Nikon D40 Digital SLR Camera - Black
Nikon D40 Digital SLR Camera - Black (18-55mm Lens Kit)
With this high-class digital camera, Nikon decided not to increase its impressive megapixel power but to bring together all the elements that make for a great camera! Here it is, the D40! The most compact digital camera ever developed by Nikon! The D40 is Nikon's first ever camera to offer all the advantages of the "Image Total Nikon" system thanks to its compatibility with Nikon AF-S lenses. More compact and lighter than its predecessor, the D40 has a 6-megapixel sensor and incorporates a 2.5" LCD screen for ease of use. Extremely fast and always ready to take photos, the D40 has a starting time of just 0.18 sec. This camera also has a continuous focusing mode of 2.5 photos per second, which is ideal for sports photographers! Supplied with an AF-S DX 18-55cm lens suitable for the most common photos, the D40 is also equipped with an EN-EL9 1000 mAh battery, which allows you to take 470 photos on one single battery charge. The D40 is without a doubt the wisest choice for all landscape lovers and photographers looking for a fun-to-use digital camera!
Manufacturer's Description:
Reviews
The D40 is a compact and lightweight high-performance camera that makes it possible for anyone to create stunning images with an SLR. Designed specifically for ease of use, the D40 lets you use the kind of digital and optical technologies that professionals use without the need to deal with complex functions. Whatever you shoot there is an automated Digital Vari Program that lets you achieve fantastic results in any situation. Help menus are easy to navigate and the in-camera retouch menu makes it simple to edit and enhance your images on the large, bright 2.5-inch LCD monitor.
Compact and lightweight;Only 475g in weight, the D40 fits comfortably in your hand and features a well-balanced design and grip to ensure easy access to controls.
6.1 megapixel;DX format image sensor for exceptionally vivid and detailed high-resolution images that are ideal for enlargements.
AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED lens;Optically designed for use with Nikon digital SLR sensors. 135 equivalent of 27-82.5mm zoom range.
Razor-sharp 3-area Autofocus;This advanced autofocus system features three focus areas that can be individually controlled. Whether you are at the beach, the football field or an amusement park, the D40 will focus quickly and accurately.
Large, bright 2.5-inch LCD monitor;Image details are clearly visible and the simple help menus are easy to navigate.
8 Digital Vari-Programs;Automatically optimize the camera settings to produce great results in any condition. Selections include Auto Flash Off, Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports, Close-up and Night Portrait. Simply rotate the mode dial to your preferred choice, or select the completely automatic AUTO mode and let the D40 take care of it all.
Nikon's exclusive built-in i-TTLflash technology;Ensures that the D40 always provides the right light even in backlit situations. The camera evaluates the scene and calculates the ideal lighting before you take each and every shot. No extra buttons, no complicated procedures.
Near-instant 0.18s start-up time;Ready in 0.18 seconds after camera on, the D40 empowers you with the speed to act on the spur of the moment.
2.5 fps continuous shooting;Capture subtle movements in a split second with Continuous Shooting Mode. With the ability to take up to 100 action shots at approx. 2.5 frames per second, the D40 is able to capture it all, even when the action is fast.
200 1600 ISO broad sensitivity range;Lets the camera create beautiful images in challenging low-light situations without using a flash. Sensitivity can be manually boosted to a HI-1 setting for those special occasions that call for even higher sensitivity.
Easy-to-use Retouch Menu;Makes it simple to edit and enhance your pictures in the camera. The range of image enhancements includes several colour filter effects and black-and-white or sepia tones, as well as image technologies such as Red-Eye Fix and D-Lighting.
Great pictures have never been easier to take; Great pictures used to require complicated and cumbersome equipment along with years of experience;Not any more; The D40 is compact, lightweight and designed specifically for ease of use, yet contains all the top-quality, high-performance technologies that you expect from a Nikon digital SLR; And with world-famous Nikkor lenses, you know you have the sharpest and most reliable optical performance available; All in a camera light enough to carry with you everywhere;Beautiful photography has never been easier.
Box Contents
Reviews
The D40 Kit includes the AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm lens that features Nikon s unique Silent Wave Motor (SWM) for fast, accurate and exceptionally quiet operation. The D40 s high-resolution image quality is made possible by Nikon s high-performance 6.1 megapixel Nikon DX format CCD imaging sensor and exclusive Nikon image processing engine which assures stunning sharpness and color. Intuitive controls make the D40 point-and-shoot simple, enabling even first-time SLR users to capture beautiful memories perfectly.
GBP 232.75
GBP 249.99
- 6.1 megapixels
- 18-55mm lens size
- 2.5 inch LCD screen size
- 2.5 frames per second
- SD memory format
Fantastic SLR Camera
In a layman's term, this D-SLR camera is almost identical (in term of features and picture quality) to any other Nikon Mid/professional D-SLR camera so I am not sure why Nikons are selling them so cheap - i am baffled! Unbelivebly, it's under £300.00 pounds and you can also claim £40.00 pounds cash back directly from Nikon.
The other most important thing about this camera is that you can upgrade to an enhanced newer Nikkor AF lens later when your ready. so it's future proof by default.
The camera kit does not contain SD card so you'll need to buy one prior to receiving the camera. just get a 2GB SD from ebay or amazon for £5 (correct on Aug 2008). Also don't worry about SDHC as this camera uses an internal memory buffer to store the images before presisting it on the SD card. i managed 2.6 pics per/sec with continuous shooting.
The flash sync system used in this camera is same the pro Nikon (£1500 >) DSLR camera.
