Nikon D40 Body only 6.1 Megapixel

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. I would also recommend you to also test the D50/D80 first before deciding to buy the D40. There are some limitation with the D40 which shouldn't bother most people. Once you understand 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 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 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)
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

To date, D40 is the smallest and lightest among all the Nikon DSLR. I believe that choosing a camera that fits comfortably with your hands is important. Therefore, I recommend people to test the camera before buying

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 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 type lenses.

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 (400-1000 on a single charge).
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 lenses
5. No AF/MF switch
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, 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), the D40 is pretty much all you will need.

Happy Photographing!

Strengths: Very nice value for the feature set, gorgeous 2.5" LCD screen, Auto-Flash Off exposure program, Nikon tries to deliver a simpler dSLR to the first time user

Cons: Only fully compatible with AF-S lenses, no top LCD

Nikon wants to capture the "entry-level" dSLR user and the folks migrating from point and shoot cameras. The D40 does a nice job introducing aspiring photographers into the dSLR world. It is powerful enough that it allow most camera users new to dSLR photography to grow into the features it has. But the D40 can still be used as a super P&S. I particularly like the Auto-Flash Off feature. Instead of forcing the consumer to fumble with menus to disable the flash (for when you're in a church or museum, for example), this automatic exposure program is an easy one step process.

One thing I like about Nikon is the way it develops its products. Unlike other camera companies, Nikon does not cripple it's lower end products by hardwiring limits to high end components. It assembles the best components it has to come up with a complete camera to meet a particular price point. For example, the D40 has a 2.5" LCD screen that it shares with the D80 and D200. This screen is better than the D50 and D70s which have other better features and is higher up the Nikon pecking order.

Lots to love about the D40. Nikon's image quality, as expected, shines through. And ergonomics are top notch. The D40 is Nikon's smallest and lightest dSLR but it manages to feel substantial and solidly built. I would highly recommend this camera. Good luck!

COMPACTS ARE GREAT LITTLE CAMERAS FOR THE FAMILY PICTURE TAKER? I thought so untill I used one for a while and then another. I missed many shots of my grandchildrens special look to shutter delay. Frustrating for an ex-SLR film camera user. The D40 is not for pros, however it allows the family photographer and hobbiest to create near pro images knowing little about aperture, focal length, focus,or shutter speed. The camera and lense do it all automatically like a compact only with near pro quality. My D40 came with the 18-55 kit lense, an excellent starter lense for taking pictures around the house and on family outings. I am now ready to advance to the Nikon 18-200 VR lense for those action shots on the little league field. I won't have to spend most of my time finding the right position for composition. Oh yes, you are going to spend some money on lenses (I have several on my wish list), but the oooos and aaaahhs on the resulting images are well worth the expense. Drawbacks to the D40 as with most SLRs are; #1 size--it doesn't fit in your shirt pocket--#2 no live view--you have to look through the viewfinder(now remedied with the new Nikon D300-more money) and #3 price--which isn't so bad with the D40 and a kit lense if you have been looking at the better compacts. The D40 affords the ability to enjoy great images now and to purchase specialty lenses later for taking action, landscape, and wildlife images that will impress friends and self. I selected Nikon for the very fact that they make lenses and always have. About megapixels (6.1 on the D40) thats all I need for the images and prints that I want. My son chose the D40X (10.1 megapixels). I guess he wants to crop the head of a giraffe and make a poster out of it. With 6.1 PICKLES(thats what my wife calls them) and the right lense I can make an impressive 8x10 to set on my desk. I went through all the usual research, reading many reviews, some by pros, some by consumers. I would recomend anyone interested in a camera do the same and include the Nikon D40 seriously. Considering price, ease of operation, and flexibility I made the Nikon D40 my choice and have not been disappointed.

Well this is my first digital slr camera and I just love it. Interchangeable lenes just like a regular 35mm camera except no film to hassle with. Everything goes on the SD card, you choose which ones you want to print instead of paying extra for prints that didn't turn out. Totally easy to use, put it on Auto, depress the shutter half way, if it needs a flash, that pops up automatically. Then it auto focuses and beeps to tell you everything is in focus and ready to take the picture, depress the shutter the rest of the way and "POOF" intant picture. The clarity and color is just remarkable. I myself am glad I bought it. My sons getting married and I wanted something thats going to take nice clear pictures without all the blurring. And this is the camera to do it. I really don't have anything bad to say about it. It also has the CCD sensor which is by far the best sensor you can have for remarkable pictures. Anybody can use this camera, I highly reccommend it to everybody. If you don't think its this good, you won't know until you actually try it. Thats my story and I'm sticking to it. Thanks for listening...Dave

I wasn't exactly sure how to rate this product. The description on e-bay included automatic lenses. After the purchase, we discovered the automatic lenses that came with the package did not work with the Nikon D 40. At first, we thought this was a problem with the seller. Later, we went to Best Buy to pick up automatic lenses for the Nikon D 40. While there, we checked out their deals for this camera. Best Buys also sells the camera with lenses that state they are automatic but the automatic lenses sold with the camera do not work with the Nikon D 40.

