Tagged Products - 6mp

Coolpix S10 6MP Digital Camera with 10x Zoom (Refurbished)-Coolpix S10 6MP Digital Camera with 10x Vibration

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Nikon D40 6 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera Kit - 18-55mm and 55-200mm Lenses

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I have loved the D40 so much over the past year.

1.) this is a camera that can easily grow with you. It offers a host of customizable features - far more than you would find in any point and shoot camera. As you begin to explore photography, you will find that the D40 contains many doors for you to open along the way (some of which you might never even touch, depending on your style of photography). I consider myself an advanced amateur photographer, and I love the D40. Many people seem to think that it's only useful for absolute beginners, but that's simply not the case. Additionally, as an SLR camera, the D40 allows the interchanging of lenses, for more creative and professional control over your images. While this is all true, please realize that the D40 cannot grow with you forever. As an entry-level SLR, it has limitations that I will describe later.

2.) The image quality of the D40 is fantastic, as you would expect. If you're worried because the D40 has "only" 6 megapixels, don't be. 6 megapixels is enough to capture plenty of detail in your images, and will allow you to make fantastic prints at 8x10 inches. If you print larger than 8x10, the quality will degrade slightly, but not to a significant degree. I have recently been making 11x14'' prints, and they have all turned out wonderfully sharp. Tied in to the technical image quality is the "noise" performance of a camera. As you increase your camera's ISO setting (which determines how sensitive it is to light), you will begin to see an increase in what's known as digital noise: the off-colored speckles/grain that appears in many indoor and nighttime images. Some cameras produce more of this grain than others, but the D40 is a very solid performer. The reason for this brings us back to megapixels. The higher number of a megapixels a camera has, the more noise it will produce (unless noise reduction is applied). Thus, with 6 megapixels, the D40 unsurprisingly has better noise performance than the more expensive 10 megapixel D80 ($600) and D200 ($1000). Of course, with the D80 and D200 you are given a lot of more advanced features, and that's what accounts for their higher prices. Anyway, the point is that most of the time I am very satisfied with how the D40 performs, even at ISO 1600 (which may be shocking to many people, since this is an entry level SLR). Those of you moving up from a point and shoot camera will be amazed by the quality of the D40's images, outdoors and inside.

3.) The bright 2.5 inch LCD on the back of the D40 is used to display the camera settings, such as aperture, shutter speed, white balance, exposure compensation, metering mode, autofocus mode, and more. Also, this is where you change 99% of the camera settings (other than aperture and shutter speed). As you will see later on (assuming you read this whole review), I have also marked this as a negative aspect of the D40. However, if you are a beginner in the world of advanced digital photography, you will definitely appreciate being able to clearly see what settings you're changing on a large color LCD display.

4.) The ergonomics of this device are simply outstanding. The menu system (which you will be using a lot, trust me) is very easy to navigate through, and all of the controls are placed exactly where you want them to be. Over the year, I've had the chance to play around with cameras from both Nikon and Canon, and Nikons always feel more natural in use. Also, even though the D40 is made out of plastic, it doesn't feel like it will fall apart or slip in your hands easily (I suppose this is primarily attributed to the material surrounding the grip, which the Canon Digital Rebel XT, discussed earlier, doesn't have much of).

5.) Ease of use. The D40 is a very simple and well organized camera. The moment you pick it up, you will immediately begin figuring out all of its controls without having to read through a manual (not to say it doesn't come with a manual!). If you ever want to know what some menu item does, just push and hold the "zoom out" button on the back of the camera, and it will overlay a brief description of what that setting does. This could prove to be very useful for amateurs.

6.) Speed. No, the D40 is not the quickest digital SLR in the world, and will not satisfy all sports photographers, but it is MUCH quicker starting up, focusing, and shooting than any point and shoot camera. It will make you feel quite "snappy" if you have never used anything better than a point and shoot before.

7.) Size. The D40 is very small and light. You won't be getting any aches in your arms or wrists holding the D40, unless you have a gigantic lens attached to it. With the standard 18-55mm kit lens attached, this is an extremely lightweight and portable camera. Some people like to have a hefty and larger camera because it gives greater balance to the photographer, and makes the device feel more solid; Many times though, it's very nice to have a small kit (NOTE: The D40 is much larger than any point and shoot that I know of -- that's why even most professional photographers keep a P&S around -- but for a digital SLR, it is very small).

