What is the pixel pitch of the Canon 40D?

The Canon EOS 40D provides 10.1 megapixels from an APS-C sensor. This pixel density gives rise to a size of the individual pixel of 5.73µm.

The pixel size or pixel pitch can be calculated by dividing the sensor area by the pixel count and then taking the square root. In particular, the sensor in the Canon 40D measures 22.3mm in width and 14.9mm in height, so that the total imaging area of the sensor amounts to 332 mm². Moreover, the 40D has 3 888 horizontal pixels and 2 592 vertical pixels, for a total of 10.1 megapixels. Then, the size (height or width) of each individual pixel can be calculated as the square root of the ratio of the sensor area (332 mm²) to the MP count (10 077 696).

Larger pixels provide advantages with respect to gathering light, particularly in low-light situations. Large pixels notably have a better signal to noise ratio, meaning that they can better differentiate between incoming photons and the noisy signals that the internal processes of the camera create. As a result, big pixels are particularly helpful to the photographer when shooting with high ISO settings.

Sensor specs and performance

The table below compares the sensor specs of the Canon 40D to those of several similar cameras. The reported DXO values are indicators of the sensor's imaging quality (higher is better), covering color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape), and high-ISO noise (DXO Sports). Larger sensor cameras tend to outperform cameras of the same generation that are equipped with a smaller imager. On the other hand, larger sensors are more expensive and require bigger and heavier lenses than smaller light receptors.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon 40D	APS-C	10.1	3888	2592	none	22.1	11.3	703	64
2.		Canon 10D	APS-C	6.3	3072	2048	none	21.1	10.9	571	57
3.		Canon 20D	APS-C	8.2	3504	2336	none	21.9	11.0	721	62
4.		Canon 30D	APS-C	8.2	3504	2336	none	21.5	10.8	736	59
5.		Canon 50D	APS-C	15.1	4752	3168	none	21.8	11.4	696	63
6.		Canon 60D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.2	11.5	813	66
7.		Canon T3	APS-C	12.2	4272	2848	720/30p	21.9	11.0	755	62
8.		Canon XS	APS-C	10.1	3888	2592	none	22.0	10.9	719	62
9.		Canon XSi	APS-C	12.2	4272	2848	none	21.9	10.8	692	61
10.		Canon XTi	APS-C	10.1	3888	2592	none	22.1	11.0	664	62
11.		Nikon D90	APS-C	12.2	4288	2848	720/24p	22.7	12.5	977	73

Further information on the sensor in the Canon 40D and the camera's operation can be found in the camera manual.

In the United States, the 40D was initially launched in August 2007 at a price of $1,299.

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Camera to camera comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities with other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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