My 40D and Me

Is that even grammatically correct? My 40D and me... or is it I?

My Backstory
Photography wasn't in my life until the advent of the digital cameras. With my high school graduation money, I bought a Canon Elph S100. I banged it up throughout college and it died, but my passion lived on.

Fast forward to 2006, leaving Texas, and now working in New York City. I treated myself to my first DSLR, a Canon XT, so I can take pictures of my journey in the Big Apple. Shortly after getting to know DSLR photography, I pounced on an opportunity to buy my friend's 40D all for $500. He was going full frame and not looking back.

At this time, DSLRs are gaining a lot of popularity. "Live View" was still new and having more than 15 megapixels meant you dabbled in "pro" territory (and $$$).

Why buy the 40D?
The major point was the larger body and better ergonomics:
I took pictures with my XT and it felt clumsy and small. Especially with larger EF lens. But the 40D had better grip, was more balanced with lens on, and had buttons where I needed them.

When I shot in the field, using the wheel and joystick helped me expedite focusing, picture reviews, and accessing menu options. Also, if I needed to check any information, I could just take a look at top on the little LCD.



Another buying point was some of the technological advances:
Live View (I can see a real-time image on my LCD back!)

10MP (megapixel) pictures - upgraded from 8MP on my XT

6+ FPS (frames per second) - my XT was slooooowwww...

expanded ISO 3200 (was very high back then) - I don't think I ever used 3200 ISO...

...and something about a 14-bit "thingy" that promised better IQ (image quality) - no comment...

Lastly, I was in for the long haul on a good deal:
$500 dollars was a bargain for the 40D! It was about $1,200 retail at the time. Plus, my friend included the 28-135mm lens.

Yes, I got lucky... but if I had some common business sense instead of product loyalty, I'd have flipped the camera for $1,000 and make a good return. But I really wanted this camera.

This was my upgrade and I knew that it would suffice for what I do as a photographer.

My true ROI
For the past 5+ years, I have shot a multitude of events, festivals, holidays, and adventures.

With those pictures, I made albums for my friends, family, and girlfriend (one of my best presents, ever!), helped make a yearbook at my MBA, share online to friends and family, and even printed some of my own to keep as a memory.

I found out the camera enabled me to really capture the moments and remember them frozen in time with a story to tell. That's my true ROI, something that extra $500 wouldn't have given me.

Resisting the upgrade
Right when I bought, I know the 50D was in the pipeline and since then, I have fought the long hard battle of an upgrade.

I gave myself a list of reasons why upgrading "now" (meaning whenever I thought about it) was not necessary until I could check off each one:
- Do I have enough money?
Unfortunately this was easily checked off from time to time...

- Are there any features the new camera can do, that my 40D can't? And is it worth it?
This was good until Canon started making cameras that could film videos!


- Can I handle the needs of a new camera upgrade?
This was a good stopper to my thirst to purchase, because I'd have to think about all of my equipment. Can my computer handle the larger file sizes? What about my memory card?


- Will this camera help me take better pictures than I already can?
This implies whether or not this camera will enable me to take better pictures. Or are there other ways I can continue to improve taking better pictures? This mainly goes into accessories, such as a tripod or lens.


- Finally, is there still more to learn from my 40D?
This is a philosophical stop. I find that when I can say I know my 40D in and out, if I become to complacent, it's time to change and challenge myself.



Honestly, the time to upgrade is coming pretty soon. I don't think I'll let go of my 40D, but I am wanting to step into the "full frame" community. My next internal debate will be either to go for a 5D Mark II or the new 5D Mark III. Maybe I can make some videos along the way.

I really like the fact the 5D uses "Mark" even though it's merely a meant to convey a version.

-Mark

Oh and I have some online albums of pictures I took with my 40D. Just head over to my My Photography page.