We are very pleased with the camera. However, we feel advertising and selling automatic lenses with a camera leads the buyer to believe the automatic lenses should work with that camera. Buyers need to be sure they know which automatic lenses actually work with the Nikon D 40 prior to making a purchase.

Don't get me wrong, the D40 is a great camera, and Nikon produces a quality product. However, dig down to the little features and differences before buying. The D50, though a bit older, has many things that I like a lot better than the D40. They cut some features to make the D40 smaller and cheaper. Also, don't get caught up in the megapixel trap. The 6.2 megapixel will print a beautiful poster size print if it is in good focus. How often are you going to print anything bigger than an 8x10? You will not get a better quality 8x10 print by buying a 12 megapixel camera. Instead of looking for higher megapixel, look for the camera with the best sensors and least boot-up time and shutter lag (one of the best benefits of DSLRs).
For the beginner, the D40 is a great camera. Great to shoot, great to learn on, and will produce some quality pictures. It uses SD cards, as does the D50, D60, D80, etc, which are becoming the standard anymore. The D70 uses CF cards.
One big drawback to the D40 is the lens compatability. As a cost cutting measure, they removed the motor drive for AF lenses. AF only works if you buy an AF lens with the motor built in. These are a lot more expensive, and there are thousands of lenses available in AF that don't have the drive built in. This is another reason I really like the D50. Lenses are more available and cheaper. You can still use the lenses on the D40, but in MF mode only.
The other big concern is the screens. While they did make a big improvement on the back screen, they eliminated the top LCD. I really liked this LCD as a quick view of everything my camera is doing. They did this to make the camera smaller, but any SLR should be a two-handed camera and you really don't need smaller than the D50.
Now, that may all sound negative, and I don't mean it to be. The D40 will give you shots that you can be very happy with. The most important thing in photography is the person behind the camera and what's in front of it. I've seen some great photos from my dad's old 2.1 MP point and shoot.
If you don't think you will want more than the stock lenses, and aren't a pro shooter, you should be happy with the D40.

Oh, one other thing. Many are touting the filters built into the programming of this camera. (Black and white, sepia, etc) I would say don't use these. You can always convert using software, but you can't convert black and white or sepia back to color. You lose the color. Every digital photographer should have some kind of decent editing software. While not all can afford Photoshop, try something like Photo Explosion Deluxe, a fairly good program with a pricetag under $30. Let software convert to black and white and save the color image as well.

I recently switched to the D40 from the Panasonic FZ30, mainly due to the noise in low-light shots. No more running images through Neat Image! And going from 8mp to 6.1 is unnoticeable in 8.5" x 11" prints (now, come on...how many of us really print any larger than that?). I can live with printing at 287dpi from 311dpi. The only real problem I've found with the D40 is the diopter...I tend to shoot without my glasses (bloody bifocals), and it doesn't quite adjust down (or up?) as well as the FZ30. Not a big deal, I reckon, since it does have a focus aid in the viewfinder. I thought I would miss "Live View", too, but I don't. I shoot a lot of landscape scenes, on "P", auto white balance, and at 200 ISO with great results, so the lack of a dedicated WB button is not an issue to me. Flash shots on "Auto" gave me something the FZ30 couldn't, too...decent pictures. As far as Nikon's included software goes, I haven't even taken it out of its packaging. I use a Bonzai SD reader from Simpletech, and plug it into my laptop. In fact, I've hooked the D40 directly to my computer once, when I sent the Bonzai in for a warranty replacement (an indispensable little device). Battery life is outstanding.

The old saying "You get what you pay for" rings true for the D40. For the price (around $550 and coming down), you get a camera that's more than capable of producing excellent images. It's mainly what's behind the lens that determines the outcome.

I bought this camera based on the sales pitch at a Best Buy...but they didn't have them in stock. I check out eBay, and immediately bought the camera with 14 minutes to spare on the auction. Talk about an impulse buy! I do that. And this time, it paid off. GREAT camera, I absolutely love it. I'm not a professional photographer, but have sold a few photos, and this camera really lets me "learn" what I'm doing. It's so easy to use, and if I have a question, I just "ask the camera" with it's easy to use menu. It has all of the functionality of a manual camera, and an automatic, with the wonders of digital and the instant results. I work for a newspaper, so I can't wait for film to be developed. This baby really impressed me while taking photos of a recent winter volleyball event. Flawless pics, no blurry shots. I recommend this camera to anyone with a desire to go professional, but doesn't want to spend an arm and a leg doing it. This was one impulse buy that I will never regret.

