Nikon D40 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens
Nikon D40 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Kit

Nikon D40 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens

Manufacturer:
Nikon

UPC:
018208254200

Retail Price:
$650.00

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Features:
  • Kit includes 3x 18-55mm f3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor lens
  • 2.5-inch LCD with three display options; built-in flash and hot shoe
  • Fast startup with instant shutter response; shoot at up to 2.5 frames per second
  • Powered by one rechargeable Li-ion battery EN-EL9 (included); stores images on SD memory cards (memory card not included)
Product Description
The Nikon D40 is an interchangeable-lens digital SLR that unites the brilliant performance of world-famous Nikkor lenses and the practicality of a remarkably small and light camera body. It boasts handling and performance advantages that do away with the frustrations often associated with compact digital cameras, making it ideal for anyone who wants to capture spectacular digital pictures without fuss or complication.

Thanks to Nikon's world beating digital and optical technologies, the D40 makes it amazingly simple to capture beautiful pictures in almost any situation.

The D40 is equipped with a specially designed 3x 18-55mm f3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor lens; it's light and compact, making it easy to carry anywhere. The camera's design incorporates fewer potentially confusing controls and other distractions, allowing anyone to take breathtaking pictures while eliminating the need to "learn" photography.

The D40 features a high-resolution 6.1-effective-megapixel Nikon DX Format CCD image sensor and a highly advanced Nikon Image Processing Engine. These combine to produce exceptional image detail with true, vivid colors.

Nikon's exclusive 3D Color Matrix Metering II assures accurate exposure control even in difficult lighting conditions and an AUTO ISO feature makes the most of available light by automatically setting the camera's light sensitivity from the available ISO range of 200 to 1600.

The D40 has remarkably fast responses, with autofocus control algorithms that are inherited from Nikon's renowned D200 and D80 digital SLRs, delivering more precise focus, faster subject tracking, and more accurate autofocus response and detection--even in low light.

The D40 takes just 0.18 seconds to power up, and its almost imperceptible shutter release lag time does away with the frustrating picture taking delay common with point-and-shoot digital cameras--assuring that special moments are captured beautifully.

Nikon's scene-optimized Digital Vari-Program modes allow the photographer to concentrate on capturing nearly any type of scene without being distracted by camera settings. All eight modes--Auto, Auto (Flash Off), Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sport, Close Up, and Night Portrait--are designed to produce remarkable results by automatically calculating the best settings and ISO-equivalent sensitivity for each scene.

The new mode, Auto (Flash Off), prevents the built-in flash from popping up while boosting the ISO, thereby allowing the photographer to take pictures in museums, concerts, school plays, weddings, and other low-light situations where flash photography is prohibited.

The D40's new Retouch menu offers exclusive in-camera image editing features that add to the D40's "fun factor" by providing greater creative freedom without the need for a computer. Included in the Retouch menu is Nikon's D-Lighting, Red-eye Correction, Image Trim, and other creative features such as Image Overlay, Small Picture, Monochrome (Black-and-white, Sepia, Cyanotype), and Filter Effects (Skylight, Warm filter, Color balance).

The kit lens for the D40 is the new 3x 18-55mm f3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor lens, assuring superb picture sharpness and optimum contrast along with the versatility of a wide-angle to medium telephoto lens.

Included with the camera is Nikon's PictureProject software to transfer, organize, and share images, while Nikon's Capture NX photo editing software is available separately.

The D40 opens up the fun, excitement, and superior image quality of digital SLR photography to everyone. Its compact size and ideal ergonomics make it the digital SLR solution for pictures anytime, anywhere. Its bright and sharp viewfinder with 0.8x magnification ensures precise composition. After shooting, the camera's large 2.5-inch high-resolution color LCD monitor provides a clear view for checking sharpness, exposure, and focus by enlarging the picture up to 19 times.

Building on Nikon's reputation for making the finest digital SLR cameras, the compact D40 offers mobility, easy operation and beautiful pictures to even first-time digital SLR users, making it ideal for anyone ready to experience the difference of Nikon digital SLR photography.

