I recently found insane joy and satisfaction in taking pictures at shows and events, although my small wrist point-and-shoot canon was…not good. My friend recently bought a Sony, and she’s willing to give me her Canon EOS 40D to replace my other, and I was wondering if anyone had experience with this camera? I like the shutterspeed and ISO, however I’ve only taken a couple photos and don’t want to take it and then end up not using it. Any thoughts?
A camera is as good as the person creating the pictures.
the 40D is a 13 year old camera, has a few less bells and whistles than Canon’s top of the line today but is still a VERY good DSLR.
I know a few people who use them and still love them. I wouldn’t hesitate to use it.
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Thanks! I’m definently not the best photographer in the world but I know a few things and IMO some of my pictures aren’t half bad! I just need to find a good editing program. I’m not in need of a super high-tech camera anyways, it’s not like I’m going to try making money off it.
There are some good reviews and tutorials free. Really the biggest part is graduating from auto setting to handling manual - balancing ISO/shutter speed/aperture. And that requires handson experience.
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I’ve only used an actual action camera once or twice when I forgot my little camera at home and I prefer auto for action shots, however manual gives many different and cool effects for still photos.
As a warning, my fancy DSLR camera takes crap shots on auto. If I don’t want to think I use my iphone(which takes a pretty dang nice picture or a midrange point n shoot.
cuz I KNOW I won’t be happy with the dslr auto picture.
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Canon probably has free photo editing software (I know Nikon does).
I use Adobe’s Creative Cloud Photography plan @ $9.99/month; includes Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, Photoshop, Photoshop Express, Photoshop Camera.
I mostly use Lightroom Classic which is good for cataloging your photos and decent post-processing.
Have fun taking photos!
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Love mine - yes, it is older and the more modern ones have bells and whistles- but my 40D just keeps on going. All my lenses fit it - can go as manual or as auto as I like.
And I agree with @rememberthenight - I wouldnt use auto on a modern DSLR - but it is okay on the 40D. Prefer apperture-priority myself.
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Thank you for all your responses! I’ve decided to take the camera, she has a couple lenses too that instead of getting a mount she just wants Sony lenses that will go with her new camera.
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I also tend to shoot aperture priority because I like choosing DOF over shutter speed but I also shoot mostly landscape.
If shooting moving objects, I’d be more inclined to go shutter priority
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As a side question, does anyone have any recommendations on online tutorials or videos on using a DSLR? My husband uses one, and I would like to learn, but I’d like to learn from a neutral party. 
One of my personal favorite book ‘series’ is ‘From Snapshots to Great Shots’. If you go to Amazon just look for the From Snapshots to Great Shots.
It appears now that they are both for a specific camera as well as different types of photography. I found the one on my, at the time, new DSLR very help to learn how to use the different features of the camera. Do have your camera’s user’s guide/owners manual as a ‘companion’ but maybe look at one of these?
My mom prefers Nikons because they ergonomically fit her hands better. But a free camera is a free camera
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For free, you got a great camera–around $1400 when it was new just for the body! I had a 30D and used it until it died (10 or 11 years taking hundreds of photos at a time) then switched to an 80D which I also love.
@ParadoxFarm Many community colleges offer photography courses for those with a DSLR wanting to take better photos. They’re typically a few sessions and don’t cost much (though you can sometimes take a full-semester photo course as well).
Thanks, guys. 
I shoot with a 5D MKII. I still have my 7D around - it recently was rebuilt. If you interested in buying, let me know.
Do not leave the “where to focus” up to the camera or it will hunt and hunt and hunt. Put that sucker on dead center for action shots, and don’t zoom in too tight. You can get creative with cropping later.
I would never use auto with a DSLR. I put it on manual, set the ISO (you can put it in auto with the intended exposure a step lower than what the camera thinks is correct - under exposed the information is still there, just might be grainy or need post processing; over exposed and the information is totally gone, nothing you can do), adjust the DOF (not too tight, or everything will look blurry - has to be 3.5-4.0 or greater, really), and set the shutter speed for what I need (always go for the slowest shutter speed without blur possible, else the ISO is going to really crank up and make too much grain). When it’s really low light - I intentionally way underexpose to avoid grain - I also shoot in RAW so that everything is there.
For editing - try to not rely on it too much. You want the absolute best shot possible right out of the camera.
Better than a “nice camera” is “really good glass.” You can find stuff used online, I saved and bought mine new - 20-70L and 70-200L
EDIT: If you’re buying any lenses, make sure you know if your camera takes EF or EFS lenses. The bayonet is longer on one than the other, and some features won’t work. I don’t remember which one is which, honestly.
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