Nikon D40 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II Auto Focus-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens

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I bought this camera 5 years ago this month based on the recommendation of KenRockwell.com. When I bought it there were newer models available with larger screens and higher megapixels, and Ive worked with a number of these since, but I still love my D40. Heres a few reasons why: 1. Its lightweight. I can hold it one hand and take a self-portrait without feeling like Ill drop it. This means I can carry this camera all day long. That makes photography fun. 2. Its small. I use the awesome ThinkTank SpeedDemon V2.0 camera case and thanks to the D40s small size I can fit in the pack everything I need for an entire days shoot. My pack contains my D40; the SB-400 speedlight; 3 Nikon lenses: 35mm f/1.4, 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6, 55-200mm f/4-4.5; pocket-sized WhiBal white balance card; and misc accessories such as spare batteries, SD cards, filters, Nikon remote, etc. A bigger camera body would require either a bigger pack or one less lens. I previously owned a (small!) backpack-style pack, but after missing an incredible shot of a bear cub due to the time it took to swing the pack around in order to get to the lens I needed, I made the switch to the smaller/faster SpeedDemon pack. 3. Its got enough megapixels for almost every enlargement an amateur photographer would ever need. Yes, its a 6.1 MP camera. Yes, there are point-and-shoot cameras with 20 megapixels that cost less than $150. Megapixels are important, but theyre *NOT* the most important consideration. Things like lens sharpness and speed (both aperture and shutter) have a lot more to do with a quality shot. With a crystal-clear lens like the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX, I get beautiful shots with my D40 that I confidently crop AND then print 8x10s or 11x14s. Now, Im not shooting magazine covers...but then you probably arent either. :) 4. Its got two crazy pro features that are worth using. First, the D40 supports flash sync up to 1/500th of a second. This means you can use the flash in shots that require a shutter speed of up to 1/500th, such as broad daylight. Who cares? You do when your subjects back is to the sun and you need some fill flash to prevent their faces from being dark. Second, the D40 has an easily accessible RGB histogram: When viewing a picture simply press the OK button 3 times and youre looking at separate histograms for the Red, Green, and Blue channels. Admittedly this is a feature only more serious photographers know how to use, but if you want to ensure youre not overexposing the reds in a beautiful sunset scene, this feature is really handy. Any cons? Yes, even though the 6.1 MP is enough for most of my shots, this is the one thing I could use more of for low-light shots. I find myself shooting low-light shots where the D40 at ISO 1600 (its highest, non-overdriven ISO) can only give me a shutter speed of 1/30 with my aforementioned 35mm f/1.4 lens. More megapixels and thus a more sensitive CCD sensor would give me more room to get these shots without blur. Still, these shots are the exception for me and Id much rather have a camera I can carry all day that does 95% of what I need.

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I did a lot of research for some time before I picked this one. (I looked into a DSLR camera for a full year.) I knew going into this that there were several "down" sides to the D40. I know about the limited choice of lenses. I know that I cant have a bunch of flashes set up like a studio. I know that it is small. But those were not downs for me at all. First of all, I was moving up from a point and shoot. I have never owned an SLR camera before. I have no old lenses to worry about. In fact, when I first got this, my only goal was to get a great camera that takes fantastic pictures with no shutter lag. And the D40 did not disappointment. Right out of the box, it took the most awesome pictures. The manual is great, and very easy to follow and understand. The LCD monitor is large, and the menus are well organized. I had originally not planned on getting any other lenses. I changed my mind, and was saddened at how expensive the AF-S lenses are. I am thrilled the Nikon came out with a 55-200 AF-S VR zoom. I was going to wait for them to make a prime 50mm lens, but went ahead and got it now anyway. It was not that difficult to learn, although I can see it will take time to master. Yes, I have to manually focus the lens. But you know what? I can do it! A total newbie who is taking awesome pictures!!! What more can you ask for in a camera? I am also a woman, and I have smaller hands than the average guy. (Hey, even my teen age son has bigger hands than me.) The camera feels great in my hands. In fact, that is what sold me on it. I held the Nikon D50, the Pentax camera, and the Sony camera. I really wanted image stabilization. In the end, I held them all in my hand, and the Nikon was the smallest. It did not feel heavy, and the grip was more comfortable. My hand does get a little cramped after taking a lot of pictures when I have my big lens and flash on. (I am talking about the 18-200mm VR lens. It feels heavy to me, although I am told that it is not that heavy.) If you have a P & S camera, and are looking to move up to a digital SLR camera, this is the one for you. It would also be perfect for someone who already owns a "big" dSLR and wants something smaller. Not only is the price fantastic, it continues to drop. I had a chance to change this one in for the newer D40x, but decided I didnt need 4 more megapixels. In fact, I got a code for a free 16 x 20 poster from Shutterfly for buying my camera from Amazon. I took a picture of my kids, and cropped it by about 40%, and the poster was FANTASTIC. Sharp, clear, and I lost nothing in the process. This is truly an amazing camera; I love mine and I am thrilled to finally be getting the kind of results I have wanted. Sharp pictures, bright, vivid colors, and no shutter lag! Who could ask for more?

