The Nikon D40 takes
over for the D50, becoming the new starting point for Nikon's
line-up of digital SLR cameras. This sharply-priced camera
offers a 6.1 megapixel resolution, a 2.5-inch monitor, but
to
keep it at this price point, some of the functions offered
on other models are absent.
The organization of the controls
that top the grip is typical of Nikon SLR cameras, starting
with a chrome, two-stage shutter release — providing
auto focus and auto exposure when pressed to the halfway point
— surrounded by the On/Off switch.
Immediately behind the shutter release, in an area highlighted
by a lighter grey area, are two buttons:
On the left is the shooting
information button, which serves to display a screen
that shows all current camera settings on the monitor,
and then turn it off. Worth noting, the camera can be
configured to turn on this display screen as soon as
it is turned on, turning it off only while the shutter
release is pressed.
Another function for this button is indicated by a
green dot :
when pressed in conjunction with the playback zoom
button (see further) for more than two seconds,
it serves to reset all the settings of the D40
to their factory defaults.
The button on the right controls
Exposure Compensation when pressed in and the Command
Dial at the top of the camera's back (see further) isrotated. A compensation range of ±5 EV in 0.3 EV
increments is available.
In addition, when the D40
is set to Aperture Priority or the Manual
mode, the button serves to adjust the aperture
when pressed and the Command Dial is turned.
Next to the eyelet for the camera strap, the focal plane
symbol
indicates the internal position of the CCD, useful for photos
that require precise focus distance measurements from the
subject to the focal plane.
The Mode Dial is to
the left, near the viewfinder. It has 12 positions, grouped
into 2 zones. One zone contains the four advanced modes
which are encompassed in a grey area:
The Program mode
allows the camera to select the aperture and shutter
speed. Alternate combinations of aperture and shutter
speeds that would also result in a correct exposure
but which would either favour the capture of movement,
or the depth of field can be selected using the Command
Dial.
Shutter priority
mode offers control over the shutter speed using the
Command Dial while the camera selects the aperture.
The shutter speed range covers from 1/4000 second to
30 seconds.
Aperture Priority
mode allows control over the aperture — and therefore
the depth of field — while the camera selects
a matching shutter speed. The aperture range depends
on the lens used.
The Manual mode
gives the user complete control over the exposure, adding
a Bulb (B) mode that allows unlimited
exposures and by an exposure mode labelled only as [--]
which can be as long as 30 minutes, both of which require
the use of the optional remote control. Using
the Manual mode, shutter speeds are selected directly
with the Command Dial, while selecting apertures requires
holding down the Exposure Compensation button ()
while the Command Dial is rotated.
The other zone contains 8 automatic modes that are referred
to as Digital Vari-Programs:
The Auto mode puts
the D40 in charge of nearly all settings when capturing
images, but still allows the user to set the Sensitivity,
AF mode, Flash mode, Continuous mode and the image quality.
Auto Flash Off is
similar to the Auto mode but does not use the flash,
even if the ambient light makes it necessary. The mode
selects the focus area containing the closest subject,
and the AF Assist lamp is used to ensure focus.
Portrait mode gives
preference to a large aperture to help blur the background
— and effect that is more pronounced when a telephoto
lens is used — focuses on the closest subject,
and enhances skin tones.
The Landscape mode
automatically turns off the flash and the AF Assist
lamp and focuses on the closest subject. Sharpness,
colour and contrast are accentuated.
Child mode serves
to capture quick moving subjects. The camera selects
the nearest subject, and renders skin tones vividly.
Sports uses a high
shutter speed to freeze motion. The camera focuses continuously
while the shutter button is pressed halfway, tracking
the subject in the centre focus area. The built-in flash
and AF Assist lamp are turned off automatically.
Close Up mode is
intended to capture subjects such as insects, flowers,
etc. The camera focuses on the subject in the centre
focus area, but other focus points can be selected using
the Multi selector.
Night Portrait mode
is designed to balance a flash exposure of the foreground
with a dimly lit background. The flash opens automatically
and fires in Slow Synch mode with Red-eye Reduction.
