I was in town today so I thought I would be nosy and have a look at a Canon 40D. I expect temptation would get the better of me if it weren't for my lack of money.
I have a 400D, which was Canon's entry level DSLR in 2007. The next stage up from that is the 40D. They have both been superceded by the 450D and the 50D. The 50D is about twice the price of the 40D at around £1,000 so I'm not even interested in the 50D.
Anyway, I had a play with a 40D using my own lense and memory card. It seems like a decent upgrade but I wouldn't really be able to tell until I get out and use it. One of the main points I wanted to look at was high ISO performance.
This first picture is the 40D at ISO1600 in fluorescent shop lighting. (100% crop) Jessops don't let people go outside with any of their equipment. There's a shop a bit further along that doesn't mind people standing outside the door but they didn't have a 40D.
This next one is my 400D at ISO1600 in the sunlight. (100% crop)
It's not really a completely fair comparison because they aren't under the same conditions. But there's an obvious difference. The 400D has a lot of "sparkle" to it, whereas the 40D has some colour noise but it's less pronounced.
Canon have recently ended a £60 cashback on the 40D and I have a feeling they'll be putting their prices up with the falling pound.
But I shall continue dreaming for now.