Canon EOS 40D 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera

Smile you’re on candid camera. Ok maybe not. You have actually been snapped by this awesome 10.1 megapixel digital SLR camera from Canon.

If you are looking for something a bit more than a point and shoot digital then I suggest you consider this beauty from Canon. It is a genuine SLR camera and it takes great photos. Hey the picture I snapped of you turned out ok so it must be good for that to happen. It’s a 10.1 megapixel so you can now make posters out of your photos and they will still look good. It has a large LCD display so no more squinting at the screen. This is a great camera for those of you who appreciate good photography.

Get the camera today and I will throw in a smile.

The Canon Customer Service Experience

Photo: George Hincapie one lap away from winning the 2006 Greenville Classic Criterium

This is a story of terrific service.

Though I enjoy my vintage Pentax K1000 35mm camera a lot and also enjoy getting my hands on Nikon, Minolta and other brands of cameras, I shoot Canon cameras and lenses almost exclusively these days. Why? Maybe because something about the Canon brand always appealed to me. Maybe it's because my older brother (who got me into photography as a boy) has always used Canon equipment. Maybe it's that cool little red stripe on their L series lenses (the professional stuff). Maybe it's the cool white paint they use on their L-series zoom lenses. Or maybe it's because Canon's user interfaces on every model above the 20D are perfectly designed for purists like me, who shoot in manual mode. (Most pro shooters these days shoot in some sort of automated mode like aperture priority, etc.)

Call me a control freak, but I like being in complete control of the aperture, shutter speed, etc.

But I digress.

I don't need to sing the praises of Canon products. Canon's reputation speaks for itself. What this post is about is the customer service side of their business, - the hidden service entrance to the brand, if you will - which, until very recently, I had never bothered to think about.

I'll try to keep my little story from turning into a novel by just saying this: My favorite lens of all time, my baby, my brand new 70-200mm f:2.8 L series zoom lens was recently damaged on a shoot. To be more specific, someone who had no business even touching it picked it up... and dropped it on a brick floor.

Yes, the lens was kind of busted. Not badly, but enough to require some service by Canon.

No, I did not murder the culprit - who ran from the shoot before I could get my hands on him.

The next morning, I called the Canon customer service center and briefly spoke with a representative. My only concern was this: How long will it take Canon to fix the lens?

The answer was "7-10 days at the most".

Really?

"Really."

I filled out the online form to set up the repair, took the damaged lens to my local UPS store, followed the packing and shipping instructions detailed on the website, and sent it on its way.

Three days later, I received an email from Canon to tell me that my lens had arrived safe and sound at their service center.

One week later, I received an email from Canon telling me the repairs were completed and that the lens would be shipped out the next day. The email contained a link to the FedEx tracking number so I could follow the box containing my restored lens as it made its way back to me.

Evidently, the email was sent to me a day or two late, because when I clicked on the tracking number link, the FedEx site indicated that the lens was already in Greenville, out for delivery. 45 minutes later, my lens was back, and as good as new.

The next day, a letter from Canon arrived in the mail, detailing the work and thanking me for my business, etc.

Canon didn't send me flowers, chocolates, cool free gear or anything out of the ordinary, but I was thoroughly impressed with the way they handled my repair: They were friendly on the phone. They answered my questions immediately. The procedure for sending them a damaged product was simple and easy to follow. The repairs were taken care of quickly and expertly. The product was sent back to me promptly. The communications from Canon and subsequent follow-ups were precise, adequate, and professional.

Compared to a lot of other companies I have sent products to for repairs or warranty issues, Canon takes the prize for speed, efficiency, simplicity and professionalism. They did everything right.

Bottom-line: Canon did exactly what it promised, and there's a whole lot to be said for that these days. It's great to know that one of my favorite consumer products brands a) hasn't fallen asleep at the wheel and b) isn't cutting corners anywhere in its organization.

Could Canon have left a bad taste in my mouth by not handling my service request very well? Maybe. Could Canon have allowed me to consider buying Pentax or Nikon next time I am on the market for new photo gear? Maybe.

But they didn't. By taking good care of me the way they did, they confirmed that my preference for their brand was well deserved.

