Canon EOS 40D

If you already own a 400D and a growing collection of Canon equipment, the 40D is a worthy upgrade. It's significantly faster, adds a secondary LCD and offers much better handling courtesy of its increased size. But if you're simply looking for a semi-professional DSLR, it's still hard to see past the charms of the Nikon D80. The Nikon offering is less suitable for sports photography and doesn't offer a stabilised kit lens. It also has less convincing build quality, but it's still rugged enough to survive most calamities. Unless you really need semi-professional build quality, the D80 is still a better buy for those who haven't yet bought into either of the big two's camera systems.

Author: Dave Stevenson