Digital SLR Reviews Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Shutter Speed’

Nikon 50mm f 1 4G SIC SW Prime Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

Ideal for travel, event, environmental and general photography in a wide variety of conditions, with superb optical formula with ultra-fast f/1.4 aperture Rounded 9-blade diaphragm renders more natural appearance of out-of-focus image elements Aperture Range – f/1.4 to f/16 Accepts 58mm Filter Unit Dimensions – 2.9×2.1 in. (Diameter x Length); 73.5×54.2mm (Diameter x Length)

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Nikon 50mm 1.4 is a Wonderful lens
I really like this lens, it is fast, it is clean and has very good color separation. I am using it on a Nikon D300 (which has a 1.5 multiplier on the the lens) so this works out to be a great portrait lens for me, I highly recommend it.

5 Stars High Quality
This lens was to complement my D700 and has done so. Very sharp lens. Edge to edge very good. A bit getting use to the settings when on fully automatic though. Area of sharp focus is something to watch as well as low light handling where camera shake will blur the photo. Over all a very good “standard” lens.

5 Stars Nice lens =)
I am very very very happy with me new 50mm f/1.4G SIC SW Prime Nikkor lens from NikonD90! Great shooting!

4 Stars Sharp, Quiet, Fast
I had an older f/1.8 lens which I sold a few years ago. This f/1.4 was on my list after I moved up to the FX sensor from the DX sensor.

Not used very much yet and I’m definitely still getting used to it.

I’m happy with the image quality so far but admittedly, I haven’t pushed its limits in keeping up with action shots. But it is very sharp statically.

It’s quiet when focussing. Too quiet to my ears used to hearing the old motors crank the lenses around. Good news, bad news, I guess. I’ll just have to cope!

I haven’t used a lens this fast in a long time and I’ve been knocking into the shutter speed limits on the D700 when shooting in bright daylight at ISO 800. It is a little unnerving but I like to have to dial down the ISO! It provides lots of latitude when shooting in A or S modes.

5 Stars Simply the BEST 50mm lens for Nikon’s Pro Cameras
I took this on its maiden voyage recently on a wedding shoot, and boy did I get so much out of this exquisite lens.

Of course it packs a little more in terms of cost, but the results over my previous 1.8D are astounding.

Some of the most beautiful DOF I’ve captured thanks to this little beast.

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Canon TC80N3 Timer Remote Control for EOS D30 D60 D10 1D 1V and 20D SLR Cameras

This is a remote switch with a 2.6 feet cord and a self-timer, interval timer, long-exposure timer, and exposure count setting feature. The timer can be set anywhere from 1 sec. to 99 hrs., 59 min., 59 sec. The plug for connection to the EOS-3 has a quick lock feature. A new dial enables you to easily enter the numeric settings with a single thumb. The LCD panel can also be illuminated. The rear of the Controller has a hole to keep the EOS-3’s remote control socket cap. Large 2.5-inch Vari-angle LCD enables easy viewing This AA battery powered camera enables you to easily power up Effective Pixels – Approx. 12.1 Megapixels Type – 1/2.3-inch type Charge Coupled Device (CCD) Lens – Canon 20x optical zoom with Focal Length – 5.0 (W) – 100 (T) mm f/2.8-5.7 (35mm equivalent – 28-560mm) LCD Monitor – 2.5-inch TFT color Vari-Angle LCD with wide viewing angle Shutter Speed – 15-1/3,200 sec. ISO Sensitivity – Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 equivalent Exposure Control Method – Program AE, i-Contrast, Manual; AE Lock, Program Shift, Safety Shift, Auto ISO Shift White Balance Control – Auto, Preset (Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Flash), Custom Built-in Flash – Auto, Auto w/ Red-eye Reduction, Flash On, Flash On w/ Red-eye Reduction, Flash Off; FE lock, Safety FE, Slow Synchro Shooting Modes – Auto, P, Av, Tv, M, C, Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Special Scene, Super Macro, Night Snapshot, Stitch Assist, Movie Storage Media – SD/SDHC Memory Card, MultiMediaCard, MMCplus Card, HC MMCplus Card File Format – Still Image – Exif 2.2 (JPEG); Movie – MOV (Image – H.264; Audio – Linear PCM (Monaural)) Still Image – Up to 4,000 x 3,000 (Large); Movie – 1,280 x 720 (HD, 30 fps available up to 4GB or 29 minutes, 59 sec.), 640 x 480 (30 fps) Power Source – Alkaline Battery AA x 4 Dimensions (WxHxD) – 4.88 x

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars The bad: International Warranty, too expensive, I want more control
Would you like to send a product back if it stopped working properly? Well, if you are in the USA, the International Warranty isn’t going to help you.

Intervalometers should be built into the camera but they aren’t (well, more cameras are starting to do this) and so Canon charges an arm and a leg for a counting device.

I shouldn’t have to work around the fact that I want to take more than 99 photos without reseting the device. It should be easy to select how many photos you want at what interval you want. But it’s not like that.

4 Stars A good timer
It works well but is unintuitive to set up for use. Definitely requires a manual. The one which comes with the unit is Ok but there is an online manual which is more thorough and better.

5 Stars Canon Timer Remote
Works great and saves me a lot of time and effort. The cord could be longer, maybe a foot or so, but for macro or night sky shots it is plenty. I would recommend a piece of velcro on your tripod and the back ot the remote to keep it from dangling and getting tangled.

The only issue that I have with this unit is that the extension cord costs way too much considering that it is only a piece of wire and canon only end pieces.