8.) Full manual control. The D40 contains several automatic modes, which are nice to have if you're just doing snapshots, or handing the camera over to someone that's photography illiterate. However, the D40 gives you a fully manual mode, and 3 other semi-manual modes (aperture priority, shutter priority, and programmed auto) for when you want to have complete control over the look of your image. Keep in mind how important this is... Let's face it, every good image consists of 3 main things: good composition, good exposure, and uniqueness. No camera in the world is going to tell you how to compose your image, or how to be more creative... but even the D40 will allow you to make any manual adjustments to the exposure!

9.) RAW files. The Nikon D40, like all digital SLR's that I know of, allows you to capture images in a file format known as "RAW" (Nikons RAW file format is called "NEF" and Canons is called "CR2"). RAW files are exactly what their name implies... Raw (uncompressed) data from the actual camera's imaging sensor. As such, they occupy more memory than a JPEG (which is a compressed image format). However, RAW files give a lot more flexibility to your image. For example, you are able to to precisely alter the white balance (a critical aspect of the image) using software such as Photoshop AFTER the photograph has been taken! Generally, the only point and shoot cameras that offer a RAW file option are the advanced ones, which I will state my opinion on a little later in this review.

10.) A trusty companion. Yes, this is where the title of the review came from. I can give you my guarantee that this device is reliable (unless you got a dud, due to manufacturing complications... which can happen). This is not a professional-grade camera, obviously. It's not made out of magnesium alloy like the higher end cameras from Nikon and Canon... but it can take more punches than I ever expected. I live in Wisconsin, and winters here are quite bitter. I've taken the D40 out in below freezing weather, and never had any problems with it. I trudged around New York city for a week with this camera around my neck, and never had any problems. I photographed a football game with this camera in the evening, at which point the air got quite cold, foggy and moist. Never had any problems with it. The only thing that I'm sure this camera CAN'T take (and I don't intend to test this) is a light rain shower. The Nikon D300, D700, and D3 are professional weather sealed cameras, and they have been proven to stand up even against the rain (for a little while). The D40, while fine in most situations, probably can't handle rain.

11.) Price. This is Nikon's cheapest digital SLR, and let me tell you, you get a lot of bang for your buck. That's something that EVERYONE can appreciate. By the way, this is one reason that I don't recommend the Nikon D60 -- you know, one of the cameras that Ashton Kutcher advertises. It has only a few extra features over the D40, such as 4 more megapixels, and a built in accelerometer to make the screen rotate, and it costs a couple hundred more! Both are entry-level models, so you'll essentially be getting the same package for a lot more money. For those who are looking into buying an advanced point and shoot, such as the Canon G9, or the Canon S5 IS, I would recommend that you stop for a moment and consider spending just a few bucks extra on a low priced digital SLR like the D40. You will be getting a lot more "bang" for a little more "buck" (although, this is debatable, as a digital SLR is not the best option for everyone).

Now that I've covered most of what I love about the D40, I'll reveal the truth... I plan to upgrade to either a Nikon D90 or D300 soon. As I said early in this review, you will most likely outgrow the D40 eventually, as I have now. Why? What does the D40 not have that the other cameras do? Here's what it doesn't have for me (keep in mind, these aren't the only things it's missing):

1.) Flash commander mode. The D40 has a fairly nice built in pop-up flash, and you can even alter how powerful its output is. That's about the extent of it, though. The Nikon D80, D90, D200, D300, and D700 have what's known as a commander mode, where the built in flash can be used to trigger external Nikon speedlights (SB-600, SB-800, and SB-900). If advanced lighting technique is not something you care about, this doesn't matter. This is something that I, on the other hand, have been getting more and more interested in.

2.) The D40 does not have a built in focusing motor. This means that the only lenses which will autofocus with the D40 are ones designated with "AF-S". For many people this is not a problem, because Nikon ONLY makes AF-S lenses now (and they have many to choose from now). If you own older AF lenses that aren't marked with "AF-S," the D40 will not autofocus them. AF-S lenses have "silent wave motors" inside of them which do the focusing. Older AF lenses are focused using a screwdriver-like device that's built into the camera body (not the D40 body).

