Nikon D40
- 4.0 out of 5
- 4.0 out of 5
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Research the Nikon D40
Editors' Comments
The Nikon D40 is a superlative budget dSLR, geared toward introducing aspiring professionals and other serious photographers to high-end performance and potential. The 6.1 megapixel sensor is just right for most users, and the D40's small form factor will avoid the annoyance of lugging around a heavy, clunky camera. The affordable D40 is certain to be a smash, and Nikon's dSLR line is only looking better as time passes.
Specifications
- 6.1 megapixel CCD sensor
- Nikon F-Mount Lenses
- JPEG and NEF (RAW) file formats
- Auto and manual focus and exposure
- ISO 200-3200
- 2.5-inch LCD
- Secure Digital storage (SD/SDHC)
- Lithium-ion battery
Comments on the Nikon D40
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Nikon D40 Reviews
- 4.34085626911315 out of 5
Nikon D40 Reviews by Digital Camera-HQ Users
- 5.0 out of 5
- 2.0 out of 5
I take movement picture of dogs, and all I can say is CRAPPY!!!! and then having to down load the crap of internet that didn't work. MINE will be going back, and I'll be buying something new to take my pictures with.
I've NEVER had such a CRAPPY, CRAPPY Camera (and I'm watching my words)
- 4.0 out of 5
So I just bought the D40 after months of research and I must say I LOVE IT!!!!!
I took it on a trip to the jungles of Nicaragua for 9 days (just came back 4 days ago)and the pictures came out great.
I have gone through hell and back in the last couple of weeks with and its a real champ.
I dropped the lense in a puddle of water(d'oh!), but I dried it off reaaall good and works awesome!
I suggest a beginner like me should definielty buy it..
AWESOME CAMERA!!
- 5.0 out of 5
This was my step up from a point and shoot and it was worth it to get it! I love this camera! I have 2 batteries and they are constantly being rechared (Its nice not to waste AA batteries) I mainly use the camera to take photos of my dogs, but now I am expanding into portraits! I took portraits for someone, and they all turned out wonderfully, and they have come back for more pictures. A+ to this camera for a beginer SLR user!
- 5.0 out of 5
I like the fact that I can use most any lens from Nikon. I borrowed my dads lenses from the late 70's and they worked very well. The drawback is no autofocus and metering doesnt work. But thats the fun of the camera playing around with the features.
There is a lot of material out there teaching advanced functions on this camera. and for under 500 bucks with lens its a no brainer. www.dpreview.com is a great place to research
- 5.0 out of 5
Takes great shots and survived a potentially 'fatal' fall onto concrete with only a few scratches.
- 5.0 out of 5
Absolutely the best camera out there for the money. Cannot really beat it with camera's costing two or three times as much. I have 2 hi end(not professional model) digital slr's( one Canon, one Nikon, over $2500 each with lens), one mid price Canon ($1300), plus this Nikon D40. I use my cameras at work, while on travel, and for recreational purposes. I take many different kinds of pictures, so I bought the above cameras based on reviews and specific needs, ie. light for traveling, fast for sports, one for best advertised picture quality, etc. But I find myself always grabbing the D40. It is light weight, has excellent lightweight VR lenses, and does 95% of what I need. Why lug around a heavier more complicated camera? When I download my pictures onto my pc and start looking at them, I am still amazed that the best looking ones are from this D40. Whatever Nikon put into this camera, it trumps more expensive ones with all the impressive specs. I cannot explain why, but now truely believe what many experts say: "having the most pixels and smartest sensors doesn't guarantee the best pictures".
I could have bought 2 of these for all my purposes and saved $6000, but no one would ever have convinced me this camera could perform at this level. So if in the market for a camera, you will not be disappointed in the D40.
- 4.0 out of 5
This is camera is among my first choice of cameras, other cameras in this Nikon series is definatley worth looking at.
- 5.0 out of 5
I was looking for a digital SLR when I tested the Nikon D40. I love this camera! I hope to trathe D80 up to the D80 some day, but for now, this is the camera for me!
- 4.0 out of 5
This has fast became my favorite camera.
- 4.0 out of 5
I bought this camera because I was sick of all the trouble I had with point and shoots. Since I bought it, I've learned all of its features and utilized everything it has to offer and have found only one frustration: the white balance. It doesn't allow you to set it according to the light's temperature, and the custom white balance has trouble reading correctly.
The image quality is decent. It shoots 8 bit RAW and the noise reduction is decent as well. If you go above ISO 800, you're likely to have too much noise.
Aside from that, I'm extremely happy with this camera. It's not something I would recommend to someone aspiring to be professional, but it's good for people who don't want to use point and shoots.
If you're plan is to become a professional, I would buy something a lot better. I've now begun to take professional photography courses at school, and find myself disappointed that I don't have a better camera with more features.
- 5.0 out of 5
I have had this camera for around 6 months now. I absolutely love it. It has superlative image quality, and the features it has work extremely well. The performance is quick, and while cheap, the kit lens is actually quite good.
While 6 megapixels doesn't seem like much, it is plenty for most peoples needs.
The only negative I can think of, is that there is no dust reduction built in. I have noticed some dust on the sensor, and I will have to get it cleaned.
This camera is a great camera, and I recommend it to anyone who wants an easy to use digital SLR camera.
- 5.0 out of 5
I moved up from digital a point and shoot to the Nikon D40.
I have shot quite a few photos, mostly at the local zoo and landscape photos. I am very satisfied with the results. For the money it would be hard to beat. I will be in Door County soon to shoot some fall scenes. I would recomend this Nikon to people stepping up from a digital point and shoot camera.
I understand the Nikon D60 is also a very good camera. But look into the lower end Canon's, see which one feels right to you. I think for the average person you can't beat either the Nikon or Canon lower end digital camera's. Both are user friendly.
- 5.0 out of 5
This has been one of the best purchases I made. I had a regular digital camera that kept eating up my battery life. I would have to buy several packages of batteries just to keep it running. My new D40 is so much better. The pictures come out clear and professional. I bought it so I can take pictures of my Kindergartners and it's great!
The quality is worth what I paid. A great investment for years to come.
- 5.0 out of 5
I upgraded from two point and shoot digital cameras. I wish I had the knowledge to start out with a DSLR. So much more you can do with this Nikon, I own the 18-55mm lens, 55-200mm VR lens and just bought a 50mm f/8 lens and I'm really enjoying all of them thanks to Digital Camera-HQ's help. If it wasn't for them, I would probably have put the Nikon in my closet with the rest of the cameras and let it accumulate dust.
The Nikon D40 was in my price range, it produces great pictures and easy to use. I love this camera.
Thanks to DigitalCamera-HQ
- 5.0 out of 5
I was sceptical in buying the Nikon D40, But i'm SOOO glad I did !
- 5.0 out of 5
perfect, easy to use, user friendly, light weight, low noise, fast & never miss a shoot...
- 5.0 out of 5
if you are serious about photography, you can't go wrong with this camera. sure it's a little pricy but it is totally worth every penny. the picture quality is amazing. I've had mine for about a week now. I only wish I would have it sooner.
- 5.0 out of 5
I've taken many pictures with many different types of cameras but this one is by far my favorite!
- 5.0 out of 5
my first dslr after owning several point and shoot cameras, must say the d40 is fantastic, get one today!!!!!
- 5.0 out of 5
I am the proud owner of a Nikon F, a Nikon F2, a Nikkormat EL, and many old Nikkor lens, some without AI. The oldest is a 1967 50mm F1.4 vintage.
All these lens work with my D40!! Just set to the "M" mode, set the shutter speed, adjust the aperture on the lens, focus, and shoot. I am quite to do manual settings by experience, or use my Sekonic light meter, if not sure. For fast action shots, I'll still use the "P" mode with the zoom lens that came with the camera.
It's great to be able to use some of the finest lens that Nikon had produced over the years. Great photos come out from these lens. I would recommend any old timer Nikon enthusiast like me to to get this camera.
- 5.0 out of 5
It's been years since I've used an SLR. Had become accustomed to my Kodak DX6490 digital point and shoot and finally splurged on my first digital SLR. Still learning the manual settings but loving the quality of photos. I'd definitely recommend this camera - if you can find it anywhere. I was told that the D40 was Nikon's last digital SLR that allowed you to use other model lenses. Thinking then that the D40x now requires the proprietary Nikon lenses? Something to investigate if you're looking at purchasing the D40x.
- 4.0 out of 5
I bought this camera during my visit to Dubai I was surpraised at the quality of the out put with and without flash I was able to take several pictures on candle light and very landscapes too.
over all I am proud to own this I am planning to buy a full set of lens for th camera I a 18-55 lens on it. Shortly I am planning to buy a TELE lens for it
- 5.0 out of 5
I've been shooting a film SLR until recently and finally made the switch to digital. I've enrolled in a photography course and intend to take some very nice shots. There's a lot to learn. I looked at more complex models, but figured the D40 could do 90% of the more expensive cameras and I haven't regretted my purchase.
I selected the D40 after holding a number of cameras. It just feels more comfortable to me than the others. I also felt that I'd carry the D40 more often because of its light weight.
I've shot about 700 pics thus far and am very happy with the performance of the camera and image quality. I'd also highly recommend the DVD training videos available for this camera.
- 5.0 out of 5
Nikon has made possible for people like me to afford a DSLR at a nominal price, but i feel it odd that we pay for a Japan made thing and getting a lense made in Thiland.. why not Japan made. Overall result is amazing ... Thank to D40x for the higher MP.
Nafees Bazmi
ban555@yahoo.com
- 4.0 out of 5
I bought a Nikon D40 on June 8th as an upgrade to my trusty great shooting but unrefined $300 Kodak Z612 zoom camera.
My upgrade was to a Nikon 40D w/the goodies including 55-135mm and 75-200mm lenses and paid $1100. I then compared the two cameras directly. The Nikon was much faster and sweet to operate BUT the small less refined Kodak CRUSHED the Nikon in all but close up photo quality. When zooming the 200mm Lens was totally outclassed by the 12x optical zoom on the Z612. The Nikon will need maybe as much as a 400mm lens to beat this little Kodak at its own game. I wonder what this will cost. I bought the Nikon because it was well rated, consumer reports also recommended the Z612 but the D40 is an SLR and should outperform the zooming subcompact in ALL AREAS. In truth the Nikon did outperform the Kodak in all areas but one, photo quality which to me is kinda a big deal.
- 5.0 out of 5
The D40 is targeted at the developing photographer or the amateur in need of greater flexibility, capability, and image quality. The size and operational ergonomics (such as switch placement) are ideal. Coupled with the 18-55 kit lens and the SB-400 compact shoe-mount flash, I've got a light, fast, and easy to use camera that makes simply gorgeous shots. I mainly photograph family, outdoor scenes, and hobby items and the D40 serves me well.
- 5.0 out of 5
Following on from the popular D50 model, the Nikon D40 is a cheaper but no less capable DSLR. This camera is target for first-time DSLR owners and compact digicam users trading up to a more "serious" camera. I got it from warehouse123 for 500 bucks which is very affordable for many people. All of the pictures came out beautifully. I am really looking forward to using this camera for many years to come!
Nikon D40 Comments & Questions (write your own!)
Still need help? If so a few more details will make it easier to find you the right camera. Let me know what price range you're in and what kind of features you want or pictures you'd like to take. Thanks!
I suppose we'd go from $300 to maybe $600. We'd be wanting to take still shots immediately. After taking the senior pictures it would be given to our daughter who is entering college for general use. She has taken some photography classes in HS and may explore photography some more in college.
Jeff
Thanks for the details. Since your daughter knows some about photography and wants to learn more I'd definitely lean towards something with optional Manual controls (so she can play with the settings and learn how they work, but still put the camera on auto when she wants to). Your price range is pretty widespread, so I'll give you a few ideas from each area and you can check out the details on them:
Canon Powershot A640 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... )- I love the Powershots because they take great photos in low light as well as in bright sun... very rich, pure colors. This one has auto and manual exposure options and a nice 4x zoom. All-around stable and dependable.
