Digital Trends

Nikon D40 February 22nd, 2007 | by David Elrich

Testing and Use

Having primarily used 10-megapixel D-SLRs over the past months, I was very curious how this 6MP camera would hold up. After charging the battery it was time to power up and start shooting. As to be expected, the camera was ready to go in less than two seconds. Nikon is to be commended for a very easy-to-understand status display that pops up on the LCD. It has something found on no other camera—a graphic display showing the aperture opening. Newbies may think this is just an image of a cool-looking circle but a brief time with the owner’s manual will get them up to speed. Whether they’ll do anything with it other than “ooh” and “ah” is a question for market researchers. I liked it and it’s a good indication how the company designed this camera for first-timers.

The Nikon D40 is a compact, lightweight D-SLR that feels much less substantial than more expensive models even though it’s only a couple of ounces less. That said it has a comfortable feel and a logical control layout. The mode dial offers quick access to popular scene modes (portrait, landscape, flash off and others). There are also the usual aperture- and shutter priority, manual and program modes for those who want to experiment once they get the feel of the camera.

Nikon D40 LCD Display

For first-timers, Nikon offers a number of aids such as Assist Images that let you know if the setting you chose is appropriate for that photo. There’s also a very cool Info screen available on the 2.5-inch LCD monitor. When you check White Balance, for example, a small thumbnail image shows a typical photo used with that setting so you can make the right choice. The same holds true for ISO (200-1600), type of focus, metering and so on. This is very helpful and Nikon should be applauded for helping photographers take the step from point-and-shoot to a D-SLR. The D40 also has a number of in-camera editing programs such as D-Lighting that brightens dark photos, red-eye reduction and cropping.

I started shooting in Auto then moved to the various Scene and Manual modes. We recently had an ice storm that coated bushes and trees with a shimmering layer. I used branches and shrubs as subjects while crunching around the neighborhood. Focusing was quick and accurate, even with just a 3-point AF system (others have 9 or more). The camera saved images to the SD (or SDHC) card with little hesitation and can shoot continuously for 2.5 frames per second up to 100 shots, compared to quicker speeds and greater capacity than other more expensive D-SLRs. I shot similar images using the D40 and Canon Rebel XTi. I could really tell the difference in response switching between the two (the Canon felt like a machine gun compared to a semi-automatic rifle).

After testing the D40 with the kit lens and making 8.5x11 prints, I have to give the camera solid marks. Is it as capable as the Pentax K10D? No, but that camera is $400 more. The D40 delivered accurate colors that were quite pleasing and my prints showed little noise, However since these are 6MP files, I wouldn’t feel confident making larger prints or doing any severe cropping. Remember: you shouldn’t be seduced by megapixels alone since the D40 takes quality images even though it’s “only” 6.1-megapixels.

Image Courtesy of D40