# Beginner considering a canon 40D for sports photography



## wsmith96 (Feb 19, 2013)

I would like to solicit opinions here. I shoot a lot of sports pics of my kids. I'm currently using a rebel T1i which takes great pictures, but I usually miss some great action scenes due to the slow frame rate of the camera. I was looking for used cameras that would allow me to maintain my lenses (EF-S) and I found a used canon 40D that looks gently used. The price is great at around $350. Of course, I would love to have a 7D, but I'm watching my pennies lately and can't afford it today. So, what would you do? Would you save up for the 7D or go ahead and not miss this spring season's shots using a 40D?

Thanks.


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## bdunbar79 (Feb 19, 2013)

If you can, quickly, try to find a 50D. I think there isn't as much difference between the 50D and 7D. If you can't find a used 50D relatively quickly for about the same price or slightly more, then the 40D would be fine.


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## Hillsilly (Feb 19, 2013)

I used to use a 30D for sports. It worked well. I'd assume a 40D would be even better.


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## Menace (Feb 19, 2013)

Get the 40d now so you do not miss the shots this season. Keep saving on the side and try to upgrade to a 7d next year.

Cheers


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## nurfc (Feb 19, 2013)

I started shooting with the T1I and saved up for the 7D, which is great for sports. I would say keep shooting with the T1I until you save enough for the 7D. Practice on timing and it will help for when you get the 7D and if possible get the 70-200 F2.8 with it. Great combo.


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## m (Feb 19, 2013)

Menace said:


> Get the 40d now so you do not miss the shots this season. Keep saving on the side and try to upgrade to a 7d next year.



I agree.

I remember missing some frames when shooting a snowboarder mid air - I got the frames right before and right after the grab.
This thing is slow compared to a 7D, which is slow compared to a 1DX, which is slow compared to 4k Video, which is...

speaking of Video:
Your camera supports 20fps.

also: thumb dial + AF joystick


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## pwp (Feb 19, 2013)

If you're shooting action and need high frame rates, deep buffer and stellar AF but only have a limited budget, look no further than older 1-series bodies. You can get a very good 1D MkIIn for a few hundred dollars and a 1D MkIII for less than a 7D. I know which body I'd prefer to be shooting action with vs a 40D. No contest.

-PW


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## photo212 (Feb 19, 2013)

http://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/side-by-side?products=canon_eos500d&products=canon_eos40d&products=canon_eos50d

I found the image quality of the 40D and 50D equivalent. More pixels on the 50D, but more sharpness in the 40D. Currently, I use both interchangeably. Either will have a higher shots per second rate.


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## paul13walnut5 (Feb 19, 2013)

It's not the body. And the problems the body has aren't ones that the 40D will necessarily solve.

My 2 cents.

Get a x0D series for the better construction, better viewfinder, better ergonomics and better control.

If you are otherwise happy with your T1i then here's a couple of things to try first.

1: On all EOS cameras the centre AF point has the best performance. Your T1i is no exception, as it's the only cross point. Go into P Tv Av or M. Select the centre AF spot as your only active point.

2: Ai Servo has a better chance of getting the action shot that one shot AF. One Shot AF will actually prevent you taking a shot, unless the camera thinks it is in focus. This will make your moderately fast camera much slower, and the same would be true of a 40D or 7D or 1D. So go to tracking AF (Ai Servo) learn to track for a few seconds, burst burst burst, track for a few seconds, burst burst burst.

3: Consider your lenses. Dark non-constant max aperture lenses are going to really hinder your AF system. The centre AF spot becomes even more sensitive with lenses brighter than f2.8. Spend some money on a bright USM lens. The 50mm f1.4 USM or 85mm f1.8 USM will let in loads of light and really boost your AF performance. And if your AF is fast, your frame rate is up! You'll get the benefit no matter your shooting aperture. If you put slow lenses on any body, you are going to struggle. If you are shooting action, you should be using fast lenses regardless of the body.

4: Consider your format. Where are these pictures going to end up? Are they going to be A2 posters? Or 9x6 prints? Do you really need to shoot RAW? JPEGs, particularly smaller JPEGs without in camera effects, will get the most out of your cameras buffer depth. RAW is a killer, and max resolution is often overkill.

5: Memory card speed. When your 500D came out memory cards were much more expensive. Treat yourself to a class 10 card, if you haven't got one already. This won't make your camera physically faster, but it will reduce buffer bottlenecks when you are piling on the frames.

So yes, there are reasons to buy a better body, but I don't think a 40D is the answer to your problems.
Brighter glass will probably be more effective, as will a look at your technique and settings.