Kodak Easyshare P712 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... )- another nice all-around camera; super user-friendly. Nice big zoom.
Most of those are in the same 300-ish price range. If you're looking to spend more than that, you can possibly look into a digital SLR. Those are the more advanced cameras that take multiple lenses and have more complicated instructions and functions. While they are great for photo students, it is also easier to take a bad picture with a DSLR than it is with a point and shoot. You really do need to learn how to use them, and that's a committment I'm not sure if your daughter is looking for or not... and it may also mean buying separate lenses since the ones that come with DSLRs aren't always the greatest. If that's a route you're interested in, the Canon EOS 30D ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ) is my favorite.
Hope that helps somewhat. Let me know if you need further help!
Nikon D40 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ) -- a cool new Nikon oriented toward people learning photography, Canon Rebel 400D ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ) -- the cheaper cousin of the 30D Brenda recommended (a totally great camera by all accounts), the Pentax K110D ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ) or Sony a100 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ) -- both have image stabilization built in so you can buy much less expensive lenses. But all of these are real SLR cameras: fast, high quality and good for real photography.
I will recomend you cameras from $400, and up to $700... despite you said $600. Why? Because SRL prices start at $500... so you don't have too many of them by that price. The average, is around $800 and $1500.
Recomended Point & Shoot:
* Canon Powershot G7
* Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ5
* Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1
* Ricoh Caplio R5
* Samsung NV7 OPS
* Samsung S850
This ones, are point & shoot cameras... but they are kind of small. You also have those with ultra versatile lenses, but much bigger. Some of the bests are:
* Samsung Pro815 (with 15x lenses, and a decent sensor)
* Panasonic FZ30 (you also have the FZ50, but you should know that there's almost any difference between 8 and 10 mp, than the $100 extra bucks) I would recomend THIS ONE!
* Kodak P880
* FujiFilm FinePix IS-1
SRL's I recomend for the price:
* Pentax K100 (or K110... the difference is the image stabilization)
* Nikon D40
* Canon Rebel XT EOS 350 D
To decide between these three, you should first know some things about them:
1º Pentax K100 was the surprise in the last photography event of 2006. It has even better picture quality than the Nikon D50, and it has shift sensor image stabilization.
2º The Nikon D40 is the last release of Nikon, and it's made to compete with the Pentax. The image quality is slightly better (let's say that the throne was for the Nikon D50, until the Pentax K100 was lounched to the market, and they just released the Nikon D40 that has some better end details, but there are almost no differences). BUT! this camera doesn't have a built in autofocus... so you have to buy every lens with it's own autofocus system, which makes them more expensive. Much more... if you want image stabilization... you will have to buy much more expensive lenses, when the K100 comes with it.
3º There's no difference between 6 and 8 mp. But much more... this is the most expensive of the three, and Canon is well known for bad quality kit lenses... so you will have to buy extra lenses. This one doesn't come with image stabilization neither.
My opinion: buy the K100 camera body, and then look for lenses around 120 and 200 bucks. Sigma is a very good brand for the price you pay them. Look for versatility, something like 18-90 mm, or 28-120... or even more. I've done that.
Hope this helps you to find the best camera for you and your daughter, and I expect you to post in the future what you bought, and how pleased you are.
Alan.
digitalcamera-hq.com/digita...
Honestly, all of the cameras listed above will meet your needs and then some. However, there are some subtle differences between them that might make a difference to you, so let's cover them. First, let's cover the differences between the <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... and <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... and try to pick a contender from those two to face off against the 350D.
The D40 is a pretty subtle upgrade/downgrade case. In many ways, it's been improved over the D50. It's got a higher resolution LCD display. It's smaller overall, but it has a larger viewfinder and shorter shutter lag and viewfinder blackout. It's got a considerably upgraded user interface, as well. It can now shoot continuously in JPEG mode until you run out of memory space, which is pretty fantastic (though why you would ever want to shoot that many in a row is beyond me). Perhaps most important of all, the street price for the kit (body + lens) is about $300 lower than the D50's was at the time it was launched. On the other side of the coin, the D40 also does away with the D50's <a href="asia.cnet.com/i/r/2005/dc/3... LCD</a>, which told you the values of important manual settings. It's been removed mainly to make the camera smaller, but the end result is that you now have to call up those settings on the main LCD display. The D40 also does away with some of the manual controls from the D50, particularly the ability to customize your exposure steps. However, it does also add some new manual control, such as the ability to customize your auto ISO settings.
In short, I think the D40 offers the kind of upgrades that you're looking for (bigger viewfinder and sharper LCD, user-friendly interface, etc) at an acceptable cost. Of the two, it's the clear winner.
Now, choosing between the D40 and the 350D is another story. You'll find thousands of arguments across the internet over the quality difference between this brand and that, particularly in the shallow end of the dSLR pool. Canon loyalists will tell you that Nikon cameras have higher noise despite their larger sensor and fewer megapixels. Nikon loyalists will tell you that Canons have issues with autofocus "hunting" (inability to focus quickly) in low light. There's a good example of such a debate here ( forums.dpreview.com/forums/... ). Frankly, since the D40 has yet to be reviewed by any of the major sites, it's hard to make a direct comparison between these two, so my final recommendation is that you go to your local big box electronics retailer when production models start hitting the shelves and see how each feels in your hand. Give the D50 a try, too--it certainly can't hurt. Ultimately it's that feel that is going to hook you, and the rest is just comparing statistics.
The D200 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ) is a brilliant camera, but it's a step up in class from the other three we've discussed and thus also about $900-1000 more expensive. It's not really in competition with the lower-end SLRs that I just compared. It does have a fine viewfinder and LCD screen, and it outclasses these others by a mile and a half in most tech departments, but for the kind of photography it sounds like you'll be doing it might be overkill. The D200 is verging on serious pro equipment.
There are several dSLRs that offer solid continuous burst mode shooting. I'll try and detail them for you here.
Under $1500, Canon's 8MP <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... 30D</a> is going to get you the fastest FPS at 5FPS for up to 30 consecutive images. You can find it for around $1200, but since it's pretty much a pro camera, that's without a kit lens. With the kit lens you're looking at more like $1300 or $1400. And, as I'm sure you know, you'll probably want to get a couple more lenses and that'll end up running you several hundred dollars more.
Other 8MP dSLRs under the $1500 limit: The <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... Digital Rebel XT</a>, which costs about half the price of the 30D and gets 2.8FPS for 14 shots. The Olympus E-500 and E-330, which get 2.5FPS each, shooting continuously until your memory card is full. These are even cheaper than the Digital Rebel.
If you're willing to step down to the 6-7MP range, there are several other options, including the <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... D40</a> at 2.5FPS unlimited and the <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... E-330</a> at 3FPS unlimited.
Finally, there's the brand new <a href="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... A100</a>, which gets 3FPS unlimited but boasts a huge 10MP sensor. It's been fairly well reviewed and it's quite reasonably priced at roughly $800-1000.
I hope this helps you narrow down your choices. Good luck!
The biggest advantage that the Rebel has over the 30D is price. It's going to be roughly half the cost of the 30D, or possibly even less if you catch it at a black friday special. Pretty much everywhere else it's going to be inferior to the 30D, except in size and weight. Is the average non-pro going to find the 30D's extra features worth double the price? Probably not.
However, the extras ARE nice. The 30D's build quality is a lot more solid (more metal, less plastic). It is more adjustable in just about every manual setting. It has a sharper LCD display. And it does get that nice 5FPS mark in burst mode, nearly double the Rebel's 2.8. It's a camera that will last you for years to come, and hold up in the toughest conditions.
One other camera you might want to consider is the new Digital Rebel XTi/400D ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ). It's an upgrade to the Digital Rebel that brings it marginally nearer to the privileged status held by the 30D. It offers a 10MP sensor, a minor jump to 3FPS, and retails only a little higher than the Rebel.
I'm not sure how much this will ultimately help you. The only other thing I can suggest is that you go to your local electronics superstore and see how each of the cameras actually feels in your hand. Many times, this is the deciding factor when you're down to just a few choices.
Good luck!
costco.com/Browse/Product.a...
You can also get a new Rebel Xti from Costco. This deal is valid until Jan 2007. I hope this helps!
Aileen
the grips on the Rebel XT and Rebel XTi are a little cramped and will most likely become uncomfortable after a while. I'd suggest going to a store and checking it out for yourself.
If she's a photo major and she wants to go pro eventually, you'll probably want to get her a dSLR. There are several good entry-level dSLRs on the market right now, including the Canon Digital Rebel XTi ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ), the Nikon D40 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ), and the Sony A100 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ). Any of them would be a good start, and all are under $1000 with a starter (kit) lens. Of course, when you factor in memory cards and additional lenses you'll probably end up at or over $1000 in the long run.
If you're not into spending that much money at the moment, there are many "SLR-like" digitals that offer excellent manual controls, long zooms, and great optics. The class leader among these is the Panasonic Lumix FZ50 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ), with the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ) and the Sony H5 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ) coming in close behind. All of these cameras feature optical image stabilization and 10x+ optical zoom, as well as a bevy of manual options (ISO, aperture, shutter speed, white balance, etc). You can buy adapters to fit select custom add-on lenses to these models, but they don't come close to the versatility of the dSLR's detachable lens design. They also don't match the dSLRs in the clarity of their photos or their range (low light capability, extremely low shutter lag, powerful burst mode, RAW/TIFF capability).
If it's a question of money, you can go with the FZ50 or one of its competitors and then later on, your daughter can pick up a decent film SLR used for a very reasonable price (they're dropping like crazy as digitals take over the market). If $1000 is within your range (and these dSLRs can go as low as $600 with kit lens), a dSLR is the way to go here. Good luck!
The D40 is a good entry-level digital SLR. You might also want to look into the Pentax K110D, which you can currently get at Amazon for $432 after a $50 rebate. That's $432 with a kit lens (18-55mm). It's about the cheapest deal you'll find for getting into the SLR range.
Good luck!
I intend to get the D40 very soon.
The cameras you've mentioned are all serious contenders, but I would say that in the non-SLR class, the clear winner is Panasonic's Lumix FZ50 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ). Following that link you'll find a little debate over wildlife photography (one negative comment and one rebuttal), but overall the feature set on the FZ50 outclasses the Canon S3 IS ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ), the Sony H5 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ), and the Fuji offerings by a country mile.
That said, if you want true manual control, additional lenses, and really stunning image quality you're going to want to bump up a price class to the digital SLR range. The cameras mentioned previously are all under $500 (some are even under $300). Once you step up to the SLRs, though, you're talking $600+. Of course, for your money you also get a substantial increase in quality and options.
Most digital SLRs can use lenses from film SLR cameras. This means that if you've been shooting on film with Canon lenses, you can buy a Canon dSLR and snap those babies right on. There are several new entry-level dSLRs that would appeal to the wildlife photographer. Among these are the Sony Alpha a100 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ) (which features image stabilization built into the body), the Canon Digital Rebel XTi ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ), and the Nikon D40 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ). All of these cameras come in under $1000 with a kit lens, and all of them are compatible with their brand's film autofocus lenses (the Sony accepts Konica-Minolta lenses).
Hope this helps!
Most of Nikon's digital SLRs are fully compatible with all Nikon F-mount autofocus lenses. In addition, many non-autofocus lenses can be used with manual metering. There's a comprehensive chart here ( nikonians.org/nikon/slr-len... ) that'll fill you in on exactly which lenses will work with which bodies. The D40 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ), however, has been crippled so that it will not work with non AF-S/AF-I lenses. This page ( forums.dpreview.com/forums/... ) suggests that earlier lenses will work in full manual mode, however. Still, if your Nikon lenses aren't AF-S or AF-I, you might want to look more at the D50 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ) and older models of Nikon dSLR.
Good luck!
Many thanks
Brian Wilkins
It's no problem, this stuff can get confusing.
