 "Great Camera for the Beginner" | 2009-11-16 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1479HRBE9ZDET |
| This is my first DSLR (I'm 17 years old) and it works great. I was on a budget and everything about this camera is great. I'm going to slowly invest in accessories and lenses and eventually, as a gain more experience I'll move on up to a bigger and better body, but for now this was a great investment. =) |
| |
 "Never could get the hang of this camera" | 2009-11-10 |
| - Reviewed By User: AM0JKA32DZWRN |
I'm somewhat of a camera freak. I'm definitely an amateur, but I try out many new models that come out, always on the search for the perfect DSLR or point and shoot. Haven't found one yet, :^)
Anyway, I purchased this camera (my FIRST DSLR,) but couldn't get very many good pictures to come out. I spent more time fiddling with the buttons and controls than I did taking pictures, and was generally unhappy with it. Inside my daughter's gymnasium photographing sporting events, forget it. Every picture was blurry and yellow. I tried everything, bought an Expodisc for custom white balance, a tripod, everything that's supposed to be used for better pictures.
Frustrated with the controls and lack of pictures it was producing, I eventually sold it and got a Canon digital camera. The Canon's pictures turned out way better, it just seemed to be easier to work. The only problem I found was that the picture on the Canon's LCD screen was too yellow and dim and didn't match the actual picture at all. This made it hard to tell which pictures were going to turn out. The only way I could manage it was to tether the Canon to a computer, and used to the computer to control the settings and take the shots, where it turned out beautiful shots.
BUT, I didn't want to be tied to a computer every time I took pictures! I returned the Canon and thought "Ah ha, after working with the Canon, I now am a better photographer, and will understand the buttons and knobs on the Nikon more!" Well, after purchasing another Nikon D40, it seemed even dudlier in my hands than before. There was a strong magenta cast to my photographs that I couldn't seem to fix. The Japanese maple turning gorgeous red fall colors in my front yard turned out a deep hot pink! I tried custom settings, "auto" mode, custom colors, exposure compensation, you name it.
Now, I have no idea where to look for the perfect camera. I beginning to suspect that there's no such thing as a perfect camera, and that photographers must pick and choose their cameras not with an eye towards perfection, but as in which one is the right tool for the job at hand. I think I've been expecting a perfect camera that does all things well, but I don't think there is such a thing. |
| |
| "GREAT STARTER CAMERA for photo enthusiasts" | 2009-10-26 |
| - Reviewed By User: ALHBZ0LIZ3E3G |
i had been wanting a slr for quite some time and was debating between this one and the Canon Rebel XS. I chose this one because only 6 megapixel is needed to make a good cropped 8x10 photo. and because it costs much less than all the other slr. it came within 5 days and was in the brand new box. the pictures it takes are extremely clear (as long as you keep it on the highest quality) there are also a wide range of white balances: cloudy, shady, sunny, fluorescent, flash. and the built in flash is quite powerful. this camera is small and light, i really did not want to be lugging around a huge canon or massive nikon, so this light camera is GREAT! i have had it for about a month now and have had no issues. i would recommend getting another battery with this camera because the one it comes with is only 1000mAH (about 400 pics) and you can buy another $10 battery off of Amazon that has 1800mAH like i did. all in all great camera I would recommend to a friend. but make sure you do your research and find the BEST camera for your money.
also this camera has some in-camera editing which is pretty cool. It may sound cheesy, but it can be quite helpful. this is a GREAT camera for beginning photographers. |
| |
 "Love mine" | 2009-10-11 |
| - Reviewed By User: AUYRW6NVKAPTN |
| I will keep it short. I love mine for 3 reasons... Price, Features, & Lens options. For the price you cannot beat the d40 for a starter camera. I was unsure if photography would be a hobby i would enjoy so the initial investment was not a bad risk. Now i can plan for my next upgrade on the body if need be. |
| |
| "Two years later and I'd still buy it, especially at this price." | 2009-10-08 |
| - Reviewed By User: ALNDVWEW8ZU6M |
After 2+ years of owning this camera, I've been thinking about buying the Nikon D90 or D300. But, I'm still not sure if the upgrade is worth the cost (FOR ME).
I love this camera and it's an incredible value. For a non-pro enthusiast who understands their aperture, shutter speed and ISO, it's probably all you need.
Do I wish it had more than 6 megapixels? No, not really. Six is plenty, especially since I'm not one to bother with much cropping. I'm not in any hurry to fill up my hard drive with huge file sizes. And, realistically I'm not printing anything more than 8x11" prints anyway.
Do I wish the d40 had a built in lens motor? I do, though most of the newer Nikon lenses (including the kit lens) have the motor built-in. If you are new to the Nikon line, you probably won't have to worry about this. If you have some old Nikon lenses, manual focusing isn't terribly difficult, and I do it all the time with my Nikon 50mm f/1.8D which doesn't have the focusing motor in it. I've gotten fantastic shots in manual mode. It's actually kinda fun to manually focus as it makes me think and compose my shots a little more.
Do I wish the d40 had a dust removal system? I do, but if you're careful there probably won't be a problem. I switch between the kit lens, the 50mm, and the 55-200VR lens all the time and in two years haven't had any dust get on the sensor (knock on wood!)
Do I wish it had the D90's HD video? It'd be fun, I admit. But, it's not a deal-maker/deal-breaker. I bought the D40 to be a photographer, not a video maker. Besides, I have my point-and-shoot for quick vids.
In conclusion: If you are eager to dip your foot in the DSLR world, but don't want to break the bank, the D40 is a great choice. It absolutely blows away the results from any point-and-shoot camera (including my highly regarded Panasonic ZS3). 2+ years later, and I'm never disappointed with the photos it takes, and I feel I get comparable results to much more expensive cameras. In fact, even if I were to upgrade to the d90 or d300, I wouldn't get rid of this camera because it's so simple, functional, carry-able, and produces excellent results.
|
| |
 "Defective Lens?" | 2009-10-05 |
| - Reviewed By intellectually_stupid1 |
| I got my D40 last Friday and took many shots. Some of the Image Quality is superb unfortunately it is not consistent. The autofocus don't seem to work. I get about 5 great pictures, out of ten. I don't know if it is just me because this is my first DSLR camera but I have tried all the manual settings as well as auto mode but I still get bad pictures. I zoomed to the 55mm max and the image quality is just poor. I am really disappointed because I know that the D40 is a superb entry level DSLR. I really think the lens is defective. The auto focus works most of the time but not all the time. It is really hard to manually focus on this lens especially on Macro and max zoom. I wll return this to amazon and exchange it for the Canon EOS Rebel XS. |
| |
Expedited Available
