Digital Cameras : Nikon D40

I work with digital cameras all day, so picking out an SLR was a long and hard choice. I finally decided on the Nikon D40 even though you have to buy the lenses with either the AF-S or AF-I built into it. Those are the auto focus meters. You need them because the camera was built without the auto focus system in the body to keep it so compact.

Besides that, the camera is awesome. Only thing I've noticed about it is that it seems to wash out people with the flash in doors, but going into the editing menu afterwards, and using the warm filter seems to help with that a lot.

It's a great camera to move to from point and shoot.
Great pictures without having to be a professional. Hide Full Review

I've only had it for a week but I simply love it. Easy to shoot in Auto modes - nearly a "point and shoot", but with excellent optics and picture resolution.

The 18 to 55 mm lens is a very good range for casual shooting, but I have the 55 to 200 mm lens on order for more distance.

Search as I can, I can not find any faults with it yet... Hide Full Review

finally did the DSLR move from P&S this early spring. naturally, that took quite some research on the sub-1k range models on the market. at the end the choice was narrowed down to pentax K100D, canon XT, nikon D50, and, you guessed it - the D40.

the D40 won with these 3.5 points:
* ergonomics - it feels damn natural in the hand, is light, and the buttons and knobs are mostly spot-on for my liking,
* uncompromised nikon quality of both output and built,
* the featureset of the newest generation processor & firmware (as found on D200, D80 & D40),
* and finally, the extra long manufacturer's warrany offered here in canada

the manual-only focus with non- AF-S/-I lenses is nothing disturbing to me but i just had to put something in that 'cons' field : ) another con point raised by others but not bothering me is the modest AF-points set - but guess what, 90% of the time i (and possibly you too) will be at central-point focus.

as an actual word of criticism, maybe i'd have liked some of the menus prioritized differently, but hell, nothing is made to my whims in this world! and yes, i could have gotten a slighly better deal on a D50 or a K100D but i'd have sacrificed elsewhere.

the one feature i do miss sometimes is the shake-reduction (the K100D has it) but that only stimulates me to improve my heartrate self-control ; ) Hide Full Review

I bought that camera 2 days ago and so far I love it!!! Tires of point and shoot camera, I was looking for a SLR but my budget was kind of limited. After having hesitated for weeks between the Canon XT, the Nikon D50 and the D40, I decided to go with the D40. Even if it has less feature than the XT, the D40 fealt kind of nice in my hands.

After having read several reviews of that camera I was aware of his tendency to everexpose but it can be easily prevented by adjusting the exposure settings.Some reviews also complained about the fact that there's only 3 focus points but so far it works well for me. As a matter of fact the D40 focus very well in low light!!

Looking for your first SLR? Do yourself a favor and give the Nikon D40 a chance! Hide Full Review

Wow, all I can say is the D40 delivers! Here is a camera that does not break the bank but gives you many of the same features and performance of its bigger brother like the D80. For example it has the same bright and large 2.5" LCD screen and same image processing engine. If you are upgrading from a P&S you will love the auto settings on the D40 which will give you excellent results. For those of you who enjoy tweaking camera settings you can do that to your hearts content. As far as the image sensor it is the same as in the D50/D70(s) and don't be fooled by the megapixels game that the manufacturers play on the consumer! A 6 megapixel camera will give you indistinguishable prints compared to an 8+ megapixel camera. A 4x6, 8x10+ prints will look the SAME!

In any case, this camera is fast becoming the favorite in the collection we gave at home (Canon XT and Nikon D80). It is easy to use, ergonomic (I have lenses that weigh more!) and has great picture taking abilities. I originally bought this for my wife but use it any chance I get over my more expensive D80.

Thanks! Hide Full Review