Nikon D40x 10.2 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera Body with Lens Kit - 18 mm - 55 mm

I returned Canon DigitalRebel XTi and bought Nikon D40x - this is a keeper!

Strengths: Instant start-up. Very fast auto focus. Rapid continuous shooting (great to capture kids in action). Nikon 18-55mm kit lens better than Canon's kit lens. Supports USB mass storage interface.

Weakness: Only 3 auto-focus points. Auto white balance poor for indoor shooting (need to remember to switch to "incadescent" manually). No hard buttons for white balance and/or ISO selection.

I initially bought a Canon Digital Rebel XTi kit. After using it for 2 weeks, the deficiency of Canon's kit lenses and the very poor design of the USB interface on the Digital Rebel started to really annoy me. So I returned Canon and bought a Nikon D40x. What a difference! Before buying the Nikon I thought that Canon was a higher end product. Now I feel totally the opposite. I really like the...
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I initially bought a Canon Digital Rebel XTi kit. After using it for 2 weeks, the deficiency of Canon's kit lenses and the very poor design of the USB interface on the Digital Rebel started to really annoy me. So I returned Canon and bought a Nikon D40x. What a difference! Before buying the Nikon I thought that Canon was a higher end product. Now I feel totally the opposite. I really like the ergonomics of the D40x much better. The hand grip and the location of all controls are perfect for both me and my wife. We also found that even though Nikon D40x has only 3 focus points, as opposed to multiple focus points on the Canon EOS 400D, Nikon does not appear to have the same problem with frequent "out of focus" shots that we had with the Canon. We take most of our short in either programmed mode or in aperture priority mode. Also, the included Nikon's kit lens appears to produce quite a bit less chromatic aberration and less distortion at wide angle than we had with Canon. Nikon D40x with the 18-55 kit lens is a great value package for the price, and I don't think any of the other current cameras come close. We use ours daily and are definitely going to keep it!

By tallrussian - Dec 5, 2007

Great Digital SLR

Strengths: Feels great in your hands and operates like a true 35mm camera.

Weakness: A little complicated to use; takes time to read the manual and fully understand all of the functions

I started 35mm photography about 40 years ago and used Nikon equipment exclusively for many years. I finally switched to the digital format and started with the easy point and shoot cameras. The lack of control was frustrating so I broke down and bought the Nikon D40X. I am very pleased with the quality of the photographs, the through-the-lens viewing, and the "real" feel of the camera. I have...
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I started 35mm photography about 40 years ago and used Nikon equipment exclusively for many years. I finally switched to the digital format and started with the easy point and shoot cameras. The lack of control was frustrating so I broke down and bought the Nikon D40X. I am very pleased with the quality of the photographs, the through-the-lens viewing, and the "real" feel of the camera. I have had great luck with Nikon products in the past and expect the same from this one. I decided to go with the 18-135mm lens, which provides more versatility than the standard lens. I have not been disappointed yet.

By mweiss1 - Nov 12, 2007

Nikon D40x is a SUPER DSLR

Strengths: Easy to use, Many presets accommodate most photo opportunities, Super photo quality

Weakness: Must use viewfinder only for picture-taking as LCD is for settings and photo review but not for taking new pictures

Excellent first DSLR camera. I have had several cameras leading up to this, but finally may have a camera that will do most everything I want it to do. I purchased the camera and 18-55mm lens as well as the 55-200 VR zoom lens and a wide angle lens. Controls are intuitive and easy to use. Lens quality and picture quality are super. The VR zoom works perfect for sports photos at soccer games even...
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Excellent first DSLR camera. I have had several cameras leading up to this, but finally may have a camera that will do most everything I want it to do. I purchased the camera and 18-55mm lens as well as the 55-200 VR zoom lens and a wide angle lens. Controls are intuitive and easy to use. Lens quality and picture quality are super. The VR zoom works perfect for sports photos at soccer games even shooting into bright sunlight. Unlike many cameras, the LCD cannot be used to compose a new picture--you must use the viewfinder which works best in bright light anyway but does limit peripheral viewing. Super pictures and easy to use. Definitely recommend. Began shooting out of the box after charging the battery and fell in love immediately. Can't wait to take it on vacation.

