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Customers most agreed on the following attributes:
from Ardmore, PA on 8/27/2008
This is a fantastic camera for the price. In my opinion it's as good as any non-professional digital SLR. As for as bang for your buck, I don't think any other comes close. The pictures it takes are stunning and the lag time is quite short. This is a great camera for snapping photos of babies. I love it!
from Plano TX on 8/25/2008
I am a beginner photographer with Nikon D40 being my first "good" camera. I love it!!
from Tularosa, N.M. on 8/24/2008
I went to[@], he reviews many cameras and equipment, best advise I got bar none. Answers many many questions the new or old photo person might have, what to buyy, where to buy, what to avoid, etc. Adoroma is second to none, in best price [...]
from Little Rock, AR on 8/24/2008
After several decades as a film photographer, I am having a blast learning digital photography with the Nikon D40. It is easy to use, versitil and light weight. My photos have been tack sharp.
from Redwood Shores, CA. on 8/6/2008
Easy to use and great pictures! I wanted to have a good camera for the birth of my 1st grandson! Haven't figured out how to keep the image in the display longer. Hopefully, it is possible to do so, just haven't had time to review the owner's manual.
from Murrieta, CA on 8/1/2008
Excellent - first "nice" digital SLR for me. All of the slideshow photos on these two blogs were created using this camera. Highly recommend a "nice" Nikon flash for indoor/sports shots, and a digital card reader.[@]
from ettrick wi on 7/28/2008
camera is so easy to use and takes great pictures for a novice like me. replaced a sony point and shoot for not that much more money.this camera is so easy to set up and if u dont have the time to learn the other manual settings, the auto works fine. fast response with flash, no need to guess.great first camera
from MO on 7/23/2008
I'm new to the DSLR world and this camera is all I had hoped it would be.
from Cadillac, MI on 7/23/2008
Great camera - can't beleive it is such an outstanding camera for a small price.
from Roanoke, VA on 7/11/2008
I have been making pictures for over 40 years with film cameras. However, this is my first digital SLR. After studying the various models, and almost purchasing a D300, I decided that until I ramped up my learning curve, this was the camera to help me through the transition to digital. I have not been disappointed.
from Sunnyvale, CA on 6/26/2008
For this price, you can buy this good DSLR or a fancy P&S ... what would pick? I bought this for my alaska trip, and I love it so much ... nothing can compare to this with the price and quality of the pictures this can produce !!!
from PA on 6/12/2008
I love this camera, i was torn with this one and the d60 and ultimately chose this one due to money, but dont regret it at all. It's a quick pickup, easy to use, walks you through taking an awesome picture. I got the camera and then next day went and took hundreds of pictures at my brothers state finals, they came out awesome!! Sports photos are easy and awesome with this camera. reccomend this highly!!!!
from Honolulu, Hawaii on 6/12/2008
I live in Hawaii and take a lot of pictures of surfers and water sports. The camera is fantastic at allowing you the control to take the pictures I want the way I want. Battery life is extraordanary, frame rates of 2.5 frames a second allow me to catch that perfect momment.
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from Yakima, WA on 6/12/2008
This is my first DSLR. I traded in 2 Nikon bodies (FM & EM) w-4 lenses. Adorama gave me a fair price and I applied it toward the D40. Since 1960 I've had 35mm film cameras shooting weddings, news photos & personal - family & travel. Now retired, this the perfect camera for me. The quality is exceeding my expectations - very sharp pictures, easy to use, quiet and lighter weight. I could have spent more $ for more megapixels & features but why? If I were still a semi-pro maybe. This camera lets me shoot in point & shoot auto mode or gives me full manual control when I want or need to. I looked at Canon & Pentax, too, but Nikon was the lowest price entry level DSLR. I'm very happy!
from Juneau AK on 6/12/2008
i've finally been dragged in to the digital world and D40 was a great way to make the jump from film. The learning curve is just about flat and all the controls are user friendly. The included Prcture Project is also very user friendly and has you cranking out beautiful images right off the bat...
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from Anderson, IN on 5/21/2008
Terrific image quality. Easy to use with intuitive menus. Allows you to exercise as much or as little control over your images as you want. Would be nice if Nikon made a battery grip for this though; it is a little small even for average size hands.
