I am about to go buy this camera. My first DSLR and it seems to be perfect for me. I am new to photography and would like to take it up as a hobby, not trying to go pro here. Any reason i SHOULD NOT get this camera today? Does anyone HIGHLY recommend another beginner DSLR? Please let me know, thanks!

..also, I noticed it only has 3 AF points and does not have image stabiliztion. Does it really matter for me?

 

You can't use standard nikon lenses, because the D40 line has motors built in, so there's only 2 lenses on the market you can use.

image stabilization matters when you're taking photos in dark, indoors, or without a tripod. If you're taking outdoor, sports, action photos then it doesn't matter

If it was me, I'd cough up some more money to get D50, so that you can use more lenses, it's totally up to the user though.

 

canon rebel xti...i've heard its a great beginner dslr

 

I owned nikon for years and switched to canon and could not be happier. I would suggest saving a bit more and get a Rebel XTI. Its a great camera and a bunch of semi-pros are using it as well. It will let you learn but be ready for you when you want to be more creative. This is just my opinion however.

 

I like my Nikon D40. Everyone has their opinions and brand loyalty.. whatever. I think it's a great camera for the price. I am also a novice.

 

I currently have the D40. It is a GREAT beginner's dslr. I would highly recommend it.
However, one of the cons are that you can't use other lenses other than AF-S.
If you want to use lenses such as 50mm 1.8f AF, you won't be able to focus using auto focus..only manual focus.
As far as having image stabilazation, there are quite a few lenses that have built in VR(Vibration Reduction) features.
Honestly 3 focus point is enough IMO.
Wanna buy mine? I'm upgrading to Canon 30D soon so I need to get rid of it haha.

 

Personally, I'm satisfied with my D40... small/lightweight (i.e., easily fits in your hand & not bulky), fast, good color reproduction, detailed photos (6MP is plenty unless you're printing larger than 8x10), etc when compared to other entry level dSLRs on the market.

I waited 3-mo doing research on Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Panasonic, etc. & finally decided on the Nikon. Every brand has its pro's/con's & the Nikon just so happened to be a good balance of what I myself wanted.

Also, there are more than 2 lens on the market for the D40... 9 proprietary Nikkor DX lens to date that are made for the D40's DX format. Other Nikkor lens will either have to be manually adjusted or cannot be easily used. There are a couple of 3rd party brand names which also make DX compatible lens.

Try checking these sites out. It helped me become a little more informed the last couple of years when I was looking @ new cameras for my parents, girlfriend, & myself. I still make use of them regularly, too.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/index.htm
http://www.bythom.com/index.htm
http://www.megapixel.net/html/cover.php

After all is said & done... make a decision that's best suited to your budget, needs, & wants. IMO, equipment matters but the person using the camera matters more so develop that eye for creativity & I don't think you can go wrong with any camera choice.

Cheers & have fun with whatever you choose

 

Thank you all for the advice and comments! I went ahead and got the d40! let the picture taking begin!!

 

btw, you know a D40x came out, 10 mp

 

Not worth spending $200 more for 4mp upgrade when it still only support AF-S and AF-A lenses.
Canon Rebel XTi is better choice on that budget.

 

Nikon is making the move to all internal focusing lenses. Its quieter, faster and smoother, so its not like you'll NEVER have a better selection of lenses, they'll come out more and more.

For a beginner the differences between Canon and Nikon are neglible. For advance folks its purely personal preference, Nikon tends to have better bodies and Canon better lenses, but not something that will make a difference one way or another.

Good choice, I started on the D40 and love it, its super easy to carry around wherever.

Luke

 

+1, yeah i was actually going to get the d40x untill i realized the only diffrence was the extra mp, i dont need to print out 24" pics, 6.1mp should be just fine for me(hopefully..)

 

nice summary, thanks! yeah i think i made the right choice, cant wait to wash my car and get some nice shots of it!!

 

Have fun with it!
Here is a shot of my Z I took with my D40(just made it B&W in PS to be more dramatic, but that's all)

 

Whatever you decide to get let me know so we can do a test photoshoot. Of my car that is

 

I made some prints with my D40 the size of 22" x 18" and they are spectacular! 6mp is plenty with this DSLR to make big prints.

(HP DesignJet130 printer)

I can't wait to decide on a pic to enlarge to say 24" x 60"

 

I have the D40 as well, and you can use any lens you want, you just give up the autofocus. Remember, true photogs focus manually anyway.

I bought both Nikor lenses though, because I am not a true photog, and autofocus is easy.

 

Not quite 100% true. At the pro level, the Canon 45 point autofocus system is superior to Nikon's. If you really want to nitpick, Canon's 10 fps (1D MKIII) versus Nikon's 8 fps (D2Hs). Another reason why Canon is preferred by sports photographers is the high ISO image quality, which is needed for indoor venues where ISO 3200 is needed for a fast shutter speed.

I like Nikon's metering and flash support system over Canon's but for what I primarily shoot, I chose Canon for the AF system and high ISO image quality.

 

pffft, hahahaha, you can't be serious. If I bought an expensive camera and couldn't use autofocus, I'd feel I've been ripped off. Besides Digital SLR doesn't have the prism that old school FILM SLR that shows what's focus and what's not. A good autofocus is a must, especially if the camera is going to be used daily, because you'll come across action and street shots.

 

^ ditto. A good autofocus mechanism negates the need for manual focus for the vast majority of shots. MF still proves to be useful for certain types of photography, such as panning or when you want to control the main focal point with a shallow depth of field shot (but this requires a large and bright viewfinder, which most digital SLRs are lacking except for the full frame bodies).

These two are with autofocus:




These two are with manual focus:




when I know a car will consistently follow the same racing line, I'll use manual focus but I'll switch to AI servo when the racing line varies from each driver/car. the camera body I use also dictates my focus preference. my 1D MKII's AI servo AF is much more accurate than my 20D so I'll use MF with the 20D more often for panning.