Although introduced many years ago, Nikon D40 is still my favorite DSLR due to its compact size and affordable price tag. It is the best entry level DSLR in the market, at a price much cheaper than the more expensive compacts and semi-pro.
Nikon D40 is a fast 6MP camera with a large 3-inch LCD, 2.5fps continuous shooting, 1/500s flash sync and a bright viewfinder. What it lacks are a status display and a built-in auto-focus motor. Megapixel count does not matter. It only matters if you like to crop your pictures or print huge sizes. In fact, the higher the MP count the more noise is produced during capture. At 6MP, you can comfortably print at postcard size without visible loss of detail. In fact, in low light shooting, a 6MP SLR will crush 12MP compacts any time of the day.
High MP count does not equate image quality, but since consumers who lack the knowledge in photography find it much easier to compare numbers, disregarding other ups and downs of the cameras, advertisers spend a lot on promoting their camera's high megapixel count. It is usually written in a large font size, or one of the first things mentioned during a video advert. D40 is beautifully built in a compact size, but at the expense of the status display. This displays your current capture mode such as ISO, shutter speed, etc. at the top of the camera. On a D40, you can only check display on the LCD (slight battery drain) or the viewfinder. However, sacrificing the status display for a smaller body and a cheaper price is a trade-off I definitely favor.
To further skimp on the price, there is no built-in AF motor, which means your lens will need to have AF-I or AF-S support to use AF. This may not matter much if you're a beginner as most newer lenses have AF-S, but the veterans will find their lenses only able to focus manually. As for the speed, D40 is fast. It takes one second to on the camera, and another second to capture and process photos. You can shoot continuously for 2.5fps in burst mode. If you use an external flash, this camera can sync up to 1/500s shutter speed. An SLR works by mechanisms, and compacts work by electronics. If you've been using a compact for awhile, an SLR would be so blisteringly fast that you'll have a response delay.
The large LCD and bright viewfinder are pleasing on the eyes. You shouldn't be judging a picture quality by the LCD alone though, it can be misleading. The viewfinder has 95% coverage, which is good enough for most people. One of the first things you need to know regarding DSLRs is that image quality is largely determined by the lens, not the body. A Nikon D40 can easily triumph D90 given a much better lens. In fact, lens investment is going to cost you many times the cost of the camera. Therefore it is advisable to purchase a cheap body but good lenses, instead of a good body with cheap lenses. Camera body goes obsolete relatively quickly, while lenses can last for decades if being kept properly.
The last thing you need to know is that a camera is only a tool. The beauty and aesthetics of your photos depend very much on your own ability as a photographer. Even a $3,000 camera will not miraculously capture beautiful photos when used by an amateur, but hey, we gotta start somewhere, right?
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Nikon's success in the D-SLR market has been outstanding and the new D40 is sure to be yet ... more
another sales sensation. Written by Simon Stafford this "Magic Lantern" manual gives owners all the information they need to understand and operate their camera...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Advantages: Great quality and value for money, feature-rich, the good old dependable Nikon name Disadvantages: None really, unless you need more megapixels and more features for pro use
thereddragon 10.04.2009 (10.04.2009)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Nikon D40
Advantages: Great quality and value for money, feature-rich, the good old dependable Nikon name Disadvantages: None really, unless you need more megapixels and more features for pro use
thereddragon 10.04.2009 (10.04.2009)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Nikon D40
Oct 14th, 2009
very helpful by (100%):
