The Canon EOS 40D has a DIGIC
III processor with an APS-C sized CMOS sensor. APS-C sensors, which measure
22.2 x 14.8 millimeters, are slightly smaller than full-sized 35mm sensors
which have dimensions of 36 x 24mm. The effective pixel count for the
camera is 10.1 megapixels.
Startup time for the unit is ±2 seconds. You can reduce that tiime
by turning off the camera's Self Cleaning Sensor Unit which, by default,
runs automatically when the bytecam is turned on or off. The cleaning
device shakes dust off the front layer of the sensor. In addition to operating
when the camera is turned on or off, the cleaner can be activated manually
through the DSC's menu system.
The camera captures images in three pixel sizes--3888 x 2592, 2816 x
1880 and 1936 x 1288--and two quality levels--fine and normal. In addition
to using the JPG file format, it can create pictures in the RAW and SRAW
file formats. A series of shots using the same test subject and camera
settings (see table)--other than image size and compression levels--showed
that the compression ratio for JPG images at fine quality ranged from
1:3.7 (1936 x 1288) to 1:4.5 (3888 x 2592). At normal quality, compression
ratios spanned 1:8.2 (2816 x 1880) to 1:10.4 (1936 x 1288). As might be
expected, the RAW files ratio was 1:1 but oddly, shooting in SRAW produced
larger file sizes than might be expected. Apparently, "small"
RAW isn't so small after all.
On average, the time between shots for the 40D is ±.08 seconds.
However, that time increases significantly if you're shooting RAW files.
In RAW mode shot-to-shot times are ±2.1 seconds.
Canon EOS
40D File Compression
Image
Size (pixels)
Quality
MP
File Size (MP)
Ratio/1
3888
x
2592
Large/Fine
10.08
2.25
4.5
3888
x
2592
Large/Normal
10.08
1.09
9.2
2816
x
1880
Medium/Fine
5.29
1.3
4.1
2816
x
1880
Medium/Normal
5.29
0.645
8.2
1936
x
1288
Small/Fine
2.49
0.669
3.7
RAW
3888
x
2592
10.08
9.81
1.0
SRAW
1936
x
1288
2.49
4.97
0.5
In addition to framing
shots in the viewfinder, the camera has a Live View mode for viewing and
capturing images directly from the unit's LCD. If the camera is connected
to a TV when in Live View, scenes will be displayed on the TV instead
of the LCD. Live View does not work with Basic Zone settings. What's more,
focusing must be done manually when using it.
When manually focusing using Live View,
you can move the focusing frame around the camera's display with the Multi-controller.
Whatever's within the focusing frame, can be enlarged by pressing the
AF Point Selection/Enlarge button located below the monochrome LCD. One
press of the button enlarges the area by 5x; a second press, by 10x; a
third press returns to 100 percent of the shot. Enlarging the image area
within the focusing frame allows you to improve your manual focusing of
the shot.
In Live View,
you have access to the camera's shooting functions such as drive mode,
ISO speed, Picture Style, white balance, exposure compensation, AE lock,
flash exposure compensation, and so forth. Metering mode, however, cannot
be changed while in Live View. Exposure and depth of field can be reviewed
in the mode by pressing the depth-of-field preview button.
Canon suggests a number of cautions when using Live View.
· Using a hard disk-type CompactFlash card with Live
View isn't recommended
· When shooting under direct sunlight or other high temperature
conditions, and overheating icon may appear on the LCD. If that happens,
the cameras should be shut off and allowed to cool down, otherwise image
quality may be affected. If you try to continue shooting while the overheating
icon is displayed, the DSC will eventually shut itself off and will not
power up again until the internal temperature has reached a safe level.
· When using Live View, Canon recommends using a tripod, otherwise
images may be blurred by camera shake.
· If you point the camera in a different direction while in Live
View, the brightness of the shot may be affected. After moving the camera,
brightness should be allowed to stabilize before taking the shot, otherwise
the image may be over- or underexposed.
· If the light source in the shot changes in Live View, the LCD
may start to flicker. If that happens, you need to leave Live View and
reenter it to accommodate the new light source.
· Under lowlight or bright light conditions, the Live View image
might not display a proper brightness. However, the captured image will
reflect the correct exposure setting.
· If there is a very bright light source in the picture, the bright
area will be blackened on the LCD, but the actual image will correctly
show the bright area.
· When the flash is used in Live View, there are two shutter sounds,
although only one picture is being taken.
At first blush, Live View seems like a good idea, but given
its limitations in the 40D, it's less useful than might be expected. With
its manual focusing requirements and quirky reaction to some lighting
situations, many photographers will keep their shooting eye glued to the
viewfinder rather than embrace this DSLR's flawed emulation of a point-and-shoot
camera.
In the Basic Zone, light sensitivity is set automatically
within a range of ISO 100-800. What light sensitivity setting is chosen
by the camera depends on the shooting mode being used in the zone. For
example, in sports mode ISO speeds are automatically set in the 400-800
range, while in portrait mode, ISO is fixed at 100.