I used a 400D for a few years and it was a different camera with bright glass on it. Centre spot AF. Ai Servo mode. Bright USM glass, faster card. Exactly the same advice I would give to a 40D user.


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## expatinasia (Feb 19, 2013)

bdunbar79 said:


> If you can, quickly, try to find a 50D. I think there isn't as much difference between the 50D and 7D. If you can't find a used 50D relatively quickly for about the same price or slightly more, then the 40D would be fine.



+1 Agreed. The 50D is a very good camera, and much better imho than the 60D. Definitely worth it if there is not too much price difference between the used 40D and 50D.


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## rpt (Feb 19, 2013)

paul13walnut5 said:


> It's not the body. And the problems the body has aren't ones that the 40D will necessarily solve.
> 
> My 2 cents.
> 
> ...


+1,000,000,000
This is the sanest advise you can get. The plus is that as you improve your technique on your current camera, you will be able to save for better lenses. Bodies come and go so you can buy the right one when you have saved enough. Don't compromise because you will regret it later. Also remember that the 7D price is going to drop in the next few months so it will become more affordable.


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## smithy (Feb 19, 2013)

I used a 40D for five years (and still own it) before upgrading to a 5D3. I loved it. Excellent for sports, family, and travel photography. Highly recommended.

A used 1-series body will probably outperform it, but of course you can't use your existing EF-S lenses on one of those...


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## tomscott (Feb 19, 2013)

Everything about the 50D is better except IQ and AF. They basically took the same chip and added 50% more pixels therefore it is pretty noisy. The 50Ds are quite a bit more expensive than 40Ds, I only recently stopped using my 40D loved it. Brilliant camera, in fact I had two both lasted over 250k actuations and I still keep one.

I bought the 7D to replace it and except the AF and the Higher ISO above 1600 I wasnt sold with it. The IQ where it counts 100-400 wasnt there so sold the 7D and got a 5D MKIII it is basically a FF 40D with a crazy good AF system.

The 40D is a great camera and most are under £250 bargain buy one. As for action I used to use it for Automotive shooting.




BMW E92 M3, Rig shot by tom_scott88, on Flickr




M3 by tom_scott88, on Flickr




BTCC, Oulton Park 2010, Forster Motorsport, BMW 320si, Martin Depper by tom_scott88, on Flickr




BTCC, Oulton Park 2010, Central Group Racing, Honda Integra Type-R, Lea Wood by tom_scott88, on Flickr




BTCC, Oulton Park 2010, Porsche GT3, Carrera Cup, Racing by tom_scott88, on Flickr




BTCC, Oulton Park 2010, Formula Renault UK by tom_scott88, on Flickr




BMW Z4M Coupe CSL wheels by tom_scott88, on Flickr

I found it great for action the 6.5fps is very helpful, but technique is paramount. 

Stick some good glass on it and its brilliant.


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## distant.star (Feb 19, 2013)

.
Does my heart good to see when someone is generous with time and experience. This is a great little treasure trove here, and I agree.

Thanks, Paul!

My thinking is along the same lines. If you get a 40D now, you may (or may not) have to work a little less for good results. In the end, you'll be sitting there with two old camera bodies, and you'll be no closer to the 7D you really want.






paul13walnut5 said:


> It's not the body. And the problems the body has aren't ones that the 40D will necessarily solve.
> 
> My 2 cents.
> 
> ...


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## ewg963 (Feb 19, 2013)

paul13walnut5 said:


> It's not the body. And the problems the body has aren't ones that the 40D will necessarily solve.
> 
> My 2 cents.
> 
> ...


+1


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## emag (Feb 19, 2013)

paul13walnut5 said:


> It's not the body. And the problems the body has aren't ones that the 40D will necessarily solve.........



Sound advice. 40D is a fine camera (I have one) but will not improve your keeper rate, technique will. Getting a 40D now will consume capital for little benefit. Keep saving those pennies in the meantime....you'll have something better by the holiday season or for next spring. That said, a decent video camera would not hurt the bank too much and might be a nice addition to capture memories.


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## wsmith96 (Feb 20, 2013)

paul13walnut5 said:


> It's not the body. And the problems the body has aren't ones that the 40D will necessarily solve.
> 
> My 2 cents.
> 
> ...



Thank you all for your insight, opinions, and as always, great advice. I've enjoyed reading the forums here and know that I can count on the group to steer me right when I have a question.

I realized that I didn't provide enough detail in my question after reading some of the responses, so here's the missing info.

