PRO SPECS, AMATEUR PRICE
Need proof that technology trickles down? Just a couple of years ago, the 40D’s impressive features—10.1 megs, 6.5-frames-per-second shooting, self-cleaning sensor, nine-point autofocus system—would have set you back a few grand. Despite all that, this camera’s best asset is actually Canon’s latest DIGIC III image-processing engine. By using a 14-bit analog-to-digital converter—previous converters were all 12-bit—it’s able to capture four times as much color and detail information, resulting in incredible shadow detail and smoother, film-like color transitions. And for non-viewfinder situations, the new processor enables live LCD shooting, so you can frame shots from the screen. 10.1MP; canonusa.com