3.) Earlier, as you may recall, I mentioned the fact that you have to use the LCD to change 99% of camera settings as both an advantage and a disadvantage. Here's the disadvantage: clicking through menus and menus of information to change one setting can be a bit of a hassle. If you are mostly interested in shooting objects that don't move, this is no problem. However, for shooting action, it's helpful to be able to change settings with just the push of a button. More advanced SLR's have more external controls on the body, so that the photographer can almost immediately change a setting without having to look at the back of their camera.

4.) The D40 does not have a live view mode. This is a bit ironic, because most people see live view mode as more of an amateur feature than a professional one. Live view, for those of you that don't know, is the ability to use the LCD screen in place of the viewfinder (like you do on all point and shoot cameras these days). This means that you will have to put your face up to the viewfinder of the camera. For most situations, that's what any photographer (including myself) would rather do anyway. There are times though, when live view can be helpful. For instance, in macro photography, the photographer is often times forced to be right on the ground and look through their camera's viewfinder at a very odd, or sometimes even impossible angle. In this case, having live view mode would be a great asset, so that the photographer can simply look at the LCD screen from above. Live view can also be helpful if you're handing your camera off to someone (which I tend to do a lot) who isn't used to the viewfinder. It's funny how intimidated some people can become when you ask them to take a family picture for you, and then they realize they have to look through that hole in the back of the camera!

5.) As I mentioned, the D40 can handle everything from ISO 200-1600 fairly well in most cases. In some rare cases, a sensitivity higher than 1600 is necessary to capture the action (such as a night/indoor sports game). The D40 produces extremely grainy images at ISO 3200, which is surprising considering the overall usability of ISO 1600 (just one stop below 3200). While the D90/D300 have a lot more megapixels than the D40, they have remarkable noise reduction systems, which makes ISO 3200 images quite a bit more usable than those of the D40 (although, they're far from perfect).

Did you notice how all of the "negatives" I just listed about the D40 are only significant in rare situations? The fact is that the D40 is an extremely capable camera, and an absolutely outstanding value. I would highly recommend it to anyone that wants greater image quality than they get with their point and shoot camera, that wants to explore the art and craft of photography with more depth, that doesn't want to spend $1000+ on an excellent camera, and advanced-amateur photographers that can sacrifice a few specialized features of higher end cameras for the sake of a lower price.

5 out of 5 stars, without any reservations, considering the price.

Nikon D40 6 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera Kit - 18-55mm and 55-200mm Lenses

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Nikon DSLR really changed my opinions on Nikons. I will still never use another Nikon PnS again anytime in the future, but I am now a Nikon DSLR fan!

International Innovations Intova IC-600 Digital Camera - Silver - 4x Digital Zoom - 2.4 Active Matrix TFT Color LCD

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auto focus, sometimes by then the fish is gone.

Here is a link to some of my photos I took with the camera in Bonaire.

http://picasaweb.google.com/got2golfster/BestofBonaire?authkey=a9Gcmn7KVKY#

Sanyo VPC-CG9 Xacti CG9 9-Megapixel SD Camcorder - Silver

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manually to no more than 200, and activate the high sensitivity. This will allow for a minimum noise impact in your video. Another thing I like of the device is the responsiveness. It is really easy to start shooting videos, with almost no delay. So, if you care more about catching the moment but you are not very concern about the quality of the results, I guess this device will work for you. Another thing many people were excited about is the ability to take videos at 60fps. There is a major issue in this mode. Because the camera is operating at double the speed, the auto focus system produces a lot of click noise (hard to describe in other way) that is picked up by the mic. If you are shooting in a quite environment, you will be disappointed by the results.
Overall I like the feeling of the camera, and I really wish it worked as described. I would NOT by it again. I will probably save some more money and get a high def camera.

PS: other cons are the very short battery life, the almost useless image stabilization and the face detection features that almost never recognize a face, not even when you have it right on camera!!