What's in the box
Nikon D40 digital camera, rechargeable Li-ion battery EN-EL9, quick charger MH-23, USB cable UC-E4, PictureProject, rubber eyecup DK-16, camera strap, body cap BF-1A, eyepiece cap DK-5, accessory shoe cap BS-1
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Overview of current deals for the Nikon D40 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens:
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Product Specifications
Product NameNikon D40 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens
ManufacturerNikon
Retail Price $650.00
EAN-130018208254200
EAN-1400018208254200
UPC018208254200
Specifications 
Camera TypeSLR
Dimensions5 x 2.5 x 3.7 in.
Weight4 lbs.

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Reviews
5 Star Rating  "A Trusty Companion"2008-10-05
- Reviewed By User: A2RA2AKAVJQDNV
I have now owned the Nikon D40 for almost a year, and I feel that I now have a strong enough opinion on this camera to write a meaningful review.

The D40 was my first digital SLR. Going back about a year, around this time in 2007, I was busy doing a lot of research on whether I should buy the Canon digital rebel XT, or the Nikon D40 (both of which are entry-level SLRs from the two leading camera manufacturers). I am glad now that I chose the D40. When it came down to it, both the D40 and XT were for the most part equally matched, in both price and specs. I chose the Nikon D40 simply because it felt like a more tough, less "plasticy" body. If you are currently caught in the same position that I was at the time, I urge you to go to some electronics store, and try both of the cameras out. Get a feel for them, and make your buying decision based on which one is more comfortable in your hands.

However, this is not a review of the Canon Rebel XT, so without further adieu, let me tell you why I have loved the D40 so much over the past year.

1.) this is a camera that can easily grow with you. It offers a host of customizable features - far more than you would find in any point and shoot camera. As you begin to explore photography, you will find that the D40 contains many doors for you to open along the way (some of which you might never even touch, depending on your style of photography). I consider myself an advanced amateur photographer, and I love the D40. Many people seem to think that it's only useful for absolute beginners, but that's simply not the case. Additionally, as an SLR camera, the D40 allows the interchanging of lenses, for more creative and professional control over your images. While this is all true, please realize that the D40 cannot grow with you forever. As an entry-level SLR, it has limitations that I will describe later.

2.) The image quality of the D40 is fantastic, as you would expect. If you're worried because the D40 has "only" 6 megapixels, don't be. 6 megapixels is enough to capture plenty of detail in your images, and will allow you to make fantastic prints at 8x10 inches. If you print larger than 8x10, the quality will degrade slightly, but not to a significant degree. I have recently been making 11x14'' prints, and they have all turned out wonderfully sharp. Tied in to the technical image quality is the "noise" performance of a camera. As you increase your camera's ISO setting (which determines how sensitive it is to light), you will begin to see an increase in what's known as digital noise: the off-colored speckles/grain that appears in many indoor and nighttime images. Some cameras produce more of this grain than others, but the D40 is a very solid performer. The reason for this brings us back to megapixels. The higher number of a megapixels a camera has, the more noise it will produce (unless noise reduction is applied). Thus, with 6 megapixels, the D40 unsurprisingly has better noise performance than the more expensive 10 megapixel D80 ($600) and D200 ($1000). Of course, with the D80 and D200 you are given a lot of more advanced features, and that's what accounts for their higher prices. Anyway, the point is that most of the time I am very satisfied with how the D40 performs, even at ISO 1600 (which may be shocking to many people, since this is an entry level SLR). Those of you moving up from a point and shoot camera will be amazed by the quality of the D40's images, outdoors and inside.

3.) The bright 2.5 inch LCD on the back of the D40 is used to display the camera settings, such as aperture, shutter speed, white balance, exposure compensation, metering mode, autofocus mode, and more. Also, this is where you change 99% of the camera settings (other than aperture and shutter speed). As you will see later on (assuming you read this whole review), I have also marked this as a negative aspect of the D40. However, if you are a beginner in the world of advanced digital photography, you will definitely appreciate being able to clearly see what settings you're changing on a large color LCD display.

4.) The ergonomics of this device are simply outstanding. The menu system (which you will be using a lot, trust me) is very easy to navigate through, and all of the controls are placed exactly where you want them to be. Over the year, I've had the chance to play around with cameras from both Nikon and Canon, and Nikons always feel more natural in use. Also, even though the D40 is made out of plastic, it doesn't feel like it will fall apart or slip in your hands easily (I suppose this is primarily attributed to the material surrounding the grip, which the Canon Digital Rebel XT, discussed earlier, doesn't have much of).

