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Nikon D40 Reviewed

Nikon D40

DPReview.com has finally reviewed the Nikon D40, the nice little camera we mentioned just a few weeks ago. This camera is revolutionary for its price with a body–only tag of 499 USD, and 599 USD for the kit version.

The Nikon D40 gets a “Highly Recommended” seal from Phil Askey, with him noting:

One thing which stood out for us when we reviewed the D80 was its responsive performance, the feeling of instant connection between the photographer and the camera. So imagine I was very happy to find that the emphasis on responsiveness has been carried through to the more affordable D40. Indeed apart from a very slightly slower viewfinder blackout and probably slower auto-focus (although not measured) the D40 doesn’t really feel any slower in use and for some functions is actually faster thanks to smaller files.

In many ways, Nikon has progressed much more than Canon for almost a year now. The release of the D200 followed by the D80 and now the entry–level D40 makes them very competitive in almost all levels of the DSLR market. The D40 should further solidify their market share and with a price finally hitting the 500 dollar point, they should remain uncontested at least for a few months. This being a model for first–time DSLR buyers, its shortcomings shouldn’t be a big hindrance since its users will most likely have no prior SLR investments, be it in lenses or other accessories. Will Nikon continue to dominate in 2007?