First, I do enjoy the T1i, but I am wanting a "better" camera. This doesn't mean I need it of course. The biggest complaint that I have about it is that it doesn't fit my hands as well as a x0 model camera. I also would desire to have a faster shutter speed, but after reading the responses, that may not be as much of a factor as perfecting my technique. My last "complaint" is that it takes long for me to change settings. I think I'm pretty fast at it, but there are some settings that require me to navigate menus rather than just using the dial on the back of a camera. So my reasons for wanting a new camera are to be quicker with it, hope that the faster shutter speed will allow me to capture keeper sports shots, and ergonomics. To help with the ergonomics, I did purchase a vello battery grip which fits my hand great - it just requires me to rotate my camera 90 degrees.

How I shoot sports photography: 
I typically use either Manual or Time Value settings. I use my center focus point and set my auto-focus to AI Servo. For these pictures, I use jpeg on the large setting and I'm using a 32G class 10 sandisk memory card. Most of my pictures, if I print them, will be 8x10. I print very few posters if any at all - actually one to date. Most of my pictures I put into memory books or just view online.

As for lenses, I've been using the following: EF-S 17-55 2.8, EF-S 60 2.8, and 70-300 IS 4.0-5.6. Most of the time I use the 70-300 due to the distance between me and the field. Last fall, I was able to use the 17-55 being on the side lines. I primarily shoot in the daylight, outside, but my daughter does dive and the 70-300 suffers greatly in the natatorium lighting. This is where I've been using the 60mm, though it is still a bit far away. Outside, I can shoot at 1/1000 or 1/1250 shutter speed on 70-300 with acceptable results. I keep the aperture set at 5.6 so I don't have to consider changing shutter speed as much when I zoom on the 70-300. I do try to keep my zooming between 135mm and 200mm - just for training as my wish list includes the 70-200 is L. Don't want to end up missing 300mm  I usually turn IS off, unless I forget about it.

So, based upon the feedback I've received, what I need to do is to save and invest in some better glass and work on my technique first, then get a better body later. The cost of the 40D I found is good, but I'm thinking that it will remain "good" and could get better if I wait. There will always be a better deal. In truth, I do want a 7D (don't need, but want). It will preserve my lenses and provide growth room for me at a reasonable price. The 40D I guess was a cost effective stop gap I was hoping to resolve my skill issue, but it's probably better I stay the course and not compromise or I'll be kicking myself later for it. I also considered a used 1D MkII or MkIII as well, but if I go this route, I'll need to refresh my lenses as the only one I have that is compatible today is the 70-300. That's not much of an option for me right now, in the future maybe.

My son's first soccer game is this Saturday. I'll shoot some pics and post them on this thread for feedback. I'm sure it will help if I show you what I'm doing rather than just telling you.

Thank you all for the advice.


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## wsmith96 (Feb 23, 2013)

As promised, here are some pictures of my son's soccer game from this morning. I've set my camera as I always do (see above) and I've attached some sample images for review/critique. Soccer games at this age are very fun to watch because the kids are starting to get how to play together as a team, but there's still some chaos on the field. My goal is to perfect my picture taking skills beyond that of a typical point and shooter. 

I uploaded a sample of the pictures to Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/

My son is number 3, you can see him in image 95. The issue I was describing regarding slow frame rate of my camera is illustrated in images 97-100. I was trying to get a shot of my son kicking a goal kick but I got right before he kicked it (99) and then the ball isn't even in the frame (100). I'm not sure what I need to do to correct my technique so any advice is welcomed. It's tricky to get the timing down because children are so unpredictable. I guess that's what makes a great photographer.

The images have not been altered, so you can see exactly how I've shot and how they are coming out of the camera. I was using my 70-300mm IS USM lens for these pictures. I didn't get many good pictures this time - I was the substitue coach today.

Thanks for looking and for the advice.


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## cpsico (Feb 23, 2013)

wsmith96 said:


> I would like to solicit opinions here. I shoot a lot of sports pics of my kids. I'm currently using a rebel T1i which takes great pictures, but I usually miss some great action scenes due to the slow frame rate of the camera. I was looking for used cameras that would allow me to maintain my lenses (EF-S) and I found a used canon 40D that looks gently used. The price is great at around $350. Of course, I would love to have a 7D, but I'm watching my pennies lately and can't afford it today. So, what would you do? Would you save up for the 7D or go ahead and not miss this spring season's shots using a 40D?
> 
> Thanks.


The 40d is a wonderful camera, much better IQ than a 50d, it also has 14 bit color. If the price right it's very useful with great color, great in camera jpg.


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