The D40 is equipped with a penta-Dach
mirror type viewfinder that uses, instead of a five-sided prism
of solid glass, five mirrors that produce the same view but
weigh a lot less. The viewfinder of the D40 is bright, shows
approximately 95% of the frame, and offers an 18 mm eyepoint
— the distance from which one's eye can be from the exit
pupil of the viewfinder and still see the entire field of view
the viewfinder provides — and is trimmed with a removable
rubber eyecup. A viewfinder cap, to prevent stray light from
entering the camera, is also provided for use during long exposures,
as is a diopter correction on the right side of the exit pupil.
The viewfinder of the D40 is
less advanced than those of other Nikon SLR cameras: it does
not offer the possibility of superimposing a composition grid,
and only has 3 AF points that light up red briefly when the
camera is focused. The information area below the monitor,
however, presents the same level of information as it does
on other Nikon SLRs:
Focus indicator
Focus brackets
Battery indicator
AE Lock
Flexible Program indicator
Shutter speed
Aperture
Exposure scale
Flash exposure compensation
Exposure compensation
Auto ISO indicator
Number of shots remaining
Number of shots remaining before the buffer fills up
"K" (which appears when more than 1000 shots
can be captured)
Flash ready indicator
Warning indicator
A flash shoe is provided above the viewfinder with the necessary
contacts to communicate with Nikon Speedlight SB-400
(designed for the D40), SB-600, SB-800 and SB-R200
(to control wireless flash units). The D40 is compatible with
i-TTL flash metering that takes into account the focal
length in use and the distance to the subject. Nevertheless,
the D40 is able to use older flash units, albeit without i-TTL.
A large, 2.5-inch monitor (6.3cm) occupies a significant
portion of the D40's back. Composed of 230,000 pixels,
it is the camera's primary interface, showing menus as well
as information, and providing a means to change settings.
A number of controls are positioned
on both sides of the monitor. On the left side a column of
four buttons control:
Playback mode
displays the last captured image. Pressing the button
twice returns the camera to the capture mode.
Calls up the D40's menu
which is composed of five sections. The options contained
in the menu are detailed in the Characteristics
and Interface and Software sections of the review.
The third button serves to
return to a full screen view of the image in playback
when the image has been magnified on the monitor, or present
images as a 9-thumbnail index screen.
And, while the camera is set
to the Auto mode or one of the
Digital Vari-Programs, the button serves to display
help screens that explain a mode, offer guidance on how
to capture a photo, or simply explain the function of
a specific option.
The last button of the column
also has three functions:
First, it serves to magnify
an image under review up to 19X for large images.
Third, in the capture modes
it displays a screen that shows all the camera's current
settings, and when the button is pressed again, makes
it possible to modify some of the capture parameters.
Image Size and Quality (see the Characteristics
section of the review).
White Balance: Auto, Incandescent, Fluorescent,
Direct Sunlight, Flash, Cloudy, Shade or White Balance
Preset (evaluated under ambient light).
ISO Sensitivity: Auto (if activated in the
menu, this option is also available for the P, S,
A, and M modes), 200, 400, 800 or 1600 ISO. Moreover,
a HI 1 setting allows pushing sensitivity up
to 3200 ISO.
Shooting Mode:
Single Frame: captures a single image
each time the shutter release is pressed.
Continuous (Burst Mode): allows the D40
to capture images at 2.5 frames per second while
the shutter release is pressed for up to 3 RAW
images and without limit for JPEG Fine images,
for as long as there is space on the memory card.
Self-Timer: provides delays of 2, 5,
10 or 15 seconds.
Delayed Remote: inserts a delay when
the optional ML-L3 Remote Control is used.
Quick Response Remote: releases the shutter
immediately when the optional ML-L3 Remote
Control is used.
AF Mode:
AF-A: allows the camera to automatically
detect whether the subject is stationary or moving,
adapting the focusing mode to the situation. The
shutter release can only be released if the camera
has focused.
AF-S: focus occurs when the shutter release
is pressed halfway, and the shutter can only be
released when the camera has focused.
AF-C: allows the camera to focus continuously,
maintaining focus on a moving subject.
MF: manual focus, which offers focusing
assistance with the Focus indicator in the viewfinder.