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This wont be a list of all the technical statistics as many reviewers have done this very well already. Instead, lets concentrate on how it actually works. First, I wanted a DSLR because they are easier for me to use than point and shoots and of course there are choices with lenses, flashes, etc. I chose Nikon because I have had good luck durability-wise with that brand and Nikon is obviously a premier company. I also have a couple of interesting old Nikon lenses that are usable. Amazons price with free shipping and all was quite a bit less than I found locally. It arrived quickly and in good shape, as did the extra stuff I got for it. One of these items was the 55-200 VR zoom. If you go this route BEWARE: there are cheap zoom packages that ship the NON-VR version. You want VR. Surely the standard kit lens, which does get excellent reviews, will itself someday be offered in VR form. In fact, since I bought this, you can be sure this will be soon! Some reviewers have advised the use of those impressive bigger, heavier, wider aperture and more costly lenses. Or prime lenses. My take is that the standard DX lenses that were designed for this camera just make it so much more pleasurable to use, work just fine and are appropriate for the use this camera will get. If there are any differences in quality, they are really hard to see, if at all. VR makes low-light photos sharp and in many cases negates the need for wide aperture lenses, and this also means a better depth of field. However, nothing beats big expensive lenses, or big expensive most anything else, actually. It just isnt really necessary for most of the photography people will use this camera for. Cameras like the D40 are best for candid, quick shots and for capturing moments in time that are not repeatable. Bulky equipment just gets in the way and makes it more likely that the camera will be in the closet and not with you. Some people just like the photog life and live to carry around the biggest and heaviest stuff. My thinking is that the $5000 and more DSLRs with their bigger sensors and all would be more appropriate for that use, or spend $35000 and really go for it with a digital Hasselblad. Why not the D40x? I read a zillion reviews that said, in essence, that you cant tell the difference, so why spend the extra? There is a lot of debate about this, but I went with the D40. Some experts, including those that I admire, suggest using special settings, especially those that have to do with how vivid the colors will be. And there are plenty of these settings. I spent a lot of time trying the various manual modes and other shooting options. Just delete them when you are done experimenting. Go to the menu on that big bright and sharp screen and reset when you are done. I messed up some promising shots because I assumed I was in Auto mode and I wasnt. My bad; automatic or not, you still have to pay attention. This is all fun to play with, and, speaking of auto mode, it is pretty darn good. Just set the top dial to auto, leave it there, press half-way down on the shutter button to focus and then fire away. Make sure the lens buttons are set on VR and auto focus. All good. And there are other settings for landscapes, portraits, kids, etc. Again, it is easy to turn the dial to those settings and it is all automatic. The cameras little computer changes things in subtle ways to complement those shots. Nikon has vast technical resources and I figure they have this stuff figured out better than me. If you want special effects, you can do that, but the auto modes are really very good and hard to beat. Flash is fun. The pop-up flash works very well for most any normal use. I also bought the little 400 series add-on flash. This is a nice device that has a bounce feature. The D40 handles all this flash stuff perfectly. Very nice, and automatic. What about the plastic construction of the camera and the DX lenses? Sure, nothing better than those precise old metal beauties, but the DX cameras are all about size and weight. They are molded to be easy to hold and use and I really have no complaints. The camera and lenses are well-built and solid. I keep my old FM-2 around to fondle. What about