With the D40 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ), here are the manual options that you lose in comparison to the D50 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ). There aren't many:
1. White balance & exposure bracketing are gone
2. Exposure compensation not as flexible (fixed at 1/3 EV on the D40, 1/3 or 1/2 allowed on the D50)
3. CW avg. size fixed at 8mm (D50 has a choice of sizes)
Here is what those terms mean, translated:
1. On the D50, you can set the camera to bracket, which means take a series of the same photos at slightly different exposures or white balances. This is useful if you're not quite sure what the exposure of the scene should be. This is similar to the technique on a film camera of setting your f stop to the number you think it should be, then hitting one higher and one lower just to make sure you get the shot. The D50 can do this for you automatically adjusting both exposure compensation and white balance. The D40 cannot. Not a big deal; you can do it yourself.
2. Exposure compensation is the interval in which you can step the exposure up or down in either direction. The D50 lets you step in 1/2s or 1/3s, the D40 lets you step in 1/3s. You shouldn't miss the extra option on this; you can always adjust the ISO to compensate if you need to fine-tune.
3. The D50 lets you change the area from which the exposure is metered when you're using center-weighted metering. The D40 has a set size. Not the end of the world, again. This is the only area where the D40 might offer a little setback to the average-to-advanced user, in my opinion.
That is basically what is lost. There are a few features gained on the D40 as opposed to the D50, too. <a href="dpreview.com/articles/nikon... is a fantastic comparison chart of the two (scroll about halfway down the page). If there are terms you don't understand in the chart, go to the top left of the page and check out the link to the Glossary and that should help you too. Or feel free to come back and ask!
As you know, a SLR can be a huge investment, both in terms of money and of time involved in getting to know the machine. However, in exchange for that investment you'll get pictures that no non-SLR can touch in terms of image quality. SLRs perform better in low light, are far quicker all-around (shot-to-shot, burst mode, autofocus timings), and have a much broader range of abilities (due mostly to interchangeable lenses). You've said here that you don't want to change lenses, but that desire might change in the future and it might be nice to have the option.
I've answered so many questions from parents who want to take pictures of their children and are frustrated by the performance of lower-end digitals, particularly in indoor settings and other poor lighting conditions. Honestly, no non-SLR digital is going to be perfect in low light. Because of the way digital imaging sensors work, and because of the kinds of sensors that are used in consumer digitals, low light will always cause higher image noise. There are things you can do to minimize this, both in-camera and in post-processing of the images, but it's always going to be a factor unless you go the SLR route.
Super-zoom consumer cameras have many great features to recommend them: long, often stabilized zooms, high megapixel counts, advanced manual controls, etc. They're fine cameras and, in good light, they can produce images that will be virtually indistinguishable to most people from those produced by dSLRs. Furthermore, they're hundreds of dollars cheaper, which is a huge factor to most people. However, if I had the money to spend, I'd definitely go for the SLR--it will be a huge source of relief for the kind of frustration you're getting with your point and shoot. The ability to manually focus in low light alone would be enough to sell me.
One final note: you might want to take a look at Nikon's new D40 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ), which is around the same price as the D50 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ), is a little newer, and will serve your purposes just as well. Good luck!
Thank you so much. That is really helpful. I will look into the difference between the D40 and D50. Would it be silly for me to buy the camera without the other lenses? Can I still take good shots with just the body that comes with it and down the road buy additional lenses? I also noticed that Pentax has come out with a relatively inexpensive SLR camera. I may look into that too.
Thanks again,
Anne
The Pentax K100D ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ) is also an excellent entry-level SLR, yeah. There are some other inexpensive new ones from Sony (the A100 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... )) and Canon (the Rebel XTi aka 400D ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... )) as well.
You can most definitely wait on additional lenses. The kit lenses that come with the bodies on most dSLRs are very nice and cover a pretty large range of shooting options (they're usually 18-55mm--wide-angle to mild telephoto). I'd suggest playing around with the kit lens for a bit before trying to figure out what additional lenses you need, if any. Hope this helps.
I'm not sure if the X370N was an auto-focus/auto-exposure camera -- I assume not because of the age. So this will be one of the first big changes: these features are really, really useful and work very well. You can still make manual adjustments, or turn the features off, but for most photos, you'll love the change.
Then there's the digital thing :-). The Nikon D40 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ) is a real SLR, just like your Minolta. So you should find it extremely quick and responsive; some people complain about digital camera response time, but that's usually not an issue with digital SLRs. The ability to see your shot right after taking it is simply wonderful -- there's nothing bad I could possibly say about it. Today's digital cameras are as good as film in most respects (better in some). For me, the instant feedback thing helped my improve my photography significantly.
Then there's a part that's specific to the D40 that I am not so sure about. It is designed to be easy to use, and has some special capabilities in that area. if you are an experienced SLR photographer, this may or may not be helpful for you.
Bottom line: I think you will be thrilled. Digital photography reinvigorated my flagging photography hobby.
Thanks
Janice
Tom
Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is that all consumer digital cameras have issues with shooting in low light. Some, as you've mentioned, take a long time to cycle between shots. Some have very long flash charging periods. Some compensate for these problems but are afflicted by high image noise when shooting in low light. There certainly are some models that do better than others, but there are always issues.
The best way to get around this problem is to buy a digital SLR. The down side here, of course, is that they generally cost quite a bit more than their point and shoot competitors. However, in recent times prices on entry level SLRs have dropped to near the range of high-end point and shoots (the Pentax K110D ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ) and the Nikon D40 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ) are among the cheapest, at $450 and $600 respectively). You can see a full list of SLRs here ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ). These cameras have much larger image sensors (close to the actual 35mm size used by film cameras), and as a result they are able to capture far more light with far less image noise. Furthermore, their range of lenses mean that you can buy equipment geared especially for night shooting.
If you're not ready to make that leap, though, there are a few things you can do to maximize the potential of your point and shoot (assuming your camera has a manual mode, or at least the ability to set these settings):
1. Choose a higher ISO setting. This is a digital's equivalent to the real ISO setting used with film. The camera's ISO value corresponds to its light sensitivity. Higher ISO means more sensitivity (and brighter pictures) but also higher levels of image noise.
2. Choose a wider aperture. The widest aperture many cameras offer is f2.8. The wider the aperture, the wider the lens iris is opening, and thus the more light is getting in to the imaging sensor.
3. Choose your shutter speed wisely. A slower shutter speed means more light gets in, but also means objects have time to move (or your camera does), which can cause blur. A faster shutter speed means crisper, sharper images but can also mean underexposure.
These three settings work together to determine the exposure of your photos, so play with them a bit and find the balance that works for you.
Good luck!
I really am wanting to know which camera you or someone would recommend to me considering my needs. I am going to buy one as soon as I can figure out which one!
I now have a "little" understanding of the low light situation. I definitely considered the SLR but I do NOT want a big camera AND I do not want to have to do a lot of "processing" before I take a quick photo of a baby...he just won't wait!
It just turned blurry and purple in the middle of shooting pictures. Checked the batteries. Any suggestions?
This is a known issue with some models of Canon cameras. What has happened is that your camera's imaging sensor (CCD) has become partially or fully detached from its wiring. Luckily, Canon has acknowledged the fault and is offering to repair any and all affected units for free (including free shipping both ways), whether they're under warranty or not. You can read the applicable service notice ( usa.canon.com/consumer/cont... ) and then request a repair online ( usa.canon.com/consumer/cont... ).
Good luck!
Beyond the consumer range, well, you're obviously getting into dSLR territory (or, as your son put it, "serious" cameras). When you jump to dSLRs you not only hike the price way up for the body, you're also looking at serious money for lenses. A very long zoom lens of any kind of quality is going to run you in the hundreds of dollars. Of course, you'll be able to take incredible photos, but you'll probably be well over $1000 total once you've bought the camera, lenses, and accessories.
There's not really an easy answer here, unfortunately.
You are overlooking DIGITAL zoom (or cropping)!! If Priscilla is willing to settle for 4x6 prints, then look what she can do with a 12x optical zoom, coupled with a 6 to 7 megapixel sensor*: Use 3x digital zoom (or crop in a photo editor on a PC, same thing). That is the exact equivalent of 6/3 = 2 megapixels or 7/3 = 2.33 megapixels. So now your 12x camera is the equivalent of 36x power! And of course the 2 megapixels size is plenty good enough for 4x6 prints.
* Canon S3IS or Sony H5.
Richio
A Digital Rebel wouldn't be too big of a jump, no. Most digital SLRs have very, very good automatic modes that are just as easy to use as any smaller digital's auto mode. Either the Rebel XT ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ) or the XTi ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ) would be a good choice.
If you want to save a few dollars and you don't mind straying from the Canon brand, there are several less expensive dSLRs out there--you might consider the Nikon D40 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... )/D50 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ) or the Pentax K110D ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... )/K100D ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ). These can be had for around $500 w/a kit lens--usually not that great for zoom purposes, so you'd probably have to buy a long zoom lens. I don't know all that much about lenses, but I do know that, as I said above, a very long zoom lens is going to mean big big $$$.
Hope this helps. :)
Looks like I've got a new boat anchor. You don't think I have a sour taste in my mouth?
Australians who live outside of Sydney, beware.
HTH2
That's pretty backwards-thinking of them. Seems like if there's a service advisory out for a large chunk of the world (I think South and Southeast Asia are covered as well), the entire planet ought to get recall service, doesn't it? If you feel like a fight, I'd suggest harassing them and pointing out that this very same problem gets very different results in another hemisphere. See if you can guilt them into some kind of compromise.
Sorry for your troubles.
I sent my camera in per their instructions, received an e-mail a few days later(1/9/08) confirming that they would repair it a few more days later (1/16/08)I received another e-mail confirming that it had been repaired and shipped. Today (1/17/08) I got it and to my very pleasant surprise the box contained a new S5 IS!!! I will be sending them a very nice THANK YOU for it after I post this.
PS e-mail accepting repair 1/9/08
e-mail stating it shipped on 1/15/08, 1/16/08
received 1/17/08
Found another link imaging-resource.com/NEWS/1...
I have the same problem with my S1 IS and I called the customer service centre. They asked me to turn on the camera and asked me to press the menu button. Asked me if it was blurry while the menu was on. On my camera the image is blurried only in the picture shooting mode. I can get the photos displayed on the screen perfectly. Was this the case with your camera too?
I remember a friend of mine also getting a new camera when he had a similar problem. I hope I too get a new camera
Thank you VERY much for posting the problem and the solution on this site. I just experienced this problem with my camera this week, and found your wonderful information on the web today. Thank you! I'll be contacting Canon tomorrow.
Again, I very much appreciate you making the time to post the issue and the solution on the web so many other people can benefit. That was very nice of both of you, and I really appreciate it.
Best regards,
Mark
I reside in India and I had the same issue with the Canon S1 IS - purple screen and unable to shoot. I took it to the nearest authorized service center and they have offered to replace my camera with a brand new S5 IS !!! The waiting time is somewhere around 4-6 weeks. But the service center guys want their pound of flesh too (since it is a franchise). They just brought up some arcane problem and said that it had to be fixed before being presented for replacement. Costs around $50 equivalent. But, what the heck, don't mind it as long as I get the spanking new 8MP S5 :-)
Is it a 100% guarantee that everyone who has this problem gets a new camera?
I guess last spring they didn't have the sensors to fix the problem and that's why they were sending out new S5s.. darn my luck.. still, it's great that they step up and fix it, way out of warranty (mine's 4 years old).
I am having the same problem as the purple screen and being unable to shoot with my S1-IS. I am wondering if the free repair and shipping is still available (Ben's posting: Jan 16, 2007) because whenever I try to request a repair, it gives me a cost of around $149. Mine is almost 4.5 years old and was performing as good as new before this happened.
ya Shelly i got the same 149$ Estimate on repair quote i hope i dont have to pay 150$ to fix a recall product
The short answer is that there's almost no difference between the two cameras. The most apparent differences on the surface are the D40's larger, higher resolution LCD and its smaller, lighter body.
The D40 also lacks an internal focus drive motor, which means that it can only autofocus with AF-S and AF-I lenses (which have built-in focus motors).