Thank you, Canon, for getting it right. ;)

Nikon officially announces D3 and D300, lenses

Alright, Nikon's two new flagship DSLRs are officially announced. (Better images coming right up.) Here's what you need to know:

D3

* 12.1 megapixel, full-frame friggin sensor! (23.9 x 36mm) Finally. ISO up to 6400
* 3-inch VGA live view LCD
* Two (count 'em, two!) CompactFlash card slots for overflow, backup, or copying
* New EXPEED image processor
* 9fps in full frame, 11fps in DX crop; 51 point autofocus (with "3D focus tracking")
* HDMI out with optional cable
* $5000, November release

D300

* 12.3 megapixel DX (1.5 crop) sensor
* 3-inch VGA live view LCD
* New EXPEED image processor
* 51 point autofocus
* $1800, November release

Lenses

* AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED
* AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
* AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8G ED VR
* AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4G ED VR
* AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR

Visit nikon.com.my for press release.

The Canon Customer Service Experience

Photo: George Hincapie one lap away from winning the 2006 Greenville Classic Criterium

This is a story of terrific service.

Though I enjoy my vintage Pentax K1000 35mm camera a lot and also enjoy getting my hands on Nikon, Minolta and other brands of cameras, I shoot Canon cameras and lenses almost exclusively these days. Why? Maybe because something about the Canon brand always appealed to me. Maybe it's because my older brother (who got me into photography as a boy) has always used Canon equipment. Maybe it's that cool little red stripe on their L series lenses (the professional stuff). Maybe it's the cool white paint they use on their L-series zoom lenses. Or maybe it's because Canon's user interfaces on every model above the 20D are perfectly designed for purists like me, who shoot in manual mode. (Most pro shooters these days shoot in some sort of automated mode like aperture priority, etc.)

Call me a control freak, but I like being in complete control of the aperture, shutter speed, etc.

But I digress.

I don't need to sing the praises of Canon products. Canon's reputation speaks for itself. What this post is about is the customer service side of their business, - the hidden service entrance to the brand, if you will - which, until very recently, I had never bothered to think about.

I'll try to keep my little story from turning into a novel by just saying this: My favorite lens of all time, my baby, my brand new 70-200mm f:2.8 L series zoom lens was recently damaged on a shoot. To be more specific, someone who had no business even touching it picked it up... and dropped it on a brick floor.

Yes, the lens was kind of busted. Not badly, but enough to require some service by Canon.

No, I did not murder the culprit - who ran from the shoot before I could get my hands on him.

The next morning, I called the Canon customer service center and briefly spoke with a representative. My only concern was this: How long will it take Canon to fix the lens?

The answer was "7-10 days at the most".

Really?

"Really."

I filled out the online form to set up the repair, took the damaged lens to my local UPS store, followed the packing and shipping instructions detailed on the website, and sent it on its way.

Three days later, I received an email from Canon to tell me that my lens had arrived safe and sound at their service center.

One week later, I received an email from Canon telling me the repairs were completed and that the lens would be shipped out the next day. The email contained a link to the FedEx tracking number so I could follow the box containing my restored lens as it made its way back to me.

Evidently, the email was sent to me a day or two late, because when I clicked on the tracking number link, the FedEx site indicated that the lens was already in Greenville, out for delivery. 45 minutes later, my lens was back, and as good as new.

The next day, a letter from Canon arrived in the mail, detailing the work and thanking me for my business, etc.

Canon didn't send me flowers, chocolates, cool free gear or anything out of the ordinary, but I was thoroughly impressed with the way they handled my repair: They were friendly on the phone. They answered my questions immediately. The procedure for sending them a damaged product was simple and easy to follow. The repairs were taken care of quickly and expertly. The product was sent back to me promptly. The communications from Canon and subsequent follow-ups were precise, adequate, and professional.

Compared to a lot of other companies I have sent products to for repairs or warranty issues, Canon takes the prize for speed, efficiency, simplicity and professionalism. They did everything right.

Bottom-line: Canon did exactly what it promised, and there's a whole lot to be said for that these days. It's great to know that one of my favorite consumer products brands a) hasn't fallen asleep at the wheel and b) isn't cutting corners anywhere in its organization.