In the Creative Zone, ISO options range from 100-1600. They
also vary with shooting mode. In Program and Aperture-preferred mode,
the DSC tries to shoot within a range of ISO 400-800 to offset any camera
shake that might occur with the faster shutter speeds available with higher
ISOs. However, the camera will use ISO settings below 400 to avoid overexposure
of a shot. For Shutter-preferred, Manual and flash photos, the default
ISO is 400, but other settings will be used to ensure proper exposure
of an image.
The 40D uses interchangeable
lenses. It has a Canon EF mount and will accept EF, EF-S, TS-E and MP-E
lenses. My review unit came with a 28-135mm ultrasonic zoom with image stabilization
and an aperture range of 3.5-5.6. The zoom is controlled by a large ring
at the front end of the lens and a smaller one located behind the zoom ring,
can be used for manual focusing. A switch on the side of lens toggles it
between AF and MF mode.
This Canon model has a TTL secondary image-registration phase detection
focusing system with nine AF points using cross-type technology.
Focusing is achieved
by partially depressing the shutter button when framing a shot. In all
Basic Zone modes, except sport mode, focus lock is available. With focus
lock, partially depressing the focus button locks the focus on the subject
until the button is fully depressed. That means you can recompose a shot
while maintaining your initial focus. So if you focus on the subject at
the center of a shot and move the camera before taking the shot the subject
will remain in focus when you capture the image.
Three auto focusing modes are supported by the camera.
One-Shot AF is for clicking on still subjects. When you partially depress
the shutter button, in the viewfinder the AF points used for focusing
the shot will flash red. Eight AF points are arranged in a circle at
the center of the viewfinder with the ninth point in the middle of the
circle. When focus is achieved, the camera will beep and a green LED
in the right corner of the viewfinder will light up. If the LED blinks,
it means focus cannot be achieved and you won't be able to take a picture
even if you fully depress the shutter button.
Another focusing mode is AI Servo AF. It's used for focusing on moving
subjects. Once you lock the focus on your moving target, the camera
continues to be focused on the subject automatically until you take
the shot. In this mode the beeper alert will not sound and the focus
confirmation light will not shine.
AI Focus AF combines both One-Shot and AI Servo AF modes. With AI Focus
AF, if a still subject starts moving, the camera will automatically
enter AI Servo AF mode to keep the target in focus. The beeper will
sound in AI Focus AF mode but the confirmation light will be disabled.
In the Creative Zone, you can choose the AF point you want for a shot.
To do so, you press the AF point selection button while looking in the
viewfinder. If all the AF points light up when you press the button,
that means that automatic AF point selection is in effect. You can select
individual AF points with either the Main Dial, Multi-controller or
Quick Control Dial.
Another focusing alternative is automatic depth-of-field. You can select
that option by turning the Mode Dial to A-DEP. This option allows you
to keep everything in the foreground and background in focus. With this
option activated, when you partially depress the shutter button, all
the objects touched by flashing focus points will be in focus. If the
value for the shutter speed flashes when in this mode, the shot will
be either overexposed or underexposed and must be corrected accordingly.
If the aperture value blinks in this mode, the shot will be correctly
exposed, however, the depth-of-field desired won't be achieved. In that
case, you will need a wider lens or you will have to move back from
the subject.
In lowlight situations,
the built-in flash will act as an AF-assist beam. When the shutter button
is partially depressed, the flash will fire a series of bursts to help
the AF system obtain the proper focus for a shot.
Shutter speeds on the 40D range from 1/8000-30
seconds. Speeds at 1/4 second or more are displayed in the viewfinder
or the LCD as whole numbers. For example, a shutter speed of 1/4 second
would be displayed as a 4. Speeds below 1/4 second are displayed with
ditto marks. So a speed of 0.5 second would be displayed as 0"5;
two seconds as 2"; and 2.5 seconds as 2"5.
For shutter speeds beyond 30 seconds, you enter the Bulb realm.
In this mode, the camera's shutter will remain open as long as the shutter
button is fully depressed. Bulb is activated by choosing the Manual setting
on the mode dial and tuning the Main Dial counterclockwise until "buLb"
appears on the LCD or in the viewfinder. The aperture for the shot is
set by turning the power switch to the Quick Control Dial position and
using that dial to pick a desired F number.
In addition, the camera has an X-sync mode for synchronizing its shutter
speed at 1/250 with an external flash.
Shutter speeds can be set manually or automatically. In Shutter Priority
mode (Tv), you set the shutter speed manually and the camera chooses
an appropriate aperture setting for the shot. If it can't determine
an appropriate aperture setting, the value for that setting will blink
in the viewfinder or on the LCD.
The 40D has two sequential shooting modes. High-speed mode fires 6.5
shots per second at 3888 x 2592, fine quality resolution; low-speed
mode, three shots per second at the same image size and resolution.
Burst speeds will vary depending on battery power. When a sequential
shooting mode is enabled, the number of shots available for a burst
is displayed in the right-hand corner of the viewfinder.
Two self-timer modes are available--10 seconds and two seconds. When
using a self timer mode it is recommended that the camera's viewfinder
be covered to assure proper exposure.
The 40D has four metering modes.
