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Product Review: Page (3) of 3 - 07/21/07

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Nikon D40x

Entry level D-SLR

I also took some pictures of a building against the blue South Florida sky, and another against the sun of an American flag, just to see how they would turn out. I couldn?t believe how both pictures stood up, especially the one with the flag, which was taken in the late afternoon.

You can even make out details in the shadowed areas.My wife and I then went on vacation to see my mother and stepfather in eastern Tennessee, then my sister and her family in western North Carolina (to help her move in), and I broke out the D40x to take some photos of the area. 

I was able to take a lot of great photos in the Smokies (mountain range), and the camera shot very well in the shade, sun and more. I was very impressed and wished I had a tripod to do the slow shutter trick with the small waterfalls we visited.

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Click for full view

It?s tough to take pictures at an aquarium when you?re shooting in the dark and through curved glass, but the camera held up well. Also, the picture of the aquarium outside came out great, too.  However, I would have liked a polarizer for some of the shots, or a neutral density graduated filter (ND Grad), which would knock out some of the glare up top, then gradually fade to clear on the bottom.

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Click for full view

In North Carolina, I did shoot a picture of a red moon. Without a tripod and the timer, it was too difficult to get a good picture. So I used the flash and was able to sort of get the moon. Not too shabby. In the future, I?ll have a solid tripod and either a remote or use the timer, set the shutter right, and have fun with it.

One thing, though, I let a friend who is a long-time DSLR user (he owns a Nikon D70) check it out, and he felt the controls were a little too basic compared to his camera. But, for me, it?s perfect for those who want to step up to DSLR technology. Plus, the D70, D80, and D200 are simply more powerful DLSRs, and it?s expected that they will have more features and controls.

Accessories
Let?s talk about accessories. The most common accessory you?ll want to buy is another lens, if not an assortment of them. Like other Nikon DSLRs, the D40 and D40x can handle all sorts of lenses from Nikon?s history. However, unlike other DSLRs, the autofocus is not handled by the camera, but the lens. So unless you want to manually focus other lenses, look for those that are branded ?AF-S? or ?AF-I,? which will handle the autofocus.

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Nikon offers a 55-200mm telephoto lens for around $249 with VR technology. Many photography-related websites and magazines highly recommend getting this affordable lens, but I haven?t had a chance to check it out yet.
Another lens is the hugely popular, but hard-to-find 18-200mm Nikon lens with VR technology. Apparently, there are only so many lenses out there with a HUGE demand for it; therefore the price of one of these is around $900 to $1,000 (supply/demand). As soon as the popular retail sites have one or two in, they?re quickly snatched up. I would think that buying one of these would save you the hassle of having two lenses (the stock 18-55mm and the 55-200mm) and having to change them out to get that one killer photo.  But the price is a bit steep.

Keep in mind, the D40 is sold as a kit only (body and lens), but the D40x is sold as body-only or as a kit. The body is around $729, the kit is $799, but most retailers sell it with the lens. If not, I?d recommend trying to find a Nikon zoom lens that is similar to the 18-200mm lens.

Other accessories include various flashes (at $129, the SB-400 flash is inexpensive), and a remote to take pictures while away from the camera. I?d suggest at least buying a flash if you like that, or at least some sort of diffusion you can put over the slightly harsh flash built on top of the unit; a remote; a solid tripod; at least one more lens (the 55-200mm lens); and a bag or backpack that can hold the camera, lenses, cables, etc.  Those are basic accessories, and I?m sure other photographers can help recommend more.

Conclusion
As I said from the start, this isn?t your usual DSLR camera review, but one told from a completely green photographer. I feel the D40x (and by default the D40) is a great camera that is easy-to-use. I recommend using the Nikon School DVDs, along with the Magic Lantern D40 DVD (and book), which covers the controls, menus and other features to the camera. When you start to feel more comfortable, I recommend using full manual settings. Also, pick up ?The Camera? by Ansel Adams.  It is still relevant today. For more information, visit www.nikonusa.com