Nikon D40: Yes or No?
by Ted Slater on 08/08/2008 at 1:23 PM
While my reasons for writing this are emphatically self-serving, the conversation may help other readers make digital camera buying decisions, and bring to the surface those of you who are photographers.
I'm considering buying a Nikon D40. I've used Boundless graphic artist Mike Heath's D70, and loved it. It's my understanding that the D40 has most of the features of the D70, but at a much lower price. It's received good reviews, but I'm interested to know your opinions before we invest the money into this camera.
So, what do you think, camera aficionados? Is this digital SLR a fine camera, or only so-so?
1. peter said the following at 1:36 PM on Aug 8:
Absolutely, it is best in class (entry level dslr). Get it, you'll love it. Great picture quality, easy to use, very fast. Lots of fun!
2. George said the following at 1:46 PM on Aug 8:
Ted,
I would get the Nikon D300 instead. I'm a photographer by trade, and I've tested the Nikon D300. If I wasn't fully invested in Canon equipment (try replacing over $15k of photographic equipment), I would pick up that camera. Sure, it costs more than the D40 but you will get a way better camera, better built body plus better functions.
3. jonese said the following at 1:48 PM on Aug 8:
I have the D40X with two lenses (18-55 & 55 - 200 with VR Stabilization). I love it. Yes it's not as feature rich as it's big brothers but it's a good starter SLR. Especially with a fast SD card (my only complaint is SD over Compact Flash) and RAW format you're set to rock and roll!
4. Kit said the following at 1:52 PM on Aug 8:
Hi Ted,
I have taken several classes in b/w photography and bought a D40 last year. Photography's a hobby of mine, and I always submit my photos to websites or competitions. I have gotten great results with mine. I love it! You can do a lot of editing on camera and the images are super clear. The 18-55 lens that comes with the camera is great; if you bump up to the 55-200, it's excellent also but make sure you have a tripod. The response is a bit slow.
5. Chris Roberts said the following at 1:57 PM on Aug 8:
Amateur here, bought a D40X to learn with and I've been quite happy with it.
6. Justin Gunter said the following at 2:29 PM on Aug 8:
I can't necessarily say anything bad about the d40, but I'd recommenced checking out the Canon Rebel XTI (or even the new XS) before you make your decision. First, the 6mp of the d40 isn't exactly low resolution, but it's toward the bottom of the spectrum on dSLRs. Additionally, the 3 point autofocus and lack of AF on most prime nikon prime lenses is going to limit how much AF you can use (may not be a problem depending on the area of photography you're interested in.)
Other than that, my only comment would be whatever you decide to get consider buying the body only and purchasing a slightly higher quality lens than the kit lens. Depending on your taste the kit lens might work fine, however I found myself replacing my kit lens within about 2 months of buying my Rebel XTI, and now the kit lens sit in a dark corner of my photo bag all alone.
Once you get your camera, post some pictures for us to check out. I always love seeing the work of a fellow photographer!
7. Vanessa said the following at 2:30 PM on Aug 8:
Canon all the way, baby!!! ;) I bought a used Canon 20D (including the 18-55 lens) for $425 a couple months ago and absolutely love it. Check around for second-hand equipment. Of course there's always the risk in not having a warranty, but I, for one, am a risk-taker. =D
Have fun! You should post some of your work once you get your DSLR!
8. David at freeChristianresources said the following at 2:59 PM on Aug 8:
Go for the D40. It takes superb pictures, my friends are always jealous of the pictures we take!
It is worth getting the extra lens if you can afford it (although you can always buy it later I guess).
I doubt you'll be able to notice the difference in quality you get with higher resolution cameras.
9. Tanner said the following at 3:35 PM on Aug 8:
Hello! My father is a professional photographer and exclusively uses Nikon. He now owns a D300 (his camera of choice) and a D200 (the camera his assistant uses). I am quite interested in photography and I have been able to use both. I love both of them and I look forward to purchasing a Nikon in the future. I have heard Great things about the D40 (and the D40X). My personal choice would be to purchase a D80. It has a very nice sensor and is able to use more lens types than the D40 (so I hear).