For all-around shooting, there's Evaluative metering. It can cover
a wide range of situations from portraits to backlit subjects. In this
mode the camera sets the exposure automatically as it sees fit.
When shooting against a bright background, Partial metering may be
a good choice. It covers about 9% of the viewfinder area at its center.
For a tighter exposure area, Spot metering may be in order. It bases
its reading on 3.8% of the viewfinder area at its center.
Finally, there's Center-weighted Average metering which emphasizes
the exposure at the center of the viewfinder and uses that reading in
conjunction with averages taken from the rest of the scene.
In the Creative Zone, the exposure of a shot can be altered by ±2
stops. To take advantage of this exposure compensation feature, the
camera's power switch must be turned to the Quick Control Dial setting.
With that done, when the shutter button is partially depressed, the
exposure compensation for a scene can be set by rotating the Quick Control
Dial.
The snapper also supports Auto Exposure
Bracketing (AEB). That allows you to take three successive shots at different
exposures. For example, you may want to take a shot with an exposure compensation
of +2, 0 and -2. To do that, you would go into the camera's menu system,
find the AEB item and select your bracketing parameters. When you exit
the menu, and icon will appear on the monochrome LCD alerting you that
bracketing has been enabled. If the DSC is in a continuous shooting mode,
when you press the shutter button, three bracketed shots will be taken.
If the camera is in single shot mode, each image in the bracket must be
captured manually. With the self-timer on, the bracket will be taken automatically
after a two or 10 second delay.
Just as the focus of a shot can be locked by partially depressing the
shutter button, it's exposure can be locked by pressing the exposure
lock button found at the back of the camera just below the monochrome
LCD. Where the unit locks in the exposure depends on the metering mode
used for the shot. For instance, with Evaluative metering the exposure
is locked at the AF point where our focus was achieved for the shot.
With the other metering modes, the exposure is locked at the center
AF point.
The 40D runs on a rechargeable lithium ion battery. A charger that
plugs into an AC outlet is included with the camera. The camera can
also be run off an optional AC adapter or AA batteries with an optional
battery grip. Battery life was very good. After more than 600 shots,
I still had plenty of power to spare. However, I made minimal use of
the unit's LCD, which no doubt contributed to the extended battery life
that I experienced.
This Canon model uses CompactFlash media to store images. The
media must be purchased separately. With a 1GB CompactFlash card, the
camera can store 274-523 fine quality images at 3888 x 2592; 454-854 at
2816 x 1880; and 779-1451 at 1936 x 1288. The same capacity card can store
59-66 RAW photos at 3888 x 2592; 65-70 at 2816 x 1880; and 69-72 at 1936
x 1288. For SRAW stills that capacity card can store 90-107 pictures at
3888 x 2592; 103-116 at 2816 x 1880; and 115-124 at 1936 x 1288.
The camera has a built-in pop-up flash, as well as a hotshoe for an
external flash. When conditions warrant it, the built in flash will
pop up automatically. Although this can be disconcerting at times, the
flash can be easily suppressed by pushing it back into the camera.
In the Creative Zone, you can manually pop-up the flash by pressing
the lightning bolt button located just below the flash housing at the
front of the camera. In Program mode, the camera automatically sets
the shutter speed and aperture when using the built-in flash. In Shutter
Priority mode (Tv), the camera will set the aperture for the flash based
on the shutter speed that you choose. In Aperture Priority mode (Av),
the flash exposure will be automatically matched to the F number that
you choose and the shutter speed adjusted accordingly.
The range of the built-in flash will vary depending on the characteristics
of the lens that you're using. For example, with an EF-S 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6
IS lens shooting at ISO 100, the range at the 18mm end of the glass
would be 3.7-12.1 feet and at the telephoto end, 2.3-7.5 feet. By comparison,
the range for a 17-85mm lens would be 3.3-10.8 feet at 17mm and remain
the same at 85mm.
To avoid making your
subjects look like descendents of Old Scratch, the camera has a red-eye
reduction feature. When the features activated, the unit's red-eye reduction
lamp will light when the shutter button is partially depressed.
Just as you can alter the exposure of
a shot by using exposure compensation, the same can be done when using
the flash. To do that, you press the ISO//compensation button located
at the top of the monochrome display. Then, while looking through the
viewfinder or at the LCD display, you rotate the Main Dial to achieve
your desired setting. Flash compensation ranges ±2 stops in 1/3
increments.
In addition, you can
lock the flash exposure on any part of a subject. To do that, you pop
up the built-in flash and while looking through the viewfinder, target
the subject you want to lock your exposure on. Then, while still looking
through the viewfinder, press the exposure lock button located below the
monochrome display at the back of the camera. When that button is pressed,
a pre-flash is fired and an exposure reading taken and stored in the camera's
memory. When you capture the scene, the DSC will use that exposure information
for the shot.
Standards supported
by the 40D are EXIF 2.2, DPOF, NTSC/PAL, USB 2.0 and PictBridge.
While the 40D's many features may initially cause mental
indigestion, they do give a photographer an enormous amount of flexibility
to get the shot they want in the way they want to shoot it.
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