Nikon D40 £225.09 on Amazon - Bargain?
Discussion
It's a realtively old camera now and is the entry level one.
The price is pretty standard, I was in Jessops today and they have them at that price on the shelf, and were able to do deals with the VAT. You might be able to get it cheaper if you shop about
It's a good camera for the money they're at now. Just be aware of it's limitations (ask if you dont know)
The price is pretty standard, I was in Jessops today and they have them at that price on the shelf, and were able to do deals with the VAT. You might be able to get it cheaper if you shop about
It's a good camera for the money they're at now. Just be aware of it's limitations (ask if you dont know)
Mark-2 said:
ok what are the limitations?
And i want an entry level one as i am a photography noob
You might not find they get it the way but worth knowing about. The D40 and it's replacement(s) need specific lenses to autofocus. They're called AFS if Nikon or HSM if Sigma, and in general they're more expensive than standard AF lenses. It might not matter to you if you get say the kit 18-55 and buy another, something like a 55-200mm. I got both when I bought mine, the 55-200 was £139. It'll do quite nicely for most things, just not ultimately the quickest available. I doubt you'll care for a while, I didnt. It was only when I took more control of the pictures I wanted to take that I started noticing that there were some limitations of both the body and the lenses.And i want an entry level one as i am a photography noob
Edited by Mark-2 on Wednesday 31st December 15:40
There was an 18-105mm lens thats bundled with some (might be the D60) that would probably be fine for everyday photos (cars, people, bit of landscapes etc). I've never used it but seems like it zooms a long way for a free lens, and might be questionable as to quality at each end of the scale.
The pixel count is lower than whats come out since, although there's a stage where you're just chasing numbers. If you compare it to a 9 megapixel compact, the D40 even though it's 6mp will still have much better quality due to it's sensor. Not worth getting caught up in a megapixel contest with your mates down the pub, but again worth knowing about.
The D40X has 10mp, as does the D60, and you can tell the difference. Might not worry you, but again worth knowing about.
There's only 3 focus point in the viewfinder. There's "more" (dep on which one) in later models, so you can see which point is being focussed on and choose to refocus or leave it. If you get the 50mm F1.8 (it's only £80 and bloody brilliant) you'll need to use it in manual focus, which with the viewfinder on the D40 can be a bit tricky, but by no means impossible.
On the pros, battery life is great, functions are easy to get to. If you use the scene modes and want to let the camera decide whats going to be best it generally gets it right for the darker bits of a photo. So if you take a picture of a hill against a bright sky, it'll make the sky cmpletely white and the hill will come out alright.
It'll take 16gb SDHC cards without any problems, which I prefer using and transferring the photos off using a USB lead rather than a card reader. The reason I do this is the SD card slot lets in dust and if you've seen what I did to my D80 dust can be a problem.
Worth checking out the Canon equivalent as well, I dont know anything about them though sorry. You might find they feel different, just what you want to use I suppose.
I got my D40 to take some pics of a trip to the US. I'd never had an SLR before that, and got it 2 days prior to flying out. So I really didnt know what I was doing for a while, and I'm proud to have carried that on throughout the year
Pretty much all were on either the kit 18-55 or the £139 55-200 save for a couple on a compact. If you'd like to have a look, they're here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23204281@N02/sets/721...
Cool thanks for the info I knew about the lenses being more expensive and the megapixel count but all the reviews i've read said that it doesn't make any real noticable difference as 6mp will let you print out at over A4 size anyway?
Will look at the pictures when I get home as it's blocked on work's computer
Thanks again
I knew about the lenses being more expensive and the megapixel count but all the reviews i've read said that it doesn't make any real noticable difference as 6mp will let you print out at over A4 size anyway?Will look at the pictures when I get home as it's blocked on work's computer
Thanks again
The D40 at that price is an absolute bargain. I have one in addition to my D80, and for days out and holidays, I will always take the D40 as it's so light. The picture quality is excellent - this is a sample:
The kit lens, the 18-55 is more than adequate. Check out the reviews on the Amazon site, and I think you'll find a lot of very happy owners.
Edited to say that Jessops and John Lewis are doing for the same price.
The kit lens, the 18-55 is more than adequate. Check out the reviews on the Amazon site, and I think you'll find a lot of very happy owners.
Edited to say that Jessops and John Lewis are doing for the same price.
Edited by CivicMan on Wednesday 31st December 16:50
andy-xr said:
There's only 3 focus point in the viewfinder. There's "more" (dep on which one) in later models, so you can see which point is being focussed on and choose to refocus or leave it.
Never quite understood why they went down to three points for the D40's - the camera it replaced, the D50, has five points and to my mind is the better for it.andy-xr said:
... the D40 even though it's 6mp will still have much better quality due to it's sensor ...
Too true, I've printed upto A2 from my D50 (also 6mp) at acceptable quality and to A3 at very good quality - and yet a friend who has a 10mp compact insists that he can produce the better quality images as his pixel count is higher 
.Another plus for the D50 for me is that it's a "normal" sized slr body rather than the more compact size of the D40's, these newer bodies just don't feel right to me.
Anyway, I guess what I'm saying is don't discount older cameras just because they've been replaced by newer "more of everything" models - sometimes less really is more. (Plus you get to spend extra on decent glass, probably the easiest way to better images!)
Edited by Dogsey on Wednesday 31st December 16:52
I bought a D40 the day before yesterday. Amazon are cheap, but i wanted the camera in my hand.
I bought mine for £225 from John Lewis in Southampton. I then got a 8GB SD card from Jessops (its half price at the moment £24.95).
The camera is brilliant, a great introduction into DSLRs. Just what i wanted. I will post some photos on here shortly as i have been out today in the frost and fog snapping away.
Excellent camera for a beginer.
Rav
I bought mine for £225 from John Lewis in Southampton. I then got a 8GB SD card from Jessops (its half price at the moment £24.95).
The camera is brilliant, a great introduction into DSLRs. Just what i wanted. I will post some photos on here shortly as i have been out today in the frost and fog snapping away.
Excellent camera for a beginer.
Rav
No worries
Check out www.digital-photography-school.com for tips and tricks in the meantime, there's a nice email update and forum on there thats worth looking at
Check out www.digital-photography-school.com for tips and tricks in the meantime, there's a nice email update and forum on there thats worth looking at
My Daughter (14 year old) wanted a DSLR and checked out the D40. She decided againest it as at £299 or so there are loads of good 10MP DSLR's. She initially wanted the D60 but checked out the Sony Alpha 300 and went for that. As Her first SLR it has a number of features that make it easier to use, (AF built in and Anti-shake), as well as a flip up/down Screen with "live" shot. Handy for shots from the crowd.
Gassing Station | Photography & Video | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff