Name: Sidarta Tanu
Location: Richmond, VA USA
Date: 2006-11-26
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Unless you are a sport journalist, I don't think you can go wrong with this camera
Comment: The 6 Megapixel Nikon D40 is targeted for those who want a relatively compact and light camera yet having most of the important SLR features. The D40 is priced reasonably (cheaper than D50/D80 and Canon Rebel XTi). In my opinion, if you are still considering whether to get a point and shoot camera or a DSLR, the D40 will be a better choice than any point and shoot camera, by far, even those with 8MP or 10MP. But if you are already deciding to get a DSLR or you want more control of the picture taking experience, then I would recommend you to also test the D50 and/or D80 first before deciding to buy the D40. I want you to make sure that you know what you will get (and not get) with the D40. Don't get me wrong though, the D40 is an awesome camera, and I don't think you will regret buying one. There are some limitation with the D40 which shouldn't bother most people, for example, the D40 doesn't have dedicated button to change picture quality, white balance or ISO settings (which generally only professional/enthusiast will care). Once you understand (and accept) its limitation, the D40 is a potent and exciting photography machine.
Just like all its (DSLR) siblings, the D40 powers on instantly and take pictures with almost no shutter lag which are the major advantages of a DSLR over a point and shoot camera. In addition to the P,S,A,M mode, the picture quality of the auto settings (auto, child mode, landscape etc) are also very good. With 2.5 frames per second you can capture movement progress in sports like football, basketball, baseball etc. Also great to photograph your family or child (child mode). The D40 is a great all around camera.
Some notable new features:
1. Auto (no flash) mode. Without this mode the flash will pop-up (on all other pre-programmed mode) even when you don't want to use flash (which can be annoying). The internal flash will not pop up automatically with the P,S,A,M settings.
2. In camera editing capability such as black and white, sepia and some filter effects etc. While sounds gimmicky, these features are useful especially for those who doesn't have Adobe Photoshop (or other image editing software).
To date, D40 is the smallest and lightest among all the Nikon DSLR (even smaller than the Canon Rebel XT/XTi, however the D40 is more ergonomics). I believe that choosing a camera that fits comfortably with your hands is important. Therefore, I recommend people to test the camera before buying (even if you want to buy online, please do go to a physical store and test the camera first whenever possible).
The D40 has only 3 (horizontal) autofocus point (5 for D50 and 11 for D80). If you know "The Rule of Thirds", the additional AF points above and below the center focus point (available in D50 and D80) are handy to help create the horizontal third line. However, the 3 horizontal AF point in D40 is still helpful to create the vertical third line. Also one can focus with the middle AF point and after the focus is lock then move the frame upwards/downwards to create the horizontal third line. Just make sure the exposure level is still accurate when you move the frame after you lock the focus.
About the 18-55mm II AF-S kit lens: A good lens producing sharp photos (though not a very fast lens). Also decent for close-up/macro photography. Lens uses internal focus technology and focusing operation is silent. A very decent kit lens.
Lens compatibility: Notice that with D40, autofocus function will not work for non AF-S/AF-I lens. If you already have non AF-S/AF-I Nikon lenses and want a backup or replacement camera, you will be better off buying D50, D70s or D80. If you buy the D40, it will be convenient to stick with AF-S and AF-I type lenses. I'm not sure why Nikon choose this route for the D40 (whether to enable smaller size camera or from now on Nikon will only make AF-S lens compatible camera). There are a lot of good Nikon AF-S lenses (price range added: low, medium, high) that are fully compatible with the D40 such as:
- Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX (L)
- Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX (L)
- Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX (L)
- Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX (L)
- Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S DX VR (M)
- Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6G ED AF-S DX (L)
- Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6G ED AF-S DX VR (L)
- Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR (M)
- Nikon 12-24mm f/4G ED IF AF-S DX (M)
- Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF-S (H)
- Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S DX (H)
- Nikon 28-70mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF-S (H)
- Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR (H)
- Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro (M)
- And several other expensive prime tele/zoom lens like 200-400mm, 300m, 400mm, 500mm, 600mm.
High priced lens ($1000+) are usually pro level lens which usually have better construction, faster (f-stop), and produce better quality picture. However, often times, lower price lens will serve your needs just fine. I think it is important to know what you want to use the camera for before deciding which camera and lens to buy.
Image quality of the D40 is very good which is #1 factor that I look for in a digital camera.
Here are the pros and cons of the D40 in my opinion:
Pros:
1. Nice out of the camera result picture quality
2. Affordable price
3. Compact size and light weight
4. Large and bright 2.5 inch LCD
5. 2.5 frames per second
6. B/W, Sepia, several more in-camera editing features.
7. Instant power on, fast autofocus and no shutter lag
8. Noise is acceptable at high ISO settings. Auto ISO settings available.
9. Great 18-55mm II AF-S kit lens.
10. Great battery life (400+ on a single charge. 1000+ if flash is not used).
11. Auto (flash off) mode available
12. 1/500 flash sync
Cons:
1. No direct button to change QUAL, WB and ISO settings
2. Grip comfortably but might be a bit too small for some people
3. No top LCD and no front command dial
4. Autofocus will not work with non AF-S or non AF-I lenses (such as the 70-300m G and 50mm f/1.8D lens)
5. No AF/MF switch (have to use the switch on the lens)
6. Only 3 autofocus point
7. 6 Megapixel (More Megapixel needed to print larger than 12 X 18 at 300 dpi)
8. No night landscape mode in pre-programmed settings
9. No in camera image stabilization (like Sony and Pentax) but Nikon has lenses with it (VR).
10. No depth-of-field preview button
In conclusion, the D40 is perfect for those who want high quality pictures, more control (than a point and shoot camera), and have a DSLR experience (instant power on and no shutter lag), without having to carry a bulky camera. And unless you are shooting sports/actions professionaly (which faster focusing processor, faster frames per second and larger memory buffer might be needed), the D40 is pretty much all you will need.
Happy Photographing!
Name: Larry
Location: USA
Date: 2006-11-24
Customer Rating: -
Summary: A superb deal for an excellent entry level DSLR camera.
Comment: This is an ergonomical, fast handling, very solidly built Digital SLR with many excellent features (like a 2.5 inch silky smooth and bright lcd found on the $1600 D200). Pictures are beautiful. It uses the same excellent 6 megapixel sensor from the D50, D70, D70s. 6 megapixel is plenty, I get tack sharp 8x12 inch prints. Don't get stuck in counting megapixels. 6MP from a DSLR will blow the doors off a 6,7,8MP compact or even DSLR-like cameras. Especially under low light conditions. 6mp is 3008x2000 pixels. 10mp is just 3888x2592pixels. Not as much difference as many people think.
A Nikon DSLR body only for $499 or $599 with the lens? Darn. Nikon pricing strategy is so aggresive. With the D80 at $999 and 400DCanon at $799 body only. The main drawback for the D40 is you'd have to stick with AF-S or AF-I lenses if you want to get auto focus. You can still focus manually with other Nikon lenses. I guess they did it so D50's resale value won't drop too much. With the D50 you have access to Nikon's wide and prestigous range of lenses. Needless to say it makes a difference.
However, the kit lens is adequately sharp and responsive. For $100 it can't be beat as a good everyday use lens. At wide angle 28mm distortion is minimal. Pretty sharp at the other end of the zoom, no distortion.
It has a 3-point auto focus system, thats good enough. In fact I prefer it that way. I never cared for 7, 10, 11 point or more focus systems.
No more top mounted LCD display, so what? Just use the beautiful 2.5" color LCD display. It's fast to see from the eyecup to rear LCD.
It's got a bunch of excellent in camera processing which the D50 and D70 never had. Red eye reduction, D-lighting-automatically compensates for darker areas, image-overlay, trimming(new feature), b&w etc. The new menu is beautiful. Also zooming in during playback has been improved(one thing I always found slightly inconvenient on the D50, D70).
Very fast from power up to taking pictures. Continous mode fires at 2.5 frames per second.
For the price Nikon has really figured out how to built a solid , ergonomical , feature rich DSLR. Nikon really knows how to built solid SLRs. It is small in size but unlike the Canon 350/400d/xti(good picture and processor ,new dust reduction, but slightly less ergonomical and solid), you get a comfortable grip that doesn't make your hand feel cramped.
