Nikon - D40 Digital Camera Review

I purchased the Nikon D40 with high expectations.  I was conviced by the salesman that Nikon is a leader in the industry of DSLR's and that they are great for first time SLR camera owners.  I was not dissappointed.

I have owned the camera now for over 3 years and it has been a very reliable and easy camera to use.  The Nikon D40 has automatic settings that can help make even the greenest of photographers look like pros, but it also has the manual settings to meet the basic needs of even the most advanced photographers. 

I have used this camera in all kinds of settings including sports action and although it doesn't have the frames per second (fps) that some of the more advanced cameras out there (it shoots 2.5 fps and other models shoot between 3-7 fps) I was still able to get the shots I wanted. 

One of the best things about the Nikon D40 and what drew me to it, was the size of the camera body.  The Nikon D40 fits into anybody's hand.  Even my 6 yr old is able to hold the camera comfortably and easily.  Now for those out there that are really big and have really big hands, it might be a bit cumbersome, but it's great for an average sized person, and even better if you are going to be sharing the camera with a wife, younger child or smaller person. 

I have since upgraded camera's for photography shooting, but keep my Nikon D40 for casual use and family use.  It's small enough that you can carry it with you and not add a lot of weight.  I use it for family vacations and still break it out when doing photo shoots in difficult situations that require me to be a bit more creative about my position as it is small enough for me to sling around my back get into better positions, while still holding the camera steady for a good shot.

As far as cons...I have only one.  The Nikon D40 does not have an autofocus built into the camera body.  So you must buy lenses that have the autofocus function.  This just makes the lenses more expensive.  If you are buying a camera don't worry too much about it, because the Nikon is only producing lenses with autofocus built in (at least for the most common lenses) and if you need to go for big lenses, you can probably afford to upgrade your camera.

For those out there who claim that the D40 does not have enough Megapixels...just shows that they are not quite sure what they are talkin about.  And for any photographer, real photographer, they know that a digital viewfinder make taking good photos harder...not easier.