Could Canon have left a bad taste in my mouth by not handling my service request very well? Maybe. Could Canon have allowed me to consider buying Pentax or Nikon next time I am on the market for new photo gear? Maybe.

But they didn't. By taking good care of me the way they did, they confirmed that my preference for their brand was well deserved.

Thank you, Canon, for getting it right. ;)

New 21.1 Megapixel from Canon!

Incase you hadn't heard, Canon has just announced its new 21.1 Megapixel full frame DSLR for release in November 2007. Here is the release.

 

 

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., August 20, 2007 – The new 21.1-megapixel, full-frame Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR* camera brings the power of Canon U.S.A., Inc.'s professional imaging excellence and innovation into sharper focus than ever before. While Canon's EOS-1D series has dominated the 35mm-based professional Digital SLR market for the past six years, the new EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR takes Canon's pro-digital prowess into and the realm of high-fashion and commercial photo studios where bulkier, medium-format cameras previously reigned. The Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III's compact, lighter-weight magnesium alloy body is rugged and versatile enough to take out of the studio and into the field. The camera's fast, five-frame-per-second (fps) shooting rate for bursts of up to 56 Large/Fine (21-megapixel) JPEGS or 12 RAW images is unmatched in its class, making it the ideal instrument for capturing the fluid motion and free-flowing lines of location-based fashion photography as well as a wide range of other professional photographic applications. The Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III professional digital single lens reflex camera is scheduled to begin shipping in November and will have an estimated selling price of $7,999† (the same price as its predecessor, the 16.7 megapixel EOS-1Ds Mark II). "The EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR camera is a prime example of the EOS philosophy and Canon's ongoing commitment to providing photo professionals with the tools they need to create the finest quality images," stated Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A. "To continue our legacy, we must provide not only the right professional tools, but also the finest photo tools for the job and do so consistently, whether we are presenting this exemplary EOS-1Ds Mark III SLR camera, or any one of the many fine specialty lenses, flashes and accessories that populate the EOS professional photo system." Revolutionary Resolution Developed and manufactured by Canon specifically for the EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR, the camera's new full-size 36 x 24 mm CMOS image sensor offers the highest resolution in its class, and is comprised of approximately 21.1 million effective pixels (5632 x 3750) set at a pitch of 6.4 microns. The user can select any one of six recording formats ranging from 21.0 megapixels in Large JPEG or RAW format, 16.6 or 11.0 megapixels in the two medium JPEG sizes, or 5.2 megapixels in the small JPEG or "sRAW" formats. In any JPEG format, the user can set one of ten compression rates for each image size. In sRAW mode, the number of pixels is reduced to one-fourth that of a standard RAW image and the file size is cut in half, while retaining all of the flexibility and creative possibilities associated with full-size, traditional RAW images. Dual "DIGIC III" Image Processors Fulfilling the ultra-low noise, ultra-high image quality promise of the EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR camera requires handling the enormous signal processing requirements of the camera's 21-megapixel resolution and top continuous shooting speed of five fps. To accomplish this, Canon has incorporated two identical DIGIC III imaging engines into the camera for parallel (and hence, faster) signal processing. The CMOS sensor reads out to the dual "DIGIC III" processors simultaneously in eight channels. DIGIC III is the next generation of Canon's proprietary image processing engine. This technology ensures the fine details and natural colors of images are optimally recorded and, as an added bonus, is responsible for the EOS-1Ds Mark III SLR's high-speed performance, faster signal processing and more efficient energy consumption. Adding to the improved virtuosity of the images captured by the EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR camera is the camera's 14-bit Analog-to-Digital (A/D) conversion process. Able to recognize 16,384 colors per channel (four times the number of colors recognized by the EOS-1Ds Mark II Digital SLR camera's 12-bit conversion capability), this line-leading model is able to produce images with finer and more accurate gradations of tones and colors. Additionally, given the significantly larger image file sizes created by the EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR camera, Canon has provided compatibility with the new Ultra Direct Memory Access (UDMA) compact flash memory card specification, which enables ultra-high-speed data transfer to the card. Utilizing a UDMA compliant card doubles the data transfer speed compared to a conventional memory card, putting the new EOS-1Ds Mark III on par with the 10.1-megapixel EOS-1D Mark III camera, even though the pixel count of this new model is more than twice as large. Advanced Autofocus Technology The EOS-1Ds Mark III autofocus system - first introduced earlier this year on the EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR - has 45 AF points including 19 high-precision cross-type points and 26 Assist AF points. This new array allows the 19 cross-type points to be divided into groups of nine inner and nine outer focusing points plus a center point, which makes picking an individual focusing point much faster and easier than going through all 45. During manual AF point selection, the AF point area is expandable in two stages via Custom Function control. At the request of sports and wildlife photographers, a new micro-adjustment feature allows for very fine changes in the AF point of focus for each lens type in use, along with the addition of adjustable focus-tracking sensitivity as another sophisticated new AF feature. Other new components in the AF system include the reconfigured concave submirror and the secondary image formation lens, both products of Canon's vast expertise in optical engineering. Finally, the low-light sensitivity of the new AF sensor has been doubled to EV-1 for superior performance, compared with earlier EOS digital SLRs. Live View One of the dynamic innovations incorporated into new EOS Digital SLRs - and optimized for professional shooters on the EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR - is Canon's Live View shooting mode which provides photographers with an expanded and exceedingly convenient set of shooting options beyond the conventional SLR through-the-lens viewing. Framing and shooting subjects using the camera's LCD screen affords the shooter the same 100 percent field of view provided by the optical viewfinder - this is a full-frame digital SLR after all - but Live View has the added advantage of allowing the image to be more easily composed on the camera's bright and brilliant 230,000-pixel, three-inch