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User Reviews for
Nikon D40 Digital Camera
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Nikon D40
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Reviewed
January 15 2007 6:16:41 PM
72
out of
74
users found this recommendation helpful.
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Ratings:
5
out of 5
Pros:
Ease of use, clear LCD, great pictures. |
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Cons:
It only has a 3 point auto focus, the nikon D80 has 11. 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.
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I Love It.
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Reviewed
December 11 2006 7:02:03 PM
35
out of
38
users found this recommendation helpful.
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Ratings:
5
out of 5
Pros:
Lightweight. Easy to use. |
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Cons:
A bit pricey but not for a Nikon. 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...
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a jewel
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Reviewed
March 3 2007 5:44:42 AM
28
out of
28
users found this recommendation helpful.
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Ratings:
5
out of 5
Pros:
everything a hobbyist could wish from a DSLR, except for.. |
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Cons:
no built-in AF motor 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 ; )
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I love it!!!
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Reviewed
December 23 2006 3:35:41 PM
23
out of
25
users found this recommendation helpful.
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Ratings:
5
out of 5
Pros:
Excellent photo quality, great 2.5 LCD screen, great battery life, Easy and fun to use, low noise |
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Cons:
Tends to overexpose, limited to AF-S lenses, no exposure bracketing 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!
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Logical upgrade from a Point and Shoot
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Reviewed
January 5 2007 7:17:53 AM
20
out of
20
users found this recommendation helpful.
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Ratings:
5
out of 5
Pros:
GREAT Auto Mode and Full manual settings for the more advanced shooters. |
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Cons:
As an upgrade to a P&S and even compared to some higher priced DSLR this camera has no real cons I can think of 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!
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This is a GREAT beginner camera
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Reviewed
December 23 2006 4:02:11 AM
13
out of
13
users found this recommendation helpful.
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Ratings:
5
out of 5
Pros:
Ease of use, lightweight, large lcd sreen, in camera editing, great menu's,.......did I mention easy to use |
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| Cons:
can only use auto focus lens that have a built in autofocus motor. This eliminates the ability to use any of the older nikon lens without manual focusing all shots. I have been astonished at how easy this camera is to use. It produces high quality images and essily corrects simple mistakes like red eye. I would definitely suggest this camera to anyone who is interested in moving to DSLR without a huge investment.
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So far, so good!
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Reviewed
December 19 2006 3:04:52 PM
14
out of
16
users found this recommendation helpful.
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Ratings:
5
out of 5
Pros:
Lightweight, Ease of Use |
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| Cons:
None yet... I wanted a smaller DSLR because I like taking candid shots. So far, this is a great choice. I really like the in camera editing. It is a great transistion from a point and shoot.
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Dropped but didn't break!
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Reviewed
December 4 2007 9:35:55 AM
12
out of
13
users found this recommendation helpful.
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Ratings:
4
out of 5
Pros:
sturdy; SLR; NO shutter lag |
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Cons:
You can't take movies with an SLR; or see your shot on the screen before you take the photo I carry a Canon digital camera in a little belt case whenever I go out so I don't miss a shot, but when I really want to take photographs instead of snapshots, I take the Nikon. The other day, I grabbed my knapsack and started to heave it over my shoulder. To my utter surprise and horror, my Nikon tumbled out of the unzipped pack and crashed down onto the concrete in the parking lot. I heard pieces flying and I just stood there taking in the scene. There was my camera on the pavement below, the lens cap was fifteen feet away, and a plastic piece was at my feet. I bent down and gathered up what I thought was a broken hunk of plastic and the camera. The battery cover had come off, but it snapped back into place. Nothing else looked amiss, but there's no way the camera was going to work after that crash. I took a test shot. Too bad! I got an error message on the screen. I turned the camera off and on to reset it. I shot one, then another, then a dozen photos. The camera works! I dropped a Nikon and it didn't break! My camera works! I'm so happy, I can't tell you.
I'm an old guy who grew up with SLRs (and twin lens reflex cameras before that). This camera lets you use aperture or shutter priority settings! It knows depth of field, shutter speeds, f-stops, and film speeds. All my knowledge is again useful. I can stop it down to F22 or shoot at a1/4000 of a second.
Downside: when I'm shooting a portrait, the auto focus doesn't know enough to focus on the pupils of the eyes. I've shot a couple great portraits, but until I learn how to use the manual focus quickly or to use the single spot focus, I'm not getting what I think this camera is capable of producing.
The lenses I have are not fast. That's typical of zooms, I guess, but I'm used to a 1.4 or 1.8 and the lenses I got are 5.6. I think the digital electronics compensates to some extent, but that's another thing to figure out.
Overall, this Nikon lets a beginner get into a through the lens camera BUT - because it's a different technology than simple digital cameras, you can NOT frame your picture on the screen; you MUST look through the eye piece. That's not a problem, it's just a difference. You use the screen to review your photo AFTER you take it. ALSO, you can NOT take a video with a camera like this.
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It does magic!
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Reviewed
March 31 2008 6:36:37 AM
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