the complaints that many of the old Nikon lenses will not work on the D40? This wont be a problem for new users because they will just buy DX lenses. If you do have a collection of fabulous old lenses, then it would be best to go up to D80s or the 300. Check on what actually works. The extra cost of the camera will be offset by the "free" lenses. This will be especially important if you have specialty lenses like perspective control, medical, etc. Again, the whole idea of the D40 is that it is light, small and affordable. Sticking a multi-pound lens on it sort of defeats the purpose. I do have two old lenses, a 55mm micro-nikkor macro and a 100-300 with a macro setting. I just set the aperture on a guess, check out the results on the screen and adjust again. These old lenses were made to be manually set, so it is easy to do. Not for fast shots, no VR, but fun to play with. And the results, the actual prints? First, let me say that I am a fan of big contact prints. Nothing else looks sharp to me. A Leica sales guy showed me a big print, around 24" wide, printed to show how good a cost is no object Leica could be. Ahh, sharp for what it was, but just sort of ok for me. I have had a lot of 35mm printed and was always disappointed. Even paid extra at expensive camera stores. All in the 4X6 to 8X10 size. Not that good, to me. Slides were better, but what a pain to view. Frankly, despite 35mm supposedly being equivalent to 25 mp digital, my 6mp photos printed out on my Canon Pixma are just a lot nicer. Nicer colors, sharper, better. Maybe if I sent my 35mm shot out to be printed on ultra exotic media with processing to match... too much for me. If you can, I suggest getting your digital files out to a service that prints them out on actual photo paper on mega-expensive machines. This is very inexpensive and provides ultimate results (reasonably speaking). I download into iPhoto on my old iBook. When I connect the included usb cable, the program recognizes the camera and the download begins when I push "import". Then, if I want to play with the photo, I just drag it into Adobe Elements, do my best, then save it back to iPhoto for storage. I do not use Nikons software because I dont need to. The D40 does do some processing in the camera, but I am just used to using the computer. It is easier to see on a big screen and of course the photo editing programs give you many more options. There are all sorts of very capable programs to sort and manipulate your photos if you want to go that way. Suggested options: I went with the kit lens and the 55-200 VR (see my review on that lens) and that is not a bad combination. A better one would be the wide zoom and the 18-200 VR. That, however, is $2K worth of lenses. I got the little remote. I am a fan of polarizing filters, but I already had one. Digital cameras are especially good at macro work and Nikon offers a new macro lens and a neat special flash system to go with it. Not cheap, but super capable and the results are great. I do not like the D40s limitations on remote triggering and remote flash. To fire off the camera you can use that nifty little remote, but the sensor for it is on the front of the camera. Fine for most uses where you are in front of the camera, but heck, a timer works for that. These cameras do not accept cable releases. I will try to make a reflector out of aluminum foil and see if that works. The old Nikon D70 had the capability of triggering remote flashes. That was a neat feature. With the D40 you have to buy one of Nikons more expensive flashes, or a triggering device. I would like to try some creative flash photography, but the cost is pretty high. Too bad. Note that UPS will call you the day before because they want you to be there for delivery. Too small and expensive to just leave on the porch. You might want it delivered to your work. Also, be aware that it does not come with the little flash memory card, so order one at the same time. I got the Sandisk Ultra II 2.0 gb. It seems to work just fine. It is a brand that Nikon recommends, so... The D40 is easy to use, light and capable for any normal situation. It downloads easily and the photos are as good as current technology allows in this price range. Highly recommended.

