Canon 40D vs T6

The Canon EOS 40D and the Canon EOS Rebel T6 (labelled Canon 1300D in some countries) are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in August 2007 and March 2016. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The 40D has a resolution of 10.1 megapixels, whereas the T6 provides 17.9 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Canon 40D		Canon T6
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Canon EF mount lenses		Canon EF mount lenses
10.1 MP – APS-C sensor		17.9 MP – APS-C sensor
no Video		1080/30p Video
ISO 100-1,600 (100 - 3,200)		ISO 100-6,400 (100 - 12,800)
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
3.0" LCD – 230k dots		3.0" LCD – 920k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
6.5 shutter flaps per second		3 shutter flaps per second
750 shots per battery charge		500 shots per battery charge
146 x 108 x 74 mm, 822 g		129 x 101 x 78 mm, 485 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS 40D and the Canon EOS Rebel T6? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Canon 40D and the Canon T6 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon T6 is notably smaller (17 percent) than the Canon 40D. Moreover, the T6 is substantially lighter (41 percent) than the 40D. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the 40D nor the T6 are weather-sealed.

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. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Canon EF Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the 40D gets 750 shots out of its Canon BP-511A battery, while the T6 can take 500 images on a single charge of its Canon LP-E10 power pack.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Canon 40D	146 mm	108 mm	74 mm	822 g	750	n	Aug 2007	1,299	ebay.com
2.		Canon T6	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	485 g	500	n	Mar 2016	449	ebay.com
3.		Canon 10D	150 mm	107 mm	75 mm	850 g	500	n	Feb 2003	1,999	ebay.com
4.		Canon 20D	144 mm	106 mm	72 mm	770 g	700	n	Aug 2004	1,499	ebay.com
5.		Canon 30D	144 mm	106 mm	74 mm	785 g	750	n	Feb 2006	1,399	ebay.com
6.		Canon 50D	146 mm	108 mm	74 mm	822 g	800	Y	Aug 2008	1,299	ebay.com
7.		Canon 60D	145 mm	106 mm	79 mm	755 g	1100	Y	Aug 2010	1,399	ebay.com
8.		Canon 77D	131 mm	100 mm	76 mm	540 g	600	n	Feb 2017	899	ebay.com
9.		Canon M10	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	301 g	255	n	Oct 2015	499	ebay.com
10.		Canon SL2	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	453 g	650	n	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
11.		Canon T3	130 mm	100 mm	78 mm	495 g	700	n	Feb 2011	449	ebay.com
12.		Canon T5	130 mm	100 mm	78 mm	480 g	500	n	Feb 2014	449	ebay.com
13.		Canon T6i	132 mm	101 mm	78 mm	555 g	440	n	Feb 2015	749	ebay.com
14.		Canon XS	126 mm	98 mm	65 mm	502 g	500	n	Jun 2008	449	ebay.com
15.		Canon XSi	129 mm	98 mm	62 mm	524 g	500	n	Jan 2008	799	ebay.com
16.		Canon XTi	127 mm	84 mm	65 mm	556 g	370	n	Aug 2006	799	ebay.com
17.		Nikon D90	132 mm	103 mm	77 mm	703 g	850	n	Aug 2008	1,299	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision 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 T6 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 65 percent) than the 40D, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. 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.

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.6. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Technology-wise, the T6 uses a more advanced image processing engine (DIGIC 4+) than the 40D (DIGIC 3), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the T6 offers a higher resolution of 17.9 megapixels, compared with 10.1 MP of the 40D. This megapixels advantage translates into a 33 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the T6 has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 4.31μm versus 5.73μm for the 40D). However, it should be noted that the T6 is much more recent (by 8 years and 6 months) than the 40D, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that compensate for the smaller pixel size.

The resolution advantage of the Canon T6 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the T6 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 25.9 x 17.3 inches or 65.8 x 43.9 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 20.7 x 13.8 inches or 52.7 x 35.1 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 17.3 x 11.5 inches or 43.9 x 29.3 cm. The corresponding values for the Canon 40D are 19.4 x 13 inches or 49.4 x 32.9 cm for good quality, 15.6 x 10.4 inches or 39.5 x 26.3 cm for very good quality, and 13 x 8.6 inches or 32.9 x 21.9 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Canon EOS 40D has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 1600, which can be extended to ISO 100-3200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Canon EOS Rebel T6 are ISO 100 to ISO 6400, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-12800.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

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 Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar imaging performance. The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

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 T6	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.0	11.7	781	66
3.		Canon 10D	APS-C	6.3	3072	2048	none	21.1	10.9	571	57
4.		Canon 20D	APS-C	8.2	3504	2336	none	21.9	11.0	721	62
5.		Canon 30D	APS-C	8.2	3504	2336	none	21.5	10.8	736	59
6.		Canon 50D	APS-C	15.1	4752	3168	none	21.8	11.4	696	63
7.		Canon 60D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.2	11.5	813	66
8.		Canon 77D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.3	971	78
9.		Canon M10	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.2	11.4	753	65
10.		Canon SL2	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.4	1041	79
11.		Canon T3	APS-C	12.2	4272	2848	720/30p	21.9	11.0	755	62
12.		Canon T5	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.9	11.3	724	63
13.		Canon T6i	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.7	12.0	919	71
14.		Canon XS	APS-C	10.1	3888	2592	none	22.0	10.9	719	62
15.		Canon XSi	APS-C	12.2	4272	2848	none	21.9	10.8	692	61
16.		Canon XTi	APS-C	10.1	3888	2592	none	22.1	11.0	664	62
17.		Nikon D90	APS-C	12.2	4288	2848	720/24p	22.7	12.5	977	73

