November 2025, Carl Garrard
Buying Used Is An Art
For example, I picked up a "new" Canon 40D for $81.00 on MPB recently. Described in good condition (something I would usually ignore and never buy), it stood out because it had no scratches on it and only 1,203 actuations. The only reason why it wasn't listed in like new condition is because some of the rubber started turning a bit white as shown in the pictures.
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| MPB $81.00 in "good" condition as bought. Doesn't look too good does it? Well, take a look at the after pics below. Yes, it is the same camera. |
Being an experienced camera buyer, I knew this was nothing a warm damp microfiber cloth and about 3 minutes of gentle rubbing couldn't cure. This camera was literally sitting new on a shelf or in a closet and not being used for years. But as you can see below, it is nearly mint condition after some care and attention. I keep all of my cameras clean and almost always use just a bit of warm water and a micro fiber cloth after use, especially if I've been outdoors in the heat (sweat from hands and face).
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| Looks new right? |
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| Right? |
I look at the used market every day, and I'm always on the lookout for a bargain. I already had a 40D, but when I saw that price I had to grab it (it's even less than I paid in 2019 and has a lot lower shutter count). The viewfinder was clear and perfect, almost no use on this little guy. It's a total score.
Why the Canon 40D?
Because it's a very capable camera still today that can introduce you too a whole world of photography (perhaps a new hobby or a career). This is a camera body that is a perfect place to get started when learning all of the basic photographic fundamentals that will make you a better photographer.
Here's a short list of highlights about the 40D:
- Full magnesium weather sealed body
- Big bright optical finder (.95X at 95% accurate)
- 6.5fps high speed drive
- Awesome battery life
- Reliable 9pt autofocusing system
- Beautiful image quality from an excellent 10mp sensor (20x30" prints are no strain for this camera)
It's got a single CF slot, but I like to use the CF to SD adapters. A 16gb card will cost you 5 bucks these days, and it will hold 1,000 shots with the full sized highest quality raw + jpegs. If you shoot sRaw+jpeg expect to almost double those numbers, and if you shoot Jpeg only (which I don't recommend) your probably looking at 3,000 images on one five dollar card.
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| You can use CF or SD cards in the 40D with no issue. |
Battery life last for days, easily I can shoot over 1,000+ shots on a single charge. 3rd party support for batteries is still robust so you don't have to worry about battery or charger shortages. Mine came with the original battery and Canon charger and the battery is in fantastic condition.
Remember, this is a camera I bought for $81.00, the average price of a tank of gas here in California- you have almost nothing to lose if you want to try your hand at photography. A decent lens can be found for about the same price, or just a little higher (which boggles my mind).
If you want a super durable, supremely comfortable, fun to shoot camera that rewards your hard work and good decisions with excellent image quality, the 40D is at the top of my recommended list for photographers of all kinds, not just new to photography types. And really this is a big part of your purchase decision that gets little attention on the internet. Enjoyment of use should be just as important as the specifications you are looking for.
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| Dana Point Harbor, ISO 100. Just a random picture thrown into the review. |
Another reason why it's a good bargain- because I think it's a better camera than the Canon 5D, and it costs less. The 5D has it's own charms and is certainly popular still to this day, but the 40D is a much more capable and versatile camera body overall. The ISO performance and color output is very similar too.
The only trade off I see is wide angle lens options and a slightly larger viewfinder (if you don't use the MG-EB magnifier eyepiece for the 40D). For everything else the 40D own's the 5D. Plus it's more comfortable and fun to use as well. So much hype around full frame, and yes it has its advantages, but keeping things real, so does APS-C.
The 40D is weather sealed too, the 5D is not. It's not bomb proof but it's got enough sealing to get you through some rain or snow and it keeps dust out well. Comparatively it's loaded with features, even live view, and lenses are much smaller (and cheaper) for equivalent focal lengths. I recommend at least one prime lens that has image stabilization and a faster aperture (I really adore Tamron's 35mm f/1.8 Di VC USD lens). It's 56mm equivalent on the 40D, and a .64x magnification ratio for close ups. Also weather sealed.