[0 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Phila, PA on 3/7/2008
New to the Digital SLR world. Read all the reviews and they pointed me to the D40. I'm very happy I made this choice.
from NW Florida on 2/21/2008
My first digital SLR. I saved by buying this camera and invested in a great lens (Nikon 18-200 VR). You can shoot right away with the automatic mode. Learning all the controls and how to use the camera to its full potential takes some time and an additional text on the camera. Once I perfect my use of digital SLR I will move up in the Nikon line.
from Bloomington, IL on 2/21/2008
I did a lot of research on starter D-SLR's before I came to the conclusion I wanted the D40. I didn't see the need for the extra megapixels in the "X" and wanted to get the highly rated 55-200mm VR lens with it. Over all I love this unit and having friends that have the D200 and D300 help in my purchasing this unit. You can not do wrong with this camera, easy to use for those who need it and very controllable for those who want to do finer work.
from New York, NY on 2/21/2008
I've owned a D40 since May 2007, and have taken fantastic poster-quality photos with no need for post processing. It's so lightweight that I take it with me everyday. The kit lens is great for all-around photography, even for the ambient light shots that I love. Great product for amateurs and professionals alike.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Springfield, Ohio on 2/21/2008
I am 78 years old and have been hooked on camers since High School. Every time technology changed I invested in new equipment. My latest purchase the Nikon D40 DSLR is probably the best designed photo tool I have ever owned. I had a long career in Mechanical Engineering so I appreciate any product that fulfills it's intended purpose. All the right features, controls and ergonomic considerations that make it a pleasure to handle and use. No useless additions. It's not even close to being the most expensive I have ever owned but it is the most satisfying one. I get great results. At 6.1 million pixels this camera proves that it is not pixels alone that lead to quality photos. Find a site online and look at some of the results. I think you will agree.
[2 of 3 customers found this review helpful]
from Edgewater, Florida on 1/28/2008
Because of online help with the camera setup I was able to setup out of the box and take beautiful, colorful, pro quality shots the very next day. The camera is a joy to carry, fits my hand like a glove, and I have been able to find and change settings as needed. The manual focus ring on the kit lens is to small, but I seldom use it anyway. I sell my photos at Arts and Crafts Shows and this camera has moved my work up two notches. I absolutely love it and recommend it to everyone.
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Wood Stork
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[0 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from St. Louis on 1/22/2008
Very efficient for capturing grandchildren & their sporting events. Both lenses cover the full range of what I need.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Elkhart, IN on 1/22/2008
I use it for family events, outdoor photo's and ice hockey games and I'm impressed with the wide range of locations the camera has worked. I purchased the kit with the 55-200 lens also
[0 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Kansas City, MO on 1/22/2008
This camera sees usage from artistic stills to damages documentation. Very pleased with overall capabilities and backwards compatibility on the lens mount. I have found it will mount and operate any F-mount lens I own, but loses metering with manual lenses. No big thing, guess the exposure and delete the bad shots!
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from LA, California on 1/22/2008
D40 is the best entry DSLR there is.
Kit lens is very sharp and quick.
I pick D40 over D40X because that extra pixels
don't really matters. The money saved spend it
on zoom VR lens or SB200 external flash.
(I use as bounce light for that soft even light)
Battery Life is Excellent... 500 shots minimum.
Price is excellent.
very fun to shoot. You Will Love IT!
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Orange, California on 1/21/2008
We bought this for documenting inspection on metal castings because we needed something that would get accurate close-up photos (the kit lens will focus up to 9 inches from the subject to the sensor). We have also used it to photograph the entire production process at a Fortune 500 company and other business related matters. Although I use the D70s and D80 for company events I would have no problems using the D50 if needed. I a pinch we had a "Canon Man" use this Nikon to take some business related photos while I was on vacation and he was very impressed.