By stevejean - Sep 11, 2007

Fantastic starter camera for budding photography enthusiasts

Strengths: Well-placed controls. Fast and responsive. Good user interface. Solid, durable construction. Decent kit lens.

Weakness: Not compatible with all Nikon lenses. No dust removal system.

The Nikon D40X represents my first foray into the world of SLR photography. As a new parent wanting to take lots of pictures of my kid, I slowly worked my way up a succession of ever more expensive and capable cameras, starting with compact point-and-shoots and working my way up to a Canon PowerShot S2. While the consumer cameras have their strengths (portability, ability to capture video) there...
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The Nikon D40X represents my first foray into the world of SLR photography. As a new parent wanting to take lots of pictures of my kid, I slowly worked my way up a succession of ever more expensive and capable cameras, starting with compact point-and-shoots and working my way up to a Canon PowerShot S2. While the consumer cameras have their strengths (portability, ability to capture video) there really is no substitute for an SLR.

If you've never used an SLR before, you might find the lack of certain features surprising:

- The D40X lacks the ability to take movies.
- You must use the optical viewfinder when shooting. You can't compose your shots using the LCD. The LCD can only be used to view photos you've already taken.

If you can live with the above limitations and are ready to dive into the world of SLRs, the D40X is a great starter model. It comes with a reasonable selection of easy-to-use "presets" on the main thumb dial. You just dial to preset that matches the type of shot you are taking (indoor with no flash, portrait, landscape, children, action, close-up, or night time), and the camera selects the best settings for that type of picture. In this respect it functions similarly to a consumer point-and-shoot, but captures images with more detail and clarity than is possible with consumer cameras with smaller lenses that capture less light. In this "consumer" mode, you'll still enjoy other great benefits of the D40X: fast, accurate autofocus, zero shutter lag, and fast shot-to-shot time. No longer will you miss a precious moment due to your camera's unresponsiveness.

So that's the simple mode. But to really take full advantage of the D40X, you're going to have to invest a significant amount of time learning about photography in general and about the manual controls of your specific camera. If you do this,
be prepared to spends lots more money as you get sucked into the world of SLR camera accessories (prime lenses, zoom lenses, an external flash, tripods, and a bag to carry it all in).

If you take the leap into more serious photography, you'll start to notice some of the places where Nikon cut corners with the D40X. Since the D40X lacks an internal focusing motor, it can only focus lenses that have built-in focusing motors. Before I realized this, I purchased a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, which is a great lens for capturing narrow depth-of-field pictures using available light (i.e. no flash). I was dismayed to discover that I could not autofocus with this lens on my D40X since the lens does not have a built-in focusing motor. The lens still works, but I have to manual focus it, which takes some practice and can be inconvenient at times.

Also, now that I have multiple lenses, I find the lack of a dust removal system somewhat stress-inducing. I have to be very careful to not let any dust get into the camera body when changing lenses. This is something that I probably would be less worried about with a Canon Rebel XTi, which has an automatic dust removal system built into the camera body.

Other than these minor drawbacks, I've been thrilled with the D40X. It's solidly constructed, has very well-placed controls, and is fast and responsive. The user interface for the LCD controls is optimized for quick access to the features you care most about. I've not explored the on-camera image editing software, but that's something that I prefer to do on my Mac anyway.

I give it 5 stars for being one of the best starter digital SLRs on the market.

By skoatalum - Aug 19, 2007

NIKON D40X

Strengths: Very fast startup, easy to use, great focus and light.

Weakness: None so far.

I have looked around for a great Digital SLR to buy for a while and I like the Nikon the best. It feels great in your hand and very easy to use. Focus is fast and accurate. If you have older Nikon lenses and flash, you will be able to use it with some limitations.

By ANBK07 - Jul 3, 2007