If only you knew how much they cost

lol back on topic anyway

Yes, back on topic, you know how Canon give you cash-back on their products, well most of the dealers of Canon products price their items LESS the cash-back sum, ie; camera on sale with a price label of £700, then in small print + £50 cash-back. So you pay£750 then claim the 50 quid off Canon, but the way the dealers are promoting the items is the figure you eventually pay AFTER you get the cash-back from Canon, (bloody con merchants)
This aint right, it's Canon that's offering the money back not them.

Dennis - you're getting into the realms of serious gear here with the EOS 5D.

Are you Canon 'only' (because of existing lenses) or have you considered other brands?

Bit less dosh.....

Nikon D200?

Or just out.....

Nikon D300?

It's got to be Canon Phil, I've got 5 lenses and it'd be a shame to get rid of the lot, I've also got a really good flash unit that's dedicated to Canon digitals, if I changed cameras I'd get next to nothing for them.

Fair enough - Canon only then your choice is easier - just a case of finding the model you're prepared to move to.

On a much smaller scale - I had a Canon EOS 500n SLR (not digital) with 2 good lenses so when i went for a DSL I had Canon in mind but ended up going for Nikon.

I love Canon but something was just screaming NIKON at me.

It's why they don't have a standardised lens system - because they know once they got you they almost certainly have you for life

You can't go wrong with either tho, they both have models in different price brackets

At the mo I have no desire to upgrade the body - the things I'd like next is a telephoto lens, better flash n tripod! I prob should get them in reverse order - but I want them as typed

Look forward to the pics Nero and lol you don't waste much time, you were only hunting for them at 3am!

Yes Phil, I've still got my Canon EOS 500n (35mm film)
but about a year after I got it, digitals started to come on the scene, typical aint it.

It also depends a great deal on the quality of the lens you are using, the camera is only a very small part - a lot of the IQ comes from the lens

Hi Nero, glad you chose the 40d over the 5d. On paper the 5d (IMO) is overpriced and poor value compared with the 40d HERE, OK you get a full frame sensor, a couple of extra pixals and a metal body, but for that kind of money I would want everything the 40d has plus more. Also, the 5d is nearly 2 year old now and is due an update, no doubt the 6d or 4d or whatever its to be called will be out soon.
There have been a few image quality comparisons on some photographic forums and what I have seen is that the 40d can match the 5d.

I'm not sure what tips your after but if its the various settings on the camera then here are a few of what I use

1.Quality, I always shoot in RAW and nothing less than large 3888X2592 RAW files.
2.review time is set to 8seconds
3.Picture style is set at standard. there is very little pp required in dpp as the images look fantastic straight out the camera.
4.Highlert alert is enabled, great for reviewing images instantly to see if there are blown highlights, then adjust exposure and/or metering to compensate.
5.ISO speed increments set to 1/3-stop
6. ISO expansion set to on
7. Long exposure noise reduction set to on
8.High speed noise reduction set to on
9. Highlight tone priority set to off. Cant use ISO 100 when set to on
10 I also have the focus point superimposed on the screen in review mode.

So far mine are:

1. L & Small RAW (seeing how this works out)
2. Review time 2 seconds
3. Picture style standard
4. Highlight alert enabled
5. ISO set to 1/3 stop
6. ISO expansion set to on
7. LE noise reduction set to on (Seeing how this works in practice)
8. HS noise reduction set to on
9. Same
10. Same (Had enough of copying what you were typing)

Interesting on how you've changed pretty much the same as me - bar the image quality setting....