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 with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens
From Nikon

Product Description
The lightest, most compact Nikon digital SLR ever, featuring intuitive controls and an ergonomically designed operation that even first-time SLR users can enjoy. Advanced 3-area AF system Automatic control over ISO-equivalent sensitivity from ISO 200 to 1600 with manual override Eight automated Digital Vari-Programs [Auto, Auto (Flash Off), Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports, Close Up, and Night Portrait] optimize white balance, sharpening, tone, color, saturation and hue to match the scene Near-instant 0.18-second power-up Versatile shutter speed control with a range from 30 to 1/4000 s, plus bulb Creative in-camera effects and editing functions consolidated under the new Retouch menu, including D-Lighting, Red-eye correction, Trim, Monochrome settings (Black-and-white, Sepia, Cyanotype), Filter Effects (Skylight, Warm filter, Color balance), Small Picture and Image Overlay Large 2.5-inch LCD monitor Information displays can be shown in Classic, Graphic or Wallpaper format Assist Images help select the appropriate settings for many camera features by showing an example image typical of that setting Large, bright viewfinder with 0.8x magnification Fast image data transfer and recording to SD memory cards of up to 4GB capacity Exposure Metering System - TTL full-aperture exposure metering system Electronic-Flash - Auto, Portrait, Child, Close Up, Night Portrait modes Uses Nikon AF-S Lenses Unit Dimensions (W x D x H) - Approximately 5.0 x 2.5 x 3.7 inches; Weight - Approximately 1lb. 1oz. without battery, memory card or body cap Nikon USA 1-Year Warranty

Nikon D40 Highlights

Extraordinary Nikon image quality The D40's high-resolution image quality is made possible by Nikon's high-performance 6.1 megapixel Nikon DX format CCD imaging sensor and exclusive Nikon image processing engine which assures stunning sharpness and color.

Easy operation with intuitive controls Intuitive controls make the D40 point-and-shoot simple, enabling even first-time SLR users to capture beautiful memories perfectly.

Nikon's smallest digital SLR ever At just over 16 ounces, the beautifully styled and compact D40 makes high-performance digital SLR photography easier and more convenient than ever.

Fast startup with instant shutter response: Fast startup combined with super-fast shutter response and rapid-action shooting at up to 2.5 frames per second makes it easy to freeze special moments instantly.

Includes 3x 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor lens Designed exclusively for use with Nikon DX-format digital SLRs, this ultra-compact 3x zoom offers Nikkor sharpness and versatility in a wide variety of shooting situations.

Shoot at up to 2.5 frames per second The D40 can fire continuously at a speed of up to 2.5 frames per second, capturing high-quality action sequences of children in sporting activities such as soccer, baseball and much more.

2.5-inch color LCD monitor with 3 colorful display options Playback images are easy to see, and function menus are easier to use with a larger and brighter color LCD monitor. The large 2.5-inch LCD monitor enables image preview at up to 19 times magnification and has large type fonts and easy-to-view menus as well as three all-new display options: Classic, Graphic and Wallpaper.


High-performance 6.1-megapixel Nikon DX format CCD imaging sensor Nikon's DX format CCD image sensor delivers vivid color and sharp detail, great for making beautifully detailed enlargements of 16 x 20 inches and beyond. High resolution also provides room for creative cropping.

In-camera image editing Highly versatile in-camera editing features include Nikon D-Lighting, Red-Eye Correction, Image Trimming, Image Overlay, Monochrome (Black and White, Sepia and Cyanotype) along with Skylight, Warm Tone and Color Balance filter effects. These features provide greater creative freedom without the need for a computer, for those who prefer to send pictures directly to a printer.

New advanced HELP menu system with Assist Images The D40's newly introduced "assist images" help you select the appropriate settings for many camera features by showing an example image typical of that setting as well as an advanced HELP Menu for the current item selected. The D40's Question Mark icon (?) indicates that help is available for the currently selected item; just press the help button beside the LCD monitor to see a context sensitive help page.

Fast, accurate 3-area Autofocus The D40's advanced 3-area AF system and the refined algorithms inherited from more advanced Nikon digital SLR cameras deliver fast, efficient and precise autofocus. AF refinements deliver greater precision with fast, more consistent subject acquisition and improved focus tracking for consistently sharper pictures.

Image Optimization Options The D40's Image Optimize setting lets photographers adjust color, contrast and sharpening as well as other image settings according to the type of scene or output desired. Settings include: Normal, Softer, Vivid, More Vivid, Portrait, Custom and Black and White, each of which are automatically adjusted based on sophisticated Nikon algorithms or user-selected settings for optimum results.

Built-in Speedlight with i-TTL automatic flash control Nikon's innovative i-TTL flash control evaluates flash exposure with incredible precision to achieve better automatic flash balance and deliver outstanding results. The built-in Speedlight is always at the ready and brings beautiful exposures in darkened conditions as well as adding sparkle for fill flash in outdoor situations for enhanced twilight shots or an added impact to daylight images.

