Nikon D40 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens | List Price: $499.95
Discount Price: Too low to display
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Brand: Nikon
Binding: Electronics
Features: - 6.1-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 14 x 19-inch prints
- Kit includes 3x 18-55mm f3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor lens
- 2.5-inch LCD with three display options; built-in flash and hot shoe
- Fast startup with instant shutter response; shoot at up to 2.5 frames per second
- Powered by one rechargeable Li-ion battery EN-EL9 (included); stores images on SD memory cards (memory card not included)
Great camera! [Posted on 2008-07-28]
I bought this camera for my wife and she loves it. Because of it's weight the camera doesn't feel as big as I thought. This is a step up for us from the pocket digital camera. The picture quality and the different options are great. I highly recommend it.
Outstanding for the price. A great entry level DSLR [Posted on 2008-08-05]
My first DSLR, and I'll keep it until it breaks. Lots of features for an entry level DSLR, including in camera editing functions, remote control capability, automatic highlight detection, etc. Makes it easy to know if you got the shot at the EXACT moment you take a picture.
I can't write enough good things about it. The included 18-55 kit lens is one of the sharpest I've ever seen. Also, I can pull my old Vivitar Series 1 lens off my Nikon FM2 and put it on this camera. The D40 won't meter through this lens, but if you've memorized Sunny 16, it doesn't matter. Plus, with digital, you can see results instantly and re-shoot if necessary.
The only feature that I would have liked to have is exposure bracketing. Not that it's necessary, but if you're going to do any HDR shooting, bracketing makes things MUCH easier.
A small point, however. I would still buy the D40 if I had it to do again. The proof is in the pudding...here are my D40 shots: [...]
switching from film slr to D40 [Posted on 2008-08-10]
Unlike most people who have reviewed the Nikon D40 here, I came
from a film based SLR background, rather than a digital point and
shoot background. I still have, and treasure, some very nice and
fully working gear built around the Olympus OM-4, which is a beautiful
camera indeed.
However, switching to the D40 is like moving from a bicycle to the
space shuttle.
The main advantage of a digital over a film based system is of
course that you can see the picture immediately, and use it to adjust
your parameters and actions. That's obvious, but if you are like me,
and used to shooting film, you have to experience it to appreciate it.
To me it was a tremendous eye-opener. The LCD display on the Nikon
clearly shows composition, colors, and brightness, and you can
zoom in to judge the sharpness of the image.
Secondly, my two Nikon lenses almost always focus much better
mechanically than I could manually. (On the other hand, if you do
want or need to focus manually then Nikon offers little help beyond
the picture in the viewfinder, whereas the Olympus has several
effective focusing aids.) Failure to get good focus was the most
frequent obstacle on my Olympus (and on a film based camera you find
out about bad focus only long after the party is over).
I used to shoot 35 mm slides because the usual commercial
processing of paper prints produces average exposures. It's
virtually impossible to get very dark or very light prints, unless you
do the processing yourself, or pay for expensive lab work. With the
D40 you can easily adjust the brightness of your pictures, as you
take them.
Another advantage of digital versus film is that you no longer
need to worry about the expense of taking many pictures. You can
easily shoot hundreds of pictures a day, and later pick those you
want.
The 18-55 mm kit lens that comes with the D40 is very good, and the
system is very powerful with just that one lens. You may be happy for
a long time with just the kit lens. I thought I would be, too.
However, I lasted only 3 days before I ordered the
Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens.
That lens is a technological marvel. (It also costs
more, and weighs more, than the camera.) Its tremendous zoom range
makes it more versatile than any other lens I've ever even heard of.
With its vibration reduction system it is feasible in good light to
obtain sharp hand held pictures at maximum focal length. Of course you
still want a tripod if you aim for perfection, and you do need one for long
exposures.
Both the kit lens and the 18-200mm super lens work very well as a
macro lens, although I'm tantalized by reports that Nikon has some
magical macro lenses in their lineup...
The D40 has six mega pixels, (3008x2000) which is just fine for me.
But if I was to start all over again I'd consider the D40x because of
its greater resolution. On the other hand, the D40 does have the
advantage of a higher flash sync speed (1/500 sec) than the D40x
(1/200 sec).
You can't use a wire release on the D40, but the inexpensive Nikon
infrared remote works even better.
I am very pleased with my Nikon system. It has revitalized my
interest in photography and I look forward to exploring in greater
depth its tremendous potential.
The Perfect Beginner Digital SLR [Posted on 2008-08-13]
Pros:
Compact, Very easy to use, Inexpensive, Nikon reputation, Very useful 'Help' menu, nice LCD screen,
Cons:
6 Megapixels may be less for people who want to take very large prints, the outer ring on the kit lens moves while focussing..
If you want me to put it in one sentence then This is the perfect Digital SLR for a beginner. Its very compact (the smallest DSLR, i guess), but Nikon did not compromise on the build quality. Its very sturdy and has a nice comfortable grip. The buttons are all in the exact positions where you would expect. Its also very inexpensive. So if you are planning to take a dip into the world of SLRs, then you'd be happy with its pricing. This would give your budget enough room to invest in lenses!!!
Now for the features... The reason why i call it the perfect DSLR is that, when one upgrades from a point and shoot to a DSLR, then the options and features offered may be overwhelming to the point of getting confused on what to do.. Now here is where the 'Help' menu comes handy. With the click of one button the camera would tell you what the selected mode does and also makes recommendations like "Low lighting, Flash recommended." This is a blessing to a total beginner. The option of Auto and Program-Auto along with a wide variety of scene modes makes the transition from a Point and Shoot a pleasure. The graphical view of the LCD screen shows the representation of a lens aperture and becomes very useful for a beginner to understand the concept of Aperture and Shutter. There are a lot of dedicated buttons (not as many as you would find in a Full frame, but good enough for the first timer) to adjust the most common settings like, exposure compensation, ISO, flash, Self timer. There is also a Function key which the user can customize to do a specific function.
Now although this is a perfect beginner camera, it can be used by amateur or advanced level users as this can handle really well almost any kind of situation. Due to its compact size its great for traveling which even advanced photographers would appreciate.. It has a hot shoe to connect any external flash, you can add accessories like filters, wireless remote controllers, and also pick from an enormous selection of Nikon lenses as it works with any Nikon lens. One thing to note is that the Auto-focus motor is not in the camera body so you need an AF-S lens if you want automatic focusing.
But as we all know nothing is 100% perfect, the D40 also has some minor negetives.. First, the 6 megapixel resoluion might be less for an advanced level photographer, who would like to make Very large prints.. But for most amateur users this is more that enough. My second concern is with the kit lens that comes with the bundle. When you set it to auto focus and push the shutter release half way down to automatically focus, the outer ring of the lens rotates to focus, this becomes a problem when using a filter.. But more advanced lenses of nikon do not have this issue. Another note. If you have large hands and fingers i would recommend you to go to a store and check out the camera for yourself to see how comfortable it feels. I have small hands and it fits better than my biking gloves!!!
So if you are in the market for a compact Digital SLR and can get over the "6 megapixel" thing, then the Nikon D40 should be the ideal camera for you.
P.S. Do invest in a good tripod and you'll always thank yourself!!!!
NIKON D40 [Posted on 2008-08-15]
Having used digital cameras for several years I wanted to upgrade to DSLR for the ability to change lenses. Have taken over 1000 pics so far and am very pleased. The menu is very handy and the Help feature is a plus. Pictures are sharp and clear, as long as I do my part. Don't take flash pics with the hood on, it leaves shadows. Software loaded on Vista easily and downloads are fast. And the price was right!
Click here for more details and discount information...
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