Nikon D40 is an all new affordable, compact, point-and-shoot digital SLR from Nikon, it follows on from the D50 but at a significantly lower price point and with a subtly different feature set. The biggest news however is probably fact that Nikon resisted the temptation to keep chasing megapixels (hooray for that) and instead appear to have concentrated on what makes a good camera, a decent viewfinder, short shutter lag, very short viewfinder blackout. They've trimmed some of the 'less important features' (you can't change the exposure steps for example) but have squeezed a range of new features such as custom Auto ISO which we welcomed with the D80.
Auto Focus only for AF-S or AF-I lenses
Perhaps the biggest negative on the D40 is that it doesn't have an internal focus drive motor and hence no mechanical focus drive pin, instead it only has CPU contacts which means it can only Auto Focus with AF-S and AF-I lenses (those with built-in focus motors). Indeed our 'standard' lens the Nikkor 50 mm F1.8D (and the F1.4D) are manual focus only on the D40. The images below show the difference between the mount on the D40 and D80, the D80 has a mechanical focus drive pin at about the 7 o'clock position.
Key features
- 6 megapixel DX format CCD (1.5x FOV crop, as D50)
- Nikon Image processing engine (as D80 / D200)
- 3D Color Matrix Metering II, 420 pixel sensor (as D80 / D50)
- New Multi-CAM530 three area AF sensor
- ISO sensitivity range 200 - 1600 plus HI 1 (3200 equiv.)
- Custom Auto ISO (selectable maximum ISO, minimum shutter speed)
- 2.5 fps continuous shooting (as D50), unlimited in JPEG
- No status LCD, new LCD monitor based status / settings screens
- Help suggestions on LCD monitor (eg. scene too dark, try using flash)
- Large 2.5" 230,000 pixel LCD monitor
- Bigger viewfinder view (x0.8 magnification, 95% coverage)
- Short shutter lag and viewfinder blackout
- Support for SDHC (SD cards over 2 GB in capacity)
- In-camera retouching
- D-Lighting (shadow / highlight enhancement)
- Red-eye reduction
- Trimming
- Monochrome
- Filter effects
- Small picture
- Image overlay
- USB 2.0 with PTP and Mass Storage device support
- Very compact, light body (smaller, lighter than D50)
- Improved menu user interface (as D80 / D200)
- New EN-EL9 Lithium-Ion battery (7.2V, 1000 mAh)
- New 'Version II' AF-S DX 18-55 mm kit lens
Main Features
- The lightest, most compact Nikon digital SLR ever, featuring intuitive controls and an ergonomically designed operation that even first-time SLR users can enjoy
- Nikon DX Format CCD image sensor; 6.1 effective megapixels
- Fast 2.5 frames per second in bursts of up to 100 JPEG frames (FINE L-size or smaller)
- High-precision digital image processing algorithms produce natural-looking images with faithful color and tone reproduction
- 3D Color Matrix Metering II with 420-pixel RGB sensor delivers consistent and dependable automatic exposure for ideal results in most lighting conditions
- Advanced 3-area AF system and the refined algorithms inherited from the advanced Nikon digital SLR cameras deliver fast, efficient and precise autofocus, while an AF-assist illuminator helps ensure top performance in dark situations
- Automatic control over ISO-equivalent sensitivity from ISO 200 to 1600 plus HI 1 can also be set manually
- Eight automated Digital Vari-Programs [Auto, Auto (Flash Off), Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports, Close Up, and Night Portrait] optimize white balance, sharpening, tone, color, saturation and hue to match the scene
- Near-instant 0.18-second power-up lets photographers respond to every photographic opportunity
- Versatile shutter speed control with a range from 30 to 1/4000 s, plus bulb
- Creative in-camera effects and editing functions consolidated under the new Retouch menu, including D-Lighting, Red-eye correction, Trim, Monochrome settings (Black-and-white, Sepia, Cyanotype), Filter Effects (Skylight, Warm filter, Color balance), Small Picture and Image Overlay
- Large 2.5-inch LCD monitor with viewing angle of approx. 170 degrees in all directions
- Innovative information displays can be shown in Classic, Graphic or Wallpaper format
- “Assist Images” help select the appropriate settings for many camera features by showing an example image typical of that setting
- Large, bright viewfinder with 0.8x magnification ensures clear view for precise composition
- Fast image data transfer and recording to SD memory cards of up to 4GB capacity (SDHC compliant)
- Long-life Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL9 allows up to 470 images* in single-frame shooting mode on a single charge (*CIPA standard, with Built-in Flash used for 50% of the shots)
- Built-in Flash with i-TTL flash control and full support for Nikon's Creative Lighting System
- Includes Nikon’s PictureProject software for easy control over image adjustment and management
- Support for Nikon's new Capture NX software, which provides easier access to powerful and visually intuitive enhancement tools that help tap the full potential of NEF images
Nikon's choice of "compromises" with the D40 are switching to a new three area AF sensor (although it seems to be just as fast), removing some of the flexibility (you can't change the CW average area, exposure steps are fixed at 1/3 EV and there's no bracketing) and removing the status LCD (although this has more to do with making the camera smaller than saving money). What the D40 shares with the D50 are some of the important things, the six megapixel sensor, the 420 pixel metering sensor (also used on the D80), the more 'consumer like' default IIIa color mode and 2.5 frames per second continuous shooting (although now unlimited in JPEG mode).
On the plus side you get ISO 3200 equiv. (HI 1), the ever useful customizable Auto ISO, a larger viewfinder view, shorter shutter lag and viewfinder blackout, a larger LCD monitor, a considerably nicer user interface, SDHC support, a new image processing engine, unlimited JPEG continuous shooting, in-camera retouching (including D-Lighting) and of course a smaller and lighter body. It would not therefore be fair to describe the D40 as a 'dumbed down' D50, far from it, the range of improvements and new features out-weigh those which have been removed or reduce, which would most likely not be missed by the average D40 owner.
You can see the review at : www.dpreview.com/reviews/NikonD40