LED screen. Additionally, the LCD-viewed image can be magnified by five or ten times in order to ensure that the shot is optimally focused. Live View is at its best during tripod shooting, particularly for close-up photography where precise focusing is imperative. As a side benefit, the Live View shooting mode helps to reduce vibration by lifting the reflex mirror out of the optical path well in advance of the exposure, improving image quality at slow shutter speeds. Additionally, as the release time lag is miniscule, even instantaneous movements like a bird taking flight can be readily captured. The shutter charge sound can be delayed and made quieter than normal in Live View mode to avoid spooking wildlife or disturbing people nearby with unwanted camera sounds. If a user is going to be several feet away from the camera, such as in some studio settings, the EOS-1Ds Mark III can be connected by cable to a computer via its USB 2.0 High-Speed interface. The camera can also be operated remotely at distances up to 492 feet with the assistance of the optional Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E2A which allows users to view images directly off the camera's sensor in virtually real-time, with the ability to adjust many camera settings quickly and easily. Viewing Display Easy to read, even in outdoor conditions such as bright sunlight, the EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR camera features a three-inch, 230,000-pixel wide angle LCD display screen. The TFT color liquid-crystal monitor features seven user-settable brightness levels and a wide, 140-degree viewing angle, both horizontally and vertically. An added advantage of the large, three-inch display size is the ability to utilize a larger font size for text, making it easier to read setting and menu options on the screen. Canon extends its "ease-of-reading" policy to the EOS-1Ds Mark III's viewfinder as well. Bright and clear with zero distortion and a 100 percent picture coverage and a magnification factor of .75x, it is the finest viewfinder ever placed in an EOS camera. EOS Integrated Cleaning System Another first for a professional digital SLR of this caliber is Canon's complete dust management solution, called the EOS Integrated Cleaning System. The new CMOS image sensor is designed with a lightweight infrared absorption glass cover that vibrates for 3.5 seconds when the camera is turned on or off. This brief delay can be cancelled immediately upon start-up by pressing the shutter button half way. Dust that has been shaken or blown loose of the sensor is trapped by adhesive surfaces surrounding the sensor unit housing, preventing the problematic particles from reattaching themselves to the filter when the camera moves. Like its sibling, the EOS-1D Mark III, the shutter of the EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR camera carries a durability rating of 300,000 cycles and, though it generates less dust, it still charges itself three times during the manual cleaning process so that dust is shaken off the shutter curtains as well. This cleaning system uses very little battery power and can be turned off in the custom function menu. The second part of the dust management system is a software solution that maps the location of any spots that may remain on the sensor. The mapped information is saved as Dust Delete Data and attached to the image file. Subsequently, the offending dust information is subtracted from the final image during post processing, using the supplied Digital Photo Professional software. Rock Solid Reliability The entire body of the EOS-1Ds Mark III, including its internal chassis and mirror box, is made of an advanced magnesium alloy for exceptional strength and rigidity. Comprehensive weatherproofing at 76 locations on the camera body ensures superior reliability, even when shooting in harsh environments. Together with the 300,000-cycle shutter durability rating, these features result in a camera that, even though it is six ounces lighter than the EOS-1Ds Mark II, can truly withstand even the most severe shooting conditions. Improved Software Among the most valuable features of the EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR is its compatibility with Canon's new Picture Style Editor 1.0 software. With PSE, photographers can personalize the look of their photographs by inputting their own preferred image processing parameters, including custom tone curves. The EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR also ships with the latest versions of Canon's powerful software applications, including Digital Photo Professional 3.2 and EOS Utility 2.2, which support the camera's Remote Live View and Dust Delete Data functions, as well as incorporating a broad range of additional improvements designed to improve image quality and speed up workflow. Particularly noteworthy in DPP 3.2 is a new Lens Aberration Correction Function that corrects various image defects such as chromatic aberration, color blur, vignetting and distortion. Initially, the Lens Aberration Correction Function will support images captured by the EOS-1Ds Mark III and 11 other EOS Digital SLRs using any of 29 individual EF and EF-S lenses. Also included are ZoomBrowser EX 6.0 and ImageBrowser 6.0 for easy browsing, viewing, printing and archiving with compatible computer operating systems, including Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows XP, as well as Mac OS X. Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM Lens Designed primarily for discerning landscape and architectural photographers, the Canon EF14mm f/2.8L II USM lens is ideally suited to the EOS-1Ds Mark III's full-frame capability. Measuring 3.7 inches in length and weighing in at under 23 ounces, this ultra-wide angle L-series prime lens is well corrected for rectilinear distortion, provides a 114-degree diagonal angle of view, and delivers high-speed autofocus with higher image quality overall including superior peripheral image quality, compared to its predecessor, the stalwart EF 14mm f/2.8L USM lens. While its large diameter, high-precision aspherical and UD elements, optimized lens element positioning, and flare and ghost-reducing lens coating ensure that this lens delivers the top optical performance in its professional class, Canon has added other features photographers have been asking for - improved dust and water resistance incorporated around the mount, switch panel and focusing ring, and a round aperture that creates a nice background blur and makes it easier to recognize an out-of-focus scene in less than brightly lit conditions. Furthermore, Canon has created a new lens cap specifically for the EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM that is held to the lens by a stopper. The Canon EF14mm f/2.8L II USM lens is scheduled to begin shipping to stores in October at an estimated selling price of $2,199†. About Canon U.S.A., Inc. Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. The Company is listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America and is on the 2006 BusinessWeek list of "Top 100 Brands." Its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), is a top patent holder of technology, ranking third overall in the U.S. in 2006††, with global revenues of $34.9 billion. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/pressroom.

