Nikon D40

Photo answers review

Photo answers rating

Features & handling

Take a glance at the D40’s technical specifications. Spot anything that really stands out? No, neither did we. In fact, some will argue that it’s a just a D50 in a smaller body. However, the key features for the D40 aren’t things that you will find buried in the spec sheet. It draws from the features that the rest of Nikon’s line-up do well and borrows them, or in a few cases invents new ways of working.

The familiar LCD top-plate that Nikon users are used to has finally hit the dust in the interests of size and is now incorporated into the rear monitor. Here’s where we see something very cool. You can choose from two different modes here – Classic or Graphic.

Classic basically looks like the LCD panel from the D50 but on the monitor, while Graphic is really something interesting. It shows a graphic representation of the aperture with a shutter speed dial running around the outside of it. You can also use the multi-selector to shortcut from the display to the key shooting settings.

Even the kit lens has been upgraded from the rather dull-looking 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 to the Mark II version, which now features a faster and quieter autofocus motor. The designers have also given it some smooth lines so it’s more in keeping with the rest of Nikon’s new lens line-up.

The big change is the size drop from the D50. The D40 is roughly the same size as the Canon EOS 400D but manages to offer a slightly more comfortable design. We’ve been told by Nikon that the body could have been smaller but it was decided not to make it uncomfortably small.

Nikon also decided to ditch the autofocus motor that is found in the rest of the D-SLR line-up in the interests of space. This does mean, however, that the D40 is only compatible with the AF-S/ AF-I (aka HSM) range of lenses. While the body size has shrunk, the monitor size has increased from 2in on the D50 to 2.5in on the D40. This is a considerable help with changing options, making in-camera adjustments and reading the Help files.

The instruction manual is virtually built-into the camera – you can access it at any time by pressing the Help button. On certain settings, such as autofocus options, it even shows an ‘assist image’ that illustrates the scenarios you might use that function for. As a first D-SLR for someone wanting to learn photography, the D40 is near perfect.

Performance

The big question for many is how well can a 6.1 megapixel camera survive against the current competition? It basically comes down to the question of what you want to do with the results. The D40 will struggle slightly to produce a high quality A3 print compared to D-SLRs with higher megapixel ratings. But down at A4 size, the playing field is much more level and this is where the D40 is designed to perform well.

At this size, the results from the D40 are about equal to that of the D80. While they both share the same image-processing engine, the D40’s sensor is capable of producing results with marginally less noise, which means that you can further enhance the images with less image break-up.

The standard results from the D40 are slightly heavier with contrast than the D80, which will please most users of this camera as it makes your pictures look better without needing to tweak the image later. The 3D Colour Matrix metering does the job extremely well – only struggling with very complex scenes.

Verdict

The main thing to consider when considering the value and overall score is who this camera is aimed at. Nikon stresses that it is aimed at the family user or those upgrading from a digital compact, and as such the D40 fits the bill exactly. It won’t be of much appeal to those demanding a high megapixel rating and advanced functionality though, and for them the Nikon D40X with its 10.2MP resolution is the obvious choice. The budget D40 is a great example of Nikon targeting core users and providing the perfect camera for that market.

Product Specifications