AF-Area Mode:
Closest Subject: the camera finds the closest
subject in any one of its three focus areas.
Dynamic Area: allows the user to select
the focus point, but if the subject moves the
camera automatically tracks using the other AF
points.
Single Area: allows selecting the AF area
using the Multi selector.
Flash Mode:
With the D40 set to P, A, S
or M: Forced On (Fill-in), Red-eye Reduction,
Slow Sync with Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync and
Slow Sync with the Rear Curtain.
With the D40 set to Auto or or one of
the Digital Vari-Programs: Auto, Auto with
Red-eye Reduction, or Forced Off.
Exposure Compensation: over ±5 EV
in 0.3 EV increments.
Flash Exposure Compensation: over a range
of -3.0 to +1.0 EV in 0.3 EV increments.
Moreover, this button can also be used in conjunction with the Exposure
Compensation button
()
to reset the D40 to its factory defaults, as indicated
by the green dot .
Two controls are located on
the upper right side of the D40's back: the Command Dial,
on the right, used to change a number of camera settings such
as aperture, shutter speed and some other parameters when
used in conjunction with specific buttons; and to the left,
near the viewfinder, a button with a dual function:
In a capture mode the
button serves to Lock the Auto Exposure settings
and the Auto Focus, which avoids having to hold
the shutter release at the halfway point. This behaviour,
however, can be customized (see the Characteristics
section of the review for more information).
With the D40 in Playback mode,
the button serves to protect images from an accidental
erasure.
Lower down on the back is the
Multi-selector, which is used to select the AF point,
navigate the menu, and, in the Playback mode, move from one
image to another and control the level of information superimposed
on an image:
File Information, which offers basic image data;
Shooting Data Page 1, which offers detailed shooting
data;
Shooting Data Page 2;
Retouch History;
Highlights, which makes the potentially overexposed
areas of the image blink;
Histogram, which displays a graph showing the distribution
of brightness in the image.
And at the centre of the Multi-selector a small round button
labelled OK serves to confirm selections made in the
menu.
The last button on the D40's
back is the Delete button, used to delete unwanted
images. Next to it is a small green LED that indicates
memory card activity.
The last two external controls of the D40 are on the front
of the camera, on the left side of the lens mount:
The Flash button
has three functions:
It serves to open the flash when the camera
is set to one of the advanced modes, as with the D40
set to the Auto mode or one of the digital Vari-Programs
it opens automatically. The pop-up flash has a Guide
Number of 17 m (55 ft) at 200 ISO.
By holding down the button and rotating the Command
Dial, the flash mode can be selected directly without
having to use the monitor.
In addition, with the camera set to P, S, A or M,
pressing this button in conjunction with the exposure
compensation button simultaneously allows adjusting
Flash Exposure Compensation (over a range of
-3.0 to +1.0 EV in 0.3 EV increments).
The Function button
is set by default to activate the Self-Timer
(with a Custom menu selected delay of 2, 5, 10 or 15
seconds). An option in the Custom settingsallows assigning a different function to
it if desired: Continuous mode, Image Quality, Image
Size, ISO Sensitivity, or White Balance.
The ergonomic design of the
D40 is excellent. In hand, the camera is a bit of a surprise
because of its small size and feather weight (with the kit
lens). The layout of controls is intuitive and very quickly
comfortable to use. Moreover, the Shooting Information Display
can be customized if desired, useful since it is the only
means of verifying settings on the D40, and the monitor is
bright and very legible. However, two small regrets can be
expressed: there is no viewfinder composition grid, and there
is no Depth of Field Preview.
Compare Prices for Stdpower STD-ND40N Vertical Battery Grip Holder for Nikon D40 D40X
Ergonomics
:
when pressed in conjunction with the playback zoom
button (see further) for more than two seconds,
it serves to reset all the settings of the D40
to their factory defaults.
indicates the internal position of the CCD, useful for photos
that require precise focus distance measurements from the
subject to the focal plane.
Closest Subject: the camera finds the closest
subject in any one of its three focus areas.
Dynamic Area: allows the user to select
the focus point, but if the subject moves the
camera automatically tracks using the other AF
points.
Single Area: allows selecting the AF area
using the Multi selector.
