The 40D is an incredible camera. I started off in digital SLRs with a Canon 20D (having used Powershot S30 and S60s previously, and 35mm Olympus SLRs before that) and was so impressed I went for a 5D next. Both were excellent cameras, but two things made me consider "downgrading" to the 40D - the frame rate and Live View. The 5D is phenomenal as far as picture quaity goes, but at just 3 frames per second it's pretty poor for action shots. 6+ frames per second on the 40D is just the ticket - and with a quieter shutter too.

Although my primary reason for testing Live View was because as a glasses wearer I've always had a love hate relationship with viewfinders - once I started using it I discovered how seriously valuable a tool it is. Unlike a digital compact live view is a compromise here, you have to open the mirror and autofocus is disabled while it's running. But as a tool for framing - and moreover with reasonable definition on a 10x zoom, a tool for accurate manual focusing on macro or distant objects, it's fantastic.

All that and the same ease of use and excellent picture quality as the rest of its sister products... the 40D is a no brainer. It might not have quite the resolution of the 5D and its cropped sensor limits wide shots and distorts perspective at some focal lengths, but this is undoubtedly Canon's best camera bar none when you balance features and value for money - and I've tried a few.