Canon 1D versus Canon 40D

The Canon EOS-1D and the Canon EOS 40D are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in September 2001 and August 2007. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are based on an APS-H (1D) and an APS-C (40D) sensor. The 1D has a resolution of 4.1 megapixel, whereas the 40D provides 10.1 MP. Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their size, their sensors, their features, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Canon 1D vs Canon 40D

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Canon 1D and the Canon 40D. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter. If you prefer, you can also use the toggle button to switch to a comparison in percentage terms (in this case, the camera on the left – the 1D – represents the basis or 100 percent across all the size and weight measures).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon 40D is considerably smaller (36 percent) than the Canon 1D. Moreover, the 40D is substantially lighter (48 percent) than the 1D. It is worth mentioning in this context that the 1D is splash and dust resistant, while the 40D does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. A larger imaging sensor (as in the 1D) will tend to go along with bigger and heavier lenses, while more compact options are available for the smaller-sensor camera (40D). You can find a comprehensive overview of suitable optics in the Canon EF Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the 1D gets 500 shots out of its NP-E3 battery, while the 40D can take 750 images on a single charge of its BP-511A power pack.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, just select a new right or left comparator from among the camera models in the table. Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Camera Body Specifications

	Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life (CIPA)	Weather Sealing (yes/no)	Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Canon 1D»	156 mm	158 mm	80 mm	1585 g	500	Y	Sep 2001	6,499	-		Canon 1D
	Canon 40D«	146 mm	108 mm	74 mm	822 g	750	n	Aug 2007	1,299	-		Canon 40D
	Canon 5D Mark IV« »	151 mm	116 mm	76 mm	890 g	900	Y	Aug 2016	3,499			Canon 5D Mark IV
	Canon 1D X Mark II« »	158 mm	168 mm	83 mm	1530 g	1210	Y	Feb 2016	5,999			Canon 1D X Mark II
	Canon 5DS R« »	152 mm	116 mm	76 mm	930 g	700	Y	Feb 2015	3,699			Canon 5DS R
	Canon 5DS« »	152 mm	116 mm	76 mm	930 g	700	Y	Feb 2015	3,699			Canon 5DS
	Canon 1D C« »	158 mm	164 mm	83 mm	1545 g	1120	Y	Apr 2012	14,999	-		Canon 1D C
	Canon 1D X« »	158 mm	168 mm	83 mm	1551 g	1120	Y	Oct 2011	6,799	-		Canon 1D X
	Canon 50D« »	146 mm	108 mm	74 mm	822 g	800	Y	Aug 2008	1,299	-		Canon 50D
	Canon 450D« »	129 mm	98 mm	62 mm	524 g	500	n	Jan 2008	799	-		Canon 450D
	Canon 1Ds Mark III« »	150 mm	160 mm	80 mm	1385 g	1800	Y	Aug 2007	7,999	-		Canon 1Ds Mark III
	Canon 30D« »	144 mm	106 mm	74 mm	785 g	750	n	Feb 2006	1,399	-		Canon 30D
	Canon 400D« »	127 mm	84 mm	65 mm	556 g	370	n	Aug 2006	799	-		Canon 400D
	Canon 1D Mark II N« »	156 mm	158 mm	80 mm	1565 g	1200	Y	Aug 2005	3,999	-		Canon 1D Mark II N
	Canon 1D Mark II« »	156 mm	158 mm	80 mm	1535 g	1200	Y	Jan 2004	4,499	-		Canon 1D Mark II
	Canon 1Ds« »	156 mm	157.6 mm	80 mm	1265 g	600	Y	Sep 2002	8,999	-		Canon 1Ds
	Nikon D90« »	132 mm	103 mm	77 mm	703 g	850	n	Aug 2008	1,299	-		Nikon D90
Convert to Imperial

Any camera purchase will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The 40D was launched at a markedly lower price (by 80 percent) than the 1D, which puts it into a different market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison: Canon 1D vs Canon 40D

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon 1D features an APS-H sensor and the Canon 40D an APS-C sensor. The sensor area in the 40D is 39 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.3 and 1.6. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Despite having a smaller sensor, the 40D offers a higher resolution of 10.1 megapixel, compared with 4.1 MP of the 1D. This megapixel advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 5.73μm versus 11.56μm for the 1D). However, it should be noted that the 40D is much more recent (by 5 years and 10 months) than the 1D, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Feature comparison: Canon 1D vs Canon 40D

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The 1D and the 40D are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Canon 1D and Canon 40D along with similar information for a selection of comparators. If you need more detail on the specs, you can find comprehensive listings, for example, in the dpreview camera hub.

Both the 1D and the 40D have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on eBay. The 1D was replaced by the Canon 1D Mark II, while the 40D was followed by the Canon 50D.

Review summary: Canon 1D vs Canon 40D

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is there a clear favorite between the Canon 1D and the Canon 40D? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Advantages of the Canon EOS-1D:

• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (16000/sec vs 8000/sec) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (8 vs 6.5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Better sealing: Is weather sealed to enable shooting in dusty or wet environments.
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in September 2001).

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS 40D:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (10.1 vs 4.1MP), which boosts linear resolution by 56%.
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.0" vs 2.0") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (230k vs 120k dots).
• More compact: Is smaller (146x108mm vs 156x158mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 763g or 48 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (750 versus 500) out of a single battery charge.
• Easier fill-in: Has a small integrated flash to brighten shadows of backlit subjects.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (80 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 5 years and 10 months of technical progress since the 1D launch.

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the 40D is the clear winner of the contest (9 : 4 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the 1D or the 40D handle or perform in practice. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased. This is where reviews by experts come in. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog). The detailed reviews can be accessed by clicking on the site logo in the table header.

Review Scores

	Camera Model						Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Canon 1D»	-	HiRec	-	-	-	Sep 2001	6,499	-		Canon 1D
	Canon 40D«	HiRec	HiRec	4.5/5	rev	4.5/5	Aug 2007	1,299	-		Canon 40D
	Canon 5D Mark IV« »	HiRec	87/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2016	3,499			Canon 5D Mark IV
	Canon 1D X Mark II« »	-	89/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	5,999			Canon 1D X Mark II
	Canon 5DS R« »	Rec	83/100	5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	3,699			Canon 5DS R
	Canon 5DS« »	Rec	83/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	3,699			Canon 5DS
	Canon 1D C« »	-	-	-	-	-	Apr 2012	14,999	-		Canon 1D C
	Canon 1D X« »	-	-	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2011	6,799	-		Canon 1D X
	Canon 50D« »	HiRec	HiRec	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2008	1,299	-		Canon 50D
	Canon 450D« »	HiRec	HiRec	4/5	5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2008	799	-		Canon 450D
	Canon 1Ds Mark III« »	-	HiRec	4.5/5	-	-	Aug 2007	7,999	-		Canon 1Ds Mark III
	Canon 30D« »	HiRec	HiRec	rev	rev	-	Feb 2006	1,399	-		Canon 30D
	Canon 400D« »	HiRec	HiRec	rev	4.5/5	4/5	Aug 2006	799	-		Canon 400D
	Canon 1D Mark II N« »	-	-	-	-	-	Aug 2005	3,999	-		Canon 1D Mark II N
	Canon 1D Mark II« »	-	HiRec	-	rev	-	Jan 2004	4,499	-		Canon 1D Mark II
	Canon 1Ds« »	-	HiRec	-	-	-	Sep 2002	8,999	-		Canon 1Ds
	Nikon D90« »	HiRec	HiRec	4/5	5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2008	1,299	-		Nikon D90

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Other camera comparisons

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