Really nice photos in an easy to use machine.

Author's Rating:

Pros: Quality, size, photos, price, etc, etc

Cons: You'll love it so much, that your next purchase will be a new Hard Drive.

The Bottom Line: 
If you are asking yourself if there is something better than the last point and shoot you bought, buy this camera and more photo albums!

Author's Review
Sorry nikonians or nikonistas or whatever your name is, but if you are a professional photographer this review is not for you, and neither probably the camera

I always used point a shoot cameras, for my family’s trips, parties and some other stuff. I had a Panasonic 3.2 MP then a Canon SD700is and both were good cameras for my use.
But I was looking to go a step forward, that don’t mean be a professional, just take better pictures and have more options (telephoto and wide angle lenses for example, well I was not so sure what that means before), so I bought a Nikon D40 after test other ones.

This is a really good camera for people like me, it is a lot more powerful and with a lot more options than the ones I had before, I don’t care about the fact that use just AF-S lenses, I never had a lens before so which one is the difference on buy this one or other one? If tomorrow I want to buy a bigger Nikon camera I will be able to us on it this lenses.

The first thing I notice taking a bunch of pictures at my son’s birthday was…… no red eyes!!!! What? Did I learn to take pictures without it? No, is the camera, my photos does not have red eyes on it and I’m using just the build in flash so I guess I have a lot to discover trying an external flash. Of course you will not buy a camera for the lack of red eye, but it surprise me the fact that I couldn’t see a single one on an entire set of photos.

Additionally to the lens coming on the kit (a wide angle 18-55mm), I bought a Zoom Normal Telephoto 55-200mm AF-S for $159 at B&H, wow that thing get you close to the images.

The camera of course is bigger than my canon or Panasonic, but believe me it is not so bad specially after you try all those non human things that professionals like (big Nikon or canons).
But the camera with the lens that came on the kit is pretty much the same size of the old 35mm cameras I used to have (well a little bigger but no big difference).

The battery is really cool, I took over 350 photos inside (so most of them with flash) and it was still alive, but since is not a regular battery probably I will buy an additional one to have with the camera just in case (I saw it on internet for about $40).

If you came from a point and shoot like me, probably you will miss the fact of not being able to see your target on the LCD, well it looks like all this cameras work on this way, anyway the viewfinder is pretty cool and the 3 options of the AF are great and easy to use. After you shoot, the image will appear on the LCD and….. wow again, that screen rocks, it is huge, amazing quality and have some toys like auto rotation of pictures.

I’m really happy with this machine, I must recognize as my wife told me before I bought the camera that now I think twice before taking the camera because it will not fit in my pocket. But the pictures I’m taking with this camera are beautiful, really beautiful and you will easily notice the difference with your old fix lens camera.
Probably this camera can be the beginning of a hobby for you, but if not you will have a really nice camera not too bulky and with really good quality.
Are there better cameras? Yes, for sure. But you know what, there are also better cars than the one I have and not for that I will buy one of them if I just use it for commute to the office ;-)