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Canon EOS 40D Design

Roll-over the various controls and features with your mouse for a brief description.

Front. The front of the Canon EOS 40D has the same basic set of controls found on other models in the line. The grip is great, with a nice divot for the middle finger and a good rubber surface. Though there's a textured grip surface on the left, it's too tapered for easy holding with the left hand (see top view).

Left. Here on the left side are the new rubber doors, similar to the doors on the EOS 5D. They're a little neater and easier to use than the doors on the 20D and 30D.

Right. Here you can see the grip indent. The CF card door is pretty similar to other doors in the line, and swings freely rather than springing open.

Top. Here you can see another traditional layout that will be familiar to most anyone familiar with other prosumer Canon SLRs.

Back. Here you can see the radical departure from the normal array of buttons on the left of the display. They've been pushed down under the LCD, a change that may explain the extra overall height to the Canon 40D. The only other major change is the addition of the AF-ON button and the seal around the hot shoe, which mates to the new 580EX II flash introduced earlier this year.

Bottom. Here there are two changes, one visible, and one hidden. To the lower right is the new rubber door that conceals the WiFi grip ports. The hidden item is the far simpler design to the battery door hinge. The old design had a springloaded steel pin holding the battery door in place, but the 40D's door hinge uses a plastic cam design commonly found on Nikon SLRs: Just open the door about 45 degrees and pull straight out. It's not nearly as confidence-inspiring, but will probably serve just fine if you're careful.