The Nikon D40 is

Nikon (, ; ), also known just as Nikon, is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and imaging products. The companies held by Nikon form the Nikon Group. Nikon's products include cameras, camera ...

F-mount entry-level

digital SLR A digital single-lens reflex camera (digital SLR or DSLR) is a digital camera that combines the optics and the mechanisms of a single-lens reflex camera with a digital imaging sensor. The reflex design scheme is the primary difference between ...

, announced November 16, 2006 and made until March 2009, when it was succeeded by the Nikon D3000. Compared to its predecessor, the D50, the D40 had several features removed, a few added, and a lower price: US$499.95 ESP as of November 2009 with the 18–55 mm G-II kit lens, positioning it as an entry-level model compared to the D80. The D40x (released March 6, 2007) has a 10-megapixel maximum resolution, up from 6 megapixels of the D40 and D50. The D40 was the first Nikon DSLR without an in-body focus motor.

Autofocus An autofocus (or AF) optical system uses a sensor, a control system and a motor to focus on an automatically or manually selected point or area. An electronic rangefinder has a display instead of the motor; the adjustment of the optical system ...

requires the use of a lens with an integrated autofocus-motor. Despite being superseded by newer offerings, the Nikon D40 retained some significant advantages.

Features

The Nikon D40 was less expensive than the Canon EOS 400D (also known as the Rebel XTi in the United States), the

Pentax K110D The K110D is Pentax's entry-level DSLR. It has 6.1 Megapixels (6.1 Million effective pixels). The K110D is youngest of three sibling cameras in terms of specifications. It differs from the K100D only in lacking an in-body image stabilization syste ...

, and the

Olympus E-400 The Olympus E-400 is a digital single-lens reflex camera launched by Olympus on 14 September 2006, using the Four Thirds System lens mount standard. This 10 megapixel camera could be compared to other DSLRs unveiled during the summer of 2006 with ...

, and is competitively priced against high-end

bridge camera Bridge cameras are cameras that fill the niche between relatively simple point-and-shoot cameras and interchangeable-lens cameras such as mirrorless cameras and single-lens reflex cameras (SLRs). They are often comparable in size and weight t ...

s (the D40 and D40x do not have

live preview Live preview is a feature that allows a digital camera's display screen to be used as a viewfinder. This provides a means of previewing framing and other exposure before taking the photograph. In most such cameras, the preview is generated by m ...

, unlike bridge digitals). It was launched accompanied by a new small

kit lens A kit lens is a "starter" lens which can be sold with an interchangeable-lens camera such as a single-lens reflex camera. It is generally an inexpensive lens priced at the lowest end of the manufacturer's range so as to not add much to a camera kit' ...

, the AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18–55 mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II. The D40's small size and low price made it attractive to point-and-shoot photographers moving up to their first SLR, however it does contain features and improvements that would appeal to enthusiasts as well. Despite having a comparatively lower resolution for a DSLR introduced in 2006, the D40 held some benefits over its newer competition such as the Nikon D40x, D60, and Canon Rebels. Because only 6 megapixels are fit onto the standard

Nikon DX format The Nikon DX format is an alternative name used by Nikon corporation for APS-C image sensor format being approximately 24x16 mm. Its dimensions are about (29 mm vs 43 mm diagonal, approx.) those of the 35mm format. The format was ...

sensor, the sensitivity of each pixel is higher. The default sensitivity on the D40 is ISO 200, and the D40 adds an ISO 3200 speed (listed as "Hi1" in the camera menu) compared to the

Nikon D50 The Nikon'' ''D50 is a 6.1-megapixel entry-level digital single-lens reflex camera, sold from June 2005 until November 2006 by Nikon. It was Nikon's first DSLR aimed at the consumer market, and sold for US$899. It uses the Nikon F mount. The D50 ...

's maximum ISO 1600. The D40 has a very fast 1/500

flash sync In photography, flash synchronization or flash sync is the synchronizing the firing of a photographic flash with the opening of the shutter admitting light to photographic film or electronic image sensor. In cameras with mechanical (clockwor ...

, useful for daytime fill-flash. This compares to the typical 1/200 sync speed of other entry level and even some semi-pro DSLR cameras such as the

Canon EOS 40D The Canon EOS 40D is a 10.1-megapixel semi-professional digital single-lens reflex camera. It was initially announced on 20 August 2007 and was released at the end of that month. It is the successor of the Canon EOS 30D, and is succeeded by the ...

with its 1/250 sync speed. Due to its hybrid electronic/mechanical shutter, it is in fact possible to flash sync the D40 beyond its published 1/500 maximum sync speed up to its maximum shutter speed of 1/4000. The D40x does not share this ability. The D40 lacks a built-in

autofocus An autofocus (or AF) optical system uses a sensor, a control system and a motor to focus on an automatically or manually selected point or area. An electronic rangefinder has a display instead of the motor; the adjustment of the optical system ...

motor, which means that only Nikon lenses designated with AF-I, AF-S or compatible focus motors can be used in autofocus mode.

Reception

The Nikon D40 was tested by various independent reviewers, receiving generally very favorable comments for its ergonomics and image quality. It received some criticism for some of the compromises its designers made to keep the D40's price and size competitive. For example, ''

Digital Photography Review ''Digital Photography Review'', also known as ''DPReview,'' is a website about digital cameras and digital photography, established in November 1998. The website provides comprehensive reviews of digital cameras, lenses and accessories, buying g ...

'', among many others, noted the loss of the screw-drive autofocus motor and the top LCD panel.

Nikon D40x

On March 6, 2007, Nikon introduced the D40X, a sister camera to the D40. While identical in external design to the D40, it has a 10.2-megapixel CCD sensor, continuous shooting up to 3 frames per second, and a base sensitivity of ISO 100 (as noted above, each pixel in the 10.2-megapixel sensor receives less light than the pixels in the D40 sensor). It has a flash sync speed of 1/200 seconds compared to the D40's 1/500 seconds. It is otherwise identical. The launch was accompanied by the introduction of a new consumer-level telephoto zoom with vibration reduction. Nikon ceased production of the D40X in December 2007, shortly before they introduced its successor, the

Nikon D60 The Nikon D60 is a 10.2-megapixel Nikon F-mount digital single-lens reflex camera announced in January 2008. The D60 succeeds the entry-level Nikon D40x. It features the Nikon EXPEED image processor introduced in the higher-end Nikon D3 and D3 ...

Gallery

File:D40 back.jpg, Rear panel of the D40 File:D40 jm3 rotate.jpg, D40 with normal zoom equipped with a

Nikkor Nikkor is the brand of lenses produced by Nikon Corporation, including camera lenses for the Nikon F-mount. Nikko parent company brand, from which the Nikkor brand evolved. The ''Nikkor'' brand was introduced in 1932, a Westernised rendering of ...

18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR kit

lens A lens is a transmissive optical device which focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements ...

File:Nikon D40 sensor.jpg, Showing the DX sensor of the D40 File:Nikon D40x.jpg, Nikon D40X with AF-S 18-55mm 3.5-5.6G kit lens and SB-400

flash unit A flash is a device used in photography that produces a brief burst of light (typically lasting 1/1000 to 1/200 of a second) at a color temperature of about 5500 K to help illuminate a scene. A major purpose of a flash is to illuminate a ...

References

External links