Here's dpreview.com ( dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/ )'s writeup of the differences between the two cameras:
"Nikon's choice of "compromises" with the D40 are switching to a new three area AF sensor (although it seems to be just as fast), removing some of the flexibility (you can't change the CW average area, exposure steps are fixed at 1/3 EV and there's no bracketing) and removing the status LCD (although this has more to do with making the camera smaller than saving money). What the D40 shares with the D50 are some of the important things, the six megapixel sensor, the 420 pixel metering sensor (also used on the D80), the more 'consumer like' default IIIa color mode and 2.5 frames per second continuous shooting (although now unlimited in JPEG mode).
On the plus side you get ISO 3200 equiv. (HI 1), the ever useful customizable Auto ISO, a larger viewfinder view, shorter shutter lag and viewfinder blackout, a larger LCD monitor, a considerably nicer user interface, SDHC support, a new image processing engine, unlimited JPEG continuous shooting, in-camera retouching (including D-Lighting) and of course a smaller and lighter body. It would not therefore be fair to describe the D40 as a 'dumbed down' D50, far from it, the range of improvements and new features out-weigh those which have been removed or reduce, which would most likely not be missed by the average D40 owner."
Of the downsides between the two, the only one you'll likely miss that much is the status LCD, which gave you always-on readings of ISO, aperture, and shutter speed settings without having to page through menus.
Honestly, though, you'd be fine with either one. When the differences between the bodies are this small, the thing that will really make a difference in the images you get will be the quality of the lenses you use. I'd go for whichever of these two is cheaper and put the difference toward a nice lens.
Good luck!
I think the D40 is an excellent choice, and the kit lens is 18-55mm, which is fairly wide angle to reasonable telephoto. Without doing some math, it's a little tricky to know if this is exactly a 4x zoom factor, but it's reasonably close.
I think you will find the SLR is a major, huge and wonderful liberation from some of the features of point and shoot cameras, even advanced ones like the Nikon 5400 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ). They are faster, smarter, easier to adjust, more flexible and can grow with your interest in photography. The D40, and the kit lens, are smallish ... for SLRs; overall you'll find it not quite as portable as the 5400. But I think you'll find the trade-off is well worth it.
(Side note: just had a chat with a friend who used to swear by a camera similar to the 5400 -- he recently moved up to SLR. I had been telling him of the great features of SLRs for a long time and he said he liked how small and portable his camera was. Then he got an SLR and wrote saying "Tom, you were right all along" -- on a recent trip where he traveled with the camera he said he took both, but never once used the non-SLR.)
Good Luck
You can, however, use the lens with manual focus.
Sigma and Nikon make lenses that will work with both d40 and d80.
Nikon D40 is a digital SLR and allows full manual control. So the answer is Yes, you can use both automatic or manual shutter controls.
jp
It's kind of hard to say at this point, since the D40 has only been on the market for a couple months. The cameras haven't had time to wear yet, you know?
Reviews tend to indicate that the build quality of the D40 is comparable to other low-end dSLRs: solid, rugged plastics over a metal frame. That said, Nikon tends to build slightly more solid-feeling cameras than their competitors--they simply feel better in your hand.
Maybe someone who owns a D40 can step in here and comment, but essentially I've seen nothing to indicate that the D40 is flimsy in any way, though it's definitely not quite as brick-like as the higher end dSLR models.
Hope this helps!
I own 2 35mm Maxxums & would like to add another digi SLR to replace the G5. To date, I haven't been able to make use of all of the G5's fine capabilities. My intention is to educate myself to use this camera as an RN/Artist in pursuit of a career in medical illustration. Reading the specs on the D40 peaked my interest in trying a Nikon product since Minolta has merged with Nikon-in some way-right (?).I've never owned a Nikon product & know that it is a fine brand.I'm thinking the D40 would suit my needs as a growing photographer. I am able to use Minolta lenses with the D40, correct?
To learn more about D40, you may log on to
dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/
or
kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40.htm
I find the latter is more interesting and should be helpful to you.
Camera must be in either P, S, A, or M mode.
How do I take off all the information on my screen.
When the pictures are on the screen,
press the left or right button let you move to the next picture
press the ' - ' button let you see 4 pictures on one screen
press the ' - ' button again let you see 9 pictures on the same screen.
press the ' + ' button reverses the order.
2. to take off all the information on your screen, press the ' info ' button near the switch.
3. If you lose your book, read this simple but well written <a href="kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40/u... User's Guide</a> by Ken Rockwell
Assuming your 80-210mm lens is an autofocus lens and made for Canon's mount system it should work fine, yes. What's the brand and the rest of the info on the lens?
* The lithium battery might be a year or more old, already.
The noise sounds like a spring vibrating, and can only be heard when my ear is practically on the camera.
It takes a sudden movement to make the noise.
The noise can be heard best if the battery is removed and you listen through the opening.
The camera seems to work prefectly fine.
I bought it new less than a month ago.
The lense on it is the lense it comes with.
It sounds like something was probably jarred partially loose by the impact, but it might also be psychosomatic (i.e., you might be picking up on the noise now because you expect there to be damage, while it might have been there all along). Since your warranty no doubt excludes damage due to negligence, and since it's working fine, I'd say you should just soldier on with it and hope it stays a minor annoyance. :]
Good luck!
The D80 is undisputed for overall professional performance and quality.
Now, the question is if the D80 is worth it for you? If you are not going to be using a camera professionally and you do not intend to create big enlargements larger than 24"x36" then the D40 is fine. There is no need to buy a high performance sports car if you do not intend to drive it on the highway.
The picture quality is also excellent in the D40, its just a smaller file size in megapixels. So, for side-by-side comparison in image quality, their both comparable in smaller print sizes, but the D80 far surpasses the D40 in image quality for larger print sizes. The D80 has much more versatility in features and functions for different shooting conditions to achieve best results, but if you are mainly going to use the camera in a point-and-shoot automatic, or program mode, then the D40 is more than enough.
If you are planning to take photography much more seriously and want a camera that you can grow into and not out of, then choose the D80. It will serve you better in the long run.
If you get the D80, make sure you get the 18mm-135mm(27-200mm 35mm equivalent) zoom lens. This is an excellent lens for just about any shooting situation. If you buy this lens separately for the D40, you will be up around $1000 in total any way.
To understand how this works, see the article at <a href="worldstart.com/tips/tips.ph... location</a>
Another nicely written article about the subject can be found at
<a href="bobatkins.com/photography/d... size and continuous shooting rates</a>
High capacity cards will also make a difference. D40 accepts SanDisk SDHC Memory Cards. Using 4 GB SDHC cards probably will give you better results.
Stay away from ebay.. all chinese crap. I hate these bastards.
The only difference I can see is the warranty, that is where they save the money, if any. There is a considerable tax on imported electronics here and I am thinking that the warranty savings keeps the prices similar to the rest of the world. I have heard though that if you are a resident of the US that Nikon will adjust the warranty to US standards if you bought it while traveling or living abroad. Anyhow, I love the camera and it works great. The lens is the 18-200.
That mike guy has issues, stay away from him.
Your question is not very clear but I will try to give you some ideas.
If you already have some lenses made for Nikon SLRs then you can use them on Nikon SLRs and dSLRs.
If you don't have lenses yet then you can just buy a Nikon dSLR and then select suitable lens(es) for it. The lenses don't have to be necessarily made by Nikon but they have to have Nikon mount. For example you can buy Sigma or Tamron lens that have Nikon mount.
In the future, of course, you can use all the lenses on other Nikon SLRs but you can not use them on Canon or other brand cameras because of the different mount.
I encourage you to go for an SLR. If you are using it in fully automatic mode with automatic lens then it works just a point and shoot. Means that you don't need to know "what to do with it". At the same time the performance will be much better because SLR cameras almost don't have shutter lag and because you can select really good lens. In order to recommend lenses I need to know how much zoom you need for the softball and what is the light condition there.
Did you decide what to buy in the end or are you still deciding?
Mark
I had a Canon S2 IS, and I think it's working inproperly, so got a Nikon D40 today from Futureshop, so far very happy
I think (without bias as I like both cameras) D40 may be better suited for you, for D40's baby/sports builtin scene modes, you need faster shutter speed
12X is sometimes overrated
Some D40(x) kits come with just the 55-200mm lens instead of the 18-55mm. Not a bad idea - though I'm partial to the smaller lens for other stuff.
Thanks
The big difference between these two cameras is that the Nikon D40 is a true digital SLR camera whereas the Kodak has a fixed lens. Are you looking for a DSLR or would you be happier with a more compact and lighter point and shoot? There is a side-by-side comparison of the two cameras <A HREF="dpreview.com/reviews/compar...
Out of the two, I personally prefer Nikon, but once you step into the world of DSLR then you are talking about buying better lenses than what comes with the camera, filters, tripods, flash units etc and that can get expensive and may not be what you're looking for.
I've never had a Kodak but if you have used them before and you like the brand then I would advise you to go with the Kodak in your position.
As an alternative compact slr-like camera that is great for catching fast action and for general all-round purposes I would recommend the <A HREF="digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... Powershot S3 IS</A>. It is highly-rated on all the major sites and I think it would suit your needs perfectly. Also has excellent video capture with stereo sound if you wanted to shoot clips of your son playing Lacrosse.
Hope this helps,
Mark
good luck photographer and this camera are top one and bit heavy but you are man!!
cheers
revhead227
Subsequently I found out that all dSLRs don't show you the picture on the LCD during that fraction of a second when the picture is taken except for a few models of Olympus, such as E-330, E410 and E510.
Olympus calls it 'Life View SLR' and you may wish to read more about it in <a href="letsgodigital.org/en/news/a... report</a>
This actually is Ok because there is less camera shake when holding the camera to your eye. The bright monitor is great for display information and the D40 allows minor adjustments in the camera, before downloading to your PC or printing your pictures.
queria usar como as cameras simples.
55-200mm DX Zoom-Nikkor. I'd appreciate any information about the pros, cons, and dofferences of these lenses. Thank you.
Bob probably made a very good point that 'Wildlife Photographers can never get long enough lenses and 300mm is the shortest focal length that is really useful for most wildlife work.'
If after reading the article, you also feel convinced like I do, then the choice will be 70-300mm zoom rather than 55-200mm zoom.
There's no question that the D40 is a superior camera, but these two aren't really in the same class--it's sort of like comparing a Ferrari F1 car to an Oldsmobile. Basically, any dSLR camera (which the D40 is) is going to outperform any non-dSLR camera, even the higher end/most advanced non-dSLRs like the S5 IS. This is because of a number of factors, including but not limited to the physical size of the imaging sensor (the D40's is 3-4x as large as the S5's, which means greater detail, lower noise, etc), the ability to use multiple kinds of lenses, zero shutter lag, and great low light performance.
It's an easy choice, really, provided you have the money for it. ;]
Good luck!
These remarks by Cnet's review on D40 say it all :
" ...... Nikon's decision to remove the coupling pin from the lens mount, limiting the capabilities when interfacing the camera with lenses other than the newer AF-S and AF-I models. ....... it isn't the camera to buy if you've got a stash of Dad's old Nikon lenses. "
If you want to use your Nikon F65 lenses on a digital Nikon, you probably have to buy D80 or any other models but not D40.
2.5 fps (D40x is 3 fps)
DPReview of D40 indicates this as well, as every review of D40
The adapter/converter stuff was relevant 25 years ago, but more recent lenses are simply tailored for the manufacturer's camera body. If your Tamron was made for Nikon, OK. If it was made for Canon or someone else, sorry.
Now, once that has been established, you need to be sure that the Tamron is made for Nikon AF. If the lens is made for AF, then you should be able to use it in manual focus only mode. Got that?
That is, there are two autofocus systems out there (for Nikon). The older one uses a motor in the camera body and a "screwdriver" mechanism to focus the lens. The newer autofocus system does not have a focus motor in the body. Rather, there are electrical contacts between the body and the lens, and the lens now is required to have the autofocus motor. In Nikon's terminology, this type of lens is called AF-S.
The D40/D40x doesn't have a focus motor in the body. Only AF-S lenses will autofocus on a D40/x body.
Now the question is, does the Tamron have the AF-S system in that lens. My gut feel is no. Last I checked, Sigma was the only 3rd party lens maker that had AF-S type systems available in some of their lenses. Anyway, that's why I say that we need more info, but hopefully this helps you understand where to look.
