I was bitten by the photography bug very hard several years ago. I loved the convenience of a point and shoot camera; however, I really wanted to capture images I could be proud of and display on my wall. After much research into the various camera systems on the market, I settled on Canon equipment. The first digital SLR body I purchased was the Canon Digital Rebel XTi. For an entry into SLR photography I could not have been happier. Canon has now upgraded to the new XSi which I am sure would be an equally as good entry level camera.

After a year of learning the ropes with the XTi, I did find myself wanting a little more out of my main camera body. The Canon 40d has more than filled that need. It offers faster shooting and better controls to change picture settings quicker and at your fingertips. It also has a more robust build and doesn't have the plastic feel the XTi does. The picture quality has been superb and at this stage in my photography, I don't see that I'll have a need to upgrade in the foreseeable future. I'm not sure that I'd recommend it as a first SLR, but it is definitely a great purchase for someone familiar with digital SLR photography.

The XTi has moved to my backup camera and still serves as my walk-around camera as it is smaller and lighter than the 40d.