Nikon has always been known as a leader at the high end of the photo industry, but the words "inexpensive"and "Nikon DSLR"have never been close companions. That has all officially changed with the announcement of the new Nikon D40 DSLR. Announced at a price of just $599, bundled with an 18-55mm "kit"lens, it's coming out of the box a full $300 cheaper than the Nikon D50, which was announced little more than a year and a half ago. The camera and lens will only be offered as a kit, the body and lens will not be sold separately in the US market.
If you've been sitting on the sidelines, waiting until you could afford a real Nikon DSLR, your time have come at last: While geared for the entry-level market the D40 packs enough features into its diminutive frame to keep serious enthusiasts interested as well. It's also the smallest and lightest Nikon DSLR to date, so the point & shoot photographer looking to move up to a real SLR, can do so without having to put up with the heft and bulk that the genre usually dictates. And like all consumer SLRs on the market, you can still point & shoot.
Nikon D40 User Report
by Shawn Barnett
Posted: 12/16/2006
With the introduction of the D40, Nikon has outmaneuvered everyone. They've produced a small, light, high quality digital camera that gives the consumer everything they need and more, at a price that's hard to resist.
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Wisely, Nikon stopped looking back and built the D40 for the future. Past cameras have been shackled to the idea of maintaining backward compatibility with dozens of previous lenses. The D50 and D80 both include screw-type couplings to connect a body-mounted autofocus motor to lenses built for Nikon's first body-integrated autofocus system, introduced on the N2020 ( F501) back in April 1986. The D40 leaves support for this old AF method behind in favor of the original AF concept Nikon introduced with 1983's F3AF, where the focusing motor is built into the lens. Hence the Nikon D40 will only autofocus with newer AF-S type lenses.
Those who still want to use legacy lenses, many of which are still in the Nikon lineup, should opt for the D50, D70, or D80. Note that you can still use older lenses with the Nikon D40 if you're okay with manual focus. The D40 can still control aperture on lenses marked D and G, and it will illuminate the AF points when focus is achieved. For more complete detail on this relatively complex issue, see the Optics section of this review.
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