I'm so confused. Please help!
However, depending on which Vivitar lenses you have and how old they are they'll could only be usable on full manual or perhaps partial auto functions, hard to tell without more information.
The Canon S3 has a time lapse (although the newer S5 does not; it does, however, have movie time lapse). On the S3, you can take from 2 to 100 images at whatever interval you like, from 1 to 60 minutes. The S5's movie time lapse lets you record a movie at intervals and then splice it together into a brief time frame at the normal frames per second. Neither one sounds exactly like what you're looking for.
I am trying to think of others that might offer a longer total time, since you mentioned 24 hours. I can't come up with one offhand, but I do know that cameras like the digital Rebels and Canon EOS models, G7 etc. can be connected to a computer and used with the Remote Capture Software (you control it thru the computer). This might offer more flexible/ creative time lapse options than what could be fit into the camera.
Off the top of my head, I really don't know of any DSLRs that have a built-in time lapse feature. There are a few digital compacts that have them, but they're really not that good; a maximum of around 100 photos (they disappear quicker than you think), and the time in-between shots isn't that good. Built-in time lapses are usually "gimmicks" to make you buy that particular camera. Same goes with a 16:9 format.
So, if you're just looking for a very basic time lapse that JUST ABOUT does the trick, look at a few compacts.
However, don't let this put you off buying a D40. Not at all. Digitial SLRs have a 3:2 photo format, which scales up to 15:10, so it shouldn't look that bad when stretched to 16:9. Of course, if you won't stretch it, and are only worried about the "look", then you shouldn't worry at all.
Here is a really good little guide on how to get really good time lapses on your D40.
1) Get a tripod. This just makes sure everything is absolutely still. It doesn't have to be phenomenal, just enough to hold it in place.
2) Set your D40's options. Choose "Continuous Shooting" mode, set "Noise Reduction" to On, and choose any ISO you want. This should make you shoot at around 1.5FPS. Also, auto-focus on your subject, then switch to manual focus (only required if your main subject is moving).
3) Shoot. Just keep the shutter button held down until you're finished. If it stops, take your finger off the shutter for a little while (probably 2 seconds) and repeat.
4) Edit. Import your pics into Windows Movie Maker (or whatever), then shorten them as much as you can, and set the frame rate to as high as possible. Save as a WMV video.
5) Speed. Import the video into Movie Maker, then use the Speed Up effect as much as you want until you get a speed that you're happy with. Export one final time as a WMV.
I know it all sounds like too much of a faff, but it really will pay off; your stop-motion movies will look incredible. Hope you enjoy making them!
but it sounds to me like you have a humid area and as such, you'll need to take steps. And using silica or a bag of rice will help.
If you want the camera to handle the lighting situation, definitely stick with the P mode. P also makes it easy to override the program settings and change f/stop or shutter speed if you so desire, then go back to the standard program.
Here's a good link on basic use of all of this that helped me out a lot:
kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40/u...
Keep in mind that the flash on this camera (like all "on-camera" flashes) is good only to around 15-20 feet. If that is the issue, ask me again.
If your camera is always producing "dark" results and you have adequate light, then check your camera to make sure that it doesn't have exposure compensation dialed in by mistake.
When you go shopping for this lens, make sure you specify the correct mount, then you won't have problems.
I was able to contact Tamron Technical and they told me that their lens will NOT work on the D40 or the D40x. Something about internal focus drive not being in the lens? Anyway-- too bad!
on the D40. They answered the manual focus would work
but the autofocus would not. Tamron advises their
autofocus lenses do not have focus motors in them. So,
when considering non-Nikon lenses for the D40, find out
if they have AF-S focus motors in them (like Nikon), or
HSM motors in them (like Sigma. Tokina seems to be in the
same boat as Tamron at the present time.
For the second question, ' stable and clear photos from a distance', you probably need a VR lens or a tripod.
Log on to <a href="dpreview.com/news/0608/0608... site</a> to have a look at the Nikon AFS VR 70-300mm. It is equivalent to 105-450mm and should be more than enough to meet you class room needs.
For more choices, you may wish to take a look at the 17 nos of Sigma lenses designed for D40 at <a href="imaging-resource.com/NEWS/1... location</a>
Good luck!
I want a digital camera with manual focusing for my own personal use.
I'm not going to buy this and find out I can't even use it, right?
There is a chip inside the camera body that takes care of focusing, aperture, speed, white balance, ISOs and flash to give you the picture you want, provided you let the camera decide by setting the mode dial to auto.
If you want refinements, the sort of control you want over the ' exposure time ' and ' manual focusing ', all the digital SLRs, Nikon D40 included, will let you do it, while the chip takes care of the rest.
For D40, the controls are set by turning the Mode dial on top of the camera. On it, besides Auto, there are letters like P,S, A, M. Most user choose the easy way of ' Turn the on switch, set mode dial to Auto, point to the subject and press the shutter button. ' That will be your first picture to boost your confidence.
Turn the dial to ' S ', lets you control ' exposure time ' which is the shutter speed. Hold the camera with both hands, with the mode dial set to ' S ', press the ' + ' button with your left thumb. The screen lights up and the speed is shown above a horizontal bar. Use your right thumb, turn the wheel that lies just below the mode dial. Turning left decreases the speed, right increases the speed, and you can see the change on the screen.
If the screen disappears before you finish, press the ' + ' button again.
Last question, ' Manual focusing' :
There is a switch labeled as A/M on the left hand side of the lens.
Slide it to ' M ' lets you focus manually. The focusing ring lies just behind the lens cap. Turn it left or right until your subject is in focus, then press the shutter release button.
Be rest assured, taking pictures with D40 is really that simple and most people can do it.
Thanks. =)
The D40 does not allow preview on the display screen. It is really better to use the viewfinder because you can hold the camera more steady when shooting. The display screen is nice and bright and used to view and correct the photo. It is also great to view all shooting information on the screen.
Unlike compact digitals, the LCD screen of dSLRs like D40 is only for viewing the pictures taken, adjusting shutter speed, aperture, ISOs and so on. Hence the development of a new type of dSLRs with the so-called " Live View System" first reported by Olympus, but now also found in some models of Canon and Panasonic with a different name.
However, to keep the monitor from turning off, you can change the "auto off" time of the monitor to between 4 seconds and 10 minutes (pg 78). Just remember though that it sucks up the battery power and lessens the battery life. Also, the monitor will turn off when the shutter release is pressed.
Good Day,
Thank you for contacting Nikon Asia Technical Support. Your case has been forwarded to us.
We will assist you from here.
Using SB-M will not damage the DSLR camera as the SB-M only have a triggering terminal for the camera to trigger off the flash.
Do note that your flash will have to be in M or Auto mode.
Thank you once again for your support on Nikon Products. We hope that we have addressed your concerns.
Please feel free to contact us for more information.
With Regards,
Nikon Singapore Pte Ltd
Technical Support
80 Anson Road
#10-01/02
Fuji Xerox Towers
Singapore 079907
Operating Hours : Mon to Fri ( 9AM to 12PM, 1PM to 5PM)
Best rgds
CK (samrina)
Equivalent to ISO 100-1600* (in 1/3-stop or whole stop increments), ISO speed can be expanded to ISO 3200
I'm going to have to defer to Canon Tech support on the rest as the 40D is too new for me to have taken it through it's paces.
Simply "point and shoot"!
Doug
Looking at both, they're pretty closely matched. I give the edge to the D40 as it seems to have a more realistic look to the indoor portrait exposure. But both would do equally well for you.
But when trying to make a final call, it may just come down to what camera feels good in your hand. Go to a local camera store and check both out side by side, holding them, feeling their center of gravity, the balance. How it sits in your hand. That usually sells me one way or the other.
Hugs
Marianne x
why I said Mark I will never know dohhhh
Marianne
BTW - If you're happy with the answer you received, you can simply click on "Mark for best answer" bubble and it will close out the question. Thanks for posting it and Good luck!
and thanks...Don't be late for dinner ;-)
Marianne
Also create a contrasting backdrop which will create "negative space" and direct the viewer's eye to the piece and not the surroundings. You'll also want to invest in a good solid tripod with a fluid head.
Camera wise, what's your' budget? Ideally, since this is for your portfolio, a good digital SLR like the Canon Digital Rebel XTi ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ) or the Nikon 40D ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ) will yield you spectacular results.
If spending over $1000 makes you balk, there's a good midrange camera like the Olympus SP-550UZ ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ) and have so far been quite pleased with the results. 7.1 MP, 18x zoom, image stabilization and some great scene based program features including a mode is perfect for the kind of photography you're shooting.
It also has in camera editing features such as cropping, sepia and black/white alerations, nite modes, super macro mode for REALLY close up shots, panoramic guides for shooting multiple shots to stitch into a panorama, even a mode for shooting documents.
If I had to complain, however, I have found the menu structure wanting and difficult to use on the fly. But other than that, it's a top notch camera.
depending on your budget either go for the new fz8 or the fz7 which is older but is now
available at very good prices
reasons: 1. great lens 2. great auto focus with spot metering which is very useful for sculptures
here is an example of a photo taken with panasonic fz7
flickr.com/photos/markbridg...
Should I take it back?
[i[Compatible Lenses*1: Nikon F mount with AF coupling and AF contacts Type G or D AF Nikkor: 1) AF-S, AF-I: All functions supported; 2) Other Type G or D AF Nikkor: All functions supported except autofocus; 3) PC Micro-Nikkor 85mm f/2.8D: Can only be used in mode M; all other functions supported except autofocus; 4) Other AF Nikkor*1/AI-P Nikkor: All functions supported except autofocus and 3D Color Matrix Metering II; 5) Non-CPU: Can be used in mode M, but exposure meter does not function; electronic range finder can be used if maximum aperture is f/5.6 or faster; 6) IX Nikkor lenses cannot be used
*1. Excluding lenses for F3AF [/i]
That means that it works with AF-S and AF-I lenses in autofocus mode and will work with other lenses in manual focus mode ONLY. The reason for this is that it needs the motor in the lens to autofocus, it won't drive the focusing screw on non AF-S or AF-I lenses.
Unless the salesman showed you how it functions in autofocus mode, I'm betting he sold you the wrong lens to make a "spiff" (commission) that is usually offered by third party lens manufacturers.
Trust me, take it back and get a nikon lens.
As the digital file is marked by a date and time when it's saved, the use of a date stamp feature in digital cameras has lost popularity amongst camera manufacturers as a feature. There are software utilities that can add a date/stamp on a batch of files, however, google is your friend.
ie. camera, focal length of lens, camera program, shutter speed, f stop histogram info, type(jpeg, etc) pixel resolution and much more.
avpsoft.com/products/timeto...
I find the built in flash is good enough for normal use. But if you need more powerful flash, there is a hot shoe for you to attach the dedicated flash SB400.
One thing that most reviews will not mention is that the D40 pop-up flash is exceptionally quiet. This was a very good design move by Nikon.
Thanks anyway, James.
Still, that XTi does have some great features including the sonar lens cleaning option and the 9 point autofocus. Very Tempting.
For comparison, you may want to check out this resource ( imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP... ). It takes pictures with each and you can compare them side by side.
But in the end, when trying to make a final call, it may just come down to what camera feels good in your hand. Go to a local camera store and check both out side by side, holding them, feeling their center of gravity, the balance. How it sits in your hand. That usually sells me one way or the other.
Please help me understand the S5 12x zoom plus optional 2x add on lens compaired to the D40 3.6x 18/55mm and optional 55/200mm lens.
Framing the picture can be tricky as well.
A DSLR like the Nikon D40,with,say, the Nikon 55-200 VR(anti-shake) lens,will be ideal for what you need.
You never see professional sports photographers with bridge cameras as they are just not up to the job!
As for MP, well, in snapshots you won't see a difference. But in enlargements above 5x7, you'll be glad you have that extra 2MP of the XT.
Andrew
Andrew
Andrew
Larry
there are also other tips to speed up your performance:
1. Prefocus. Hold down the shutter half way to get a prefocus of the image you're shooting. When it changes, prefocus again. This will speed up your camera's performance during picture taking since it won't have to autofocus before it shoots the shot.