Canon,Camera,Announcement

Nikon D3 vector logo - available for download

Just days after Canon announced its new 40D (a midrange DSLR that many wedding photog's will carry at least as a backup body) and the super-camera 1Ds MkIII (a high-resolution 21MP pro body) Nikon has released information about its latest developments:

1. The D3 - a full-frame 12 MP sensor, 9-11 frames per second max shooting speed, ridiculously high resolution 3" screen, live-view...
2. The D300 - a DX (cropped) 12MP sensor, 6-8 fps max shooting speed, and the same high-res 3" screen, etc...

The question now is this: Is the playing field leveled? Here's my take.

The D3 vs Canon

• Nikon is finally back in the sports (high-speed) market - it was a loooong time coming. Nikon's D2h fell behind (with its 4MP sensor) Canon's equivalent years ago, and only now that Canon has released the 10MP, 10fps 1D MkIII has Nikon finally caught up - and exceeded it, with the D3's nearly equal shooting speed and a higher resolution full frame sensor.
  
• Nikon has proved, again though, that it cannot keep up in the resolution game. Sorry to all the Nikon worshippers - but it is true. While the D3 is high-res for its speed, it is still not high-res. Canon releases a 21+ megapixel camera and the best Nikon can do is release another 12 MP camera? It should now be very clear to professionals with high-res demands (i.e. advertising shooters, etc) that Nikon is not the company to stay with.
  
