Knights of Columbus! Amazon has leaked the specifications for Canon’s new digital SLRs: the Canon EOS 40D and the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III (pictured above, from an older preview). Not much to say other than… Wow!

The EOS 40D is priced at $1300 (body only). As the true 30D successor, specifications include:

• 10.1 megapixel self-cleaning CMOS small sensor.
• 9 point autofocus.
• DIGIC III image processing.
• ISO 3200 maximum sensitivity.
• 3.0″ LCD with Enhanced Live View.
• 6.5 fps continuous shooting.
• 35-zone metering system.
• CF card storage (still…).
• Expected release on September 20th, 2007.

The even more amazing EOS 1Ds Mark III is priced at a mere $8000 (body only). Specifications include:

• 21.1 megapixel full-frame self-cleaning CMOS sensor. Yes, you read that right. Twenty-one jaw-dropping megapixels.
• Two DIGIC III image processors working in parallel.
• 45-point advanced autofocus.
• ISO 3200 maximum sensitivity.
• 3.0″ Live View LCD with 5x or 10x magnification.
• 5 fps contiuous shooting.
• 35-zone metering system.
• CF, SD/SDHC storage.
• Expected release on December 10th, 2007.

Both support a new sRAW image storage mode, which reduces the number of pixels to cut the file size in half, while continuing to support the flexibility of full-sized RAW images.

I think we all owe Amazon a big thank you! Now if you’d only be so kind as to release the details on the Nikon D300?

More at Engadget: Canon EOS 40D, Engadget: Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III.

Technorati Tags: Canon Digital SLR, EOS 40D, EOS 1Ds Mark III