Well I bought this camera to move up from the P&S..A Sony I was using, It has proven itself to be one very fine camera, granted it may not have all the features of a D200 it does quite nicely in a studio setting or out in the world.

Its light weight and easy to get used to, and the built in editing features are easy to learn.

The one thing I have added to this camera is an Autofocus Nikon VR 24-120 lens which seems to cover most shooting situations I have myself in, my camera came with 2 Tamron lenses which the autofocus was not compatible with the D40.

My background has been with 35mm and medium format photography and I am a relitive newcomer to the digital aspect of the game.

I would say for the person who wants to graduate from point and shoot to DSLR or the professional who just wants a backup camera for quick and easy shooting the D40 is the camera to get.

The only minor complaint I have had is it overexposes straight from the box but has a very simple to use exposure compensation feature I have backed mine down -.03 and it works like a champ...

This is my first SLR, and it is very easy to use. The pictures are crisp & clear. I bought it in a kit deal & the telephoto lens is great for taking far away pic's. I would recommend this camera to anyone, you can not go wrong!! And keep in mind that I love to take pic's but am not a professional at all!!

This is my first SLR camera. With no previous experience, I was able to put it on auto mode and take great pictures immediately! There are many extra setting to choose from when you have a little more experience. Battery life is excellent! I took over 200 pictures one day and it hardly put a dent in the battery life and it charges quickly. Manufacturers instruction manual doesn't get into great detail. You may need to purchase a guide or cd if you have no experience.

The Nikon D40 is a great, light-weight digital SLR camera whch you can carry all day without much effort. Pictures are great. I bought mine as a light duty backup to my bigger Nikon D200. Controls are easy to use and it has a huge LCD for reviewing photos. The only negative is that to achieve the light weight, Nikon removed the motor that drivs the basic autofocus lenses. The D40 user must use Nikons AF-S lenses. However, there are many good AF-S lenses in the lower budget if you are not looking for pro glass. My camera store dealer is a Nikon professional dealer and says they have not had any of the D40 or D50 cameras come back needing repairs. That alone is reason to buy it. I have talked many friends and family into the D40 instead of point and shoot digital cameras because it is great in capturing the action of their kids--unlike the point & shoot models which lag in the shutter firing when you need it.

First impression of this camera is very good. A less complicated version of the D50 & D70 with the same or better picture quality. Anyone who needs a no fuss professional quality camera should look at the D40 as an option. It is less expensive, easier to operate and takes GREAT pictures in all modes.

This camera is compatible with older Nikon mount lenses and has a huge screen for viewing images. Multiple modes makes it great for the user who wants to "work" the image (EG: Choose an aperture that blurs the background or a shutter speed that blurs the legs or stops water shooting out of the hose). Of course you can run it on auto mode and treat it like a super powered point and shoot.

I bought because the imaging system is the same as the D80 therefore I knew I would get great pics without forking out the extra dough when I don't need the extra features that those cameras offer.

I recommend this camera and would buy another one if something happens to mine.

I bought the d40 nikon camara and was impressed with the features of this camara. It has a 6M-pixel camera. One of the many features I like is the battery lifespan. So far I have not found any problem. It is a great product to buy.

From the beginning of the digital camera era I was looking for a compact camera 35mm replacement and after a series of different attempts, I was a bit disappointed with the actual market offer for many reasons: viewfinder accuracy, on time readiness delay, zoom coverage specially in wide angle field, interface and functionalities, general result quality. I have tried over the years Samsung Digimax early models, Olympus C4040, C5050, Canon Powershot S3IS, G7 and A640 and many of those will in fact address efficiently some of the previously critiques but not really the general trend.

Sometimes ago we were looking to a recent replacement of an Minolta D'IMAGE 7 of a friend and after several tries we came with the idea of using a Nikon D 40 along with a 18-135mm lens. It was simply the real answer combined with a great improvement in terms of performance and easiness of day-to-day use.

So a month ago I decided to take the step forward and invest in the NIKON D40/AFS 18-55mm II combination completed with a small AFS 55-200mm VR version. It was so revealing that the D40 is now always following me everywhere despite the more sophisticated equipment availability. Why? Because it is a "real" compact camera.