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. The T6 indeed provides for movie recording, while the 40D does not. The highest resolution format that the T6 can use is 1080/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The 40D and the T6 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 viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (95%), but the viewfinder of the 40D has a higher magnification than the one of the T6 (0.59x vs 0.50x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Canon 40D and Canon T6 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Canon 40D	optical	Y	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.5/s	Y	n
2.		Canon T6	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon 10D	optical	Y	1.8 / 118	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
4.		Canon 20D	optical	Y	1.8 / 118	fixed	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	Y	n
5.		Canon 30D	optical	Y	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	Y	n
6.		Canon 50D	optical	Y	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.3/s	Y	n
7.		Canon 60D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	n	1/8000s	5.3/s	Y	n
8.		Canon 77D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
9.		Canon M10	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	4.6/s	Y	n
10.		Canon SL2	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
11.		Canon T3	optical	n	2.7 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
12.		Canon T5	optical	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
13.		Canon T6i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
14.		Canon XS	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
15.		Canon XSi	optical	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.5/s	Y	n
16.		Canon XTi	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
17.		Nikon D90	optical	Y	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	4.5/s	Y	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One feature that is present on the 40D, but is missing on the T6 is a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

The 40D writes its imaging data to Compact Flash cards, while the T6 uses SDXC cards.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS 40D and Canon EOS Rebel T6 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Canon 40D	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Canon T6	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
3.		Canon 10D	Y	- / -	-	-	-	1.1	-	-	-
4.		Canon 20D	Y	- / -	-	-	-	1.1	-	-	-
5.		Canon 30D	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Canon 50D	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Canon 60D	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Canon 77D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
9.		Canon M10	-	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Canon SL2	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
11.		Canon T3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
12.		Canon T5	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Canon T6i	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
14.		Canon XS	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Canon XSi	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
16.		Canon XTi	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
17.		Nikon D90	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

It is notable that the T6 offers wifi support, which can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location. In contrast, the 40D does not provide wifi capability.

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Canon 40D (unlike the T6) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.

Both the 40D and the T6 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The 40D was replaced by the Canon 50D, while the T6 was followed by the Canon T7. Further information on the features and operation of the 40D and T6 can be found, respectively, in the Canon 40D Manual (free pdf) or the online Canon T6 Manual.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Is the Canon 40D better than the Canon T6 or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Reasons to prefer the Canon EOS 40D:

• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.59x vs 0.50x).
• Easier setting verification: Features an LCD display on top to control shooting parameters.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (6.5 vs 3 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (750 versus 500) on a single battery charge.
• Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in August 2007).

Advantages of the Canon EOS Rebel T6:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (17.9 vs 10.1MP), which boosts linear resolution by 33%.
• Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (DIGIC 4+ vs DIGIC 3).
• Broader imaging potential: Can capture not only stills but also 1080/30p video.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (920k vs 230k dots).
• More compact: Is smaller (129x101mm vs 146x108mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 337g or 41 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (65 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 8 years and 6 months of technical progress since the 40D launch.

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the T6 emerges as the winner of the match-up (10 : 7 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. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon 40D and the Canon T6 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the 40D and the T6 in practical situations. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Canon 40D	..	+ +	..	+ +	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2007	1,299	ebay.com
2.		Canon T6	4/5	o	4/5	73/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2016	449	ebay.com
3.		Canon 10D	..	..	..	+ +	..	..	Feb 2003	1,999	ebay.com
4.		Canon 20D	..	..	..	+ +	..	..	Aug 2004	1,499	ebay.com
5.		Canon 30D	..	+ +	..	+ +	o	..	Feb 2006	1,399	ebay.com
6.		Canon 50D	..	+ +	..	+ +	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2008	1,299	ebay.com
7.		Canon 60D	5/5	+	..	79/100	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2010	1,399	ebay.com
8.		Canon 77D	4.5/5	..	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	899	ebay.com
9.		Canon M10	..	..	..	..	..	4/5	Oct 2015	499	ebay.com
10.		Canon SL2	4/5	+ +	4/5	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
11.		Canon T3	..	80/100	..	69/100	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2011	449	ebay.com
12.		Canon T5	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2014	449	ebay.com
13.		Canon T6i	5/5	..	..	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	749	ebay.com
14.		Canon XS	..	82/100	..	+ +	3.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2008	449	ebay.com
15.		Canon XSi	..	+ +	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Jan 2008	799	ebay.com
16.		Canon XTi	..	+ +	..	+ +	o	4/5	Aug 2006	799	ebay.com
17.		Nikon D90	..	+ +	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2008	1,299	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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