For zooms, the 18-55mm STM on a budget, or the 18-135mm USM are my first two choices, both affordable and excellent performers, but there are so many great options out there including weather sealed options from Tamron (18-200mm Di II VC, and 16-300mm PZD).
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| Photobomb, one of my favorite funny cat photographs. Even indoors the 40d is still quick enough to get a good grab shot. |
It's got an extended ISO range of 100-3,200 (standard is 100-1600), which is a little tight for low light shooting and general photography, but with a bright stabilized prime it will get you through early dusk and dawn hours with hand held shooting without having to go up past 800 ISO. Plus let's face it, most photographs made by most photographers are usually in the 100-1600 range anyways.
Image Quality
I've made a lot of images with the 40D that I really like. I have used so many cameras over the years I forget which images were made with what camera. I have many "keeper" printable shots I've made with the 40D, and I attribute that to both its capability and how much I enjoy shooting with it. If you need to ramp up the ISO setting, it will look fine, even the extended 3,200 ISO setting looks great if you don't do too much file stretching with the raws.
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| Canon 40D at 3200 ISO. Jpeg out of camera. Raws are even better. |
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| ISO 800, low light, almost no noise at all. |
Base ISO has plenty of raw file malleability. It's not going to beat newer sensors but it doesn't have too either. It's all about whether or not you can make a great looking image or not. If you need more latitude in the files, shoot with highlight tone priority enabled, shoot raw, and set your exposure compensation to the right (+7 to +1.3 ev usually does it). There you will find all the highlight latitude you need in the raw files, it works fantastically. For landscapes the 40D is excellent, just don't miss your exposure too far and you'll be fine (this is good practice anyways, develop good habits!).
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| ISO 100 after sunset atop Saddleback Mountain in Southern California (facing Catalina Island) |
File Management
Even if you shoot raw, most computers can handle downloads and adjustments in post with lightning speed. This saves you a lot of time and something I think is important that isn't considered often enough in making a purchase decision. Also, 10mp is plenty of resolution people. It doesn't give you a lot of cropping room for prints, but for web use, you still have plenty of cropping power.
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| ISO 100, Tamron 35mm f/1.8 |
That said, I recommend learning how to get your composition right the first time (part of the rewarding learning curve!). I have and have sold prints at 24x36" with this camera that look fantastic, nobody ever comments about the lack of detail in the images either. I hardly ever crop and when I do it's a slight horizon line adjustment since I'm almost always shooting handheld and can't be perfect.
Conclusion
Plenty of excellent condition low shutter count 40D's are still on the used market and being ignored by photographers. This is a shame and a pity. If you follow the herd buying new equipment you're likely making a mistake if this is your first camera purchase. Start with used, learn photography the right way and buy a tool that will allow you to do that, plus grow into it. Make a small investment at first so that your expectations of using the equipment aren't so high that you feel guilt or pressure to use it. The learning process of photography should be fun.
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| Monochrome images come out perfect on the 40D too. Not all cameras do black and white this good. This is a jpeg right out of camera of my Niner cyclocross bike. |
You shouldn't have to worry about damaging your expensive camera gear or be put off with all the complication of newer cameras. Buck the trend. Learn the right way. Invest the right way. You're likely to have a much more pleasant experience learning photography this way, and the 40D is the lowest prices semi-pro camera you can buy out there right now. It's a camera that I have no qualms shooting with despite having much more modern and expensive gear around me.
But I've got 35 years in this game of photography, that's a different subject. If the 40D was the only camera I could use, I'd find a way to make it shoot nearly any kind of job asked of me. Your lens choices are important too.
Buy from trusted sources that don't haggle you for returns too, because if you find an issue that escaped their inspection, you can always return it with no questions asked. Personally I like MPB and Amazon the most, just take your time looking over the listings. Occasionally KEH in the US can be good, but they haggle a bit and charge you for return shipping.
Watch for little details on the camera that could be pitfalls later on. Overall 40D's have a very reliable reputation though, and even a 40D with a 20K shutter count or higher will still probably serve you well for years to come. I'm sure I could find one for 50 bucks that I could put 100K shutter actuations on and never have a single issue.
Stay focused,
Carl
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