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I bought this camera from Amazon.com in March of 2008 and wanted to really use this camera before writing my review. Prior to purchasing a DSLR, I had used several 35mm SLRs including Yashica and several Minoltas. My transition to digital was forced when my Minolta X700 finally broke and I purchased an Olympus point-and-shoot. Having been an (amateur) SLR user for so many years, I was never quite satisfied with a point-and-shoot when it came to capturing action shots of people and my kids. [...] I shoot the D40 in Program Mode with the color and saturation set to max. I usually shoot with the exposure compensation set at -0.7. I programmed the Fn (function) button to allow me to change the White Balance quickly. Like so many people, I did a lot of reading on Ken Rockwells website ([...] I have found that I like shooting with the 18-55mm kit lens most of the time. When using a flash, I actually prefer the SB-400 (I set the flash compensation to +0.3). The SB-400 is great for fill flash (even the pop-up flash is good) and taking photos of people up close and its light-weight. The SB-400 does allow bounce flash, but the head will not rotate. I use the SB600 flash if Im using the LumiQuest Promax Bouncer or the Stofen Diffuser or just need more flash power. The SB600 flash will bounce and rotate. I usually set the SB600 flash compensation to 0.0. The 55-200mm VR lens has been great for all the baseball and basketball photos Ive been making. I usually shoot individual photos of my sons entire team and end up becoming the team photographer. Ive even become the "official" photographer at our church for various events. Of course, I love photography so I dont mind. I have never considered myself to be a great photographer; I just love photography and am always striving to be better. What the D40 has allowed me to do is be a better photographer. Im sure this is true of any DSLR, but for the value, the D40 has been great and I was able to add a lot of accessories. The flash is excellent and produces very natural flesh tones of people from light to dark skin. This is critical when shooting people. My recommendation is that you learn about the various settings and dont just shoot in Auto mode. You need to understand White Balance and Exposure Compensation. And practice, practice, practice (you can always delete the crummy shots!). Deliberately change the White Balance and Exposure Compensations to see how it affects your photos. I do this in different settings, just to see what happens. I have found that I actually prefer to NOT use flash if I can get the proper White Balance and Lighting. I take one shot with flash, then take another one with the flash off and setting the White Balance to a different setting. You will find, that especially with shots indoors, the proper White Balance is better without a flash. Take the time to understand composition and lighting. Like any camera, the D40 is a tool that depends upon your individual creativity. Im no expert. Im just a guy that has loved photography all his life. Digital allowed me to be better since I can see the results instantly. The D40 gives great color, is easy to use and works great with the Nikon flash system. You will have to purchase AF-S lenses for auto-focus to work (the D40 does not have an interal focus motor. The focus motor is in the lens, not the camera). I have not found this to be an issue since I dont have any of the other lenses. This shouldnt be an issue as you will probably have either the 55mm-200 VR zoom or, for more money, the 18-200mm VR. I am considering the new Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras as a Prime lens. The proof with any camera is in the photos you shoot and how you compose them. People are usually amazed at the photos and say `they just love my camera. My secret is knowing my camera and composing the shot. Dont get me wrong, Ive taken my share of crummy shots, and Im still learning about composition and lighting and still have a long way to go. The only thing I wish the D40 could do is remote control off-camera flash units since I now want to play around with off-camera flash. Ill probably start with the Nikon SC 28 - Flash synchro cable - flash terminal - flash terminal as I dont want to purchase a Nikon SU-800 Speedlight Commander or a Nikon D90..... Just yet :)

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The D40 is a great way to step up from a point-and-shoot camera to a DSLR, whether you want to expand your creative possibilities, experience excellent image quality in a wide range of lighting, take pictures of action without the annoying shutter lag, pose as a professional photographer, or all of the above. First, I like the light weight of the camera. It allows me to easily carry it around wherever I go, along with a few compact lenses, always ready to capture the moment as it happens. Thats a huge image quality advantage over an expensive camera and a bag-full of exotic lenses that you left at home because it was too heavy to drag around. Secondly, this camera has plenty of smart features which enable less fiddling around with the settings and allow me to focus on taking the picture. Some examples I like are: * Customizable ISO-Auto function allows me to set the maximum ISO and minimum shutter speed I want, thereby eliminating the need to manually adjust ISO for different lighting conditions. * After a picture is taken, it automatically gets displayed on the LCD for review, making adjustments, or deleting, without having to manually switch to playback mode. * A customizable Menu for easy, fast access to features I use often without digging thorough every available item. I can leave the critical adjustments like white