Nikon D40 6 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera Kit - 18-55mm and 55-200mm Lenses

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manually to no more than 200, and activate the high sensitivity. This will allow for a minimum noise impact in your video. Another thing I like of the device is the responsiveness. It is really easy to start shooting videos, with almost no delay. So, if you care more about catching the moment but you are not very concern about the quality of the results, I guess this device will work for you. Another thing many people were excited about is the ability to take videos at 60fps. There is a major issue in this mode. Because the camera is operating at double the speed, the auto focus system produces a lot of click noise (hard to describe in other way) that is picked up by the mic. If you are shooting in a quite environment, you will be disappointed by the results.

Overall I like the feeling of the camera, and I really wish it worked as described. I would NOT by it again. I will probably save some more money and get a high def camera.



PS: other cons are the very short battery life, the almost useless image stabilization and the face detection features that almost never recognize a face, not even when you have it right on camera!!

International Innovations Intova IC-600 Digital Camera - Silver - 4x Digital Zoom - 2.4 Active Matrix TFT Color LCD

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an inexpensive underwater camrea.

Nikon D40 6 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera Kit - 18-55mm and 55-200mm Lenses

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an inexpensive underwater camrea.

Sanyo VPC-CG9 Xacti CG9 9-Megapixel SD Camcorder - Silver

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an inexpensive underwater camrea.

SL321 EcoShot, 6.0 Mega-Pixel, 4x Digital Zoom, Waterproof Digital Camera - Rated up to 75'

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mode will keep that from happening.

I found this camera held battery life really well and exceeded my expectations on my first time snorkeling with it. I plan to continue using it and feel that it is a great buy for the beginner.

Timothy Lassiter
(author of Three Degrees of Separation and The Devil You Know)

Fuji FinePix F470 6 MP Digital Camera (Refurbished)

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mode will keep that from happening.



I found this camera held battery life really well and exceeded my expectations on my first time snorkeling with it. I plan to continue using it and feel that it is a great buy for the beginner.



Timothy Lassiter

(author of Three Degrees of Separation and The Devil You Know)

Coolpix S10 6MP Digital Camera with 10x Zoom (Refurbished)-Coolpix S10 6MP Digital Camera with 10x Vibration

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mode will keep that from happening.





I found this camera held battery life really well and exceeded my expectations on my first time snorkeling with it. I plan to continue using it and feel that it is a great buy for the beginner.





Timothy Lassiter


(author of Three Degrees of Separation and The Devil You Know)

International Innovations Intova IC-600 Digital Camera - Silver - 4x Digital Zoom - 2.4 Active Matrix TFT Color LCD

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mode will keep that from happening.







I found this camera held battery life really well and exceeded my expectations on my first time snorkeling with it. I plan to continue using it and feel that it is a great buy for the beginner.







Timothy Lassiter



(author of Three Degrees of Separation and The Devil You Know)

SL321 EcoShot, 6.0 Mega-Pixel, 4x Digital Zoom, Waterproof Digital Camera - Rated up to 75'

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especially the lens and LCD. Read the care instructions before using camera. I didn't like the pics it took out of water nearly as much as my Canon ELPH, but it was alright for a camera designed for underwater use. Overall very nice camera, worth the purchase if you have a similar trip in mind.

Nikon D40 6 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera Kit - 18-55mm and 55-200mm Lenses

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the huge annoyances with a point and shoot is the time between shots - waiting and waiting for your camera to recharge the flash or write the data to the memory card. Not a problem with a DSLR. The D40 starts up quickly, is fast between shots, and allows you to take more photos without flash.

In the beginning I used the "scene modes" and Auto, and Auto no Flash, but my interest in photography has grown since using this camera and I use the manal and semi-automatic modes now. This camera is great for BOTH casual and enthusiast users. Stick to AUTO and get great shots OR learn about photography techniques and delve into all of the camera's different settings for more difficult lighting situations, etc.

Once you have your D40, if you find yourself getting interested in photography, you may want to collect some additional gear over time. Here is a list of some accesories I have acquired to use with my D40:

LowePro Rezo 170 Camera Bag (Not ugly. Works great. Holds D40 plus camcorder or D40 plus flash, 2 lenses and room to spare.)