The camera is very ergonomic and is permitting a very stable handling which is a very good point since it doesn’t have an in-board stabilization system. The viewfinder is very clean and mostly exempt of view through indicator that can be sometimes annoying in doing careful subject composition. Manual focusing is still possible but can be very hard if not impossible to do in low light condition with medium speed lenses. In that case you may prefer to pick up a high speed lens such as the Nikon AF 50mm f 1.8 to do portrait in existing light situations for example. All the traditional exposure modes are available. Auto ISO indexing is also a very nice touch for those who prefer to prevent as long as possible the use of the in-board flash. This small unit is very strong (in fact a bit too in short distance) and can be use as compensating light in many situation along with the exposure memory button feature. The LCD back screen is clear, informative and even can be use properly to monitor a general exposure setting. Learning curve over the camera interface is relatively easy to apprehend as other Nikon SLR.

At the end photo results in term of quality and precision are at the same level as the previous Nikon D50, D70 and D70S. In fact I have found that picture are giving more spontaneous vivid color and are requiring less first hand computer enhancing in post treatment.

In using the two "packaged" lenses AFS 18-55mm II and 55-200mm VR, I was amazed of their overall picture quality despite many critic preventions. The 18-55mm performs very well in most usual situations and gives very interesting results with macro subjects. The 55-200mm VR is the perfect companion of the other with the same color rendition and VR system is a real help considering the modest speed (f 5.6 at 200mm) of it. And yes you can do action photography with some limitations that only more professional equipment such as f 2.8 lenses will outstand with much greater budget and the weight and volume expensed.

No battery issue regarding this camera except for the suggestion to bring an extra one along with an adapter plug if you are going in foreign areas.

In one word, I am glad to finally have found a very handy and efficient photographic tool.

takes great pictures, very clear. easy to use camera, can get started right out of the box, don't have to read owner's manual all the way through before you start. takes all the pictures of my fast moving 20 month old as he changes directions every two seconds!

My wife and I both love photography as a past-time. I used to use her Minolta 35mm film camera, but wasn't familiar with all the settings and terminology, so I was always uncertain how my pictures were going to turn out. Laying down money to see how my pics turned out got old when the results weren't good.
We received a Sony Mavica as our first digital camera, and used it well, but when I was introduced to a high-end Sony camera at work, the Mavica suddenly didn't measure up. I used my work camera for a few years, but noticed that my wife wasn't getting any enjoyment out of photography like she used to. I wanted her to enjoy using a good SLR camera like she was accustomed to, but with all the instant feedback of a strong digital platform. After reading many online reviews, like this one, I quickly narrowed the search down to the Nikon product family. Not having a hefty budget to spend, I focused on the D40. But the reviews I was reading made reference to the capabilities of the D40, and how they were equal to or sometimes better than some of the higher-end Nikons.
You need to understand that more mega-pixels does not equate to better pictures. You can have a huge picture of garbage. It comes down to the quality of the lenses and the internal circuitry. I have a nice compact point and shoot Sony that is capable of producing a 7.2 mega-pixel image, but with a lens that is smaller around than a dime, it restricts the amount of light into the camera, especially in lower light instances. The D40 is a 6.0MP camera, but with a much larger diameter lens and far better circuitry, the low light images I take now are tremendous.
My wife is the talented photographer in our family, and she has taken some absolutely amazing shots with the D40 so far. I'm still the novice, but with the simple straight forward menus, the autofocus lenses and the exceptional quality of the Nikon D40, my pictures aren't bad either.
Thanks Nikon, and Thanks E-bay...a really good combination!

I am an amateur at photography and the D40 ,new, is worth the price. Although it is not the latest and greatest. Startup speed is quite sufficient so you won't miss anything. I would like better focal range since the 18-55 mm lense is limited but I picked up the camera the first day and haven't put it away since. I haven't even had the time to look for a longer range lense since I have been having so much fun.

This camera is awesome in nearly every aspect. I think the only thing I see as a difference is the slightly slower focusing speed as compared with Nikon's higher-priced models. Overall, a great product!

This is a nifty slr, for the person that doesn't need all of the bells and whistles that come with the higher model Nikons even the D50.
I liked the Larger LED display, and easy to read menu, There is an option to fine tume the white balance which is nice for varying degrees of light.
But it doesn't have it's own autofocus motor built into the camera, so if you need lenses, and you rely on Autofocus, make sure to get them with Autofocus on the lenses, otherwise, you better make sure you have good eyes.
Also, the Battery is different from the D50 and other Nikon Models, so you can't interchange batteries if you have more than one Nikon SLR.

Otherwise it's a great camera... It's not the camera that takes good pictures it's the shooter with a keen eye.

A grandslam! Perfect right out of the box! Read several reviews, looked at all the competition and their was no comparison.

I am totally new to digital SLR camera and really excited about this model after using this. Its really worth for the money