5.) Ease of use. The D40 is a very simple and well organized camera. The moment you pick it up, you will immediately begin figuring out all of its controls without having to read through a manual (not to say it doesn't come with a manual!). If you ever want to know what some menu item does, just push and hold the "zoom out" button on the back of the camera, and it will overlay a brief description of what that setting does. This could prove to be very useful for amateurs.

6.) Speed. No, the D40 is not the quickest digital SLR in the world, and will not satisfy all sports photographers, but it is MUCH quicker starting up, focusing, and shooting than any point and shoot camera. It will make you feel quite "snappy" if you have never used anything better than a point and shoot before.

7.) Size. The D40 is very small and light. You won't be getting any aches in your arms or wrists holding the D40, unless you have a gigantic lens attached to it. With the standard 18-55mm kit lens attached, this is an extremely lightweight and portable camera. Some people like to have a hefty and larger camera because it gives greater balance to the photographer, and makes the device feel more solid; Many times though, it's very nice to have a small kit (NOTE: The D40 is much larger than any point and shoot that I know of -- that's why even most professional photographers keep a P&S around -- but for a digital SLR, it is very small).

8.) Full manual control. The D40 contains several automatic modes, which are nice to have if you're just doing snapshots, or handing the camera over to someone that's photography illiterate. However, the D40 gives you a fully manual mode, and 3 other semi-manual modes (aperture priority, shutter priority, and programmed auto) for when you want to have complete control over the look of your image. Keep in mind how important this is... Let's face it, every good image consists of 3 main things: good composition, good exposure, and uniqueness. No camera in the world is going to tell you how to compose your image, or how to be more creative... but even the D40 will allow you to make any manual adjustments to the exposure!

9.) RAW files. The Nikon D40, like all digital SLR's that I know of, allows you to capture images in a file format known as "RAW" (Nikons RAW file format is called "NEF" and Canons is called "CR2"). RAW files are exactly what their name implies... Raw (uncompressed) data from the actual camera's imaging sensor. As such, they occupy more memory than a JPEG (which is a compressed image format). However, RAW files give a lot more flexibility to your image. For example, you are able to to precisely alter the white balance (a critical aspect of the image) using software such as Photoshop AFTER the photograph has been taken! Generally, the only point and shoot cameras that offer a RAW file option are the advanced ones, which I will state my opinion on a little later in this review.

10.) A trusty companion. Yes, this is where the title of the review came from. I can give you my guarantee that this device is reliable (unless you got a dud, due to manufacturing complications... which can happen). This is not a professional-grade camera, obviously. It's not made out of magnesium alloy like the higher end cameras from Nikon and Canon... but it can take more punches than I ever expected. I live in Wisconsin, and winters here are quite bitter. I've taken the D40 out in below freezing weather, and never had any problems with it. I trudged around New York city for a week with this camera around my neck, and never had any problems. I photographed a football game with this camera in the evening, at which point the air got quite cold, foggy and moist. Never had any problems with it. The only thing that I'm sure this camera CAN'T take (and I don't intend to test this) is a light rain shower. The Nikon D300, D700, and D3 are professional weather sealed cameras, and they have been proven to stand up even against the rain (for a little while). The D40, while fine in most situations, probably can't handle rain.

11.) Price. This is Nikon's cheapest digital SLR, and let me tell you, you get a lot of bang for your buck. That's something that EVERYONE can appreciate. By the way, this is one reason that I don't recommend the Nikon D60 -- you know, one of the cameras that Ashton Kutcher advertises. It has only a few extra features over the D40, such as 4 more megapixels, and a built in accelerometer to make the screen rotate, and it costs a couple hundred more! Both are entry-level models, so you'll essentially be getting the same package for a lot more money. For those who are looking into buying an advanced point and shoot, such as the Canon G9, or the Canon S5 IS, I would recommend that you stop for a moment and consider spending just a few bucks extra on a low priced digital SLR like the D40. You will be getting a lot more "bang" for a little more "buck" (although, this is debatable, as a digital SLR is not the best option for everyone).