Nikon SB-400 flash (Yes, you eventually want this. Small, lightweight, inexpensive. Saves your camera's battery power and recharges more quickly. Use it to bounce light off the ceiling for indoor photos. It looks so much better you will never use regular non-diffused front-on flash again. Get rechargeable AA batteries, I love the Sanyo Eneloops and I am slowly replacing all my AAA and AA batteries in the house with these).

Nikkor 55-200mm VR zoom lens (Inexpensive, works great. Get the VR version, not non-VR version. Nikon sometimes does a $[...] [...] with this lens when you buy the camera and lens at the same time. That makes it super cheap).

Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 lens (This is getting repetive, but this lens is cheap. Great value. Amazing low light, no flash pictures. I love natural light and this lens is my favorite for those situations where you don't have that much light available to you. One big drawback is that it is Manual focus on a D40, but over time you learn. Get the Nikon HR2 lens hood to go with it).

Nikon ML-L3 wireless remote (Inexpensive, works well. Easy way to take family group shots for your Christmas cards).

Sandisk Ultra II Sd Card (Have not had any problems with lost data. Transfer your images frequently to your computer and use your camera to reformat the card each time to minimize your chances of corrupt data or data errors).

Sigma EX DG 52mm Multi-Coated UV Filter (No problems with this filter).

One last thing, during my research I considered getting the Canon Rebel counterpart. To me the Nikon has several advantages - better menus (Canon's menu looks archaic and crude in comparison), better selection of affordable lenses, flash and other accesories, better ergonomics, better color rendition, auto ISO. Both camera companies are great and both cameras are capable of nice photos, but the D40 is much easier to use, and at the time I bought it, significantly cheaper I am completely happy I went with Nikon over Canon, and now that I have more experience in the DSLR world I look forward to upgrading to a bigger, more complex D300/700 eventually. But I know will still use my little D40 as well!

One more last thing, if you are still unsure and want to know how to use this camera before buying, you can check the Nikon Digitutor online videos:
[...]

Nikon D40 6 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera Kit - 18-55mm and 55-200mm Lenses

...

the huge annoyances with a point and shoot is the time between shots - waiting and waiting for your camera to recharge the flash or write the data to the memory card. Not a problem with a DSLR. The D40 starts up quickly, is fast between shots, and allows you to take more photos without flash.



In the beginning I used the "scene modes" and Auto, and Auto no Flash, but my interest in photography has grown since using this camera and I use the manal and semi-automatic modes now. This camera is great for BOTH casual and enthusiast users. Stick to AUTO and get great shots OR learn about photography techniques and delve into all of the camera's different settings for more difficult lighting situations, etc.



Once you have your D40, if you find yourself getting interested in photography, you may want to collect some additional gear over time. Here is a list of some accesories I have acquired to use with my D40:



LowePro Rezo 170 Camera Bag (Not ugly. Works great. Holds D40 plus camcorder or D40 plus flash, 2 lenses and room to spare.)



Nikon SB-400 flash (Yes, you eventually want this. Small, lightweight, inexpensive. Saves your camera's battery power and recharges more quickly. Use it to bounce light off the ceiling for indoor photos. It looks so much better you will never use regular non-diffused front-on flash again. Get rechargeable AA batteries, I love the Sanyo Eneloops and I am slowly replacing all my AAA and AA batteries in the house with these).



Nikkor 55-200mm VR zoom lens (Inexpensive, works great. Get the VR version, not non-VR version. Nikon sometimes does a $[...] [...] with this lens when you buy the camera and lens at the same time. That makes it super cheap).



Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 lens (This is getting repetive, but this lens is cheap. Great value. Amazing low light, no flash pictures. I love natural light and this lens is my favorite for those situations where you don't have that much light available to you. One big drawback is that it is Manual focus on a D40, but over time you learn. Get the Nikon HR2 lens hood to go with it).



Nikon ML-L3 wireless remote (Inexpensive, works well. Easy way to take family group shots for your Christmas cards).



Sandisk Ultra II Sd Card (Have not had any problems with lost data. Transfer your images frequently to your computer and use your camera to reformat the card each time to minimize your chances of corrupt data or data errors).



