UPDATE September 19, 2006 : The rumors are flying now.. click here to read the lastest rumor.. this lends much more credibility to the rumor below.. click here to read and judge for yourself..

Latest rumors are:

Canon EOS 40D
Launch Date: 9/26/2006
Rumored Features:
10MP CMOS Sensor (no surprise here since the Digital Rebel XTi – or Canon EOS 400D if you prefer – is going 10MP)
Anti-Dust feature (same as the Digital Rebel XTi / Canon EOS 400D)
2.5″ LCD (nothing new)
9 focus points (same as before and same as Digital Rebel XTi / Canon EOS 400D?)
5 frames per second (same as Canon 30D?)

Based on the leaked information, there doesnt seem to be much to write home about the Canon EOS 40D aside from the 10MP CMOS sensor. So.. given that Canon has released 3 point and shoot cameras (SD800IS, SD900, SD40) recently, all with the new DiGIC III image processor, I’d go out on a limb here and say that the Canon EOS 40D will have DiGIC III.. and because of this, I would think that the ISO sensitivities would be re-worked somehow.. maybe ISO6400? ISO50? Maybe 1/3 stop increments from ISO1600 to ISO3200? since the DiGIC III will probably make a giant leap (ok, small step?) towards better image quality in lower light situations.. who knows.. I’ll post more as I find more rumors.. although based on this rumor, we only have a week or so to wait until we find out.. but based on this small tidbit of information, I don’t think I’d upgrade my Canon EOS30D to the new Canon EOS 40D. In fact, it does seem like Canon is playing a little catch-up with Nikon’s D200. Instead of coming out with a new product based on their (Canon’s) time table, they’re forced to increase new cameras with incremental, rather than revolutionary, changes. Just my $0.02.

Canon EOS 7D
Launch Date: Q1 2007
Rumored Features:
Similar to Canon EOS 5D
Physically smaller than Canon EOS 5D
Price: ~$2,100 USD

So based on this rumor, it seems as though the long awaited “low cost” Canon 5D may materialize in Q1 2007 (probably to coincide with PMA 2007?). Not sure what features they can strip out of the Canon 5D, but it looks as though they will in fact be doing this. Because based on the rumors, I dont see much that would justify such a sharp decrease in price. We still have about 3-5 months to figure this one out.. so stay tuned for more rumors later..

UPDATE September,182006: Click here for latest Canon 40D and Canon 7D rumors!

Looks like the leaks are trickling in.. Canon should announce a few new bodies by the time you read this (August 24, 2006 Thursday @ Photokina).

Here we see the Canon EOS 400D or Canon Digital Rebel XTi, replacement for the “aged” Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT or 350XT. Here are the “leaked specs:

.Scheduled for mid-September 2006 release in the U.S. at an estimated price of $799, or $899 with a kit with the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II lens.
.Body will be available in Silver and Black
.Dust removal system
.10.1 megapixels CMOS sensor (3888×2592). Noise and dynamic range claimed to be near identical to the Rebel XT despite the higher pixel count.
.APS-C sensor (22.2×14.8mm)
.1.6x crop factor
.2.5 inch wide 230,000 pixel LCD with 160 degree viewing angle. 7 contrast levels. 40% brighter than 5D and 30D due to the addition of 3 LED back light modules
.Face sensor under viewfinder will detect when the camera is brought up to the face and will turn off the LCD screen to conserve power and avoid visual interference when composing the shot.
.9 point autofocus system same as system used in the EOS 30D
.ISO 100-1600
.DIGIC II processor
.3 point dust removal system consisting of a) dust removal via ultrasound vibration; b) dust cloning via software (DPP 2.2 software); c) traditional physical dust removal via sensor cleaning. Additionally, the shutter blades have been redesigned to minimize the number of particles they cast off in operation. There is also a new body cap which is less prone to produce plastic shavings.
.35 zone metering
.Picture Style: Portrait, landscape, neutral, reliable, monochrome
.0.2 second start up time
.3 frames/sec for 27 jpeg or 10 RAW
.Shutter speed 1/4000-30 Sec.
.X-sync 1/200

Something else that is also interesting is that there is also a “leaked” picture of a Canon EF 70-200mm F/4L IS.. if this is true, I’m guessing it’ll come in around $900-1,000.. maybe $800-900.. which is cool.. because this would’ve been my perfect lens a few months ago.. hell, maybe even 2 days ago (considering I bought a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS 2 days ago from B&H :???:)..

There’s also a Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM that is floating around.. oh, and a Canon EOS 7D that is supposed to be 10.1 megapixels.. but I havent seen pics of the Canon EOS 7D and I’m not all that interested in the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L myself.. in any case, I’ll add more as I find it..

UPDATE 01:35AM: Looks like the leaks/rumors are true.. the Canon EOS 400D (or Digital Rebel XTi) was briefly posted on Canon’s China site and I have also learned that it was already announced in Europe.. so the US will probably hear about it in a few hours.. still waiting for more info on the Canon EOS 7D and/or the “legendary” successor to the 1Ds or 1D (probably the 1DS since the 1D was updated about a year ago.. Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III.. has a nice ring to it, eh?)..