I did a little bit of research and found this chart that may be of help: http://www.nikonians.org/html/resources/nikon_articles/body/chart/current_nikon_dslr_chart.html
-- Keep researching though, you may be surprised at the differences between camera bodies. Also, research in the field of photography you'd like to shoot(portraits vs sports... or a highly versatile camera) For lots more information, my favorite digital camera review site is: http://www.dpreview.com/
Happy shopping!
10. Ken said the following at 4:27 PM on Aug 8:
Before we get down to brass tacks, a few things:
1.) What is your budget? This will dicate how your system turns out. What lenses to get, accesories and etc.
2.) What do you want to shoot or would like to aspire to shoot? D40 might be completely wrong in this regard.
Spex aren't great for a whole lot, each camera and system has it's own strenghts and weaknesses.
If after all this, you still aren't sure, then you can't go wrong with the D40 as a starter camera.
Don't listen to anyone who says one system dominates the other, I would run away from them very quickly. =P At least between Nikon and Canon.
11. Courtney said the following at 4:59 PM on Aug 8:
I worked for a photography studio in Louisville, KY and the photographer used Nikon exclusively. I, however, love my Canon Rebel XTi and wouldn't trade it for the world.
12. Vanessa said the following at 5:10 PM on Aug 8:
Can't we all just go back to film? Please? I have a Nikon D50 and I still resort back to my trusty Nikon FE film camera when doing portrait sessions for friends who want prints rather than digital for web based use.
13. Jethro said the following at 5:14 PM on Aug 8:
Check out www.dpreview.com the reviews there are ridiculously in depth. Plus my friend runs it.
14. skeeter said the following at 8:35 PM on Aug 8:
When I was choosing my camera, the best site I found for comprehensive reviews and comparisons was www.dcresource.com/reviews.
I consider the writer an amazing benefactor. I'd like to shake his hand.
15. Jo said the following at 12:19 AM on Aug 9:
Jethro: That's the site that a pro photographer recommended to me when I was deciding what camera to buy a couple of weeks ago. Very good reviews. Your friend has been very useful to me. :)
I ended up buying the Panasonic FZ8 which so far I'm liking a lot, but I think my requirements were different from yours Ted. :) My pro friend said there wasn't much advantage to a D-SLR unless you're going to use different lenses, which I'm not, but I wanted many of the D-SLR features and a long zoom, so I went for a bridge camera instead.
16. Jo said the following at 12:26 AM on Aug 9:
I also found www.cameras.co.uk quite helpful as an addition to the comprehensive review sites - the reviews there give you very similar sample shots for each model, which is really helpful for comparison. Then they give a mini-review for each shot, and assess how the camera handled the different conditions.
17. nikki said the following at 12:40 AM on Aug 9:
I'm a Canon person myself (by accident really), but I do know that kit lenses tend to be poor quality and are not worth spending any money on. I'm pretty sure that's the case whether you shoot Nikon, Canon, Olympus or what. So I'd echo the suggestion to buy the camera body itself and then research lenses separately. It's more work to figure it out, but the upside is that you will understand your lens much better than if you just got the one that they packed with your camera. I don't know what kind of photography you're looking at, but if you're doing mostly people photos, low light situations tend to crop up pretty frequently. So try and get a lens that stops down to 3.5 at the very least...preferably 2.8 for an entry level lens. I know the kit lens on the D80, at least, only goes down to 5.6. Check into it and make sure you get one that can handle low light situations.
18. Lindsay Keeth said the following at 2:31 AM on Aug 9:
Go Canon! Like Vanessa(#7), I bought a used 20D, only mine was $430. ;) I got it a week ago and I love it! You can get some great deals if you're willing to buy used. You can get a much better camera for the same price. That's why I went with what I did, and I'm more than pleased with it! The 20D is in the pro-sumer line, and a lot better than anything I thought I'd be able to afford for a while. Ebay is the way to go. ;)
19. Ruth said the following at 12:25 PM on Aug 9:
I'm not a pro - just a girl who loves taking photos but I just can't begin to describe how much I love the Canon D40!
20. whs said the following at 10:29 PM on Aug 9:
Personally, if I wanted the flexibility of a lot of lenses I would by a DSLR Canon. Since I just want good pictures I just have a decent Canon consumer digicam. The money I save on equipment I spend on traveling. Most of your money will go into lenses in the long run so I'd stick with Canon.
