Counting down my five favorite Canon digital cameras ever. Coming in at #2…..

[markko]

To me it looks like EOS 6D is going to be the winner. Interestingly, I've never had the xxD camera in my possession, jumping directly to FF, and never regretted that.

My guess would be any of the 1D-series. Either the 1D III, or the 1DX II

 

[Cochese]

This is the first time I have to disagree on a post, though, not because of the photochops of the camera, but because the 60D was the perfect Film DSLR. It was the first in the Canon Lineup to include a flippy screen and the image quality was a bit above the 7D. In fact, the T3i produced better images than the 7D.
I really loved my 7D for the few years I had it (until it broke). I didn't yet have the money to replace it and about a week later, my aunt contacted me. She had a t3i she purchased, but never used. So I scored a free camera. Despite all of the claims, the t3i had better image quality than most of the APS-C cameras before it.
And dare I say, better than the 5DMII. And it all comes down to the image sensor and how the camera handles the files. While it lacks the ISO capabilities some other cameras, it made up for it in the fact that there was next to no banding when you pulled the shadows. The 60D was a similar story, though, I only used it a little bit compared to every other camera.

 

[slclick]

This is the first time I have to disagree on a post, though, not because of the photochops of the camera, but because the 60D was the perfect Film DSLR. It was the first in the Canon Lineup to include a flippy screen and the image quality was a bit above the 7D. In fact, the T3i produced better images than the 7D.
I really loved my 7D for the few years I had it (until it broke). I didn't yet have the money to replace it and about a week later, my aunt contacted me. She had a t3i she purchased, but never used. So I scored a free camera. Despite all of the claims, the t3i had better image quality than most of the APS-C cameras before it.
And dare I say, better than the 5DMII. And it all comes down to the image sensor and how the camera handles the files. While it lacks the ISO capabilities some other cameras, it made up for it in the fact that there was next to no banding when you pulled the shadows. The 60D was a similar story, though, I only used it a little bit compared to every other camera.

I know you didn't mean to write 'film dslr'

 

[GSPLvr]

I read Canon Rumors regularly but almost never comment. But this add of the 40D is dead on. I loved mine, it was my entry into digital (I was still using a few film cameras including my F-1) -- and I agree with this -- it was a ground breaking camera introducing so many new things -- and my upgrade was to a 70D (as noted), followed by a 5DIV. I still have all three, but rarely shoot with the 40D.

 

[brad-man]

 

[Macoose]

It was like day and night when I upgraded to the 40D from the Rebel. 6.5fps with 17 shot buffer meant I could get better [more] shots at airshows and the races in Daytona. I still use it every couple of months or so because it's a fun camera.
I learned a lot with with that one.

 

[pj1974]

My digital photographic journey is as follows:

• 3 Fuji P&S (40i, 6800z, F601), then
• Canon DSLRs (350D, 7D, 80D) and
• Canon mirrorless (M5)

I have bought a number of other Canon cameras in recent years as backups / 2nd angle shots (including the Canon 600D, 700D and M100).
I now own too many lenses to list here. But it all started out with the 18-55mm ii, 28-135mm USM IS and a 50mm f/1.8 ii. Next, I bought a Sigma UWA and a Canon 100-300mm USM. I have upgraded all my lenses since. I also have a bunch of other photographic accessories (flashes, tripods, timers, etc, etc).

My most used gear now is the 80D with 15-85mm, 70-300mm L, 50mm STM and Sigma 8-16mm
I take my Canon M5 with 15-45, 22mm f/2 or 18-150 if I want a smaller travel / holiday kit.

I have used many other cameras extensively (borrowed from friends / photography acquaintances, during events, trade-shows, expos, etc. etc). This includes 5D models, 1D models and the Canon R. No FF DSLR or FF mirrorless has yet met all my needs (in terms of weight, size, features, functionality, price) or in matching the exactly lenses I really wanted to invest in.

That's why I stuck with my APS-C lineup which I have been very happy with. I have taken hundreds of thousands of digital photos for over 20 years.. and I expect I'll take more as the years tick by.

However my having my main camera as an APS-C, is likely to change with the R5. This is likely to be my first FF mirrorless. Those RF lenses are insanely good (albeit somewhat quite expensive). It's likely I'll keep my DSLRs, as it's very much 'horses for courses' - just as I use the various items of my photographic gear now - whatever is 'fit for purpose'.

Looking forward to seeing what the new "#1" camera for CR Guy will be... and also how that will be for the rest of us. Regards

PJ

 

[Deleted member 378664]

Hi, the 40D on position #2 is quite "surprising", but nonetheless I'm very pleased with this "surprise". I also have kept my 40D even after I purchased a 5DMII (which is meanwhile replaced by a 6DMII). I brought the 40D to my workplace where I use it for occasionally portrait shoot of new employees for pictures for the company ID card. I purchased the 40D used from someone who upgraded to the 50D. For me it was the successor to the EOS350D which was my first DSLR.
kind regards
Frank

 

[tron]

40D was my first DSLR. I got it body only because I had many EF L lenses from the analog era. Unfortunately it was stolen in a bag that also contained 24-70 2.8L 70-200 2.8L 50 1.4 85 1.8 and 10-22
Then I continued by getting the 5DMkII kit with 24-105 L.