balance and picture presets, while hiding those I use once and forget, like date/time, language, etc. * RGB histogram in playback mode lets me gauge if I need to adjust the color balance or if a certain color channel is clipping. Much more useful than a single-channel histogram. Some other notable advantages, compared to the competition: * The AF-assist lamp facilitates low light focusing. On cameras without the lamp, youd have to use the annoying flash strobe. * 1/500s x-sync means I can use the flash with shutter speeds up to 1/500s, effective for freezing motion or using the flash to balance out the shadows in harsh sunlight. Other cameras in this class usually only go to 1/200s. The 6MP resolution is plenty for making great-looking 8x12 prints, and puts less space-clogging pixels on the memory card. Image quality is very good from ISO 200 - 1600, and I regularly use ISO 1600 in low light with great results. Included kit lens is sharp all around, and is perfectly adequate for making great-looking photos. Ergonomics of the camera are outstanding for its small size - it fits in my hand comfortably and doesnt make my fingers feel cramped. There are, however, some limitations about this camera which may or may not be a big deal, depending on how you use it, such as: * It lacks an autofocus motor in the camera body, meaning autofocus only works with AF-S lenses - those with an internal focus motor. Not necessarily a problem since all the newer Nikon lenses are AF-S, but Nikon also has a number of great, inexpensive, older AF lenses, and on the D40 these will be manual focus only. * The built in flash cannot be used as a master to control additional wireless flash units. Youd need to buy a wireless flash controller for that. * With only 3 AF points, you have to focus and recompose before taking the picture if your subject is outside these 3 points. Not a problem for me since I do this naturally, but something to keep in mind if youre used to a point-and-shoot camera. * There are no buttons for directly changing white balance, image size/quality and ISO. There is, however, a customizable Fn button which I assigned to adjust white balance, and with ISO-Auto activated, I rarely miss having these buttons. * 2.5 fps continuous shooting is too slow for getting multiple shots of fast-paced sports or other action. If youre not shooting those kind of scenes often, then its not a problem. Overall, this is an easy to use, well-designed camera which offers superb image quality at a relatively low price, and with plenty of features that make it easier to get great shots, instead of getting in your way. Seasoned photographers who need the AF compatibility with older lenses or are shooting fast-paced action should consider the higher end camera models, but for a casual hobbyist or enthusiast, the Nikon D40 is as a highly recommended camera.

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The sheer quantity of excellent reviews already posted here for the D40 would leave me nothing to add were it not for the possibility that my perspective might be useful to a certain subset of possible buyers. I purchased the D40 as a first DSLR, but not as a first SLR. As a former film SLR shooter getting back into SLR photography after a long absence, I was convinced by the many very positive reviews of the D40 that it would provide an excellent entry point. Ken Rockwells rave reviews, in particular, had a strong influence on my decision, as did many of the favorable reviews posted here. In retrospect, for somebody in my position, I think that perhaps some of the D40s positives have been slightly overstated, and some of the negatives slightly understated. I would suggest that any prospective purchasers who feel they might aspire to any level of seriousness in their photography should give careful consideration to whether the D40 will be truly satisfactory to them beyond the short term. In my case I owned the D40 for about a month before deciding that the D90 would have been a better choice. I made the swap and find myself much better off for it. Things to consider: - Every review points out that the D40 can only autofocus using Nikons latest (and most expensive) AF-S lenses. I optimistically underestimated the degree to which this would quickly become a handicap for me. Yes, these are Nikons best lenses, but the reality is that in practice you will be able to do much more, much sooner, at much lower expense, if you are willing and able to use older "D" and "G" type AF lenses along with one or two of the newer AF-S lenses. As one example, perhaps the second or third lens most semi-serious shooters would want to buy for a DSLR is something along the lines of a 50mm f/1.8 prime. Cheap and excellent, Nikons 50/1.8 will immediately give you creative options that dont exist in any AF-S lens, at any price. Other excellent lenses, like the 85mm f/1.4, 85mm f/1.8, 80-200mm f/2.8 zooms, 28-200mm "G" zoom, and various third-party and wide-angle options, either dont exist yet in AF-S form, or cost so much more to buy that a casual hobbyist like myself would have a very hard time justifying the expense. - High ISO (low light) performance. One of the great advantages of digital over film is the improvement in light capture that has come along with it. Low light, hand-held photography can be done now that was really completely impossible just a couple of decades ago. The D40 did not really allow me to experience this benefit as fully as Id expected. I found an ISO setting of 800 on the D40 to be the maximum "good quality" setting, and noticeably less clean than the "base" ISO of 200. My informal impression is that the D90 is between one and two stops better. Combine that with the D90s ability to use faster lenses at lower