Canon 40D for Beginner

[SGerke]

Hello,
Of all the camera's I've researched (and it has been A LOT), a used Canon 40D seems to be the best in my price range ($500-700USD). I plan on doing some photography in a lot of different areas: landscape, portrait, night/low light, macro, etc...pretty much everything except sports and wildlife. I'm not yet certain what I'll do with all the photos. I would love to eventually start my own company/website, but more immediately I'll probably post them here and a personal website (to be created) and maybe print the occasional stunner for myself/friends/family. I'd love to hear some user feedback about the Canon 40D!

Thanks,

[Amberglass]

It's a great camera and you'll love it. The 40D is definitely a camera that you will grow into and with. I used to own one and will fit your needs perfectly. If you can get it with the vertical battery grip, do so because will help you balance say a 70-200 2.8L IS nicely. Not to mention increasing your shooting time.

Just to give you a preview of what your camera is capable of doing with a good quality lens. My avatar was taken with the Canon 40D.

[Jim B.]

I'll second the battery grip.Makes a big difference in balance.40D is a very nice camera.I will also suggest you do a search for used Canon 100mm Macro.People are selling them to get the new IS version.You can't go wrong with any of the macro lenses out there.I have the Canon 100 and 60.I also have a Sigma 150.All are sharp performers.

[Jim B.]

The lioness shots are stunning!

[Geoff F]

Yes you have made a good choice there; some photographers actually prefer a 40D to the new 50D.

Any lenses with the body? If not, I recommend the Canon 28-135 IS as a reasonably priced general purpose starter lens.

[SGerke]

Any lenses with the body? If not, I recommend the Canon 28-135 IS as a reasonably priced general purpose starter lens.

Thanks for the tip! I've actually been researching lenses and that is/was probably going to be my next thread. Obviously, I can only use Canon lenses/mounts, but I'd also like to know how others compare since I haven't actually bought the 40D yet.

[Amberglass]

The lioness shots are stunning!

Thank you, Jim. Before I got married and had children, I did a lot of wildlife photography. Since I can't go wondering around Big Sur like I used to with children. The local zoo is the closest thing I can do without having someone call social services on me.

[Amberglass]

Thanks for the tip! I've actually been researching lenses and that is/was probably going to be my next thread. Obviously, I can only use Canon lenses/mounts, but I'd also like to know how others compare since I haven't actually bought the 40D yet.

The 28-135 is a nice walk around zoom to start off with, but be aware that this zoom is prone to lens creep. (aka Falls back or extends upon itself when aimed down or up). Also the aperture on this zoom (f/3.5-5.6) is too small for most indoor situations in low lighting; out doors in good lighting not a problem. Since you're new, I would suggest a fast prime like 50 1.4 which is really helpful in understand the basics in photography (depth of field and exposure) and can handle low lighting situations without the need of flash.

Third party lenses that will mount on Canon are Tamron and Signma.

[will_c]

The 40D is a fine piece of equipment. The build, performance (including autofocus) and handling are a quite a lot better than a contemporaneous Rebel like a 400D. Compared to a 400D (also 10MP, and also two generations ago) the image quality is noticeably better too - about an ISO stop in noise terms and nicer colours. That's not to say that there was really anything much wrong with a 400D, and it is a lot smaller, which could be an advantage or a disadvantage. As far as I can tell the 40D handles colour very well and I doubt if the next generation improved on it much if at all. To me the difference between 10MP (40D) and 15MP (50D) isn't worth a great deal (colour is much more important), and I'd rather put the significant difference in money towards other things. As far as a lens goes, personally I'd go for an EF 50mm 1.4 or an EF-S 60mm macro (the latter if macro ability is important). They will each give you top quality IQ at a useful focal length for your intended applications at a reasonable price. Others might disagree with this suggestion though. For sports and wildlife you would need something else. If you do develop the inclination later, and you don't want to spend too much extra, the 55-250 IS does a reasonable job at a bargain price (in daylight - it's slow). Just shoot raw so that you can fix the vignetting at the long end, and turn the IS off if you have plenty of light.

Will

[Geoff F]

I always find this site to be excellent for lens reviews http://www.photozone.de/all-tests.

If you go for a third party lens make sure you get a Canon fit lens. Unless you are going for one of the superb, but expensive, Canon L series lenses a third party lens can be just as good as a genuine Canon and a bit cheaper.

In your case, I still recommend a zoom for general purpose work. Prime lenses (fixed length) are usually excellent quality at a realistic price but they lack the flexibility of a zoom.

Much of the choice will depend on exactly what you want to photograph and a zoom will give a wide variety in just one lens; without the need to carry a selection of spare lenses which require changing with monotonous regularity. But if you think you are able to work with just one, or maybe two lens lengths then primes could be a good choice.

Some people advocate having just one prime lens and using their feet to change distance. Which may work well for some circumstances but what do you do when your back is up against a wall? Or in many cases with my photography, changing the camera to subject distance would involve using a wet suit or a parachute!

So a bit of careful thinking about exact requirements is required before purchase.

[rpcrowe]

I use both a Canon 30D and a Canon 40D in a two camera - two lens setup and I far prefer my 40D. In fact I had no interest in the 50D.

The 40D will serve you extremely well and with all DSLR cameras, you can use it as simply (auto or program modes) or as complicated (manual mode) that you like.