 

[kiwiengr]

My guess would be any of the 1D-series. Either the 1D III, or the 1DX II

It should be the 1D III, as that is what Craig has mentioned throughout the series of posts. I used a 1D II prior to 5D II. I would still rank the 1 as a better camera.

 

[justaCanonuser]

nice thread! My first digital Canon was a G7. Then I started with DSLRs and changed from Nikon to Canon :

EOS 450D/ Rebel XSi: still used by my sister, still works flawlessly after more than a decade
EOS 50D: I kept an eye on the 40D, but then I decided for the new model; this was the first DSLR that could render colors in a way that convinced me to really go digital, plus simple but fast AF, still used by a friend
EOS 7D: stuck with APS-C cameras because of high res tele photography, this camera survived some severe accidents in the wilderness, salt water spray & sand storms, still works perfectly (an artist friend uses it now)
EOS 5D Mk III: this was the first digital camera with which I really fell in love in a way I normally only do with vintage analogue cameras: stellar AF, beautiful color rendering, but needed spot-on metering, like shooting slide film in the old days. I kept it until this year and then traded it in more than 150.000 actuations for a new MK VI, was not easy for me to let it go.
EOS 7DII: I use it frequently for wildlife/birding tele photography, but I never will really like it, because its phase detection AF is mediocre and not reliable if there isn't a lot of light available (I literally tried every AF setting combo). Another downside is the lack of a touch screen for LV shooting, so I only rarely use its DPAF. If Canon will come up with a really capable APS-C successor (ML or DSLR) I will not hesitate to upgrade it.
EOS 5D Mk IV: got it in February, still explore it in different settings. Overall I already really like it, its responsive touch-screen makes me using more and more LV when I do social shooting. Colors out of the camera are great (important for me, drove me to Canon), and its phase detection AF seems to be even a tad more reliable than the MK III's great one, e.g. for BiF (birds in flight). Great workhorse camera, since I do not miss FF 4k video I definitely will keep it for some years.

 

[justaCanonuser]

40D was my first DSLR. I got it body only because I had many EF L lenses from the analog era. Unfortunately it was stolen in a bag that also contained 24-70 2.8L 70-200 2.8L 50 1.4 85 1.8 and 10-22

Sorry to read that. This was a nightmare...

 

[Cochese]

I know you didn't mean to write 'film dslr'

Whoa, good catch. I was watching an "Applied science" video as I was typing that. They were working on a lithography project. I think the world film must have been in my head from that. Also, check out the Applied Science on photo lithography on Youtube.

 

[justaCanonuser]

Currently I'm still rocking a pair of 5DmkIII and love them.

You are definitely not Tony Northrop I am with you, it was really hard for me to decide this year whether I should use Canon's trade-in discount to get me a 5D VI. I did it, but it was really hard for me to hand out my beloved, battered sort of war-horse 5D III. With more than 150.00 actuations it still worked nicely.

 

[jolyonralph]

My first Canon "digital" camera wasn't even digital

Canon ION (aka RC-260)

Canon RC-260 - Camera-wiki.org - The free camera encyclopedia

camera-wiki.org

 

[ajfotofilmagem]

40D was my consumer dream when it came out, but I didn't have the money to buy it.
My "unforgettable" camera was Rebel T2i, with ISO 1600 finally good enough, excellent LCD and capable of recording 1080P video.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I had five 40d's over several years. The feature most used was live view where I could finally tether the camera to my PC and get focus, lighting, and composition of my product photos done in one shot rather than a time consuming shoot and check method. It was what I had expected when I bought my first 300D. I had a 30D that was only 9 months old, but I bought the 40D immediately due to the time savings it gave. All of the cameras had a limited time that they could be tethered in live view mode, perhaps to sensor heating, they would lose synch after 30 or 40 minutes and give a garbled image. Letting them sit for a few minutes and restarting them worked to allow me another similar period.

 

[Ozarker]

My first digital DSLR was the XSI. I loved it. Next was the T5i, but I didn't have it long before going to the 70D. From the 70D I moved to the 5D mark III, a fantastic camera. However, I have to say that the R is my favorite of all.

 

[Billybob]

Yes, the 40D was the camera I owned when I became serious about photography as a hobby. Not a pro here, and happy to be a hobbyist. So, like so many, my journey included the 300D and 40D. I didn't go back to the XD series of cameras until the 80D, but by then I had moved on to FF, so APS-C was no longer satisfying.

 

[tron]

Sorry to read that. This was a nightmare...

Thanks, yes it was bad. I still remember it. I switched to 5DMkII 24-105 kit and gave up 2 lenses I didn't want (Sigma 400 APO and Canon 28-70 2.8L) as a part exchange to cut the price of the kit. They saved me 900 euros (2950 -> 2050). Then I got the 70-200 4 L IS.