Should I sell my 40D?

[David Crosbie]

Hi folks.. looking for some advice from some like minded guys.

SInce buying my 5D, the 40D obviously see's little use.

It sits in my bag witha 100-400 permanently attached to it, in case i need to shoot wildlife, sports or anything where a little extra reach would be good. Its also a handy backup camera. But it hasnt been out of my bag in over 2 weeks.

Now i have someone offering to buy it from me. They have a 350D and are looking to move up to something more pro level.

I can get a good price for it. So whats the consensus. DO i keep the 40D or move it on and spend the money on more toys (a 17-40 perhaps)

 

[Larry Bolch]

It is still a fairly contemporary camera, so the question is more, "Can you afford to keep a backup camera?" If not, the longer you wait to divest, the less money you will get.

I was in somewhat the same situation with both a Nikon D300 and D700. I found that I used both about equally. The D300 was my walkin'-'round, shootin'-stuff camera, and the D700 for more deliberate photography. I sold, used the money to add a lens or two for equal versatility and must say I rarely miss the D300. The downside is that I need two lenses to do the job of the 18-200mm on the D300. More weight and slightly less convenience.

 

[Hamish Gill]

Unless you are going to be putting your self in a situation where a backup would save you a lot of trouble.. Eg doing a wedding ... id flog it and buy some glass

 

[Tim Pindar]

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My 40D is my pride and joy... my first and only dSLR so far... now it seems it is only a "backup camera"..

 

[David Crosbie]

not to feel bad tim

its just that its capabilities are so similar to the 5D that i find that given the choice the 5D is more useful with my general purpose lens. But its hard for me to let go, as the 40D was the first DSLR id ever bought brand new, and i saved hard for it. It was my pride and joy when it was bought.

Just the released funds could buy me some glass... e.g. a 17-40 or a nice 70-200 F4

 

[Hamish Gill]

I felt the same about my d40, I now feel sentimental about my d300 now I'm about to sell it... Funny enough, I might be getting the d70 back!

 

[David Crosbie]

i have the option of taking the 350D in part exchange, but dont think i want such a small bodied camera, im used to the control wheel on the back. Not having it would just confuse me lol

 

[Larry Bolch]

Sentimental - that throws a different dimension into it that did not occur to me, and at least partially negates my advice.

All my life, I have regarded camera equipment as tools, in terms of return on investment. While I greatly appreciate them in the ways they empower me to make photographs, I just have never been a camera buff. I greatly love using my D700, but when something clearly superior shows up, I will move on without a second thought. Buying and selling camera equipment has always been an unemotional part of life. On the other hand, my image files are write-protected, multiply backed up, even with off-site backups. They are where my emotion lies.

Disregard - or at least consider this - when reading my advice.

 

[Brenton W. Cooper]

I have been very fortunate. I have never ever sold any of my personal cameras. As sure as I have moved from place to place they have all moved with me. However, I have owned and operated a photographic studio for over 20 years and all of that equipment was sold when I sold the business and went into retirement. Selling personal camera gear is a very personal matter. I too recently purchased a Canon 50D and still have my Canon XTi 400D attached to likewise a 100-400mm Canon lens. I haven't used the XTi is over two months. But I will never sell it. In fact, in the medium format arena, I use a Mamiya RB67 but I also have still a Kowa Super 66, and a Pentax 6x7 which I haven't used in over ten years. But I still have them. If one is strapped for cash, sell it. But if are not keep it.

 

[Larry Bolch]

I still have a lot of film equipment since I missed the window of opportunity to get a good price for it. Now, it is hardly worth the effort. The good part is that all my AI-S lenses work as they should on the D700, and some of them are excellent.

 

[David Crosbie]

well... it was all done and dusted. Now have myself a mint condition (i.e. less than 1000 shutter actuations) 5D mk1 and matching grip. My 24-105 has never worked so well

 

[Darren Turner]

did you sell the 40D then David??

 

[David Crosbie]

yep its gone and away now.

 

[Darren Turner]

i have decided to keep my 40D as a back up........cant bear to part with it......haha

 

[David Crosbie]

i miss pretty much nothing about the 40D. The 5D is sufficiently better in most ways. The only real loss, is speed.

 

[Darren Turner]

do you find the images any better quality then with 5D David?

 

[David Crosbie]

very very much so.

if you look at images on very simple terms like, size, resolution, sharpness etc, then you're likely not to find much between them. But if you just step back and look at the images as a whole, what comes out of the 5D just feels more real. Theres a pop, three dimensionality, and depth to the images that extends well beyond the basic numbers.

It's fairly hard to get a bad shot with a 5D its almost flattering.

On the more basic side though, I have actually found its sharpness far better than the 40D, needing less adjustment in Adobe. The colours are generally superb when exposed properly.

This was my first few shots out of the 5D, and none have had more than a tiny bit of sharpness applied to them, and the slightest nudge with the contrast stick

I'd suggest going into my photostream and looking at these images at full size.

Lastly, the build feels at least as nice as the 40D, but where it does score better, is the battery grip. The grip for the 20,30,40D range always disappointed me, looking like a sad afterthought. The 5D's grip, with matching magnesium alloy casework, is a perfect match, and reminds me far more of the grip i had on my old 10D.

Lovely big viewfinder too.

I definitely don't miss my 40D