[0 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Yuma, AZ on 1/21/2008
I've been a Canon owner for 30yrs, currently owning a 20D and a 5D. I ordered the D40 as trial of Nikon products with little investment. It just didn't fit. I probably should have started with a D200. The product is probably fine for snapshots and travel, but not for me.
from Hickory, NC on 1/21/2008
I use the camera during vacation and travel as well as at car shows.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from chicago on 10/12/2007
shocked at quality of images right out of the box under any shooting condition i could find. kit lens quality way beyond what i've seen on any other piece of equipment, as good IMHO as the great lenses that came w nikon Fs and nikkormats years ago. was prepared to be disappointed in onboard popup flash but it's *surprisingly* good in a pinch, though shoemount is well worth the price in the nikon speedlite series. full range of options. glad not to have paid extra for the D40X (though it's also a v. nice camera!) b/c extra pixels are almost useless and maybe even a downside (see excellent discussion on websites on this). i know it's got different op system/metring from D80, a camera I also love, but you'd need a spectron microscope to see the diff in routine photos. another delightful surprise for me: diopter adjustment at eyepiece makes manual focus a real option again for us aging 'boomers. that means that the whole world of recentyear nikon lenses is at yr disposal. i love the D100/70/80 but unless you are going to play rugby with this camera in yr pocket save the money and buy the d40 before someone decides their price point is too low. Heck, if you're not with the international press, skip on the D80 and higher and get two D40s instead. (kidding. get one of them and buy extra lens or two).
from Blanchester Ohio on 9/28/2007
Easy to use for my wife in the auto modes and plenty of features for me to experiment with. As good or better quality picture as my F3HP and no film to develop. Recommend for novice/advanced and professional use.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Broomfield, Co on 9/27/2007
Specifications need to specify lens requirements and that most older lenses will not auto focus.
[0 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from El Centro, CA on 9/27/2007
I bought the D40 as my first DSLR just because it really seemed like everything I could really need with a camera, and I was absolutely right. I haven't found it incapable of doing anything I would like. It gives me great pictures, for a lower price than anything else. I love it.
[0 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Shoreview, MN on 9/26/2007
I bought this as a back up. I also own the D70 and D200. Picture quality is great and the camera is small enough and light enough to carry on long trips. I have recommended this as an entry point for those moving from point an shoot to digital SLR's.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Euless, TX on 9/26/2007
Excellent, light weight, easy to use camera. Ideal first Digital SLR.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from San Diego on 9/26/2007
As a novice photographer, I am being told countless times how good my pictures are of my sons football team. I am asked frequently..."Do you do this for a living?" The D40 is so simple to use and yet the professional quality is unsurpased. I would recommend this camera to anyone.
[1 of 2 customers found this review helpful]
from Bakersfield, CA on 8/14/2007
When I was younger I had a strong desire to learn photography, but soon got frustrated and lost interest. Now I'm having an absolute blast again. The camera is really easy to use. It allows me to have fun and work on making great photographs as opposed to constantly babysitting the camera settings. It's light weight and a great a walk around camera. It was especially nice while I was on vacation. I've made some 12x18 inch prints from it in order to see how well it does with large prints and the prints were stunning. The only thing that I would have liked was a depth of field preview and an option for autobracketing exposures.
Images shared by: Brian
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[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Wisconsin on 7/27/2007
This is a nice camera with easy to use settings.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Orange, Ca on 7/19/2007
Nikon D 40 is great! I have been a nikon person for over 40yrs. This is my first digital camera.It does everything and then some. Nikon just keeps getting better.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Maple Falls, WA on 7/13/2007
Best value in DSLR. The camera does everything I need it to do. My wife likes the way it is ready to shoot pictures by the time she rotates the power switch and looks through the viewfinder. Much faster than our point-and-shoot.
The new 55-200 VR lens makes this camera outfit hard to beat.
[0 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from atlanta, ga on 7/13/2007
Great images, but its a bit advanced for me. The manual doesn't help much and is very confusing...even when I'm trying to do simple things like set the LCD/viewfinder to stay on longer. I use it as a point & shoot and bought it because I take LOTS of pictures of my 7 month old and got tired of missing the great shots because old camera couldn't shoot fast enough. This is much better, but I need a class on taking pictures. Even with all the auto features, I may take 5 of the same shots but the colors may be off in different shots. It may just be I'm a very bad photographer. I would recommend this camera if you plan on learning more about photography. As it is, I still plan on buying a slim digital point and shoot to take along when I'm out and about. The Nikon is definitely for taking pictures at home for now.