Bright, accurate SLR viewfinder A large viewfinder makes composition easier, and overall viewfinder brightness makes focusing in low-light photography possible. Its bright and sharp viewfinder, with 0.8x magnification, ensures precise composition.

Automatic exposure with 8 Digital-Vari Program Modes Eight Digital Vari-Program Modes include: Auto Flash-OFF, Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports, Close Up or Night Portrait, each of which adjusts automatically for optimal results under varied conditions.

Nikon 3D Color Matrix Metering II The D40's 3D Color Matrix Metering II evaluates each scene for brightness, color, contrast, size and position of shadows and highlights, selected focus area and camera-to-subject distance, comparing that information against an onboard database of more than 30,000 actual photographic scenes.



Customer Reviews

Nikon D40
This is an awesome buy. I love it! Even my old lenses work in a full manual mode.

Worth 10 Stars
This is the best and easiest camera I've ever owned. My past cameras have been canon powershots which take great pictures and are small and compact but I wanted to move up to a camera that would take better pictures in low light situations with my kids. ie in the gym, on stage at school events, etc. this takes awesome pictures all the time! And the ability to switch out the lens gives me just enough creative control that I can really have fun while getting a great shot. I can zoom and get a great close-up too which I never could with my powershot... I have several friends who have the D80 and D90. They struggle with the settings and often can't figure out why they can't get a good shot while I'm clicking away! This is definitely a case of "less is more". I love this camera and can't recommend it highly enough!

Excellent camera for a bargain price
The D40 is a great way to step up from a point-and-shoot camera to a DSLR, whether you want to expand your creative possibilities, experience excellent image quality in a wide range of lighting, take pictures of action without the annoying shutter lag, pose as a professional photographer, or all of the above.

First, I like the light weight of the camera. It allows me to easily carry it around wherever I go, along with a few compact lenses, always ready to capture the moment as it happens. That's a huge image quality advantage over an expensive camera and a bag-full of exotic lenses that you left at home because it was too heavy to drag around.

Secondly, this camera has plenty of smart features which enable less fiddling around with the settings and allow me to focus on taking the picture. Some examples I like are:
* Customizable ISO-Auto function allows me to set the maximum ISO and minimum shutter speed I want, thereby eliminating the need to manually adjust ISO for different lighting conditions.
* After a picture is taken, it automatically gets displayed on the LCD for review, making adjustments, or deleting, without having to manually switch to playback mode.
* A customizable Menu for easy, fast access to features I use often without digging thorough every available item. I can leave the critical adjustments like white balance and picture presets, while hiding those I use once and forget, like date/time, language, etc.
* RGB histogram in playback mode lets me gauge if I need to adjust the color balance or if a certain color channel is clipping. Much more useful than a single-channel histogram.

Some other notable advantages, compared to the competition:
* The AF-assist lamp facilitates low light focusing. On cameras without the lamp, you'd have to use the annoying flash strobe.
* 1/500s x-sync means I can use the flash with shutter speeds up to 1/500s, effective for freezing motion or using the flash to balance out the shadows in harsh sunlight. Other cameras in this class usually only go to 1/200s.

The 6MP resolution is plenty for making great-looking 8x12 prints, and puts less space-clogging pixels on the memory card. Image quality is very good from ISO 200 - 1600, and I regularly use ISO 1600 in low light with great results. Included kit lens is sharp all around, and is perfectly adequate for making great-looking photos. Ergonomics of the camera are outstanding for its small size - it fits in my hand comfortably and doesn't make my fingers feel cramped.

There are, however, some limitations about this camera which may or may not be a big deal, depending on how you use it, such as:
* It lacks an autofocus motor in the camera body, meaning autofocus only works with AF-S lenses - those with an internal focus motor. Not necessarily a problem since all the newer Nikon lenses are AF-S, but Nikon also has a number of great, inexpensive, older AF lenses, and on the D40 these will be manual focus only.
* The built in flash cannot be used as a master to control additional wireless flash units. You'd need to buy a wireless flash controller for that.
* With only 3 AF points, you have to focus and recompose before taking the picture if your subject is outside these 3 points. Not a problem for me since I do this naturally, but something to keep in mind if you're used to a point-and-shoot camera.
* There are no buttons for directly changing white balance, image size/quality and ISO. There is, however, a customizable Fn button which I assigned to adjust white balance, and with ISO-Auto activated, I rarely miss having these buttons.
* 2.5 fps continuous shooting is too slow for getting multiple shots of fast-paced sports or other action. If you're not shooting those kind of scenes often, then it's not a problem.

Overall, this is an easy to use, well-designed camera which offers superb image quality at a relatively low price, and with plenty of features that make it easier to get great shots, instead of getting in your way. Seasoned photographers who need the AF compatibility with older lenses or are shooting fast-paced action should consider the higher end camera models, but for a casual hobbyist or enthusiast, the Nikon D40 is as a highly recommended camera.

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