Nikon D40 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens by Nikon
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Digital camera reviews of Nikon D40 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens
Digital camera Review: Great entry level DSLR
Summary: 5 Stars
Ok, I do a lot of nature photography, birds mostly. Two years ago I knew nothing about photography and needed something that would make getting bird pictures easy. A friend of mine recommended the Sony DSC-H1. It's an "SLR like" camera. After a while, I started seeing the limitations of that camera and wanted to upgrade. I have learned the basics of photography on that Sony and was ready for the change.
My roommate ordered a Nikon D40 and the 55mm-200mmVR lens. The first thing that impressed me was it's performance in low light (remember I had only used a fixed lens camera). He showed me some shots he took with it and let me play a little with it. All I can say is that I fell in love with this camera! It's perfect if it's your first SLR but, that does not in any way mean that pros won't enjoy it. I know a few pros who have a D40 and they love it as much as their D3's or whatever.
I finally ordered on with the kit lens and the same 55mm-200mmVR lens my roommate has. Doing mostly wildlife, I shoot telephoto 90% of the time so I rarely ever use the kit lens but, it's a gem of a lens as well. I have been able to capture some great shots and have really built a nice gallery.
This camera is so easy to use it's insane! the menus are great and easy to understand. Only if you know absolutely nothing about photography will you ever need to use the owners manual, it's that good!
pros:
Small size and light weight make it a breeze to carry around. I was able to stick it on my carry on bag in a small camcorder bag on a plane.
Battery life is great! Up to 1000 shots at times. I tend to constantly recompose and focus so this could be even longer with normal photographers.
Good ISO performance for an entry level SLR. Better than the higher priced D60 as that model has more megapixels crammed into the same size area, making them smaller and thus less sensative to light. ISO 1600 is actually pretty good if you don't crop.
Can't beat the price. All other SLR's in it's class, even those from Nikon are at least 150-200 dollars more.
Cons:
metering is defective. You have to set the exposure compensation to -3 or -7 to get a good exposure.
Auto ISO does not turn off in full manual mode! This can screw up your exposures and pictures so be careful of this.
Will only auto-focus with AF-S or AF-I lenses (the motor on these is in the lens). The D40 does not have an auto-focus mechanism in the camera. This will limit your choice of lenses. If like me, you need auto-focus because your vision isn't the best when looking through a view finder (my contact lenses tend to hate being restricted), this can be a handicap. I don't always trust my eyes to focus correctly.
These days, I now shoot with the 70mm-300mmVR lens. I've learned to really drive the camera to get more out of it. I will be upgrading to a D300 within the next 6 months or so because of what I now do. However the D40 will always be a favorite of mine and will still be used, perhaps most of the time when I'm not doing bird photography. This camera actually teaches you how to use and SLR if you've never used one before. It's also a great teaching tool if you wish to show someone else. If you're thinking about an SLR as your first one, or if you want a second camera, I would recommend the D40 either way. It's excellent for both beginners and pros.
Digital camera Review: Love my new camera
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my first SLR and I've only had it for about a week, but I absolutely love it! The automatic modes run laps around my old point and shoot, but the real fun is in manual modes. The menu is very intuitive and easy to make the necessary changes I'm looking for. I'm not a big fan of hard light and don't really like the built-in flash. I played around a little with the flash compensation, white balance and ISO, but I still find the flash not to my liking. I just ordered the SB-400 with a diffuser so I'm looking forward to some more balanced lighting. I highly recommend the D40 to any entry-level DSLR owner.Digital camera Review: Excellent!!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have owned my d40 for several months now. Before purchasing it I compared the D40 to other entry level Nikons (d40x and d60) as well as Canons. I am absolutely happy with my purchase. Buy this camera with the 55-200mm vr lens and you cant go wrong.Digital camera Review: Great Pictures and Easy
Summary: 5 Stars
This digital camera takes great pictures and is easy to operate. It "feels" like a film loading 35mm camera I used to have and loved. Pictures are sharp and clear. The color is beautiful. We also use this camera when shooting pictures for our school and website. Digital camera Review: Nikon D-40
Summary: 5 Stars
Great product, easy to use and understand and takes great pictures. Easy to download to computer.