Now that I've covered most of what I love about the D40, I'll reveal the truth... I plan to upgrade to either a Nikon D90 or D300 soon. As I said early in this review, you will most likely outgrow the D40 eventually, as I have now. Why? What does the D40 not have that the other cameras do? Here's what it doesn't have for me (keep in mind, these aren't the only things it's missing):

1.) Flash commander mode. The D40 has a fairly nice built in pop-up flash, and you can even alter how powerful its output is. That's about the extent of it, though. The Nikon D80, D90, D200, D300, and D700 have what's known as a commander mode, where the built in flash can be used to trigger external Nikon speedlights (SB-600, SB-800, and SB-900). If advanced lighting technique is not something you care about, this doesn't matter. This is something that I, on the other hand, have been getting more and more interested in.

2.) The D40 does not have a built in focusing motor. This means that the only lenses which will autofocus with the D40 are ones designated with "AF-S". For many people this is not a problem, because Nikon ONLY makes AF-S lenses now (and they have many to choose from now). If you own older AF lenses that aren't marked with "AF-S," the D40 will not autofocus them. AF-S lenses have "silent wave motors" inside of them which do the focusing. Older AF lenses are focused using a screwdriver-like device that's built into the camera body (not the D40 body).

3.) Earlier, as you may recall, I mentioned the fact that you have to use the LCD to change 99% of camera settings as both an advantage and a disadvantage. Here's the disadvantage: clicking through menus and menus of information to change one setting can be a bit of a hassle. If you are mostly interested in shooting objects that don't move, this is no problem. However, for shooting action, it's helpful to be able to change settings with just the push of a button. More advanced SLR's have more external controls on the body, so that the photographer can almost immediately change a setting without having to look at the back of their camera.

4.) The D40 does not have a live view mode. This is a bit ironic, because most people see live view mode as more of an amateur feature than a professional one. Live view, for those of you that don't know, is the ability to use the LCD screen in place of the viewfinder (like you do on all point and shoot cameras these days). This means that you will have to put your face up to the viewfinder of the camera. For most situations, that's what any photographer (including myself) would rather do anyway. There are times though, when live view can be helpful. For instance, in macro photography, the photographer is often times forced to be right on the ground and look through their camera's viewfinder at a very odd, or sometimes even impossible angle. In this case, having live view mode would be a great asset, so that the photographer can simply look at the LCD screen from above. Live view can also be helpful if you're handing your camera off to someone (which I tend to do a lot) who isn't used to the viewfinder. It's funny how intimidated some people can become when you ask them to take a family picture for you, and then they realize they have to look through that hole in the back of the camera!

5.) As I mentioned, the D40 can handle everything from ISO 200-1600 fairly well in most cases. In some rare cases, a sensitivity higher than 1600 is necessary to capture the action (such as a night/indoor sports game). The D40 produces extremely grainy images at ISO 3200, which is surprising considering the overall usability of ISO 1600 (just one stop below 3200). While the D90/D300 have a lot more megapixels than the D40, they have remarkable noise reduction systems, which makes ISO 3200 images quite a bit more usable than those of the D40 (although, they're far from perfect).

Did you notice how all of the "negatives" I just listed about the D40 are only significant in rare situations? The fact is that the D40 is an extremely capable camera, and an absolutely outstanding value. I would highly recommend it to anyone that wants greater image quality than they get with their point and shoot camera, that wants to explore the art and craft of photography with more depth, that doesn't want to spend $1000+ on an excellent camera, and advanced-amateur photographers that can sacrifice a few specialized features of higher end cameras for the sake of a lower price.

5 out of 5 stars, without any reservations, considering the price.
 
5 Star Rating  "Best Amateur DSLR Ever!"2008-09-23
- Reviewed By ntkilpatrick
I kept telling myself, "I'm a Canon person, I'm a Canon person." The Eye-Fi crew kept trying to turn me into a Mac person, now they were trying to turn me into a Nikon person? I didn't think this was possible. They had a D40 shipped out to us for testing and I was quite a bit more surprised at how excellent this camera was. After using a Nikon L11 Point N Shoot, I didn't think that the D40 would tickle my fancy. In fact, I expected to be disappointed.

It seemed like no matter what mode I put it in, I just could not get a bad picture to come out of this camera. Even when I mistakenly left it on manual focus and took way too many pictures that were out of focus they still seemed good! The ISO settings were amazing, as well. I put it all the way up to ISO 800 and still failed to get any real noticeable noise in the pictures (unless you looked at 150% or so). ISO 100 was absolutely fabulous, no noise whatsoever. I took a ton of night shots with this camera, never disappointed.

