Digital Camera Reviews

Nikon D40 packs enough features into its diminutive frame to keep serious enthusiasts interested as well. It’s also the smallest and lightest Nikon DSLR to date, so the point & shoot photographer looking to move up to a real SLR, can do so without having to put up with the heft and bulk that the genre usually dictates. And like all consumer SLRs on the market, you can still point & shoot.

Camera in favor of a more hands-on role for the 2.5-inch LCD on the back. A single button press brings up a display of all your current settings; a second press allows you to navigate and change those settings using the four-way-plus-OK navigation switch and command dial. If you’re used to shooting with a snapshot camera, it will feel very familiar; if you’re accustomed to more streamlined combinations of buttons and dials, it can feel a bit clunky. For instance, in aperture-priority mode, you can change the aperture only via the command dial; to change the shutter speed, you must go through the aforementioned process. Nikon digital camera does provide an Fn button to which you can assign button-plus-dial access to image size/quality, ISO sensitivity, white balance, or drive mode, but I just hate it when manufacturers force me to choose an arbitrarily most-important setting from among several important ones. 

Seven automated Digital Vari-Programs (Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Close Up, Sports, Night Landscape and Night Portrait) optimize white balance, sharpening, tone, color, saturation and hue to match the scene.

The Nikon D40’s pop-up flash is fairly quiet, releasing with a single “clack;” more tame than the Canon Rebel XTi’s far louder “zing/clunk.” It can be released manually by the user via the button on the left of the lens mount, or automatically by the camera when in fully automatic modes. 

New compact rod-type Silent Wave Motor (SWM) enables ultra-high speed auto focusing with exceptional accuracy and super-quiet operation. Nikon Super Integrated Coating minimizes ghosting and flare to provide even higher contrast and more vivid images, even in challenging light conditions.

The Nikon D40’s control layout is simple and easy to adapt to. I even like the position of the Function button. This is a button you can reprogram to bring up your most frequently adjusted menu item. I currently have it set to ISO. Just press the Function button on the side of the lens with your left thumb and turn the Command dial. The status display lights up the FN box and you can see the ISO numbers ramp up or down.  

Nikon D40 Digital Camera Reviews:-                      

# imaging-resource Reviews: - Though the Nikon D40’s kit lens is pretty good, and also fast and quiet, we were a little disappointed with the significant flare we see in its images with high contrast elements out toward the corners, even in the middle of its zoom range. Its chromatic aberration was also fairly high at wide angle, but none of these minor problems were significantly different from other comparably priced offerings. The lens performed very well in most circumstances, so it’s well worth the price. 

# reviews.cnet Reviews: - Excellent feel and compact size; very customizable menu architecture; nice guidance for dslr newbies; excellent noise characteristics for high-ISO shots.