cost than the D40, and the practical reality is that I can shoot equivalent quality photos in one-quarter to one-eighth the light with the D90 than with the D40. That is a tremendous advantage and much more than I had anticipated prior to owning the two cameras. - Availability of D-Lighting on D90-and-up Nikons. In my admittedly short experience D-Lighting is a feature of such tremendous value that by itself it might be enough to justify the extra expense of the D90. D-Lighting is able to control the contrast between light and dark areas in a scene, which has always been one of the primary difficulties facing any photographer. This feature might be of even more use to a less serious photographer than to a serious one since it will invisibly improve almost any casual picture made under sunlit conditions. On the D90, under harsh sunlight, I set D-Lighting to "Extra-High" and get very useable photos that would be throw-aways with the D40. In most other conditions I leave it turned on but set to "Auto." - The lack of a second (front) control dial. Another surprise for me. One dial, as the D40 has, allows you to quickly set one parameter at a time, such as shutter speed or white balance. Two dials allow you to set two separate, usually related, parameters at once. I didnt realize how great an impact this would have on the cameras overall usability. For example, in setting white balance the rear wheel chooses the white balance preset (auto, sunny, cloudy, etc) while the front trims it (tweaks the basic setting to slightly warmer or cooler, six steps each way). Or, during image review the front wheel changes to the previous or next image, while the front wheel changes the display (one click to the right for an rgb-histogram, for example, then one click back to the left to return to the full-sized image). In almost every setting, display and shooting mode the second wheel adds significant flexibility and speed to the cameras handling. - 6mp sensor. It is true, without a doubt, that excellent photos of almost any kind can be made with a 6mp sensor. I am happy with 6mp for 90% of my photograhy. However, I still found the jump to 12mp beneficial. One thing to keep in mind is that the flaws inherent in every part of the image capture and reproduction process add to one another, each only subtly, but the additive effect of cumulative imperfections makes all the difference in the quality of the eventual reproduced image. Although its impossible to quantify, going from a 6mp to a 12mp sensor might be the equivalent of going from a good to an excellent lens, while at the same time raising the limits of what the excellent lens can produce. It is also much cheaper than the difference in cost between, say, a full complement of good, "consumer" lenses and first-rate "pro" lenses. The bottom line is that each step in the process is important and each step varies from perfection. Doubling the actual resolution with which the image is captured is worthwhile, and worth paying for. By contrast there are a couple of features the D40 has that I miss on the D90. The most important is the D40s fast 1/500 flash sync speed, which makes it possible to use fill flash with larger apertures under brighter conditions, and to extend maximum flash range under many conditions. The D90 makes me choose between depth-of-field-isolation and fill flash when conditions are bright as I cant get both. Less important but also helpful is the D40s ability to be set so that the rear screen automatically comes on between shots. Simply tap the shutter (to wake the camera or cancel the review of the previous image, if active) and the display shows you all the cameras vital settings at the same time in one place, and lets you change most of them with just a couple more button-pushes. It is very intuitive and quick to use, and I wish the D90 had it. In most regards I found the D40 to be a superb camera and every bit (more, really) as good as I had been led to expect. It feels wonderful to use and it makes excellent photos, or at least is capable of it (the rest being up to the user.) If it were not for the lack of a focus motor on the D40, I would still recommend it highly for even aspiring serious SLR users, as the other factors can all be worked around or are only of importance under certain conditions. However, the reality for any photographer serious enough to eventually acquire a variety of lenses is that, by the time they buy their third or fourth lens for the D40 they will have spent as much or more on their equipment than they would have had they started one rung up with a D90. Viewed from this perspective, the various functional advantages of the D90 come essentially without cost even though they do, at least for me, add significant value. For casual photographers who will be satisfied with one or two lenses, or for more serious photographers looking for a second, lighter camera for part-time use, the D40 represents an excellent value and would be in my view a five-star camera. For people on a strict budget who are willing to wait patiently for the functionality that will come from additional lenses, the D40 could also be an excellent (and perhaps only) choice. Only people looking at the D40 as an entry point to an eventual comprehensive collection of SLR gear need to consider whether the D40s disadvantages outweigh its lower cost. These people might find themselves, as I did, better off paying more from the start for something along the lines of a D90 - or, alternatively, considering an older used D80/200, etc. as their entry point instead. Yes, the D40 is an upgrade compared to those cameras in some ways, but with a used D80 you can start getting the lenses you want right from the beginning, then upgrade the camera later.

