2000 Unbiased Reviews Since 1999
or Browse:
Type
Brand
Price
Need
Browse By Type Find the digital camera that fits your needs
Browse By Brand Find a digital camera from your favorite brand
Browse by Price Choose a max price using the slider below
Max Price
Any

$150.00

Any Price
Buying Guides Find the perfect digital camera for... See more
Jump to a part
Advertisement

Nikon D40

Digital Camera Review

Previous: Page 5

Modes

Next: Page 7

Image Parameters
March 02, 2007 By Patrick Singleton
3 Comments
(add your own)
Manual Control Options
The Nikon D40 has full manual control of exposure, white balance, ISO and focus. Most other Nikon DSLRs offer two control dials for exposure and have other interface refinements that make manual shooting easier. The D40 relies on one control dial for all of these adjustments.
 
Focus
Auto Focus (4.5)
The Nikon D40 has 3 auto focus sensor sites, arrayed in a row across the center of the frame. This arrangement is inferior to the auto focus systems on previous Nikon DSLRs that have 5-11 sites. It's unusual to see a manufacturer take a backward step like this. Many DSLR users of even very advanced cameras focus, then recompose, which is what D40 users will have to do. The difference is, with more sensors, the shifts can be smaller, and in cases where that is impossible, such as when the sensors should be tracking a moving object, it doesn't work at all.
 
The auto focus system is accurate but slow. We found that it handled dim indoor light, as long as the subject was contrasted. The D40 is noticeably inferior to the D70 and D80 in focusing on our low-contrast subjects.
 
Manual Focus (7.0)
The Nikon D40's focusing screen is bright and contrasted. We found it easy to focus with the D40 even in subdued light. The kit lens is mechanically sloppy, so it's not as easy to focus with it as it would be with a better-quality Nikon lens.
 
Exposure (9.25)
In addition to setting exposure completely manually, the D40 can set exposure compensation. For normal exposures, the D40 can be set to shoot up to 5 EV above or below the metered reading, in 1/3-EV steps. A button on the camera accesses the exposure compensation feature. Exposure compensation for flash is available only through the camera menu, and runs from 1 EV above to 3 EV below the metered setting.

Metering (8.0)
The general specs of the D40 metering system aren’t as impressive as other Nikon DSLRs – the metering system uses a 420-segment RGB sensor. The D50 and D80 use this same sensor, but other Nikons such as the D70s use a 1,005-segment RGB sensor. Nikon calls its evaluative metering mode "Matrix Metering," which indicates that the D40 compares many separate light readings from across the frame to establish the ideal exposure. The hope is that evaluative systems will recognize backlighting or other difficult lighting situations and compensate for them, getting the exposure right on the subject. As with other Nikons, we found that the Matrix system can be fooled with typical backlit scenes and with bright subjects on black backgrounds. To an extent, that's to be expected: The system will deliver more usable images if it compromises a bit, rather than trying to guess perfectly every time. Few pictures will be perfect, but even fewer will be completely wrong. The D40 also offers center-weighted and spot metering, which are useful for manual shooting. The center-weighted metering option favors the central 75 percent of the frame, while the spot option meters from about a spot that represents about 2.5 percent of the total frame and is centered on the active focus area.

White Balance (7.5)
The D40's Auto white balance setting works well, which is good, because that's likely what the target market for the camera will use. The presets are incandescent, fluorescent, direct sun, flash, cloudy and shade. The D40 has an option for fine-tuning the presets. The manual white balance system can take a measurement from a white surface or pick up a balance from existing shots.

ISO (7.5)
Nikon shies away from using the number "3200" for its maximum ISO setting, so the D40 has a "HI 1" ISO setting that's a full stop above ISO 1600. The D40's conventional ISO range is 200-1600, in full-EV steps. It's too bad that it doesn't offer 1/3-EV steps because small jumps in ISO can get the exposure into a useful range without degrading image quality as much as full-stop jumps. The Nikon D50 has the same full-stepped range, but 1/3 increments are available on the D70 and pricier models.

Shutter Speed (8.0)
An impressive 1/500-second flash sync speed is the big news with the D40. Its full shutter speed range, from 1/4000-30 seconds, plus Bulb for time exposures, is typical of DSLRs, and it's a completely serviceable range. The D40's shutter speeds are selectable in 1/3-EV steps, which is typically a fine enough interval to get exposure just about perfect.

Aperture (0.0)
The D40 controls aperture settings on compatible lenses through electronic connections in the lens mount. It can adjust the f-stop in 1/3-EV increments, which is typical for DSLRs and also good enough for even very careful users. The kit lens has maximum apertures of f/3.5 when zoomed wide and f/5.6 when zoomed in.

Shop for the Nikon D40

Loading Recently Viewed Products
Advertisement

Latest News
& Reviews

Top Rated Digital SLRs

  • Canon EOS 60D
    Canon EOS 60D
    $1,049.95
     1

    Canon EOS 60D

    The Canon EOS 60D is a top-notch camera in terms of performance, handling and flexibility. However, the performance of the kit lens leaves something to be desired. Read full 7-part review

    $1,049.95
    Read full 7-part review
    Types
    Prosumer
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,15
    10 to 15 Megapixels
    15,
    > 15 Megapixels
    19.00
  • Nikon D5100
    Nikon D5100
    $589.95
     2

    Nikon D5100

    The D5100 is the latest entry-level DSLR from Nikon, with full 1080/30p video, an articulated LCD, and the same image sensor as the D7000. It lacks an internal focus motor, but we found it produced some of the most accurate colors we've seen yet. Read full 7-part review

    $589.95
    Read full 7-part review
    Types
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,15
    10 to 15 Megapixels
    15,
    > 15 Megapixels
    16.2
  • Canon EOS 7D
    Canon EOS 7D
    $1,239.95
     3

    Canon EOS 7D

    The 18-megapixel Canon 7D delivers high resolution stills and full HD video in a well-built camera designed for serious photographers without the desire (or budget) for a full-frame model. Read full 7-part review

    $1,239.95
    Read full 7-part review
    Types
    Prosumer
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,15
    10 to 15 Megapixels
    15,
    > 15 Megapixels
    19.00
  • Nikon D7000
    Nikon D7000
    $1,199.00
     4

    Nikon D7000

    The Nikon D7000 is a powerhouse camera at an excellent price. It offers a huge range of features that will make shooting quicker and easier for the experienced shooter, with lots of customizable options and quick control access. Read full 7-part review

    $1,199.00
    Read full 7-part review
    Types
    Prosumer
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,15
    10 to 15 Megapixels
    15,
    > 15 Megapixels
    16.9
  • Sony Alpha SLT-A55V
    Sony Alpha SLT-A55V
    $569.99
     5

    Sony Alpha SLT-A55V

    The SLT-A55 is a well performing SLR, with a wide ISO range, good color and relatively low noise. . Read full 7-part review

    $569.99
    Read full 7-part review
    Types
    Consumer
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,15
    10 to 15 Megapixels
    15,
    > 15 Megapixels
    17

Features

Jump to a part

Shop for the Nikon D40

Advertisement
Nikon D40
Digital Camera Review
3 Comments
(add your own)

Previous: Page 5

Modes

Previous: Page 7

Image Parameters