The battery seems to lasts for ever. well literally. i think it's like 700 pics but i've been using for nearly 3 weeks and the charge is still full.
good luck.
Amazing value for money
I bought this camera on monday, with the express delivery option so I have only had it in my sticky mitts for two days but so far so good. The battery charges in 1.5 hours which is pretty quick and hasn't even moved on the battery meter (200+ shots easy).
First impressions was how small the body is, this is my first DSLR, if fact the first camera i have ever bought and I was happy it's not bulky. I didn't bother to read the quick start or manual, it's that easy to figure out everything to get it up and running in auto mode, as a point a click it produces very sharp, very rich pictures every time, unless you have shaky hands, or you twitch.
I was amazed at how well it coped with my 18 month neice, taking a decent picture of her smiling with a cheap compact is nigh on impossible as she's moved by the time the camera has woken up. I spent half an hour with her and took around 50 shots, of which only 5 were duff, more likely the photographer not the media or the equipment.
I have now started to read the manual about the more advanced options, but to be honest if you are a complete novice like me ask some one who knows what they are doing, get it off the auto mode and play with the apature / shutter speed / ISO etc etc ... ( I now know there is even a child mode specifically designed for taking picutures of children, it makes the colours more vivid, adjusts skin tones and shutter / apature).
The 18-55mm lens is ok, you can take close up shots / portrait but you can't zoom in as much as I would have thought, (remember i am a novice before you flame me about 300mm lenses). And some people have said that one of this cameras limitations is that you can only get lenses that are motorised (for the auto focus mode).
Top tip: buy a cheap UV filter to go on the lens, that way should you drop it you stand a chance of saving the lens.
I conclusion there's ample features to keep a novice like me amused for hours, it's upgradeable at a cost of dearer lens, and it's relativity compact for an DSLR, i wouldn't hestitate to recommend it.
THE best value DSLR
I bought this shortly after it was released for around £300 with the 18-55 lens, even then it was fab value for money, now it's just outrageously cheap with the cashback. Since then I have taken thousands of pictures as it is just a joy to use. I have also bought several other lenses: Nikon 50mm 1.8, 55-200mm VR, Sigma 10-20mm and 30mm 1.4, and also the SB-400 speedlight. The d40 works perfectly with all of them and produces vibrant images time after time. The difference in image quality with even a high-end compact camera is huge. Forget about the pixels, 5-6MP is enough for a high quality A3 print and would fill up even the largest monitor (2000x3000), also means more storage on your hard disk/DVD.
I would suggest tweaking the default settings to get the best out of it: Crank up the saturation and colour settings and leave the metering compensation on -0.7 for most situations. See Kenrockwell.com for a comprehensive guide.
The d40 body is very well made but quite small and light, so with the equally light 18-55 you can take it everywhere as you would a compact. A d300 is very nice but it is a goliath next to the d40 and being very expensive is likely to live a quiet existence in a padded bag. I would really recommend spending the spare cash on extra lenses (which you can use on future bodies when you upgrade/replace).
The other thing you may wish to do is invest in a decent monitor (e.g. 24" 1900x1200) to see the results, which are often astonishing. There is no point having a serious camera only to look at the pics on a 12" laptop display.
When i was doing B&W photography in a darkroom 15 yrs ago I would scarcely have dreamt that such technology was even possible let alone so affordable, what are you waiting for? get one now!
Excellent Value for Money
OK, there are many, many more feature-packed cameras available.
OK, it's only capable of 6.1 megapixels
OK, it's not the most amazing at producing indoor shots without flash.
OK, you have to get expensive AF-S lenses to get auto-focus with this camera.
Well, forget all those things and buy this camera now. It's excellent. If you, like me, are looking for your first 'proper' camera (ie. an SLR), then, in my opinion, you need look no further than this wonderful piece of kit. It's just so much fun to use... it just feels so right -- good size, good weight, good picture quality, pretty fast, easy to use, nice 'idiot' mode, nice 'helper' pictures to remind you what the different settings do... it has the same (excellent) sensor as some of the more expensive models too, so that can't be bad.
Most of all though... you are getting a well-featured PROPER SLR CAMERA for about £250. It's an absolute bargain and I really can't tell you just how much better your photos will be if you buy one of these, read a few articles on photography, get a couple of books on the subject and just start shooting.
To summarise: buy this camera -- it's ace.
Nikon Gold
I will avoid a technical angle in this review as it has been admirably covered by previous buyers.
I took the plunge and bought this camera late Sunday night and received it early Tuesday morning, which is excellent.
The camera itself so far has been superb and gave me a superb days first shoot of 750 pictures.
I had been using a Coolpix for two years and have been amazed at what it could do, but the D40 is superb. A previous reviewer stated that I would be delighted at how well the wide angle lens works, and they were right.
I take a lot of action shots in Sports mode of myself and mates clay pigeon shooting, and on day 1 came home with action shots of shooters breaking clays. (these clays are on an Olympic Skeet layout, the birds are moving at 90mph, yet the camera caught the action perfectly).
I know I am going to love this camera more and more.
One tiny criticism though is the operators manual. It's crap. Obviously written by Nikon nerds who don't own a camera but who are software geeks. Thank God Amazon offer a digital guide to Nikons for well under a tenner/that's the next purchase.
I boughta 4GB card for the camera which give me 2,100 shots per day. Beat that. this is a great camera making a suoperb companion piece to my Coolpix and Nikon binoculars.
Nikon D40 Digital SLR Camera - Black
