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Nikon D40 review
Ilse Jurriën : December 13th 2006 - 21:00 CET
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 Nikon D40 SLR camera review : Entry-level DSLR models are very interesting for manufacturers. They can reach high volumes, there is a much greater group who can afford these cameras and you can bind new users to your own system. There's a reason why the competition in this segment is so fierce. Nikon's newest weapon is the D40, and Nikon is using it to raise the stakes. The Nikon D40 DSLR is primarily meant for consumers who want more than a compact camera. In the profile of the target group, Nikon sees a family person between 30 and 70 years old. The typical user of the Nikon D40 is looking for a camera that stimulates creative qualities and reacts quicker than a compact camera.
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 Nikon D40 digital SLR - 6 Megapixel
Remarkably, the Nikon D40 has not joined in the Megapixel race. Instead of 10, this camera 'only' has 6 million pixels. The number of Megapixels has a large psychological effect on the average consumer. This can be explained in part by the early years wherein the number of pixels contributed to the quality, but it was mainly the manufacturers who spurred each other on to the 10 Megapixel limit in such a short period of time. It looks as if this record will shortly be broken with the introduction of a 12 Megapixel sensor by Sharp that will be used for a compact camera. Do we really need ever increasing amounts of pixels? The answer, to be blunt, is no; we need better pixel quality and you can get high quality prints sized an A4 or even A3 with 6 million pixels. With the introduction of the Nikon D40, Nikon as a manufacturer is making it clear that they share this opinion; 6 Megapixels gives the photographer top quality.
Nikon D40 - Interchangeable AF-S / AF-I Nikkor lenses
One of the most important advantages of using Nikon digital SLR cameras is the wide variety of interchangeable lenses available. The Nikon D40 is fully compatible with all AF-S/AF-I Nikkor lenses, each providing the exceptional sharpness, image clarity, color reproduction, and fast, accurate autofocus performance that Nikkor is famous for. The kit lens for the D40 SLR is the new 3x 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor lens, assuring superb picture sharpness and optimum contrast, along with the versatility of a wide-angle to medium telephoto lens.
Nikon D40 DSLR camera - Continuous shooting
The Nikon D40 is ready when you are. It takes only 0.18 seconds to power up, and the camera’s nearly imperceptible shutter release lag time does away with the frustrating picture-taking delay common with point-and-shoot digital cameras - assuring that special moments are captured beautifully. Continuous shooting makes it easy to capture the action by shooting at 2.5 frames per second for up to 100 shots. Images are rapidly processed and recorded to a compact SD memory card, and a USB 2.0 Hi-speed interface supports fast transfer of image data to a connected computer. Even previewing images on the bright 2.5-inch LCD color monitor is near instant.
Nikon D40 digital reflex camera review
Nikon's new compact flash, the SB-400 is also very interesting. It fits seamlessly with Nikon's i-TTL flash system. This system is still one of a kind. No other brand is so good at balancing flashes. With a guide number of 21 (at ISO 100) it gives just a little more than the inbuilt flash and saves the camera battery. The most important reason for considering the SB-400 is that you can tilt the flash head.This allows you to use the flash indirectly for a beautiful effect and avoid ugly shadows. The flash comes with a small bag and as it is so compact it is easy to bring along with you. The D40 is an extremely interesting digital SLR camera with lots of new functions to make life more pleasant for photographers. You can read our findings in the following Nikon D40 review, including sample images, and an expert view of Tom Boné, Chief editor of Nikonians.
* For Norwegian visitors we recommend you to read Kai Thon's preview at Digit.no.
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