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Even though there is actually no such thing as the Canon 40D, there is plenty of talk about it. A large portion of that talk is made up of whether those of us with the Rebel XTI or the 30D should upgrade to the new camera when it comes out.

From the specs that are floating around the 40D will have similar features to the XTI. It will use similar sensors, around the same megapixel count, have a slightly higher frames per second rate and a few other advancements.

The Rebel XTI is very similar in features to the 30D so I personally see no reason to make a jump from what I have to the higher end 30D. The 30D is built with better seals and the shutter is rated for a longer life, but to me, there would not be enough to justify the cost of a new camera. And when I bought the XTI, it was because I was getting the feature set of the 30D at a much lower price.

To me, the upgrade path depends on when the 40D actually hits the market. It will have higher specs to be sure, but I can’t justify the cost of the upgrade (not right now). The small gains from where I am to where I would be aren’t quite worth it. I would have to say that unless I outgrow the XTI in the near future, I may have to wait for the next batch to hit the market. For example, if I get to the point of the FPS of the XTI not being enough then it might be worth the upgrade. If I start losing shots because the camera can’t keep up with the work then I would see an upgrade as a logical choice. But we aren’t there yet.

I look at cameras in the same way I look at computers, no matter what you buy today, in 6-8 months from now something better will be coming along. Keeping up with technology is an expensive game to play, and I’m beginning to see that cameras are just as expensive as computers!

The 40D will no doubt be a brilliant work horse, fast and sturdy with lots of features for getting a great shot. If you’re just getting into SLRs I think this would be a great entry point. This camera will last for years and will be hard to beat even in a couple of years.

It depends on when the 40D actually comes out. If the new model comes out by December (which would be my guess) we have 6 months at the minimum. In 6 months after that (or basically this same time next year) I will probably be in the market for an upgrade. The XTI will be closing in on two years and the price of the 40D should have dropped substantially. At this point, the 40D would actually make sense as an upgrade for me. The XTI will have quite a bit of use on the shutter and some of the advanced features would actually be nice.

If the 40D comes out within the next few months, it will be too soon to upgrade and I think those of us in the XTI crowd should invest in high quality glass while we wait for the next successor. However, if the 40D hits the shelves by the end of the year or even later, I put it back on the list as an upgrade. At that point the 40D would push me along for the next couple of years and make my XTI and excellent backup camera.

If anything, I hope the 40D doesn’t materialize for at least another 6-9 months, that way it would fit in as an upgrade to what I have.

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