dSLRs And The Nikon D40
If you’re used to normal digital point-and-shoot cameras but
you want to get a much better picture quality and a more organic
feel to shooting photos this is the perfect camera to help you
transition from a general point and shooter into the world of
amateur photography.
The
learning curve is very minimal if you’ve ever used a standard
35mm SLR film camera, digital SLR cameras work almost exactly the
same. Anyone can easily pick up a D40 and take amazing pictures,
it’s as easy as learning how to use the zoom and then the
rest is generally the same as any other digital
camera.
The main reason to step up to a dSLR of course is to get better
picture quality. The D40 is a 6.1 megapixel camera, which seems low
for a high end consumer camera/low end professional camera when
compared to some Olympus 10.2MP camera you can find at Target for
$250... but the megapixel rating has nothing to do with quality,
just physical picture size. When you take a picture with a dSLR
your camera actually opens a shutter and looks through an aperture
for a given amount of time which exposes a certain amount of light
in, and that image information is recorded digitally to an SD card
just like a film camera would record that information to the mylar
film.
The colors dSLRs are able to capture are simply amazing! Where you
really notice the difference in your photos is in the saturation
and clarity of colors and shadows. This seems basic, but the
ability to capture black as ‘black’ and not just
‘dark grey’ is absolutely crucial to presenting colors
as they look in real life.
For instance: the photos below are cropped from larger versions to
accentuate the differences. On the left the photo was taken with a
standard point-and-shoot (Canon PowerShot). Notice how it looks
grainy and the colors are dull. Whereas the photo on the right was
taken with a dSLR (Pentax K100D) and you can right away see how
much more clear it is and how the colors really pop out. You can
see how shadows really make a difference if you look at the
difference between the boy’s hair in the two pictures; the
dSLR lets you really see the true colors and definition of
everything in the photo, where with the standard camera everything
just looks dull and flat.
The next thing that worries people often times with dSLR cameras is
they think they will be difficult to use or figure out all the
different settings... well the Nikon D40 takes all of that
frustration and throws it out the window! You can just throw it in
automatic mode and it will figure everything for you except how
close to zoom in; that includes ISO, shutter speed, aperture,
focusing, flash, white balance, and the list goes
on!
When you do get to a level where you want to experiment a little
the camera has built in pointers to help you shoot perfect pictures
too. So say you’re in a dark room and you need a flash, the
camera will tell you that you should turn on the flash because of
low light. Also, when you are changing settings like ISO you are
shown examples of what the different setting should be used for.
This makes the Nikon D40 not only easy to use, but much more fun
when you can get professional quality photos without even opening
up the manual or taking a photography class!
Pros:
High quality ‘prosumer’ level dSLR camera with
interchangeable lenses, very cheap ($475 on Amazon) for a dSLR with
a kit lens included, can shoot in RAW, high quality 6.1 megapixel
sized photos, very easy to use as a beginner, excellent color
capturing capabilities.
Cons:
The msrp of $499 for this camera is not cheap by average camera
standards, it can’t even compare to the size of a simple
point-and-shoot camera
The
Bottom Line:
The Nikon D40 is for the aspiring photography hobbyist, not the
layman nor the professional. This is a perfect stepping stone from
general picture taking to the world of professional digital
photography. It’s cheap, comes with everything you need right
in the box (except an SD card), and it’s very easy to use and
catch amazing photos with. This is a great buy, DEFINITELY check it
out if you want to capture life’s very best memories to
remember for the rest of yours... just as you lived
them!
Overall:
8.5
Usability:
7
This is a very easy dSLR to use if you know anything about cameras,
but it’s not for the layman
Customizability:
8
Interchangeable lenses, the ability to add on filters, and external
flashes is awesome, some old lenses won’t fit properly
without expensive adapter rings though
GUI:
9
very appealing indeed, beautiful screen that tells you every
pertinent piece of information you’d need to know to take
simply amazing photos
Coolness:
10
This camera turns heads left and right... and it takes photos that
do the same!
