I had a lovely (now dead) point-and-shoot digital that far out-performed the Nikon D40. Yes, it's a Nikon. Yes, it's affordable. But that's verging on too good to be true, and for a good reason. The D40 does a lovely job of taking photos of stationary objects under full light. If you want to take a photo on a cloudy day, plan on using a tripod. If you want greater depth of field, plan on using a tripod. It's slow. Really slow. Plan on using a tripod. You can bump up the ISO, but that begins to negate the benefits of a 6.1 mp image. There is considerable purple fringing, as well, even in areas of lower contrast. If you just want to take the occasional family shot on a day when the sun is out, and everyone is willing to move slowly or stand still, then this is your camera. Otherwise, keep shopping. And note Amazon's limited return policy. If you try the camera and don't like it... return it PROMPTLY!
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I rarely write review, but this time I have to write since my satisfaction of buying this camera go way up to the sky. Camera: For Entry level, get this one, period. Don't lissten and get D60/D80 or canon XS, XSi, waist of money and some of them perform inferior. This one will give you the best value, period.
Vendor: Amazon is The Best, I search local, online for weeks (am talking about Big vendors, not the small and scam-ones), noone could match Amazon in term of price. But the best comes to shiping. The best and the fastest you can find. I ordered on Saturday night, I got my camera on Tuesday. And lastly, the whole shoping experience on Amazon is the best.
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it's a really good camera for beginner photographers. but the kit lens, the 18-55 f/3.5-5.6G ED II, creates blurry pictures with the flash off or the night shots automatic settings. instead, the kit should have came with the 18-55 VR lens. that would have been a better alternative to the camera's lens so you don't have to bring a tripod with you.
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What's not to love about this camera? It's an affordable little powerhouse! True, it wouldn't be the choice of a professional sports photographer looking to capture 5-plus-frames-per-second of a high speed car race, downhill ski race, etc, but for the rest of us (casual sports shooters included} it's a steal of a deal -- and you'll appreciate its size and ultra-light weight after its been hanging from your neck all day!
A lot of the reviews here refer to the Nikon D40 as an excellent beginner's camera, starter camera, first DSLR camera, etc. -- I say baloney -- IT'S A EXCELLENT CAMERA, PERIOD!
This camera has more features than most of its owners will ever use. Many of the greatest photographers of the 20th century: Henri Cartier-Bresson, Dorthea Lange, Minor White, Alfred Eisenstaedt, etc. shot manual cameras with very basic controls for focus, f-stop, and shutter speed -- that's about it. The images these photographers shot are timeless and breathtaking in terms of the emotional impact they had (and continue to have) upon the viewer. The cameras these highly respected photographers shot with had but a small fraction of the features which the Nikon D40 possesses. The moral of the story? IT'S NOT THE CAMERA -- IT'S THE EYE, THE VISION, THE ASTHETIC SENSIBILITY OF THE PERSON PRESSING THE SHUTTER BUTTON THAT MAKES A GREAT PHOTO. IT'S THE ABILITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL TO CAPTURE A MOMENT ON FILM (OR DIGITAL) THAT DELIVERS GREAT EMOTIONAL IMPACT, THAT EVOKES A STRONG EMOTIONAL RESPONSE IN THE VIEWER; WHETHER THAT RESPONSE IS ONE OF JOY, SORROW, AMUSEMENT, HORROR, PEACE, ANGER, SERENITY, ETC.... THAT IS WHAT GREAT PHOTOGRAPHS ARE ABOUT!
I've owned my D40 for two years now. I've shot landscapes, portraits, urban candids, kid candids, pet candids, basketball, soccer, football, dog agility competitions, fireworks, etc... the Nikon D40 handles it all with ease. Sure you can spend more, and you'll probably be just as happy with a more expensive camera. But for the vast majority of casual and serious photo hobbyists, this is all the camera you'll need. Take some of the money you save buying the Nikon D40 and invest in some good photography books (or borrow them at your local library)and/or a photo workshop or two. Believe me -- that will do more to improve your images than a more expensive camera ever could.
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