It took just 18 months for Canon to release a replacement for its EOS 30D with the 40D. DP Review just posted a review of the camera, giving a “Highly Recommended” review.

The review states:

“From an image quality point of view the combination of the Canon CMOS sensor and DIGIC III processor means equally detailed images at all sensitivities (except maybe ISO 3200), low noise and a complete lack of unnatural artifacts. The new high ISO speed noise reduction option has no effect on luminance detail but removes any lingering chroma noise , giving high ISO images a more film-like grain; something Nikon has been doing for some time. We would be interested to see Canon using a less strong anti-alias filter which would mean that JPEG images would require less sharpening and would be naturally ‘crisper’ straight off the sensor, but it’s a minor point and would really only be seen by ‘pixel peepers’.

One surprise came from our testing of the cameras dynamic range, it delivered a consistently higher range than both the competition and its predecessor. The majority of this improvement, however, was in the shadow range, a function we presume of the new 14-bit processing pipeline.”

Imaging Resources posted a positive review of the recently released Nikon D40x. Among the improvements on the model is the 10-megapixel sensor which according to the review handles well during low light situations, providing limited noise at 1600 ISO, while expectedly high levels of noise do appear at 3200 ISO. Another thing of note in considering the D40 or the D40x, they can take any Nikon lens however you will not be able to use auto focus with non AF-S lenses. The kit lens also had some issues, Imaging Resources states, “Though the Nikon D40x’s kit lens is pretty good, and also fast and quiet, we were a still disappointed that the significant flare we saw in the D40 persist out toward the corners, even in the middle of its zoom range. Chromatic aberration was also fairly high at wide angle, but none of these minor problems were differed significantly from other comparably priced kit lenses. The lens performed very well in most circumstances, so it’s worth the price. But the beauty of the SLR is that you can change the lens, or in this case you can even buy a more versatile lens kit for just a little more, with the 18-135mm kit.”

The overall review is positive with the reviewer adding the camera to the site’s list of recommended cameras.

DP Review recently posted a review of the Fuji S5 Pro, with a body based upon the critically acclaimed Nikon D200. The review was positive; DP Review put the camera on its recommended list. In terms of quality, the camera’s strong point is its ability to capture great colors, as DP Review states, “The amazing dynamic range and superb skin tones alone are enough reason for wedding and portrait photographers to consider it seriously. But it’s not only about dynamic range; Fujifilm really can do color well (guess all those decades making Fujichrome help there), high ISO performance is better than the D200 (though don’t expect miracles) and the out of camera JPEGs are probably the best you’ll see from any digital SLR at this level. You have to be prepared to do some work if you shoot at high D-range settings because the output can look flat and dull, but that’s simply because these JPEGs give you more headroom to play with levels, curves and color than just about any I’ve ever seen.”

The camera however does have some issues when it comes to resolution and sharpness in comparison to cameras in its price range like the D200, as DP Review states:

“Of course no one is going to buy the S5 Pro for its resolution, nor are they likely to be swayed by a few hundred dollars. And you need to be producing serious enlargements to see the D200′s sharpness advantage, whereas you can see the S5 Pro’s DR advantage and great color even in a postcard print. It’s not for everyone, but for studio work, portraits and demanding dynamic range work (such as weddings) it fits a sizeable niche perfectly.”