For this camera, Nikon also came out with a new flash SB400(works on the D50 too) if you need a more powerful flash. The built in flash is excellent and accurate and powerful enough for most situations.
I've had a bunch of digital cameras , Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Fuji, Sony 3ccd HiDef, Canon XL1 etc. The D40 is a superb camera for beginners or even semi-experienced enthusiasts, or as a second camera. You can save the money and buy some lenses or strike some big prints.
Name: Daniel J. Zajic
Location: Beaverton, OR
Date: 2007-06-15
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Simply the best
Comment: Nikon has hit a grand slam with this camera. It's as close to perfection as any digital camera has ever come. Sure, there are "better" cameras for more money, but they are all twice the size/weight. I would get this camera even if I had an unlimited amount of money to spend. There is simply nothing like it. Lots of ingenius user interface elements, superb feel/handling, superb flash (both internal and external SB-400), outstanding image quality, instant response, superb viewfinder, superb LCD... I could go on. I have nothing bad to say about it, and I'm extremely picky. I thought I was going to wait for a full-frame sensor body, but when this came along, I could not wait to upgrade.
The lack of a built-in focusing motor is an ADVANTAGE in my opinion. It's one reason the camera is so small and lightweight, and I believe all future Nikon lenses will have internal focusing anyway. So unless you want to use older, heavier, and slower focusing lenses for some strange reason, you'd be paying for and carrying around something you won't even use.
In addition to the superb 18-55mm (i.e. 27-82.5mm) kit lens, I bought the 55-200mm VR II and 50mm F/1.8D lenses, the SB-400 external flash and a remote (3rd party off Ebay). I suspect many, many people will buy this exact set of equipment, since it's really all you'll ever need. No need for an extra battery, unless you ever go many photo-filled days without being able to recharge. Get at least two 1GB 50x (or faster) SD cards, so if one stops working (it does happen), you aren't stuck.
The 55-200mm VR (i.e. 82.5-300mm) is a necessity for shooting any action/wildlife. The optical stabilization is truly awesome, and better than sensor-based stabilization (e.g. Pentax K10D, Sony Alpha) since you can see it working right through the viewfinder, making it easier to frame/focus your shot. Although the lens may seem slow (f4-5.6), don't forget that stabilization gives you an extra 2-3 stops, so it's really more like f2-2.8 (without the reduced depth of field, of course). DO NOT consider the slightly cheaper non-VR version, unless the slightly smaller size is an absolute necessity.
The 50mm (i.e. 75mm) is a nice walkaround lens when you want to go as light/small as possible. It's super fast (f1.8!), allowing you to take handheld photos at night with no flash! It's also a nice portrait lens, although the 55-200 is better (75mm is a little short).
The D40x is a poorer choice for the vast majority of people. The extra resolution means your photos take up more space and are slower to work with. It also has a slower max. flash sync speed (1/200 vs 1/500). If you don't know what this means, trust me, it's important, and one day you'll be really happy you have it. Since the D40's pixels are larger (less pixels in the same size sensor), there is less noise, so having ISO 100 is useless. Do you really need 10MP? Do you print larger than 16x20? Heck, do you print at all? I know I don't. Think it will give you more cropping ability? Think again. Without a super expensive lens ($1k+), the lack of sharpness and magnified distortion of the cropped image won't be as good as the uncropped 6MP of the D40. Save the $200 and use it to get the 55-200 lens, or the 50mm lens and the flash.
If you're ready to move to a DSLR, take this camera for a test drive. You will most likely fall in love with it's wonderful handling, and excellent performance, as so many people have. There will be a new generation of cameras coming out this fall, so you may want to wait, although there's really nothing that can be improved upon with this camera.
Name: Tool Connoisseur
Location: APO, AE United States
Date: 2007-02-04
Customer Rating: -
Summary: The DSLR you have been waiting for to move up from P&S
Comment: The D40, quite simply, is the camera I have been waiting for. I was into 35 mm SLR photography 20+ years ago. I got back into photography with the new digitals but held off on digital SLRs because they were expensive, but more importantly, so large. Not so the D40 on either count.
