This year, Canon has announced several new camera bodies, including the 40D. The 40D comes along in the 10D - 20D - 30D - series of DSLR bodies. Dpreview has finally reviewed it (I love and value their reviews). Jump to the conclusion page and you'll see why I'm excited.
So I now find myself pondering this camera and whether or not to ditch my aging 1D mark II. I love the 1D. It's a substantial piece of equipment. Beautifully crafted, nearly bullet-proof, and heavy as a lead brick. It is both a sports car and a tank. If I were to drop it on my toe, I'd surely break it (the toe, not the camera).
I'd stick with the 1Dm2, but since I use a 5D most of the time, the 1Dm2 becomes a lot of weight to lug around as a back-up camera. It uses huge Ni-MH batteries that require a huge battery charger. (These things remind me of the old heavy NiCAD battery-powered RC cars I had back in the late 80's.) Replacing the 1D's batteries (with Canon brand) is expensive - $120 a piece. Replacing the charger is an exercise in highway robbery. $320 for a battery charger? Are you f'n kidding me?
The 40D uses the same batteries as the 5D. The 40D is about the same size as the 5D. The 40D is physically very much like my old 20D, which served as a fine backup camera.
The only problem is that I'll miss the 1D. I'll miss the indestructable, take-me-anywhere exterior. I'll miss the well-built solid feel against my fingers. Handling the thing leaves you with the impression that it's made of solid metal, although you know otherwise. There's a dense packing of hardy electronics that work flawlessly to deliver high quality images. You can count on the 1D to perform.
I guess my hesitations are based more on my romance with the 1D than feasible matters. The 40D is the more practical camera for my needs. We'll see...
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