2. Use faster SD cards. Yes, there are faster cards and it does make a difference in writing the image file to the card. This is especially key if you're taking multiple or burst images.
3. Fresher batteries. Use alkalines at least. But I recommend using high energy batteries designed for digital photography. Varta is a good brand. They are usually sold in camera shops, are long lasting (because they are sold in small quantities) put out alot of energy.
4. Shoot in "sports" modes when you're in situations that require action. Night or available light modes when in night time settings. These presets can help in speeding up your shots, rather than the camera taking a split second to evaluate the conditions of the lighting.
5. Go manual. If you are manually focusing, particularly in darker settings, you can constantly refocus the image as things happen. Also, the infrared does have a range and if your image is out of that range you can end up with the camera's "best guess" or infinity setting which may not help. You can also go manual on fstops and shutter speeds as well, getting more light faster when you choose.
6. Go with a shallow depth of field.
7. Pan with the action. You can create some pretty cool shots by panning with your shot, focusing on your subject. This will create the effect of your subject in sharp contrast to the blurry background.
8. Use a flash - even in day time. This will "freeze" the image and cause your subject to "pop" in the shot. However, flash is only designed for limited range and can dissipate outside of about 20-25 feet unless you're using a zoomable flash.
9. Stick with 100-400 ISO. Going higher will cause more noise/grain in your shots, particularly in darker settings.
10. Faster lenses will also help. The 4stop settings are as such that the lower the fstop settings on your lens, the faster it is. So going with a faster lens will put more light on the image quicker.
Have fun at the next game. Larry
As regards a lens hood,just remember to take it off if you use your flash,as it can cause shadows!
A good filter to get is a circular polarising filter,which is good for enhancing blue skies,and colours in general(outdoors).These are more expensive than UV filters,but can improve your pictures.
I would put my vote in for the Nikon D40 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ) with a wide open aperture lens (f/1.4 or wider). You'll find that the dSLR gives a lot more functionality.
Andrew
Thanks for stopping by though. Please come back with any other questions or issues.
Andrew
If you've picked the Sony,it's probably the wrong choice.
Overall the Nikon is a better camera for general photography,and I've used both cameras at different times.
You may have some dust in the camera that you can't or pick up with a basic cleaning. I would recommend sending your camera out to be professionally cleaned. A place like Ritz Camera can send you unit out for less than $100 to have it cleaned in a couple weeks. Another issue may be scratches on your lens. You may want to switch the lens out and see if the problem goes away.
Andrew
If you're positive it's not dust, I would get in touch with the Nikon service department ( nikonusa.com/template.php?g... ) for a warranty repair. Good luck.
Andrew
If you want a good telephoto lens, you can try the Nikon 70-300mm lens ( amazon.com/Nikon-70-300mm-4... ). It has decent aperture capabilities and will offer great zoom. For a crazy amount of zoom, you could go for the Kenko 420-1600mm lens ( amazon.com/Kenko-420-1600mm... ) for Nikon cameras. It is at a great price, but you will definitely need a tripod or monopod to use it. Good luck and happy shooting.
Andrew
I'm glad we could help. Please come back with any other questions or issues.
Andrew
It equates to a 70-300mm 35mm lens,and is light,easy to use,and can be bought off Ebay at a reasonable price(I paid around £130,plus P+P).
It compliments the D40 perfectly,and produces good,sharp results,with the added bonus of having anti-shake built in.
Doug
Camera :Nikon D40
Metering :Matrix
Shutter :1/60
Aperture :F5. 6
Exposure Mode :Auto
EXP.+/- :0. 0
Focal Length :55mm
Flash Mode :
Thanks again for taking the time to help me. : )
bhphotovideo.com/c/product/...
If you look under this link:
bhphotovideo.com/c/shop/845...
You can basically see everything that B and H has to offer for Nikon lenses, which is usually a pretty good selection, at low prices, from a trusted vendor.
Hope this helps, if you have any other questions feel free to ask.
I went through the camera's manual ( nikonusa.com/pdf/manuals/no... ) pretty thoroughly and found that the only RAW image option is in compressed mode.
Andrew
By making the files specific to Nikon it ties the user to Nickon Capture which I hear is not much use.
I'm going to pursue the matter with Nikon as I believe they use the terms RAW and their compressed version of RAW interchangeably. If I had known about this I would not have bought the camera
Paint Shop Pro ( corel.com/servlet/Satellite... ) by Corel actually recognizes Nikon RAW images and allows you to edit and save them as other file types. I use it to edit the photos I take and found it to be very powerful.
Andrew
Peter, how long have you had the camera? I'd say that's grounds for a return. Get your credit card company involved and see if it can be returned for a better model.
BTW - go here ( drchung.new21.net/lossy/ ). At the bottom, it lists a few software options to try.
The frustrating thing is that compression was a valid route for manufacturers to take while storage was expensive. Now that cards and PC memory is cheap there's no need for compression.
Thanks again
Thanks for posting the question, Peter!
what you need is a good point and shoot
the panasonic ls80 is very good camera for taking simple photos
I have the Canon SD750 and a Nikon D40x. The SD750 is a great point and shoot camera that will easily fit in your pocket and takes great pictures (and you can probably get one for around $150 if you catch it on sale). The D40x is a larger and more expensive camera, but you have the flexiblity of adding additional lenses as you go. I would think that you would be pretty happy going with the SD750.
Additionally, I wouldn't walk away from the DSLR world just yet. Both the D40 and the Digital Rebel XTi or XSI are great entry level DSLRs with automatic functions that help soften the learning curve.
If you just want to be a shutter bug, then perhaps Steve has a point. And the SD750 is a good choice. But if photography is an interest and you want a camera to grow with you as you get more serious about it, having a good DSLR is the way to go IMNSHO.
But if you want to do more type of shooting and are willing to invest a little more, you'll find the XSi or D40 a great investment. With the kit lens you will be able to far exceed the capabilities on all the point and shoots. And if you find yourself more motivated, you can add specialty lenses for longer zooms, close-up macro pictures, and even portraits.
So it really comes down to what kind of shooting you want to do, both now and in the future. Some of us have both kinds of cameras. A pocket camera with us all the time, and a DSLR ready at a moments notice when we really want to "capture the moment." The current cream of the crop pocket cameras from Canon are the SD880IS and SD90IS. And the current entry DSLR are the Nikon D40/40x (smallest), and the Canon XSi. How about one of each kind? Just kidding!
As for which type ... well, I like San Disk. It's a good mainstream card producer, as is Lexar. But remember the old addage that the cheaper the are, the more likely they may fail or become corrupted.
One last thing. Allow me to make an pitch for using several cards, rather than one large one. Reason being, insurance. Any memory card can fail or become corrupted. And when you're on vacation the last thing you want is to lose the opportunity to take pictures until you can recover that media card with a software utility. If your card goes bad, swapping another one for it at that moment is of advantage so you can keep taking pics. Then, later when you're in front of your PC, you can use a utility like "F-Recovery" ( [url=filerecoverytools.com/produ... ) to get back your pictures and recover your card.
No need to lose the moment because you relied on one card one when several can solve that problem. At the very least, you want to get more than one of whatever size you settle on.
As for batteries ... well that largely depends on your shooting habits. If you're out and about alot, an extra battery is beneficial. In fact, it's beneficial for everyone. the last thing you want is for a battery to run out of power when you're trying to capture that "kodak moment" that won't come again.
Are you cropping the images as well? If so, the crop could be degrading the overall resolution for enlargements.
What is your photo size that your taking? While you might have it set on "fine," it could be that you're not taking a large enough photo. You need to use the combo of "fine" and "large" photo size to get the largest photo. This will take up more room on your memory card though.
You can change the image size by clicking "info" then the "i" button, then image size, then select the size image you want to take. I hope this helps. Good luck and happy shooting.
Andrew
I believe that you are seeing a standard warning from those websites that really don't have anything to do with the actual picture you are trying to have developed. Just about any picture that you take with the D40 should turn out fine in 8x10.
I would recommend developing a couple with them and see if you think there are quality problems.
Linda
Image comment must be turned on through your set-up menu to mark pictures as you take them. When in simple mode, enter the CSM/Setup mode and use your camera's selector to choose "Image Comment." Press the selector to the right to select or deslect the option you want. After turning the option on, scroll back up and select "done."
After researching in your camera's manual ( nikonusa.com/pdf/manuals/no... ), it does not look like you can add comments after you've taken them without the feature on. Page 84 describes the particulars of inputting the comments as you take your pictures. Good luck.
Andrew
I've had decent luck with Tamron ( tamron.com ) lenses. You might give those a shot.
When you say "sturdier," what kind of photography are you using the lenses for? I only ask because the Nikon lenses are generally very good.
Andrew
I'm glad we could help. I've actually never heard that Nikon lenses break easy, so I'll keep my eye out for that. It could explain whey they are generally less expensive than Canon lenses though.
As an aside, if you feel we've answered your question sufficiently, please mark it best answer. If not, I would be glad to field any other questions you may have. Good luck.
Andrew
Startup Time: 0.4 seconds
Shutdown Time: 0.1 seconds
Play -> Record: 0.1 seconds
Record -> Play (max res): 1.0 seconds
Record -> Play (min res):
Shutter Lag, Full AF: 0.260 (W) - 0.260 (T) seconds
Shutter Lag, Man. Focus: 0.190 seconds
Shutter Lag, Prefocus: 0.098 seconds
Cycle Time Uncompressed Format: 0.57 seconds
Cycle Time Max Res: 0.60 seconds
Cycle Time Min Res: 0.60 seconds
Buffer Frames, Max Res: No limit
Continuous Mode Rate (fps): 2.50
Not too bad, I guess. Burst mode may be your best bet though.
But DSLRs are all about quality imagery. And as such, they don't have movie modes. The D40 certainly doesn't. Neither does the XT, the KD100 nor the E410. DSLRs are specialized.
If movies are a priority for you, you may want to consider a point and shoot superzoom like the Canon S5IS or the Olympus SP570UZ, or even the Nikon P80.
BTW - If you're happy with the answer you received, you can simply click on "Mark for best answer" bubble and it will place the question in the "Answered" category for all to see. Or, you can leave the question open for a little while longer and see what else gets posted.
Thanks for posting it and Good luck!
Andrew
If you feel we've answered your questions sufficiently, please mark it best answer. If not, we would be more than pleased to address any further questions you may have.
Andrew
Thank you.
Paulie
In the particular review mode you're looking at, the flashing most likely indicates an over-exposed section of the photo. When printing, it will be hard to discern what that portion of the photo is. The camera is simply suggesting that you dial down the exposure level.
In some photos, overexposing certain portions is necessary to capture the detail of the subject in a shadow or darker portion of a photo. I hope this has helped. Good luck and happy shooting.
Andrew
I read your anwser to my question but couldn't remmember if I thanked you. If I didn't I didn't mean too. I did click on best anwser. Again thank you. I'm new to photography and digital HQ, but enjoy reading all the questions and anwsers. Maybe I'll get to the point were I can anwser and help someone with their questions too.
Keep up the good work,
Paulie
6/7/08
I'm glad we could help. Please come back with any other issues or questions. Good luck and happy shooting.
Andrew
Has anyone with a Nikon D40 tried the Tamron 28-300mm VC lens, if so how would you rate it. I have the kit lens 18-55mm lens and also the 55mm-200mm VR lens. I'm trying to eliminate taking the lens on and off the camera body to eliminate dust getting into the camera and onto the sensor, plus eliminate hauling another lens around. Whats your advice? I am very new to photography, if I knew about the dust factor when I purchased the camera, I would have bought the 28-300mm vc lens in the first place.
Thank you,
Paulie
CONCLUSIONS: This is not the lens for fast-breaking or active subjects, due to its sluggish AF, nor for full-frame shooters worried about light falloff at wide settings. But this new VC superzoom should reward everyone else -- macro shooters and DSLR users of all persuasions -- with its excellent distortion control and remarkable sharpness, even in low light, across a one-size-fits-all zoom range. And all in a conveniently compact, affordable package.