[2 of 2 customers found this review helpful]
from oklahoma city, ok on 7/11/2007
Just get one. For being the cheapest DSLR on the market, it is by no means the worst. If you are just getting started with DSLR, get this camera! Every single menu item, camera function, and setting can be learned by pressing the "?" button if you don't understand a certain setting. You will never be confused by photography again, it even shows you examples of what would happen if you change the Aperature, or shutter speed, or exposure, and so many more. It's fast, takes beautiful shots and the battery lasts forever, I can take around 800 shots (100 with flash) before I need to pop in the 2nd battery. I would highly recommend this for beginners if they want to learn. And Pros can get one as a small backup to their bulky existing DSLRs.
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tubing
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[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Honolulu, HI on 7/11/2007
Moved from a Panasonic FZ5 to the D40 and have been thrilled with the learning curve and end results which took little effort. Also purchased a Extreme III 2gb card which transfers files very quickly. Also purchased the 18-200 VR lens which is a very good all around zoom and so far, sharp enough in my eyes.
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Waikiki and Diamond Head
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[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Bogot? - Colombia on 7/10/2007
This is my first digital camera, I have used a Nikon F60 35mm camera before and I can used my Sigma lenses (28-80mm and 100-300mm)with my new D40 but it has the restriction of no-autofous with some lenses.
This is a very good camera and the price is also good.
[0 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Mansfield, MA on 7/10/2007
A great little camera. I bought it as a backup to my D80/18-200 combination. Light, easy to carry around, nice pictures with kit 18-55 lens.
My wife prefers it to the D80. My daughter calls it the "red-headed stepchild" (she has a Canon SD-700 for a small camera and uses the D80 for long shots), but grudgingly admits it takes great pictures.
At a backyard party, I gave both the D40 and my D80 to friends trying to decide on an SLR. THey have since bought the D40 (casual users looking for a vacation camera).
At the same party, I left it on a table for my 18-year-old daughter's friends to take pictures. Got a ton of good ones from inexperienced kids just snapping shots.
It has a tendency to overexpose, so you need to keep an eye on the histogram. If not for this, I would have given it 5 stars.
Great value for the $.
[2 of 2 customers found this review helpful]
from Miami on 7/10/2007
I wanted an easier to carry digital SLR and for that the D40 is perfect, it is tiny (for an SLR) and very light weight. I have the D200 with several lenses but sometimes it is just too much to take. That is where the D40 comes in, it works very well as a point and shoot with little effort and produces some very nice results. Some of larger Nikon lenses are too big for it, leaves little finger room on the grip and not so well balanced, but with the feather lite 18-55 it feals great and works really well.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from San Jose, CA on 7/10/2007
I purchased the Nikon d40 three months ago and have loved it every minute of that time. Although the included manual was not as detailed as I would have liked, information on the d40's particular functions were readily available online, and it was a simple task to manage the settings. I love how easy it is to control, how fun it is to use; I take it with me nearly everywhere. I would highly recommend this digital SLR to anyone. The quality and speed is a vast improvement over my other digital camera, and the processing time is so much faster than my film SLR. It seems almost too good to be true that a camera in this price range should be so wonderful, but I have not been unhappy with it for a moment yet.
[0 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from WV on 7/10/2007
I have only had the camera for about a month but I like it very much and find the 6.1 megapixel quite good for what I have been clicking and printing.
[1 of 2 customers found this review helpful]
from Anaheim, CA on 7/10/2007
it's definitely a good buy for starters and hobbyist moving to dSLR. anybody can use this.
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Park
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[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
This is a gem of a camera; and I highly recommend going to [...] for the instructions he has written for using this camera; he's right in that the Nikon manuals are offputting and limit your ability to use the camera for "FUN". He tells you how to set up the camera quickly and easily. [...]
[3 of 4 customers found this review helpful]
from Saint Joseph, MO, USA on 3/17/2007
I've been using an HP P&S for a year and a half and beat it up to the point where it didn't work. It was not a good camera, but it was equipped perfectly for me to learn. Though it offered no manual controls I was able to trick it through using the right scene modes to do what I want after I learned what I wanted. When I couldn't use that anymore I picked up on old Minolta SLR my dad has from the '70s. I learned to about exposure better since it was manual to the point of rewinding film after the roll is exposed. I also learned the importance of lenses. Using that made me confident a dSLR was the way to go, not a superzoom.