21. whs said the following at 5:15 PM on Aug 10:
"The single most important component
of a camera is the twelve inches behind it." - Ansel Adams
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/notcamera.htm
22. Dana said the following at 10:47 PM on Aug 10:
I have a Nikon d80 and love all the features of it. I have seen pictures of the d40, it is great. The D80 has extra features that are really worth paying more for. The optics are great and both the 40 and 80 produce great pictures. The 40 has I think 6 megapixels, The D80 had 10.2.
23. Leah said the following at 11:40 PM on Aug 10:
I've seen pictures produced by D40s and have two friends with one and by all accounts it's terrific.
I adore photography but my husband (then fiance) recently got me a very impressive non-SLR (with attachable telephoto zoom lens!) so it's really not worth me buying a DSLR, not for quite a while anyway.
Actually, having read other comments, can't remember if my friends have Nikons or Canons...
I do know Canon makes great SLRs so I can only assume their DSLRs are good too.
24. Paulman said the following at 4:02 AM on Aug 11:
Hi Ted. I actually own a Nikon D40 with the 18-55mm kit lens and a 50mm f/1.8 prime lens. I love it, but I do agree with a couple of the concerns that Justin Gunter brought up "against" the D40:
1) Most importantly (to me), the D40 (and D40x and D60) do not have an AF autofocus drive pin. That means lenses will not autofocus unless they have an internal drive motor (e.g. the AF-S lenses, like the kit lens). This is a SERIOUS limitation, because if you ever want to use, for example, the classic 50mm f/1.8 "portrait" lens, you will have to use manual focus. At the widest f/1.8 setting, it is VERY, very easy to get blurry photos because of human error (i.e. your focusing is off), and it takes awhile to manual focus anyways. In summary: no AF drive pin means that you're seriously limited if you want to use any lens other than the standard kit lens. (I love my 50 mm lens, but I have to be very careful and work as fast as I can when I focus it - especially when I'm taking photos of real people. It doesn't always work out)
2) Justin's right about the 3 point autofocus system. It's pretty limited.
Megapixels in my opinion aren't that big a deal. Also, I love the D40's wonderful screen and quick user controls (it makes a big difference). But you still may want to get a similarly priced Canon Rebel XT (or XTi) if you want to go beyond the standard kit lens. Nikon's kit lens is actually pretty good in performance, but your photos will look pretty... "normal" with it. If you want cool blurred out backgrounds when you're taking photos of people, you'll need something like the 50 mm f/1.8 lens I mentioned (because of its wide maximum aperture of f/1.8).
25. Linda said the following at 8:17 AM on Aug 11:
I bought the D60 a couple months ago. I love it! It has all the features of the D40 plus the built in image stabilization in the camera and it came with optional VR lenses (18-55, 55-200). It takes great pictures w/10.2 mp. The next upgrade in the smaller DLSR is the D80 and that opens a whole new learning challenges and fun to digital photography. All the Nikon cameras take professional pictures. The D60 works great for me. Check prices and options at Ritz Camera - good place for a purchase!
26. Heidi said the following at 9:33 AM on Aug 11:
Ha ha - wow, random topic! :) I just got a D40x a couple months ago and LOVE it! It has both lenses (18-55mm & 55-200mm VR) in a kit with teaching dvds, carry case, etc. at Costco. As I was comparing cameras, the D40x has more megapixels than the D40 (it's actually a lot closer to the D60 - at least from what I looked at). I've been having a lot of fun with it - especially the fast shutter speed for getting incredible sports and boating action shots!
27. DC said the following at 8:49 PM on Aug 11:
I own a D40 and the ubiquitous Nikkor 18-200VR. I recently finished 5 months of globetrotting with it along with my brother and his D300.
Pro: Lightweight -- don't underestimate this if you will travel with it. No picture quality complaints, though the lens has a lot to do with this. Simple design and interface. I really like Nikons.