Well, I was wrong again when the rumor of a Canon EF-S 17-55mm lens surfaced. I incorrectly guessed that the 17-55mm EF-S would be a replacement for the EF-S 18-55mm “kit lens”. People had speculated that a 17-55mm with f/2.8 or image stabilization would fit nicely into Canon’s lineup. I, as well as others, speculated that Canon would not build a f/2.8 EF-S lens, much less build image stabilization into an EF-S f/2.8.

Well, looks like I was wrong.

Here’s the proof:

http://web.canon.jp/Imaging/eos30d/sample/sample1.html

The lens used to shoot this picture is stated on Canon.jp’s website as:

EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

Frankly, I’m a little surprised.. although if the price is right (and EF-S is supposed to be cheaper, right?!), I’d really consider this lens..

UPDATE 3:19PM: Here’s a pic taken from the Canon 30D White Paper.. MSRP $1,149!

Oh, also, I wanted to say something about Canon’s 30D. Reading lots of the posts over at the quagmine known as dpreview.com, you’ll read lots of posts about how Canon has let “us” down with the 30D (since its only a slight upgrade to the 20D).. you’ll hear people proclaim that they’re going to abandon the Canon line in favor of the Nikon D200..

What I dont understand is, what the hell are these people talking about? If you own a 20D, were you really that serious about upgrading to the 30D (now before you call me a hipocrate, I’m in a slightly different situation and yes, I will be upgrading)? When I had my Canon Digital Rebel 300D, I watched patiently as hordes of people flocked to the Digital Rebel XT 350D or even the Canon 20D. I definitely could’ve used the upgrade from 300D to 350D. I played with the numbers, trying to figure out an economical way of upgrading.. but in the end, it was hard to justify for me. It wasn’t until I started shooting more motorsports until I really could appreciate an upgrade. But by the time I had made that decision, my Digital Rebel 300D had about 11,000 actuations on the shutter. To many, that’s a lifetime of pictures. To me, it was about a years worth. To Canon, that’s about a 1/3 of the useful life of the 300D’s shutter (I think). I’d be willing to bet that a lot of the people who complain about the Canon 30D not being worth the upgrade from a 20D are people with less than 5,00o actuations, maybe even less. In other words, I doubt these people have even used their Canon 20D’s to the point that their camera has outlived its usefulness. Even then, I had toyed with the idea of keeping my 300D because it still took great pictures.

The Canon 30D is not meant to address 20D upgraders. For Canon to honestly believe that a fair amount of existing Canon 20D owners were going to pull the trigger and pay for the upgrade to a 30D would’ve been ridiculous. I’m sure they’d love to believe that, but I’d bet the market research (and in most cases, the pure common sense of the idea) don’t support that belief. Rather, the Canon 30D is meant to address those upgrading from the D30, D60, 10D, 300D, or even the 350D. Following this line of reasoning, the Canon 5D is meant for people wishing to upgrade from the Canon 20D, 350D, 300D, etc. In fact, now rumors are circulating that a lower-priced, “de-tuned”, Canon 5D will make its way to market sometime before or around June 2006. As much as I would like a full-frame DSLR, if the Canon 5D is only 3fps, I’m sure the Canon 5D “Lite” isn’t going to be faster than that. And unfortunately, I love the speed of the Canon 20D/30D. Think about this.. Canon will price the 30D slightly above the Nikon D70s. Although it is debatable, I think most would agree the Canon 30D will be a better option over a Nikon D70s. Now, price the 30D below the Nikon D200 to appeal to the price sensitive consumers wishing to explore DSLRs. Now, introduce a full-frame camera that will smoke any APS-C crop sensor DSLR. Price that slightly above the Nikon D200. Its conceivable that Canon could effectively position their products at price points that could make the Nikon lineup non-competitive. Nikon will have basically brought a “knife” to Canon’s “gun” fight.

Here’s the scenario:

1. Point and shoot consumer wishes to explore DSLR photography, he/she has friends who own Canon and Nikon
2. Nikon’s D50 can’t compare to Canon’s 350D even though the D50 is cheaper. Meaning, the small increase in price is justified in purchasing the 350D.
3. Consumer decides to look one level up, Nikon’s D70 versus the Canon 30D
4. Again, the small price increase to move from the D70 to the 30D are justified (8mp, faster FPS, better IQ, etc)
5. Consumer decided to go up one more level, Nikon’s D200 versus the Canon 5D Lite
6. Should he/she pay $1700 for a 1.5x 10mp camera or a $2,000 12mp full-frame camera?

True, all this depends on whether or not Canon introduces a 5D Lite, but based on my scenario, what do you think?

Keep in mind, all this marketing crap is directed towards NEW DSLR owners. Once you’ve collected enough Canon lenses, Canon has to assume they’ve won your business and brand loyalty. True, its not always the case, but thats kind of like buying 3 Honda engines for your Civic, then buying a Chevy for your next car, its mostly illogical.