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Excellent photos, easy to use, comfortable to hold, and FAST! This is one great camera, especially for the price. For a little more than many mid to high-end point and shoots, this camera packs a lot of technology into its small price tag. But for the beginning DSLR user, that technology works in the background so just set it to AUTO and fire away, and youve got the best pictures you have ever taken. You will wish you made the move from point and shoot to DSLR sooner! I did a lot of research before choosing the D40, and all the reviews seemed to point to this one as the best entry-level DSLR, and in the 7 months I have had this camera, I have not been disappointed. Thousands of pictures later, I echo many other positive reviews here - this is one of THE best electronics purchases I have ever made. So many people have asked about my camera after seeing my photos (quite a few have even asked if I am a professional photographer). Several have since bought their own D40s :) For me, one of the huge annoyances with a point and shoot is the time between shots - waiting and waiting for your camera to recharge the flash or write the data to the memory card. Not a problem with a DSLR. The D40 starts up quickly, is fast between shots, and allows you to take more photos without flash. In the beginning I used the "scene modes" and Auto, and Auto no Flash, but my interest in photography has grown since using this camera and I use the manal and semi-automatic modes now. This camera is great for BOTH casual and enthusiast users. Stick to AUTO and get great shots OR learn about photography techniques and delve into all of the cameras different settings for more difficult lighting situations, etc. Once you have your D40, if you find yourself getting interested in photography, you may want to collect some additional gear over time. Here is a list of some accesories I have acquired to use with my D40: LowePro Rezo 170 Camera Bag (Not ugly. Works great. Holds D40 plus camcorder or D40 plus flash, 2 lenses and room to spare.) Nikon SB-400 flash (Yes, you eventually want this. Small, lightweight, inexpensive. Saves your cameras battery power and recharges more quickly. Use it to bounce light off the ceiling for indoor photos. It looks so much better you will never use regular non-diffused front-on flash again. Get rechargeable AA batteries, I love the Sanyo Eneloops and I am slowly replacing all my AAA and AA batteries in the house with these). Nikkor 55-200mm VR zoom lens (Inexpensive, works great. Get the VR version, not non-VR version. Nikon sometimes does a $[...] [...] with this lens when you buy the camera and lens at the same time. That makes it super cheap). Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 lens (This is getting repetive, but this lens is cheap. Great value. Amazing low light, no flash pictures. I love natural light and this lens is my favorite for those situations where you dont have that much light available to you. One big drawback is that it is Manual focus on a D40, but over time you learn. Get the Nikon HR2 lens hood to go with it). Nikon ML-L3 wireless remote (Inexpensive, works well. Easy way to take family group shots for your Christmas cards). Sandisk Ultra II Sd Card (Have not had any problems with lost data. Transfer your images frequently to your computer and use your camera to reformat the card each time to minimize your chances of corrupt data or data errors). Sigma EX DG 52mm Multi-Coated UV Filter (No problems with this filter). One last thing, during my research I considered getting the Canon Rebel counterpart. To me the Nikon has several advantages - better menus (Canons menu looks archaic and crude in comparison), better selection of affordable lenses, flash and other accesories, better ergonomics, better color rendition, auto ISO. Both camera companies are great and both cameras are capable of nice photos, but the D40 is much easier to use, and at the time I bought it, significantly cheaper I am completely happy I went with Nikon over Canon, and now that I have more experience in the DSLR world I look forward to upgrading to a bigger, more complex D300/700 eventually. But I know will still use my little D40 as well! One more last thing, if you are still unsure and want to know how to use this camera before buying, you can check the Nikon Digitutor online videos: [...]

