Canon 40D is my current digital SLR. I have been very excited since I got my hands on this beauty. I purchased my Canon 40D with Canon 100mm Macro lens. Then I went back and purchased 28-135mm USM IS lens (don't ask why). Canon 40D is the most expensive dslr I have ever purchased. It officially started me as a hobby photographer.
A new Canon 40D Review has been posted by Sydney Morning Herald. The Canon 40D review praises the extra megapixels, the larger LCD screen, the internal cleaning mechanism but gives the verdict that Canon EOS 40D faces stiff competition from Nikon, Sony and Olympus E-3 DSLRs. Here's the verdict (but you should read the full Canon 40D review):
This is a fine camera with worthwhile advances on its predecessor. Canon has dominated this segment of the market for DSLRs between $2000 and $3000 but now faces stiff competition. The Sony A700, the Nikon D300 and the Olympus E-3 are all coming soon, which means four superb cameras to choose from in the price range. Camera shops have already discounted the 40D to about $2600, so expect some serious price cutting.
PS: I am not going to be happy with price drop. Plus I think the battery unit on Olympus E-3 makes it look like a caveman-age camera.
Olympus E-3 has recently been announced by Olympus and is basically the top Olympus DSLR offering. Digging around on Youtube, I found this official Olympus E3 commercial. The autofocus (AF) point array and swivel LCD screen of Olympus E-3 are really awesome. I think the swivel LCD would have been very useful in Canon 40D and I would have paid an extra $400 just for that feature. It really makes your DSLR that much more usable.
Olympus E-3 is Olympus' long awaited digital SLR targeted towards those in "pure pro" category. It was announced recently by Olympus. The reviews that have been coming out for Olympus E-3, however, are categorizing in same category as Canon EOS 40D and Nikon D200. The video from Olympus E3 launch event follows.
Look and feel Both cameras feel very ergonomically designed though neither can be considered a light weight camera. Frankly speaking, Olympus E-3 has a hideous looking unit attached to the base which I believe serves as a power unit.
Autofocus (AF) sensor Olympus E-3 has an 11-point array. Two cross-type AF sensors comprise each point. Olympus claims that Olympus E-3 has the fastest AF system available. There are rave reviews by professional aviation and sports photographers such as Jim Sugar about the autofocus sensor speed on official Olympus website.
There is a fine print associated with the Olympus E-3 having the fastest AF system available. Olympus E-3 is claimed to have the "fastest" AF sensor based on "in-house testing" performed by Olympus and only when the Olympus E-3 is equipped with one of three new Zuiko Digital Supersonic Wave Drive™ Lenses (SWD).
Here's what the Olympus official press release had to say about Olympus E-3's AF sensor speed:
When it comes to measuring camera speed, autofocus is a key factor. If a camera's AF system does not meet photographers' demands and lock focus accurately and quickly, they will miss shots regardless of the camera's shot-to-shot speed or start-up time. The E-3's new AF system is the world's fastest in combination with the ZUIKO DIGITAL SWD ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 lens, to ensure fast focus for clear, sharp photos. Additionally, every lens attached to the E-3 benefits from faster AF, not just the SWD lenses, so the E-3 can lock focus on a fast-moving subject and capture that once-in-a-lifetime shot.
The secret to the camera's high-speed focusing is a unique Twin cross type (fully biaxial) 11 point AF sensor, based on proprietary Olympus micro-sensing technologies, that achieves equally effective performance on both the vertical and horizontal axis. With most biaxial sensors, performance on the vertical and horizontal axes is not equal, and there is often a perceived difference in response time when using different lenses. However, unlike systems that respond at nominally lower f-stop values simply by boosting sensitivity, the E-3's AF sensor features a totally redesigned hounds tooth-pattern phase detection sensor layout that uses micro-lamination technologies to achieve superior real-world performance.
AF accuracy is further ensured by precise alignment of the optical axis from the lens to the AF phase detection sensors, and accurate mounting of the sensors within the AF unit. The AF unit used in the E-3 is made of high-tensile engineering plastic, which is further protected by the camera's high-rigidity magnesium body. In addition, data from a dedicated temperature sensor is used to compensate for changes in operating temperature.
The 11 AF target points on the E-3 can be selected to work individually or dynamically in combination with adjacent target points. Once a photographer knows the general direction of a moving subject - a Formula One racecar zooming around a track for example - the AF area can be selected based on the anticipated motion to maintain accuracy.
The newly developed Olympus Supersonic Wave Drive (SWD) lenses on the E-3 enable auto focusing at ultra-high speed with precise and quiet operation. Quietness is essential when shooting in a situation where silence is truly golden, such as photographing exotic birds up close in the wild or musicians at a classical music quartet. But this technology truly shines in combination with three new Olympus ZUIKO DIGITAL SWD lenses that employ Supersonic Wave Drive motor technology inside: the ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD (24-120mm equivalent); ED 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 SWD (100-400mm equivalent), and the ED 14-35mm f2.0 SWD (28-70mm equivalent). The new ED 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 SWD lens focuses twice as fast as the previous ZUIKO DIGITAL lens with that focal length, and the new ED 14-35mm f2.0 joins the existing 35-100mm f2.0 (70-200mm equivalant) as the brightest lenses in their class. Mechanical focusing is also available for easy and accurate manual focusing by hand.
The E-3 can capture images at the highest image-quality setting at a rate of 5 frames per second. With shutter speeds of up 1/8000 second, it is possible to freeze action when photographing a cheetah in fast pursuit across the plain, or a fastball before it connects with the bat.
Canon introduced a new AF system in Canon 40D with 9 cross-type sensors. In addition Canon claimed to have introduced "world's first diagonal high-precision cross-type AF at center point with f/2.8 and faster lenses."
Megapixels Both Olympus E-3 and Canon 40D are 10.1 Megapixels digital SLRs.
Price Olympus E-3 is priced at $1699 for the camera body only and a few retailers are accepting pre-orders. Canon EOS 40D is priced at $1299 for the body only.