The Nikon DSLR really changed my opinions on Nikons. I will still never use another Nikon PnS again anytime in the future, but I am now a Nikon DSLR fan!
 
4 Star Rating  "Dissatisified With Amazon"2008-09-15
- Reviewed By User: A3S2Z6624EJ2U9
Camera purchase okay and good camera. Very dissatisfied with Amazon as they canceled another order with no explanation. Will not order again from Amazon.
 
5 Star Rating  "I love my D40!"2008-09-09
- Reviewed By User: A1IQ4GY1EQUG66
I have now owned my D40 for just under a year and I am hooked. I've shot 10,000+ pics and still counting. It's size, ease of use, and user friendly interface are perfect for people thinking of getting into the DSLR world; and the battery life is phenomenal! The only things I wish this camera came with were the ability to bracket shots automatically, and an intervolometer, other than that I love my D40!
 
5 Star Rating  "Perfect starter dSLR"2008-09-07
- Reviewed By User: A1C6ITZYM1AN9E
This is the camera that I've been waiting for. After years of using a point and shoot, it was time to upgrade to a dSLR. This camera and lens kit are a phenomenal value and the photos are perfect quality.

There is no need to buy a more expensive camera if you are new to the dSLR market!
 
5 Star Rating  "Awesome Nikon D40 Camera"2008-09-06
- Reviewed By User: A1XCE322UV68WZ
Hey guys,
I just got this camera and this camera is awesome. I am having alot of fun with it right now and am gonna go practice taking shots and stuff. I been a long time customer with Amazon and they are great for shipping. I have no complaint for this camera. So far I am loving it and the 18mm-55 lens that come with it is really nice and you can make your photos come up close by trimming/cropping it. So this is a must buy camera if you are an amatuer photographer, then get a better one later on if you want to. Have fun with the camera if you get it =) Later
 
4 Star Rating  "Excellent light weight camera"2008-08-29
- Reviewed By rwhite2091
I wanted a camera that was not as heavy as the D200 or D300. I am very happy with the D40. The lens is a pretty good also. Together they are very easy to carry around. Good photos and accurate exposures from my point of view. I am an experienced amateur who takes a lot of family and floral photos. You will be very pleased with this camera and lens. I would also add the 55-200mm VR to complete the package.
 
4 Star Rating  "Nice Camera & nice service"2008-08-26
- Reviewed By User: A3DHAZPPWLYPJO
It arrived on time & in perfect condition. It is definitively a great camera for beginners.
 
5 Star Rating  "My First DSLR"2008-08-25
- Reviewed By User: A3MSXGNY6NPLPM
I bought this camera because I wanted to have a better digital camera than a regular point and shoot one and wanted to advance from 35mm SLR (Nikon FM10 and N80). After waiting for 1 year (I was thinking to buy Nikon D50 at first) I'm glad to have bought this one because it fits my budget. I've owned this camera since 2007 and have taken a lot of great pictures with it, and I'm using the lens that came with it. I don't consider myself a professional photographer so I have not used a lot of its features.

For those who never use an SLR / DSLR camera before and would like to buy one, I fully recommend this camera. I think for most people they could get by with just using the "AUTO" shooting mode, just make sure you focus on the subject. It also helps a lot if you have a basic knowledge of photography.
 
4 Star Rating  "Very good, but....."2008-08-25
- Reviewed By diffgn
I am generally satisfied with the D40. I'm an old school photographer who had been out of it since digital took over (except for using it occasionally in my job as a detective). My experience has been that most digital cameras are excessively complicated and do everything except allow you to have control over your photographs. I'm working on a project that requires extensive photo-documentation. When I found that it would be next to impossible to accomplish it with slide film, I bought this camera. So far it's doing the job and the software was easy enough to install (unlike most software that I have tried to install). I haven't had time to experiment with the manual feature yet, but I plan to before long. My biggest complaint so far is that it has no cable release feature. Much of my work involves low light shooting and maximum depth of field. It's not always possible to have a rock solid tripod. To me, it makes no sense to make an SLR without a cable release.
 
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