theuerkorn's Full Review: Canon EOS 40D Digital Camera with 28-135mm lens
Officially released on August 20th, and finally in select stores on the 30th (i.e. Ritz Cameras etc.), the 40D made waves way before official specs were released. In fact, the rumor mill started as early as one year ago and went rampant for nearly the whole time. With such hype, it comes at no surprise that both expectations and speculations went way over board. So here it is, and the body mostly met realistic expectations for those that know the xxD camera line and can resist the unrealistic nature of blog hype.
Anyway the Canon EOS 40D is a significant improvement of the 30D and by association to very similar 20D too. The EOS 40D has already been dissected in detail in my other review. But for those who don't want to follow the link for more detail, here the major changes of the camera body (again) ...
- New 10.1 MPx sensor (w/ larger microlenses)
- Larger, brighter viewfinder (w/ ISO display)
- LifeView operation (especially for remote)
- 14 bit A/D converter and 14 bit RAW recording
- Faster, more precise AF system
- Sensor dust protection / removal (from 400D)
- Larger, brighter LCD screen (3")
- Auto ISO, Highlight Priority
- DiG!C III processor (faster)
- New optional sRAW format (2.5 MPx)
- Interchangeable focusing screens (Ef-A included)
- Faster and quieter mirror mechanism (via motor)
- Warning instead of shut-down when card door opened
- Optional WFT-E3/E3A wireless transmitter / grip
- Weather seal for battery, cf card and hotshoe (w/ 580EX II)
- External USB media support (w/ WFT only)
The Kit doesn't change any of that functionality. However, it's remarkable due to the chosen lens in this kit. Not only is it the same as included in the current 30D kit, it also accounts only for $200 difference despite the market price of $400 for the same lens as an accessory. The surprising fact would have to be that despite the 1.6 crop factor sensor, this is an EF (full frame) lens and not the specialized EF-S 17-85mm IS USM lens which is designed specifically for the 1.6x crop factor.
EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
EF Mount: [*****] - Generally compatible with any EOS camera, the lens is universally usable on both 1.6x crop factor cameras (EOS 40D, 400D etc.) and full frame cameras (5D, 1D). For the latter it's hardly a recommendation for anything other than a universal backup lens or in situations where you wouldn't want to risk the more expensive glass which can easily cost more than $1000. For the 40D this is slightly less critical since corner sharpness issues are reduced by using only part of the total field of view anyway and center sharpness is good enough.
Build Quality: [***--] - Despite the metal housing, this lens feels a bit cheap due to the relatively loose front element and ultimately great influence on the focus. The lens creep (when pointing straight down) is mild but still prevents usage in any situation where maintaining the focal length despite is required. This is quite common for consumer grade lenses, but an issue nevertheless.
Focal range: [***--] - While nearly a 5x zoom range with a very usable wide angle to mild telephoto, the 1.6x crop factor limits the wide angle to a not so wide 45mm equivalent. That's a major issue for tight quarters (i.e. high rising buildings from upclose), and the dedicated 17-85mm lens would have been a better choice. On the far end, the mild 135mm translate into a "whopping" 215mm equivalent and that's quite suitable for most situations where a telephoto lens is needed.
Aberration: [***--] - Lens distortion at the wide angle is the weakest point of this lens, and especially noticeable at 28mm in the form of barrel deformation. This is resolved at around mid-point of the zoom range and the far end shows noticeable pin cushion deformation. The small sensor helps reduce those issues but cannot eliminate the problem. Strong vignetting at the widest aperture (a common issue for consumer grade lenses) is mostly relevant for full frame cameras, and this is certainly where the smaller sensor helps and the EOS 40D shows significantly vignetting that a 5D would. Chromatic aberration (color fringes at high-contrast edges) is low to moderate in telephoto and moderate to strong in the widest setting.
Sharpness: [***--] - This is a reminder that this is a consumer grade lens and sharpness not its strongest point. While better than the typical p&s lens (size matters!), corner sharpness and varying characteristics across the zoom range make it clear that better glass and construction is needed to make full use of the resolution potential of the EOS 40D. This is quite apparent when trading the kit lens with the (much more expensive) EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens which outperforms the kit lens in every aspect for a price difference of almost $800. Anyway, the kit lens is best at telephoto setting and the typical f/8 setting helps to gain maximum sharpness for this lens.