• At least the D3 is full frame - this should save part of Nikon's market that was worried about only Canon providing full frame sensors in the upper-end cameras. No longer do Nikon FF guys have to go buying 3rd party, snail-slow offerings like the Kodak SLR/n either.
  
• It is kind of funny that some Nikon shooters used to make fun of Canon for those dozens of AF points in the viewfinder - now they get 51!
  

The D300 vs Canon

• The D200 couldn't compete with the 5d - the D300 gets closer but still doesn't cut it. Why was the 5d so popular? The resolution was part of the story (and the D300 has it now) - but the idea of affordable full-frame was much more of the story. The D300 still has a cropped sensor.
• The D300 may very well steal part of the mid-level market though - the photographers who couldn't afford the 5d from Canon but wanted the abilities of the 40d may just spend the little extra to move from the 40d to the D300 (provided they don't have a lens setup yet).
• Shooting speed is right on par with the mid-grade 40d, and better than the 5d. That's good for the D300's resolution, and will again play a role in stealing Canon's 40d customers.

We'll see how things pan out. In the end, though, the cameras from either company are more than good enough to produce great results in the hands of competent photographers. I think both companies are going to stay well in the black - nobody is disappearing from the market any time soon - but it'll be interesting to see if Canon keeps its huge domination of the SLR market.

-Matthew

Is Nikon on Top? The new D3 & D300 vs. Canon

Just days after Canon announced its new 40D (a midrange DSLR that many wedding photog's will carry at least as a backup body) and the super-camera 1Ds MkIII (a high-resolution 21MP pro body) Nikon has released information about its latest developments:

1. The D3 - a full-frame 12 MP sensor, 9-11 frames per second max shooting speed, ridiculously high resolution 3" screen, live-view...
2. The D300 - a DX (cropped) 12MP sensor, 6-8 fps max shooting speed, and the same high-res 3" screen, etc...

The question now is this: Is the playing field leveled? Here's my take.

The D3 vs Canon

• Nikon is finally back in the sports (high-speed) market - it was a loooong time coming. Nikon's D2h fell behind (with its 4MP sensor) Canon's equivalent years ago, and only now that Canon has released the 10MP, 10fps 1D MkIII has Nikon finally caught up - and exceeded it, with the D3's nearly equal shooting speed and a higher resolution full frame sensor.
  
• Nikon has proved, again though, that it cannot keep up in the resolution game. Sorry to all the Nikon worshippers - but it is true. While the D3 is high-res for its speed, it is still not high-res. Canon releases a 21+ megapixel camera and the best Nikon can do is release another 12 MP camera? It should now be very clear to professionals with high-res demands (i.e. advertising shooters, etc) that Nikon is not the company to stay with.
  
• At least the D3 is full frame - this should save part of Nikon's market that was worried about only Canon providing full frame sensors in the upper-end cameras. No longer do Nikon FF guys have to go buying 3rd party, snail-slow offerings like the Kodak SLR/n either.
  
• It is kind of funny that some Nikon shooters used to make fun of Canon for those dozens of AF points in the viewfinder - now they get 51!
  

The D300 vs Canon

• The D200 couldn't compete with the 5d - the D300 gets closer but still doesn't cut it. Why was the 5d so popular? The resolution was part of the story (and the D300 has it now) - but the idea of affordable full-frame was much more of the story. The D300 still has a cropped sensor.
• The D300 may very well steal part of the mid-level market though - the photographers who couldn't afford the 5d from Canon but wanted the abilities of the 40d may just spend the little extra to move from the 40d to the D300 (provided they don't have a lens setup yet).
• Shooting speed is right on par with the mid-grade 40d, and better than the 5d. That's good for the D300's resolution, and will again play a role in stealing Canon's 40d customers.

We'll see how things pan out. In the end, though, the cameras from either company are more than good enough to produce great results in the hands of competent photographers. I think both companies are going to stay well in the black - nobody is disappearing from the market any time soon - but it'll be interesting to see if Canon keeps its huge domination of the SLR market.

-Matthew