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I bought my D40 as an upgrade to a D50, which was my first DSLR. The D40 lacks a few features the D50 had. Most important the D40 cant focus early (Non-AF-S version) lenses. Also the D40 lacks of a top status window and dedicated buttons for ISO and White Balance found on the older D50. Obviously Nikon was trying to keep cost down and build a lighter and smaller camera. They have succeeded! The compromises are generally over come by the camera excellent image quality, robust (fast!) performance and ease of use. In all these regards it is a better camera then the older D50, which was a ground breaking entry level DSLR. What I like Best: 1> Auto ISO works great (once you figure out how to turn it on in Program Mode) Picture at ISO 1600 are very usable. 2> Nice LCD display. Big upgrade from my D50! Picture in review mode are very easy to see and edit. The LCDs integrate information display easily makes up for a lack of a top status window and with a push of a couple buttons you can quickly change most setting. 3> Very powerful Internal Flash and excellent AF lamp. No red eye! Nikons TTL metering with a flash is the best in the business and the D40 also sync up to 1/500 of a sec for excellent fill flash in bright condition. 4> Highly customizable menu system and excellent in camera editing functions. The color balance filter with color histograms is an unbelievable feature to find on a entry level camera. 5> Price vs. value, easily the best deal in a DSLR out their today. What I like least: 1> As with the D50 the Matrix Meter on this generation of consumer Nikons tends to overexpose most of the time. This can be adjusted by turning exposure compensation to -0.7. 2> My D50s Auto White Balance could never adjust to indoor incandescent lighting without a flash and the D40 still has this flaw. You can of course adjust it manually, but this is still a big problem for a camera intended for the point-n-shot crowd. 3> The D40 is noticeably smaller and lighter than the D50 and in many ways this is a good thing, but I am still struggling to get use to the smaller grip of the D40. I loved the grip on the D50! The D40s small grip isnt a problem with the complementary 18-55mm kit lens, which weights almost nothing. But the D40 seems a little hard to handle when I mount larger zoom lenses. Daytona 500 Update: After writing this review I took my D40 to the Daytona 500. Using a Nikkor 18-200MM I was able to take some of the best pictures of my life. The burst rate of the camera was a little slow, but at 1/1000 of a second I was still able to catch many great shots of the Sprint Cup cars zipping by. As would be expected, freezing the action became increasingly difficult as the sun began to set. Then it occurred to me that the camera flash syncs at 1/500 of a second. I set ISO at 1600, set shutter priority to 1/500 and popped up the onboard flash. I was able to get a very nice shot of Ryan Newman and Kurt Bush coming to the checkered flag, even though they were going 185 MPH and I was over 100 feet away from the track. No way your going to find a better digital camera for the price!

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I did quite a bit of photography back when I was younger, then it just got to be a pain to have the film developed. I put all my old Nikon equipment away for many years. Now it became apparent that I needed to be taking pictures of the grandkids, so I sold all of my film Nikons and bought this D40. Wow, I must admit that I am overwhelmed by what this camera will do. Its very easy to "point and shoot", but thats not the reason I bought it. I want to be creative with my equipment and this camera will allow for that....once I learn how to control it. This camera does so much more than my old Nikon Fs that learning it is going to take me a while. I will say this much, the optics are sharp. Just like my Nikons of old, the photos are sharp as tacks. It is quiet, light-weight and all the controls are easy to access (as soon as I learn how/what to do with them). The big thing I like about digital photography is the immediate feedback with the large 2.5" LCD screen. Another thing I like with the SLR is the lack of "lag-time" you get with the cheap point and shoot cameras. I tried some others but I could not get the expressions of the grandkids that I was used to with my film cameras. With this D40 Im back in business. So far it has been everything I was hoping for.

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I bought this camera for my daughter for Christmas, as before she used a Kodak Easy Share LS420. Not happy with the shutter lag, and a want-to-be amateur photographer, we picked out the Nikon D40 Digital SLR. The lens speed is fantastic and the colors come out gorgous. She has never gotten so many compliments on the clarity and color of her photos before. The camera is light weight and comes with a heavy strap to carry. You also get a 18-55mm lens that zooms and distances the photos as you desire. It has an auto-focus option where all you have to do is press the button half way and it will focus the photo for you before you take it. On Auto, the lens speed is fast as long as you have an object you are focusing on. The action option will truly only work well if you are focused on a fast moving object, otherwise the lens will stall and the photo comes out yellow and foggy. (But why would you be using action if there wasnt anything moving, anyway?) On Auto, it is difficult to take a picture of anything close (Say, within 8-6 inches of the lens if it is a larger object) since it will not focus it, but then you can switch it over to Manual if needed and take the photo that way. The camera is attractive, the battery life is decent, the photos are spectacular. It uses a standard SD memory hard which was the same her old camera used. For a beginner, it was easy to pick up and use without the manual, which she still hasnt read. Her only complaint is that you do not see the photos on the LCD before you take the picture, only after. (hense the 4 instead of 5 stars) The neat thing about the photos as well as the camera lets you adjust the lighting, sepia or black and whites, and color adding right on the camera without putting it onto your computer and using a software. I expect her to share some of those photo contest winnings in due time, with her Nikon in hand. Nikon lived up to its reputation with this one.

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