Thank you for the information. Do you have any Idea how bad the sensor dust problem is when changing a lens. I change the lens maybe once or twice a month. I am usually shooting in grassy areas or at the zoo, which has mostly paved walks.
Thank you,
Paulie, again!!!
The dust shouldn't really be that much of a problem. It's something to watch out for, but it shouldn't be a problem every single time you take the lens off. Are you certain you're getting the sensor clean? This link has some good info about cleaning the sensor of a D40:
dphoto.us/forum/showthread....
Thank you Brenda P and James DeRuvo,
I appreciate your help and advice. Brenda P as of yet I have not had a problem with dust on the sensor, it is a new camera and my first Digital DSLR. I have read and heard about the dust problem and was wondering how offen this can occur. I have a 18-55mm kit lens and a 55-200mm lens. Because of the dust problem I was thinking of buying a tamron 28-300mm lens to help solve the problem, by not having to change lenses.
James, I did purchase a Giotto blower and I hope that will be sufficient.
Thank you both for your time and advice,
Paulie
I don't know about doing this on the camera, but you should be able to do it on your computer? When you put the memory card in, you should be able to open the folder and click on the photos you want to choose for download. Does that help at all?
a. open a new folder in your computer to receive the pictures
b. open a thumbnail view of all the pictures in your card, using Irfanview.
c. click the first picture you want.
d. press control button and click the next picture, repeat until you have finished selecting all the pictures you want.
e. drag the selected pictures into the new folder you created.
Paulie
My nikon D40 shutter release button will not allow me to take pictures indoors in low light with out flash. Can someone help with that problem.
I know I must be doing something wrong. I looked through the Nikon Manual and could not find an anwser.
Thank you,
Paulie
Thanks for your anwser, The problem was trying to focus in low light. I appreciate the qiick and accurate response.
More tips here ( google.com/search?q=shootin... ).
Set the camera in Manual, select ISO 400 (it has no noise in that camera), and meter to the sky. Once you've got that numbers, select the widest aperture as possible (depends on the lens...) so you can have a shallow depth of field, but always realizing that one less stop of aperture, will come to one more stop of shutter speed (specially take this into account, if you just have the camea flash or not a i-TTL flash, that have high speed function. After that... Select the flash in +0,5, because of the white dress, and to get the best of skintones.
To have the best out of this... you would need:
A constant 2,8 zoom;
A good i-TTL flash (at least the SB-800);
If possible... a good wireless flash, to have three light sources (sun, flash on camera, and this third flash).
Hope you get those photos right,
Alan.
Evening events are difficult to plan for, as they have a big variable - the changing sky. In your camera, I would pop up the flash, select mode "A", put the aperture on about f/5.6, and dial in a stop of under-exposure (-1). This will give you a good deal more flash coverage than "p" (in "p" the flash is good for 15-20 ft., in "a" it goes out to 30!).
This also gives you the added benefit of the changing sky being adapted to, though. Check your shots often and use your feet to do most of the zooming rather than the lens.
Let me know how it goes!
The A mode, is just aperture mode. It doesn't change the flash guide number... if your lens is a 5,6, no matter in which setting you set your camera in, a flash with a guide number of 30, will just get to 5,4 meters in ISO 100.
Alan.
The Canon seems higher ended with more functionality and gives you the oppurtunity to grow professionally. Although he Nikon takes great shots, is only limted in the mega-pixel category, but that's only if you'll be taking large shots, is more for the very new beginer to slr's, and does not bode well with older Nikor lens ( that's fine... i don't have one anyway), it doesn't have the lens self-cleaning feature which the Canon does, but all in all a lot of people recommend it.
Now with price, the New canon is much more expensive. My question is would i still get good value for money buying a refurbished canon 400d ( with only a 3month warranty) model or better to stick with a brand new NIkon 40D camera ( 1 year warranty ) that is almost good??
Any suggestions and comments please !!!
Refurbished models are great alternatives. Often they're brand new cameras that were loaned out to the media or just opened and the laws prohibit cameras that were opened to be sold brand new. So often, you end up getting a new camera anyway. And if it's going to fail, it'll fail within the warranty period. And even if that's still a concern, check your credit card membership benefits. You may qualify for an extended warranty if you use the card to buy it.
I checked the warranty stipulated, ( i'm buying online) and Canon said '' * Warranty Length: This product comes with 3 MONTHS UK Guarantee by Seller. * Coverage: This warranty covers repair or replacement of defective product. This package includes the following warranty:This product is CANON REFURBISHED IN Canon REFURBISHED BOX , everything is keeping in the original manufactory status.''
while the NIkon D40 states '' 100% BRAND NEW SEALED! 1 Year Guarantee!''. what do you think??
As a professional which would you actually prefer.... If you were for instance new to photography and were planning to grow professionally. The Nikon D40 or the Canon 400D.. whether new or refurbished. Pls suggest one of them specifically, because i want to consider that fact that the one i start with would most likely be the one i continue with.
Secondly I'm thinking of getting either camera with its lens kit, but heard the canon's is no where near the nikon's (these particular models) in terms of quality. And i'm not really thinking of spending on major lens for now. Do u think the Canon - 18-55mm Canon EF-S Lens would still take great pictures??
Don't worry about leaning towards your prefrence. I can tell you're a pro!!!
thanks
I'm using that 18-55 mm lens on my XSi and have been quite pleased with the results, Amaedi. It's a good to cut your teeth on.
a. when the subject is out of focus
b. when the flash is on but takes time to get fully charged
If you have been taking 5 or 6 pictures in the night, probably the flash used up a lot of battery power which could be weak to begin with.
Chances are nothing is wrong with the camera and I would suspect a weak battery.
My camera also makes a funny noise as well when i try and take a picture, it was fine before but it just doesnt now.
Are you talking about right after you take a picture? When you have it on the creen, press the four way controller on the right of the screen either up or down to get off of it.
A betterr way is to open the picture under View Mode, and click the Up button two or three times until blinking stops.
Yes, with the D40 the viewfinder is used to frame the picture. You do not have the option to preview the picture in the monitor, as with most SLR's. The monitor is used for selecting menu items and making corrections after taking the picture.
Thanks so much for replying to my question. Just to make sure I understand your answer, you can ONLY take pics from the 2.5" LCD view on the back of the camera and not at all from the eye piece? Sorry to be so dense, but I'm new and the terminology can stump/confuse me sometimes.
Elizabeth
It's the other way around. You need to compose the picture thru the viewfinder. (eye piece)
You cannot pre-view the picture on the LCD screen, as you do with P&S cameras. (some P&S cameras do not even have a viewfinder.)
The D40 monitor allows you to do many many other things, but pre-viewing the picture is not one of them.
The viewfinder is actually a much better way to compose your picture, as you avoid reflection on the LCD and camera movement as well.
But I wonder how much are you going to use the Live View function, once you see how good is an optical viewfinder of a good camera. You cannot compare the experience..
If not... other cameras that come with that are the new olympus (E420 and E520, and also E3), the Pentax K20, the Canon 40D, XSi and 50D... an Nikon D3 and D300. You can also look for the Panasonic G1, if shooting with an LCD is ALL you want.
Alan.
Can you tell me which would be the best all around lens. Would it be an 18-200mm VC or 18-250mm VC or 28-300mm VC. Tamron is coming out with a 18-270mm VC also. I want one lens to carry around on vacation. I am using a Nikon D40.
Thank you,
Paulie
The 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3
18-270mm f/3.5-3.6
18-250mm f/3.5-6.3
18-200mm f/3.5-6.3
Thank you for your help and quick reply.
Paulie
Thank you for your opinion. I will look into the Nikon lens but I'm sure it will be a lot more expensive, the Tamron 18-270mm won't be out until November, it will sell for just under $600.00.
Thanks again,
Paulie
Thank you,
Paulie
I found out what my problem was, it turned out I was the problem. It was my fault.
But thanks anyway.
Paulie
Thank you for your reply. You have been such a big help answering my questions. Problems that seem to be so easy for you to solve are headaches for me. I am really happy with Digital H Q and helpfull people like you who take your time and help people like me. I guess that's why this is a great site. I just hope I can learn enough to be helpfull to other people just learning about photography, as you are to me.
Thank you Aditya D,
Paulie
Auto setting by the camera gives you the best picture under normal usage. In Soccer games, players move fast and you must catch them with a faster shutter speed, say 1/100 sec.
You probably will find that higher shutter speed needs higher ISOs. For D40, ISO 800 or 1600 will be helpful. There is even a Hi setting which is seldom used.
Lastly, fast lens is critical for successful sports photography, something with an aperture of 2.8 or less.
If budget permits, I would also opt for VR lens, otherwise, there is no choice but to carry a tripod around.
1. Prefocus. Hold down the shutter half way to get a prefocus of the image you're shooting. When it changes, prefocus again. This will speed up your camera's performance during picture taking since it won't have to autofocus before it shoots the shot.
2. Use faster SD cards. Yes, there are faster cards and it does make a difference in writing the image file to the card. This is especially key if you're taking multiple or burst images.
3. Fresher batteries. Use alkalines at least. But I recommend using high energy batteries designed for digital photography. Varta is a good brand. They are usually sold in camera shops, are long lasting (because they are sold in small quantities) put out alot of energy.
4. Pan with the action. You can create some pretty cool shots by panning with your shot, focusing on your subject. This will create the effect of your subject in sharp contrast to the blurry background.
6. Stick with 100-400 ISO. Going higher will cause more noise/grain in your shots, particularly in darker settings.
On the other hand, somebody reported a similar problem in D70 was solved within minutes by a photographer working in a camera shop.
Perhaps you should ask for a few quotations from different shops.
Log in to this site <a href="fixya.com/support/t212824-n... to see discussions and solutions to D40 flash problems </a> or see <a href="talkphotography.co.uk/forum... this site </a> on what people do when their built in flash does not work.
There is a very useful forum on wedding photography at <a href="photo.net/wedding-photograp... this site </a> and <a href="forums.dpreview.com/forums/... this site </a> where the use of flash, including SB600, is discussed.
You may be able to pick up some pointers from the discussions.
" If you still want to try, your best bet is the Kenko 1.4x Teleplus Pro 300 DG Teleconverter that sells for approx. $200. With the 2X converter you lose too much light and AF rarely works even in good light." see <a href="forums.dpreview.com/forums/... this site </a>
Perhaps the next statement from the same forum is equally discouraging :
" The use of a TC will reduce IQ some and with a lens like yours it could be painful. You also need to consider that a 1.4x TC reduces your exposure by 1 stop and a 2x TC by 2 stops. The Nikon focus system specifies an effective maximum aperture of f 5.6 and as your lens is f 5.6 before you add a TC , you will be out of spec for auto focus. This does not mean that auto focus will not work, it may work very slowly or not at all."
Lastly, most of the TCs are designed for lenses without built in motors. see <a href="nikonlinks.com/articles_tel... here</a> .
If you use it for D40, ......... it will not autofocus.
Is it easy to use? Well, I have a 2 year old daughter and 4 year old son - and they have both taken really good photos with it! In automatic mode, it is as simple as point & shoot, but the camera starts up much quicker than my old compact digital. As for quality of images, I really can't complain. They are much better than from any point & shoot camera I have ever had.
Bad points? Not really. Some of the photos I have taken with it have been great, others awful. The great ones have been down to luck, the awful ones down to the photographer!
Hope you enjoy your vacation.
But Monfrotto makes outstanding, but pricey, tripods. Velbon works and are less expensive.
If you do decide it's an accessory you want, James is right in mentioning Velbon. Bought mine used for $5 at a garage sale, and yes, it's a cheap brand, but it works great.
Thanks for responding!
Thanks for your answers!
Usually the flash will pop up under such situration and let you take pictures.
However, if you had set the flash to ' off ' previously and forget to turn it on again, the camera will not do so.
Just press the ' + ' button on the bottom left hand corner twice to bring up the screen for you to navigate to the ' flash ' and set it to ' on '. This enables the flash to pop up and you can take pictures again.