Sigma EX DG 52mm Multi-Coated UV Filter (No problems with this filter).



One last thing, during my research I considered getting the Canon Rebel counterpart. To me the Nikon has several advantages - better menus (Canon's menu looks archaic and crude in comparison), better selection of affordable lenses, flash and other accesories, better ergonomics, better color rendition, auto ISO. Both camera companies are great and both cameras are capable of nice photos, but the D40 is much easier to use, and at the time I bought it, significantly cheaper I am completely happy I went with Nikon over Canon, and now that I have more experience in the DSLR world I look forward to upgrading to a bigger, more complex D300/700 eventually. But I know will still use my little D40 as well!



One more last thing, if you are still unsure and want to know how to use this camera before buying, you can check the Nikon Digitutor online videos:

[...]

Nikon D40 6 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera Kit - 18-55mm and 55-200mm Lenses

...

the huge annoyances with a point and shoot is the time between shots - waiting and waiting for your camera to recharge the flash or write the data to the memory card. Not a problem with a DSLR. The D40 starts up quickly, is fast between shots, and allows you to take more photos without flash.





In the beginning I used the "scene modes" and Auto, and Auto no Flash, but my interest in photography has grown since using this camera and I use the manal and semi-automatic modes now. This camera is great for BOTH casual and enthusiast users. Stick to AUTO and get great shots OR learn about photography techniques and delve into all of the camera's different settings for more difficult lighting situations, etc.





Once you have your D40, if you find yourself getting interested in photography, you may want to collect some additional gear over time. Here is a list of some accesories I have acquired to use with my D40:





LowePro Rezo 170 Camera Bag (Not ugly. Works great. Holds D40 plus camcorder or D40 plus flash, 2 lenses and room to spare.)





Nikon SB-400 flash (Yes, you eventually want this. Small, lightweight, inexpensive. Saves your camera's battery power and recharges more quickly. Use it to bounce light off the ceiling for indoor photos. It looks so much better you will never use regular non-diffused front-on flash again. Get rechargeable AA batteries, I love the Sanyo Eneloops and I am slowly replacing all my AAA and AA batteries in the house with these).





Nikkor 55-200mm VR zoom lens (Inexpensive, works great. Get the VR version, not non-VR version. Nikon sometimes does a $[...] [...] with this lens when you buy the camera and lens at the same time. That makes it super cheap).





Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 lens (This is getting repetive, but this lens is cheap. Great value. Amazing low light, no flash pictures. I love natural light and this lens is my favorite for those situations where you don't have that much light available to you. One big drawback is that it is Manual focus on a D40, but over time you learn. Get the Nikon HR2 lens hood to go with it).





Nikon ML-L3 wireless remote (Inexpensive, works well. Easy way to take family group shots for your Christmas cards).





Sandisk Ultra II Sd Card (Have not had any problems with lost data. Transfer your images frequently to your computer and use your camera to reformat the card each time to minimize your chances of corrupt data or data errors).





Sigma EX DG 52mm Multi-Coated UV Filter (No problems with this filter).





One last thing, during my research I considered getting the Canon Rebel counterpart. To me the Nikon has several advantages - better menus (Canon's menu looks archaic and crude in comparison), better selection of affordable lenses, flash and other accesories, better ergonomics, better color rendition, auto ISO. Both camera companies are great and both cameras are capable of nice photos, but the D40 is much easier to use, and at the time I bought it, significantly cheaper I am completely happy I went with Nikon over Canon, and now that I have more experience in the DSLR world I look forward to upgrading to a bigger, more complex D300/700 eventually. But I know will still use my little D40 as well!





One more last thing, if you are still unsure and want to know how to use this camera before buying, you can check the Nikon Digitutor online videos:


[...]

Nikon D40 6 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera Kit - 18-55mm and 55-200mm Lenses

...

the huge annoyances with a point and shoot is the time between shots - waiting and waiting for your camera to recharge the flash or write the data to the memory card. Not a problem with a DSLR. The D40 starts up quickly, is fast between shots, and allows you to take more photos without flash.







