We had some first looks review a while back, Canon EOS 40D First Review from Bob Atkins & Roland Lim, but of course we were all waiting for this!

It seems to be a pretty well rounded camera, getting up to the standard of D200…but with D300 looming – that’s simply not enough! It is considerably cheaper though so perhaps it’s apples and oranges.

When I first started using the EOS 40D a simple description came to mind: that this is a ‘well sorted camera’. It feels well rounded – the result of years of evolutionary improvement, it delivers in almost every area, and it inspires confidence. From a usability point of view the viewfinder feels larger, ergonomics are good, the user interface is clear and easy to learn, there are no in-use performance issues, metering and auto-focus show good consistency and the results speak for themselves; colorful (yet accurate) detailed images with low noise even at high sensitivities.
Detail (D-SLR)

Read the full review here:

Canon EOS 40D Review, Phil Askey

Key features

• 10.1 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
• 6.5 fps continuous shooting, max. burst 75 JPEGs
• New AF system with 9 cross-type sensors
• DIGIC III processor
• 3.0” LCD with Live View mode
• EOS Integrated Cleaning System
• Clear and bright viewfinder
• Customizable Picture Style processing parameters

Bob seems to think it’s pretty good too, worth an upgrade over the EOS 30D.

The EOS 40D is more than a minor upgrade of the EOS 30D. It’s basically a new camera with a new sensor, a new 14-bit processing engine, a new AF system and new features such as Live View, Highlight Priority and High ISO noise reduction as well as improved ergonomics with the enhanced 3″ LCD. Though it looks much like the 20D/30D it seems to have a more “pro” feel – though I’m not sure why. Perhaps it’s the quieter and faster shutter operation that simply makes it sound better!

In just about every respect the EOS 40D technically outperforms the EOS 30D and so I think it is a worthwhile upgrade for those who can afford to switch and who can use the new features. I didn’t feel that way about the 30D, which was a good camera but for me didn’t offer enough new features to persuade me to trade in my 20D and upgrade.

You can read the full review here:

Canon EOS 40D Review – Bob Atkins

Another guy from Hong Kong has done a very extensive review on his blog.

Canon EOS 40D Review – Roland Lim

Including Canon 40D vs Canon 20D ISO 1600 Comparison

Canon Marketing Malaysia has seen a 70% surge in profits so far this year over 2005, recording its highest profits since its incorporation 19 years ago.

In a statement on Dec 22, Canon Malaysia said its performance was achieved against a backdrop of rising unit sales of Canon products and more efficient operations.

It did not reveal the profit amount, nor the specific financial period.

“Although there was only 5% revenue growth due to declining price points, Canon notched a signification growth of 30% in unit sales in five of our primary consumer and business products as well as hikes in market shares,” said its president and chief executive officer Liew Sip Chon (pic ) .

“This was supported by the steady demand for consumer products and businesses, from SMEs to the public sector, pouring in more investment into technology in their pursuit for efficiency and more effective processes.

Pretty big growth!

Source: The Edge

Version 1.0.5 fixes a bug which mis-reports the number of continuous shots which can be taken and also adds a ‘semi-gloss paper’ option for direct printing. This firmware can be installed by simply copying the update file to the Compact Flash card and is available as a self-extracting archive for Windows or Macintosh.

You can find the firmware here.

EOS 30D Firmware Update Ver 1.0.5

Do be warned that you can screw up your camera doing this, so please read the page FULLY before attempting anything.