Con: 3-point autofocus (Justin was right). Lack of buttons - in simplifying the interface they took out hotbuttons, so you can either adjust white balance OR ISO quickly, and for the other you have to go through the menu system. It's little, but multiply by a few thousand pictures and add a few missed opportunities and it adds up. There is a limitation on AF lenses, but expect new Nikon lenses to be compliant. I find the auto WB tends to overexpose, but you can compensate.
Overall, I would spring for the D80 if I did it again, but I am happy with the D40. Regardless, follow above advice and get a good lens. Dpreview.com and kenrockwell.com are both great.
28. BDB said the following at 5:27 PM on Aug 12:
I have a relative with a D60. One thing I noticed was that they could snap a picture of a smiling 1-year-old much, much faster than I could with my point-and-shoot Canon A510. The kid would always get distracted by the camera and stop laughing by the time the camera took the shot.
I saw some photos they took with the D60 that were put into a little bound album for the 1st birthday. They looked like professional photos. But their professional photographer uses a D300.
Philosophically, there's always a more expensive camera, just like there is always a more expensive car or keyboard. Somewhere I have my heavy, expensive automated film camera. The reality is that the little digital camera is much, much easier to keep with me. The SLR film camera with the awesome zoom lens had to be re-focused each time between shots, and was usually so heavy that I didn't bring it with me. Eventually someone stole it...
29. MacKenzie @ BRC Banter said the following at 7:31 PM on Aug 12:
I'm a little late to the game but I have a D40 and I love it.
30. bob said the following at 10:30 AM on Aug 19:
Bottom line, if you don't know what you could have had, you won't miss it.
I have the D40 and its F'N rock'n!! The rest is up to my imagination. Do yourself a favor and get the 18-200VR lens. Thats all you will need :)
31. Leah said the following at 12:04 AM on Aug 28:
just a word of warning: if you buy the camera in a kit with lenses, either be sure you are getting quality lenses, or don't get the kit. Most articles I've read by professional photographers say that the lenses you get bundled with cameras are mediocre and that you're better off buying the camera cheaper and buying the genuine brand lenses separately.
BDB- my mum had a film SLR camera that got so old it had parts held in place by blue-tac. Someone broke in one day and stole it. Mum said it was so old and falling apart they wouldn't know how to work it. The insurance money was enough for a brand new SLR! (This was only just when digital was coming out and so Mum still bought another film SLR camera as dSLRs were still well over 2 grand).
32. Ted Slater said the following at 11:06 AM on Sep 8:
Well, I bought the D40, along with a Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor lens, 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor lens, a Nikon 55mm - 200mm f/4-5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX VR lens, three Hoya HMC Haze UV filters, a Hoya 52mm RM-72 Infrared filter, a Hoya 52mm Circular Polarizer Glass filter, a Nikon SB-800 TTL AF Shoe Mount Speedlight, a couple of slave strobes and a couple of lens hoods.
Now I've just go to learn how to use this stuff! :-)
33. BDB said the following at 12:41 PM on Sep 8:
Leah (#31) wrote:
>>The insurance money was enough for a brand new SLR!<<
Ha! One of my relatives bought me the original SLR - they REALLY liked photography and bought me a top-of-the-line consumer something. As it turned out, it was so expensive that I was able to buy an auto-focus film camera for half as much and use the other half for the insurance deductible. Everything was stolen from a friend's van. But because it was in a locked vehicle...it was covered by my father's homeowner's insurance! I got an entirely new wardrobe - it's still the only claim on my dad's homeowner's insurance.
Needless to say, I learned the value of insurance that day...
34. NYC Photog said the following at 6:32 PM on Nov 29:
I "snap pictures" for a living, and I can't help but shake my head in amazement at how crazy even some of the good amateurs are getting over the latest D-SLR equipment. I'm a Nikon D-SLR and F-SLR/ Leica Rangefinder fan myself, but I have friends and colleagues that shoot Canon - Canon's fine, but I've always been more comfortable with Nikon. Also, when I was first getting started, all the big guys used Nikons or Leicas, so it stuck with me.
The Nikon D40 is an amazing little camera, and is better than probably 99% of its amateur owners (and probably 25% of the pros that own it too. The conditions and the photographer make the difference, not the camera. That said, you can't go wrong with the D40. The two best professional photogs I know both use D40's for their non-work (family travel, etc.) pictures.