month, the 10.1-megap
Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.
August 20, 2007 – Canon this morning announced a major update to its digital
camera line. The company will release six PowerShots and two digital SLRs, including the new consumer 10.1-megapixel EOS 40D. The Canon 40D will replace the mid-range 8.2-megapixel 30D DSLR released last year. The 40D's upgrades include a weatherproof body, Live View, dust removal system, and the latest Digic III processor. When released next month, the EOS 40D will retail for $1,499 with the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens or $1,299 for the body.
"[There are] very pro type capabilities on this camera, certainly some big improvements over the 30D in all of these areas," said Chuck Westfall, Canon’s director of media and consumer relations, in an interview with DigitalCameraInfo.com.
The Canon EOS 40D’s $1,300 introductory price is a drop from the near-$1,400 price tag of 30D camera body, introduced in February 2006. In addition, the 40D camera kit includes a broader-range 28-135mm image stabilized lens, improving upon the 18-55mm lens included in the 30D kit.
The Canon 40D includes some serious improvements, notably the new weatherproof magnesium alloy body. The seals on the base plate and CF battery compartment promise to protect the camera from the elements. Weatherproofing had previously been reserved for Canon’s 1D professional series cameras; the 40D marks Canon’s first weatherproof consumer SLR.
The camera also features an updated optical viewfinder with a higher magnification factor of 95 percent, up from 90 percent on the 30D. "[The viewfinder is] a minor change but all to the good to make that viewfinder brighter, easier to see," Westfall said.
The EOS-40D also includes Live View so users can shoot using the LCD monitor instead of the viewfinder. Olympus introduced Live View to consumer SLRs with the EVOLT E-330, announced in January 2006. The 40D is Canon's first consumer SLR to include Live View. The 40D's 3-inch LCD is a half-inch bigger than the 30D. It is a brighter, more colorful screen.
Targeted toward entry-level photojournalists, wedding, and portrait photographers, the 40D includes Canon’s EOS Integrated Cleaning System. The dust removal system is a two-step process. The sensor shakes off dust when the camera is turned on and off. An adhesive that sits at the base of the sensor captures the particles, according to the company press release. Software then identifies any remaining dust particles, which can be removed with Canon's Digital Professional Software.
Internally, the 40D features the Digic III image processor, an upgrade from the Digic II processor on the 30D. The Digic III processor works in conjunction with 14-bit A/D (analog-to-digital) conversion, which can recognize four times the amount of colors as the 30D's 12-bit process, according to the release.
The 40D shoots at 6.5 frames per second (fps), up from 5 fps on the previous model. It can also shoot consecutively up to 75 JPEG photos or 17 RAW files, up from the 30 JPEG or 11 RAW file maximum on the 30D.
The 40D also features an updated auto focus system. The 40D features nine cross-type points, while the 30D’s center point was the only cross-type.
The Canon 40D has a 100,000 shutter cycle durability.