In the beginning I used the "scene modes" and Auto, and Auto no Flash, but my interest in photography has grown since using this camera and I use the manal and semi-automatic modes now. This camera is great for BOTH casual and enthusiast users. Stick to AUTO and get great shots OR learn about photography techniques and delve into all of the camera's different settings for more difficult lighting situations, etc.







Once you have your D40, if you find yourself getting interested in photography, you may want to collect some additional gear over time. Here is a list of some accesories I have acquired to use with my D40:







LowePro Rezo 170 Camera Bag (Not ugly. Works great. Holds D40 plus camcorder or D40 plus flash, 2 lenses and room to spare.)







Nikon SB-400 flash (Yes, you eventually want this. Small, lightweight, inexpensive. Saves your camera's battery power and recharges more quickly. Use it to bounce light off the ceiling for indoor photos. It looks so much better you will never use regular non-diffused front-on flash again. Get rechargeable AA batteries, I love the Sanyo Eneloops and I am slowly replacing all my AAA and AA batteries in the house with these).







Nikkor 55-200mm VR zoom lens (Inexpensive, works great. Get the VR version, not non-VR version. Nikon sometimes does a $[...] [...] with this lens when you buy the camera and lens at the same time. That makes it super cheap).







Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 lens (This is getting repetive, but this lens is cheap. Great value. Amazing low light, no flash pictures. I love natural light and this lens is my favorite for those situations where you don't have that much light available to you. One big drawback is that it is Manual focus on a D40, but over time you learn. Get the Nikon HR2 lens hood to go with it).







Nikon ML-L3 wireless remote (Inexpensive, works well. Easy way to take family group shots for your Christmas cards).







Sandisk Ultra II Sd Card (Have not had any problems with lost data. Transfer your images frequently to your computer and use your camera to reformat the card each time to minimize your chances of corrupt data or data errors).







Sigma EX DG 52mm Multi-Coated UV Filter (No problems with this filter).







One last thing, during my research I considered getting the Canon Rebel counterpart. To me the Nikon has several advantages - better menus (Canon's menu looks archaic and crude in comparison), better selection of affordable lenses, flash and other accesories, better ergonomics, better color rendition, auto ISO. Both camera companies are great and both cameras are capable of nice photos, but the D40 is much easier to use, and at the time I bought it, significantly cheaper I am completely happy I went with Nikon over Canon, and now that I have more experience in the DSLR world I look forward to upgrading to a bigger, more complex D300/700 eventually. But I know will still use my little D40 as well!







One more last thing, if you are still unsure and want to know how to use this camera before buying, you can check the Nikon Digitutor online videos:



[...]

Sony High-Definition MiniDV 3.2MP Handycam Camcorder with 2.7" Widescreen LCD Screen

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to 9GB of 1080i video data on regular DL DVD. Of course you can also downrez to 480P if you wish and burn to regular DVD to send to the grandparents. I wish it had a 25X optical as the 10X seems a little weak.

Here is my one major complaint about this camera. No analog passthrough! The only connections to this camera for input are digital. That means if you wanted to use this camera to passthrough any old VHS tapes so you could edit and burn to dvd on your computer your out of luck. I wish I had known this before I sold my old regular Sony DV camcorder. Other than that one problem this is a great camera. The build quality is solid, it doesn't feel cheap in your hands and the controls (at least for me as I have had 3 Sony camcorders now) are easy to learn and simple to use. Very highly recommended.

Polaroid i634 Lime Green 6.0MP Digital Camera-Polaroid i634 Lime Green 6.0MP Digital Camera

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to 9GB of 1080i video data on regular DL DVD. Of course you can also downrez to 480P if you wish and burn to regular DVD to send to the grandparents. I wish it had a 25X optical as the 10X seems a little weak.



Here is my one major complaint about this camera. No analog passthrough! The only connections to this camera for input are digital. That means if you wanted to use this camera to passthrough any old VHS tapes so you could edit and burn to dvd on your computer your out of luck. I wish I had known this before I sold my old regular Sony DV camcorder. Other than that one problem this is a great camera. The build quality is solid, it doesn't feel cheap in your hands and the controls (at least for me as I have had 3 Sony camcorders now) are easy to learn and simple to use. Very highly recommended.