I compared the D40 side by side with the Canon Rebel XTi (EOS 400D in Europe) at a photo store. The XTi was slightly bigger. The XTi beat the D40 in features (it had more pixels, and more features, including the self-cleaning sensor and was a little faster) although it was more expensive. But in the end, I chose the D40 because it just felt better in my hand. My hands are medium sized and it fit very well. The Canon just wasn't as comfortable. Plus the overall build quality seemed better than the Canon and the sound of the shutter and flash pop-up was softer, more subdued, more quality sounding (and important for photographing wildlife or a sleeping baby). And the final selling point for me with the Nikon D40 was the view-finder was noticeably brighter than the XTi.
If you are stepping up to an SLR from a point-and-shoot, this is the camera to do it with at about the same price-point as a good non-SLR digital. You can finally get away from that annoying lag between button push and picture capture. It's not the fastest SLR out there but I have been very happy with it, finally actually capturing those shots within a split-second of pushing the button, though it slows down somewhat in low-light situations. It takes continuous shots at 2.5 frames per second in good light, which though again not stellar, is adequate for most situations. The 2.5 inch LCD screen is incredible - bright and clear. It has an excellent menu with built-in context sensitive help screens at the touch of a button.
Though it doesn't have as many features as it's much more expensive big brothers, and the 6mp max capability is a limitation, it is adequate for all but professional users, and there will be plenty of professionals buying one as a small back-up. It's not the megapixels that matter as much as the quality of the picture and the D40 doesn't disappoint there either - clear, sharp, excellent colors (it has the same image processor as the D80 and D200). There are a number of pre-set auto modes easily selected by the main dial that also work well. The built in flash does a fine job and I have seen no red-eye. One feature I like is the auto-ISO that you can set to only kick in at a certain shutter speed or slower. It also has a D-light feature which allows you to enhance an already-taken back-lit or shadowy picture in-camera to even out the shadows and highlights; it works very well. Two features that it doesn't have that I wish it did are f-stop bracketing and depth of field preview. I have been satisfied with the battery life so far, though it does use a different Li-ion battery than the other Nikons so you can't cross-use your batteries if you already have a different model Nikon DSLR.
The 18-55 kit lens is nice - light and small but quality construction (version II - nicer than the first one that came with the D50 that seemed lower quality). If you read technical reviews on the lens it is a solid performer for the price. You won't be able to use most older Nikon auto-focus lenses in auto-focus mode since this has no built-in auto-focus motor (not at this size and weight!). It requires AF-S and AF-I lenses, so most of the prime lenses will be manual focus only. This is a small price to pay I think for a small light-weight camera.
If you already are into digital SLR, the D40 is still a great camera, making for an excellent travel camera since it's small, light-weight and you aren't carrying around a two thousand dollar hunk of expensive hardware.
I am very satisfied with it; it is an excellent value - and offers something for the novice and pro alike. It makes me really want to carry this with me all the time and get out and take pictures again.
Name: Gadget Man
Location: California
Date: 2007-01-16
Customer Rating: -
Summary: A Keeper
Comment: I go through lots of cameras. This was my third DSLR, and about 15th to 20th digital camera. THe D40 takes superb pictures. Don't let the reviewers mislead you into thinking this is just for newbies. It works great for newbies, and for serious advanced photo-enthusiasts. I fall in the latter category and like the camera for the following reasons:
1. Size and weight - easy to travel with.
2. Great image quality right out of the camera. It's nice to enhance photos in software like Photoshop. But it's even better to have a camera that doesn't require you to do that for every shot. I recommend setting the photos to Vivid or More Vivid. Contrary to popular perception, I found these settings actually give you a more accurate color portrayal of the scene.
3. I use the D40 with the 18-200mm Nikon VR lens. They work great in combination.
4. Changing settings is quick and easy even though many are not set with dedicated buttons.
5. I like the way you can review a series of photos zoomed in, and the camera keeps the same zoomed in setting for each photo -- just turn the rear wheel.
6. Camera has a high quality feel.
7. LCD screen is bright
8. Viewfinder is bright.
One thing I wish Nikon had included is grids in the viewfinder -- but can't have everything.
|
Larger image or other views