Solving a problem by ' remote control ' and not actually handling the camera, involves a lot of guesses.
In this case I tried it out on my camera to find out what actually could be the problem. We are lucky that what I found is actually what you are facing.
I am not interested either in costlier 300mm lenses or 18-200mm lens. Thanks.
In this case, a 55 - 200mm lens, when converted, will be 3.6X although people don't normally denote a zoom lens as such except in compact P&S cameras.
So if you want to have an idea, no harm about that, a 55-200mm lens would be about 1.5X to 5.7 X of a 35mm lens, but you probably will have some trouble convincing others what it means to them because we normally don't compare one lens to another on ' X ' rating basis.
Does that mean that the zoom of this lens is only equivalent to 3.6x zoom of the P&S cameras?
Wont i get 5.7x zoom?
i am confused.
You cannot divide the 200mm of one lens by the 35mm of another and say you are getting 5.7X zoom.
You may say, if you like, my 200mm lens is 5.7 times more powerful than your 35mm lens.
55mm-200mm lens will only give you 3.6X by definition, just like in <a href="products.howstuffworks.com/... this advertisement </a>, a 70mm - 300mm zoom lens is described as 4.3 X zoom, not otherwise.
flickr.com/photos/33346716@...
and
flickr.com/photos/33346716@...
They work to a certain extend but I wouldn't vouch for the quality of pictures produced as, to quote a statement in a forum, "Single-element diopters are not much use for serious work, as they all exhibit lots of color fringing and often poor resolution as well."
Low cost close up diopters are not expected to compare favourably as replacements of the proper Macro lens, but if you are not very particular of the details and just want to take a close up picture, it works on D40.
You may well start with the wonderful 18-55mm kit lens provided. based on your need (bird watching, zoo shots etc), you can extend your lens kit. (additional 55-200mm 200$ etc)
if you are interested in nature shots, you can get a Circular Polarizing filter. (again a good make 30$). Low price/quality filters may deter your kit lens IQ. so, beware. Remember, a Linear Polarizing Filter is not necessary for day to day photography.
If you often shoot indoors, and is you are not bothered about the increase in camera weight, you can buy an external flash light.
Don't forget to get an air gun based lens cleaning system.
Further, with an SLR, there is always enough room for you to grow.
if you have enough budget, you can keep adding lenses and filters.
Remember, it is wise to invest in a cheaper, capable camera body like D40 and spending on expensive high quality lenses, than spending your bucks in a hi-fi camera body and left with no money for accessories.
Happy Shooting.
Hope this helps.
~ Madhav
a) a tripod, which is a must to mount your camera, for close ups, for steadying the camera in low light situation, and if you like, for taking your own pictures.
b) a camera bag, for protecting your camera against minor knocks , dust, drizzles, or for the matter, keep it out of sight of the people. For the last, one famous photographer used to hide it in a bag, any bag except the one carrying the Nikon label.
c) a remote control, ML-L3. This allows you to trigger the camera from a distance, not very far away though for you won't want to chase after people who grap your camera if he sees the opportunity.
d) camera brushes and blowers, a rubber ball of sort that blows air with a squeeze, and soft camel hair brush, if you can get one, to lightly dust away whatever you find on the lens.
e) lens cleaning fluid and soft lens cleaning cloth. This usually comes together and you need them all the time if you want to remove finger prints even if you have a UV filter attached.
f) spare batteries. Just in case if you are not in the habbit of charging your battery before each outing. You only need one in the case of D40 for it lasts you through hundreds of pictures.
g) spare memory cards. Not that you take so much pictures that a single card can't record all of them, especially with the 2 gig card and 4 gig card, but rather as an ' insurance ' when something happens to the card and you are left stranded what to do next.
That's about all you need to get started and as you gather more experience working with the camera, your gadgets will probably grow.
You need a card reader to transfer the pictures to the computer because it is more convenient than connecting your D40 to the computer.
I moved up from a digital point and shoot, but have in the distance past used an entry leve SLR (Pentax SP500 with multiple lenses for any historian out there)
These are the items I’ve purchased since Christmas.
All items but #2 purchased on Amazon.com.
1. Nikon D40/D40x Digital Field Guide (a must have as the manual that comes with the D40 isn't very good; the best book to help you take pictures with the D40)
2. Tripod, a must
3. Tiffen 52mm UV Protection Filter (Protection for the lens that came with the Nikon D40 kit)
4. Nikon ML-L3 Wireless Remote Control for Nikon D40, D40x, D60 & D80 Digital SLR Cameras (very handy for taking pictures remotely when mounted on a tripod)
5. Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DL-M "Motorized" DG Macro Telephoto Zoom Lens with Built-in Motor Drive for Nikon SLR Cameras Including D40, D40X, & D60 (an great 2nd lens for the price)
6. Tiffen 58mm UV Protection Filter (Protection for the lens in #5)
7. 0.5x Digital Wide Angle Macro Professional Series Lens + Lens Adapter Tube (If Needed) + Lenspen + Lens Cap Keeper + DB ROTH Micro Fiber Cloth (nice to have)
1. Have you inserted the memory card and stored your pictures? D40 has an option to allow you shoot pictures even when the mem card is not inserted. here, you wont have any images stored for playback. Press "Play" button for playback.
2. Is the Camera Settings info diaplayed on screen?
When pressing the exposure button -/+ and adjusting the exposure with the command dial on my Nikon D40, the LCD screen lights up while I'm looking through the view finder. Is there any way I can shut off the LCD screen while adjusting the exposure and looking through the view finder? I really find it distracting.
Thank you,
Paulie
Paulie
Mr. DeRuvo, you have helped me in the past, I just wanted to say it's great to have people like yourself and digital camera HQ to help people like me. If it wasn't for your help, I probably would have put my digital camera in the closet or just use it like a point and shoot camera .
Thanks again,
Paulie
Only several cameras have the ability to process a photo from RAW to JPG in camera.
You will have to use the Capture NX of Nikon, or a third party one, like Silkypix, Adobe Photoshop, Carpture One, etc....
Alan.
There are several.
I recommend Capture One.
Alan.
Anyone had the same issue, or able to help?
Thank you
Another tip is to go to Nikon's website and look for firmware updates. Download and install them.
Apart from resetting the camera to default , you can also increase the EV to +0.5 or + 1 and the picture will be brighter.
Final adjustment can be done in any photo viewer, Picasa or Irfanview for example, and play around with the brightness and contrast until the picture appears OK to you.
If you are familiar with Photoshop, adjustments will be much more precise.
" Canon's Website " in para 2 of James' answer should be changed to " Nikon's Website " because the question is placed under Nikon D40.
Your reply is highly appreciated.
Cheers,
cooldeal
kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40.htm
Special thanks to James for the two URLs.
Shooting in raw is pretty much the same as in jpg if you are not into photo editing.
Thanks!
* use 400 speed ISO
* Remove any lens filters.
* Close the viewfinder of the camera. On luxury cameras there is a lever for this purpose; on cheaper models you usually can take the rubber cover off and slide a plastic thing located on the shoulder strap over the viewfinder. Otherwise, stray light will be getting into the camera "from behind" and your picture will be hosed.
* Set f8 and 1/125 second manual exposure with 400 ISO. If your film speed is different, adjust aperture or shutter speed accordingly. Don't trust what your light meter says, because it has no idea about the fireworks display that's to come. Ever heard of the "Sunny 16" rule? Use the 1/film-speed time at f16. Well, the shuttle isn't quite as bright as the sun (which would result in a 1/400s on ISO-400 at f16), but it's pretty darn close, esp. from the VIP site. Turn off autofocus! Focus before launch and leave the lens the way it is.
* If your camera can do it, bracket +/- 1 stop, especially if you are using slide film (but as said above, print film is better). Note that most cameras can't "shoot thru bracketing", meaning that if they take three bracketed shots in rapid sequence, they stop and wait for you to release and press the shutter again. Be prepared for this. Practice first (without film).
* Start shooting no earlier than T-3s. They start the engines at T-6s, and with the above exposure values, you absolutely need the glow of the exhaust fumes to illuminate the picture.
Thanks!
* use 400 speed ISO
* Remove any lens filters.
* Close the viewfinder of the camera. On luxury cameras there is a lever for this purpose; on cheaper models you usually can take the rubber cover off and slide a plastic thing located on the shoulder strap over the viewfinder. Otherwise, stray light will be getting into the camera "from behind" and your picture will be hosed.
* Set f8 and 1/125 second manual exposure with 400 ISO. If your film speed is different, adjust aperture or shutter speed accordingly. Don't trust what your light meter says, because it has no idea about the fireworks display that's to come. Ever heard of the "Sunny 16" rule? Use the 1/film-speed time at f16. Well, the shuttle isn't quite as bright as the sun (which would result in a 1/400s on ISO-400 at f16), but it's pretty darn close, esp. from the VIP site. Turn off autofocus! Focus before launch and leave the lens the way it is.
* If your camera can do it, bracket +/- 1 stop, especially if you are using slide film (but as said above, print film is better). Note that most cameras can't "shoot thru bracketing", meaning that if they take three bracketed shots in rapid sequence, they stop and wait for you to release and press the shutter again. Be prepared for this. Practice first (without film).
* Start shooting no earlier than T-3s. They start the engines at T-6s, and with the above exposure values, you absolutely need the glow of the exhaust fumes to illuminate the picture.
If you want autofocus to work on D40, the Tamron lens needs to have a built in motor.
Apparently only 3 lenses built by Tamron come with built in motor, and the one you bought is not in the list.
See <a href="photolectic.com/news/lenses... this site </a> for further information.
Personally, I prefer using the view finder because holding your camera with your arms out in front of you can cause you to be unsteady, especially with a larger lens causing camera shake and a blurry picture. I prefer bringing the camera up to my eye cradling the camera with my left hand and elbows close to my body to avoid camera shake.
Paulie
Trying to understand how to select one among the three focus areas using Nikon D40?
Many thanks,
SK
On the Custom Settings menu move to AF (Area Focus). You should see the options to set the focus area there.
If this DOESN'T work or isn't what you want, let me know. I haven't handled the D40 in awhile so this is done by memory!
Many thanks for your message. I just followed your advice: menu > pencil icon > AF - area mode > Single Area Mode. I use Multi Selector to select one of the three focus areas.
Thanks for your time.
Best wishes.
SK.
Also, check out Ken Rockwell's treatise ( kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40/u... ) on D40 operation.
Lastly, update the firmware if available.
If all that doesn't help, then perhaps repair is indeed needed.
If you have any ideas please help! :{
Tamron, AF 90mm 1:2.8, Macro 1:1
Hello,
How do you mount a Nikon 52mm reverse adapter to Nikon D40 camera body and lens. I have a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 and I ordered a 35mm f/1.8 both have 52mm filter threads.
Thank you,
Paulie
I wa nerver notified by email that someone anwsered my question. I just happened to open Digital camera HQ to see if some one had, it's Sept 25, 2009 10:10pm as I write this comment. I also noticed your anwser is dated Sept 25, 2009 9:38pm. I read that my question had been anwsered but I failed to respond or something to that effect. I did check the box that said "Email me with replies to this question.
Again, Thank you
Paulie
I have a Nikon D40 SLR that has developed a dust problem. I did expose the sensor and tried to remove the dust spots with my blower. I have tried several times but the problem still exsist. Would using a soft brush be taking a big risk. What kind of brush do you recomend. They also use the wet method with a sensor swab. I don't change the lens that offen, in fact I clean around the mounted lens with a soft brush followed by a few puffs with the blower before I remove the lens. The lens I install is also cleaned and I do point the camera body down while I remove the lens and install the other. I have owned the D40 for a year and a half. Can someone give me some advice. I am told to have this procedure done would cost $100.00 to $300.00.
Thank you,
Paulie
Paulie
When you get that flashing on a photo just go to the multi selector, and press above the ok button once or twice.
That works for me. Normally the flashing doesn't effect your photograph that much. A circular polarizer can help reduce glare.
The Nikon d90? Is it worth the upgrade. I use the camera for my own enjoyment
nothing important.
Thank you