When my D40 arrived I was surprised by its weight, or lack thereof. Right out of the box I charged the battery then it worked great. Everything I learned from using a point and shoot, and using a film SLR for a month or two fit perfectly. The kit lens is great. I would like a faster lens, but for the kit lens it handles a lot of the places I shoot fine without a flash. Focusing manually isn't easy, but the AF is great so it is rarely necessary. I've only needed to MF for artistic things I've tried. The colours are great! The camera picks the right white balance most of the time. When it is off it isn't too easy to correct in my experience however. The battery life is awesome. I haven't had it run out on me when I'm out shooting, and I use the burst function often.
A couple of things I would like to point out is first this the light meter on this camera is a bit dangerous. It will overexpose and image if you let it. When I'm out shooting I set the exposure comp. to -.7EV. The pictures are underexposed at this level, but that can be corrected later. One other thing is I bought an old 85mm f/2 lens and the camera won't meter with it. I didn't know this would happen when I was buying it, and it isn't a big deal really. With it I must guess for the exposure, then reference the RGB histogram if it is something important. This is a result of me being misinformed more than anything else. I think this camera only meters with D or G lenses, I'm not quite positive. Also it will only AF with AF-S or AF-I lenses. I'll be perfectly happy if Nikon comes out with one or two fast prime AF-S lenses.
tripod 1/2s f/3.8 20mm ISO1600 Live Van at work
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4pt star filter 1/13s f/3,5 18mm ISO1600 church
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[3 of 3 customers found this review helpful]
I'm pretty certain it's not possible to be unhappy with this camera. The color reproduction is spot-on, and the display accurately displays your pictures. What you see on the display is what you'll see on your prints. This camera is so loaded with features, you'll even find one or two that the D-200 doesn't have (such as full RGB histograms). There is some degree of customization available with the various buttons, and most everything I use to set exposure compensation, white balance, focus, etc. is readily available without having to scroll through menus. The D-200 still has it beat in this regard (and the meter on the D-200 is also superior), but for $800 less than it's big brother, the D-40 acquits itself superbly. Don't underestimate the lens that comes with the D-40, either. It's incredibly clear, focuses very quickly and is a perfect compliment to the feather-weight D-40 body. The camera is incredibly easy to use (I used it for a day before bothering to open the manual), has a battery that lasts literally days right out of the box (mine didn't get put on a charger AT ALL until two days after purchasing the camera), and most importantly takes phenomenal pictures. Nikon has hit it out of the ballpark with this camera/lens combination, particularly at this price.
[13 of 13 customers found this review helpful]
from Plymouth MN on 1/8/2007
The D40 is a perfect 2nd body if you already have a ton of money in Nikon glass. If I'm running someplace and want a camera along, I'll grab my D40 and go. The kit lens is great and perfectly matched to the lightweight D40 body. The D70 / D200's feel like tanks compared to this gem. I've swapped out the kit lens for my 18-120 vr and haven't had a single problem. My only gripe with the D40 is that Nikon used the same meter as the D80 has and not the D200 / D70 metering system. This caused shots to be overexposed at first, but I've found the compensation that I prefer. [...] Be aware that the D40 does use the SD Card as opposed to the CF Card. So, if you're like me and use the D200 / D40 combo, you will need to pony up $ for the SD Cards too.
[14 of 15 customers found this review helpful]
from Columbus, OH on 12/12/2006
This is my 4th Digital Camera. I've owned an AGFA, Nikon 4300, Sony, and now this one.
WOW, until I got this in my hands, I didn't realize how much I missed my old Nikon FM SLR! Right out of the box, I put it through it's steps, just using the presets that are built into the camera.
I'm amazed and so impressed and so IN LOVE with this camera.
I sell antique glass and pottery on the internet, so therefore a camera is as much of my business as anything I own. My Sony was pixelating at only 13,000 photos. It is the top Sony sold. So I was forced to buy a new camera immediately. I spent hours going over reviews and looking for a camera that meets my needs. I need to be able to shoot high detail very close range and not be interrupted by battery failure. I need a camera that will work in low lighting as I use a photo cube. I need a camera that will let me decide my light needs and aperture control.
Those items are not easy to find! When I got this camera, I just put it on the close-up and was back in business before even reading the manual!
Then I took it outside and took around 300 photos in all lighting, mixed lighting, dark, close-up, action shots, and portraits. I have NEVER had such great results, even with my old Nikon FM!
This camera is a must for serious photographers and those who want "the best"!