Mike Johnston at The Online Photographer echoes a thought I’ve had a few times recently:

Canon 40D: Needed?

… I have a suggestion for Canon in re the “big” 20D/30D/40D question. (You know, the one causing untold neverending shuddupshuddupSHUDDUP existential anguish all over every Canon forum on the ‘net….)

The suggestion: drop it.

That’s right. Drop it altogether. Why does Canon need a camera in between the XTi (400D) and the 5D, anyway? Answer: maybe it doesn’t.

(Follow the link to read the rest of his post.)

I don’t have any idea when it might happen – this year? next? later? – but I think that the 30D segment camera is going to get squeezed before long. With an increasingly competent 400D below it and the likelihood that full frame camera costs will decline, I don’t think there will be much room left for such a camera.

I’d be one happy camper if Canon managed to get the price of a full frame body down to about the $2000 list price region. Real prices would drift below that before long and few (but there would be a few) would prefer a crop sensor 30D-type body at $1200 to a 5D variant at $1800… and a good number of those “few” might be happy with a less expensive 400D-type camera.

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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.

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