Note: The sharpness of the kit lens (or lack thereof) is a good reminder that the megapixels in the sensor are only half the truth and your lens is the most crucial element in a chain of features to affect picture quality.
Speed: [***--] - The variable aperture describes the changing light loss as the lens changes focal length and the result is a varying aperture equivalent of f/3.5 to f/5.6 which is very common for this class of lens. The maximum aperture changes quickly from f/3.5 to f/4 by simply changing focal length from 28mm to 37mm, and reaches already f/5 just below 70mm and of course f/5.6 as early as 85mm (all the way to 135mm). While not overwhelming by any means, this is important for two things: (1) the EOS 40D's precision center sensor is not going to be used since that requires f/2.8 or better. (2) background blur, especially for distant objects, is limited and not be able to separate an object from the background. Nevertheless, the f/5.6 is "fast" enough to allow using all nine cross sensors as that happens to be the minimum.
Bokeh: [**---] - The aperture is formed by 6 blades and that's noticeable in background blur. This basically means that light dots or other bright spots in the blurred background are likely to show corners instead of the desired round appearance. Most users may not notice, but if you're picky about it, the bokeh of this lens isn't very desirable.
Image Stabilization: [****-] - Effective to 3 stops and similar to any other Canon "prosumer" lens, the in-lens stabilization adds low-light shooting capability and the certainty that shots turn out sharper despite relatively slow shutter speed. Since this isn't the latest design, it's recommended to turn IS off when used on a tripod to avoid unwanted stabilizer movement due to attempted compensation. A big advantage of in-lens stabilization is that the viewfinder gets stabilized too, while in-camera systems only affect the actual picture and not the preview. Further, IS is always active in both directions and cannot deliberately set for panning (to ignore movement in the horizontal plane).
Macro: [**---] - Out of the many things this lens is, the 28-135mm does not aspire to be a macro lens and returns a mild 0.19 magnification, which means an object is going to be projected with 1/5 of it's size onto the sensor. Close-ups are hardly the worth a try and either extension tubes or a dedicated macro lens needed.
Value: [*****] - So if by now this seems to be the worst lens you could get, keep in mind that it's not and the price difference of $200 (to the body only EOS 40D) makes this a steal. It's not likely to be the only lens you'll ever own, unless you cannot imagine to use your EOS 40D in any other mode than "Full Auto". Yet, it's a great starter configuration despite the EF-S 17-85mm being a better all-round lens (which also costs a bit more). Get the Body Only version if you see yourself buying new lenses anyway, and may already have one that works with the EOS 40D.
So should you get the Kit? Well, it depends on you. If you already have a lens, the bargain really doesn't apply since it's still $200 more for something you might not use. However, if this is your first Canon dSLR then go for the kit as the lens may not be great but it sure is worth every penny of the price difference to the body only.
For details on the camera body, please ...[Click Here]
This catch all error message can have many reasons, but an old lens can be the culprit if your body seems to be working fine. This is likely to be an issue if you're trying to use a lens that more than 5 years old with a new camera. To determine if it's your "old" lens or the camera, follow these instructions (from Canon) ...
To isolate the cause of the issue, we [Canon] suggest that you do the following:
1. Turn off the camera.
2. Remove the lens, battery, and CF card.
3. Allow the camera to sit without power for approximately 20 minutes.
4. Insert a fully charged battery, and turn on the camera.
5. Depress the shutter button as you would to take a picture.
Does the “ERR 99″ message appear? If it does, then the camera should be serviced. If it does not, then please proceed to the next set of steps:
1. Turn off the camera.
2. Insert the CF card.
3. Turn on the camera.
4. Format the CF card in the camera.
5. Depress the shutter button as you would to take a picture.
Does the “ERR 99″ message appear? If so, then the CF card is the most
likely source of the issue. Try using a different card.
If the message does not appear, please complete the following steps:
1. Turn off the camera.
2. Clean the lens contacts by gently rubbing them with a pencil eraser
or soft cloth. Be careful that you do not let any debris fall into the camera body.
3. Reattach your lens.
4. Turn on the camera.
5. Depress the shutter button as you would to take a picture.
If the “ERR 99″ message only appears when one particular lens is attached, then that lens should be examined by a service technician.
If you see the “ERR 99″ with a different Canon lens attached, then the camera should be serviced.
10.1-megapixel CMOS sensor captures enough detail for photo-quality poster-size prints Kit includes body and EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoo...More at Amazon Marketplace
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