3 Stars The Good… the Bad… the…
Canon TC80N3 Timer Remote Control – I purchased this item about 2 years ago. Good product. Great Battery Life, but no manual, expensive. I wish it had some kind of case, because eventually the cord will separate (or pull out) from the body and quit working. Which it did in the middle of a photo shoot.

5 Stars Very handy to have!
Although a bit pricey, it is very well made and does what it is supposed to do to perfection. Stays on forever though. Should have an on/off switch? Taking the battery out is the only way to turn it off.

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Pentax K 7 14 6 MP Digital SLR with Shake Reduction and 720p HD Video Body Only

The Pentax K-7 has been developed as a high-end model of the PENTAX K digital SLR camera series. True to its series concept, it was designed not only to assure outstanding image quality, but also to provide exceptional ease and comfort of operation and the utmost satisfaction to photo enthusiasts of all levels, including advanced amateurs. The new K-7 has arrived. Faster and more durable than ever before, the compact, 14.6 MP K-7 truly is the most powerful PENTAX ever. Protected by a durable, high-quality metallic body, but the K-7 is designed to be extremely compact and functional – just like all other K-series models – for enhanced portability and maneuverability. In addition, it has added several user-friendly features, including video recording, high dynamic range (HDR), and automatic horizon correction. All of these make the K-7 a tremendous photographic tool, perfect for all discerning digital SLR photographers. High shutter speed – top shutter speed of 1/8000 sec freezes even the fastest action and gives creative control over apertures in well-lit settings New 77-segment metering system quickly and accurately determines exposure in the most complex & dynamic situations Live View mode – With contrast AF, Face Detection, and optional histogram, grid, and bright/dark area display 100% field-of-view viewfinder (with 0.92X magnification) Widescreen HD Movie Capture – With adjustable quality, aperture control, Shake Reduction and external microphone terminal for recording stereo sound (up to 1280×720p30) High resolution playback – HDMI port with selectable output resolution (1080i, 720p, 480p, and auto) Faster, more responsive AF – 11-point autofocus system Shake Reduction system – Now compensates for rotational sensor movement Dust Reduction system – Dust-free image capture Dynamic Range function – With highlight and adjustable shadow correction HDR image capture mode – Blends three separate

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars A winner from Pentax
The things I like:

* The size is small, which I like, and it feels like a solid little brick in the hand.

* The build quality is superb

* Weather sealed and rugged

* IQ is excellent, especially if you use RAW and do your own post processing

* High ISO is very useable right up to and including ISO3200 especially if you shoot RAW and use post process noise reduction.

* Ergonomics are excellent, which makes you want to use the camera. Nothing worse than not enjoying using a camera as you won’t want to take it with you.

* 100% viewfinder

* SR is fabulous and works with every lens. I can easily get 3 stops extra handholdability, but have achieved 4 and 5 stops!

* Large high resolution rear LCD great for critical focus review

* Hugely customizable functions to make the camera suit your photo shooting style.

* AF adjustment for fine tuning AF lenses which may back or front focus.

* Live View works very well.

* fast AF even in low light. Has a AF assist light as well.

* Quiet shutter

* Horizon level indicator in viewfinder

* Refinement.

There is really anything I don’t like. The camera handles like a dream and is so very easy to use with all the controls and menus easy to operate and find.

The optional battery grip, D-BG4, is also excellent, giving an even more solid feel and an aid for portraiture and the longer lenses. The battery grip can use the propietry Pentax rechargeable battery, D-Li90, or use optional AA batteries.

4 Stars K-7 “Noisy” Improvement Over the K20
Starting with the impressive Pentax K10 a few years ago, I later welcomed the arrival of the K20 for improvements over a very capable camera. The K20`s 14.6mp CMOS sensor provided much improved high ISO performance so that shooting at ISO 2000 for concert photos was no problem. The individual lens adjustment for auto focus was also a huge plus since lenses that were barely usable on the K10 due to front or back focus problems functioned normally on the K20. I even found that the live view feature was pretty handy for such things as sunrise or sunset pictures where it would be impossible to look through the viewfinder without damaging your eyes. What remained a bit of a disappointment on the K20, however, was the often slow and inaccurate auto focus, the slow burst rate and the finicky white balance performance that much of the time needed constant fiddling to get close to accurate hues under various lighting conditions. There was also the anticipation that high ISO performance would be improved as well. Knowing the K20 limitations, I could usually work around them and still get impressive shots. But there’s always the expectation of improvement, especially when you start bumping into those limitations and seeing how the competition is moving ahead of what you’re shooting with.

So when the K-7 was suddenly announced, I had hopes for another measureable step forward to answer to the shortcomings of the K20. The first feature that caught my attention was not the HD video capability at 30fps, but rather the entirely new 14.6mp sensor “built from the ground up” with the intention of improving high ISO performance, especially in shadow details, as Pentax claimed. Additionally, there was the new 5.2 fps burst rate and improved autofocus performance. That was all I needed to buy the K-7. You can read about all the improvements this camera represents in the other reviews from those who also bought the K-7, so I’ll keep my comments to those things specific to my experience after a month shooting thousands of JPEG pictures (no, I haven’t played with RAW yet, and I understand that’s where the K-7 really does well).

Pros:

The new smaller size is not what I would have liked. I actually was hoping for a slight increase in the size of the K20 since I just like the feel of a larger camera. However, the solid construction and layout when combined with the optional battery grip made for a satisfying package for comfortable handling. I also like the battery option of standard Pentax K-7 battery or 6 AA batteries in the grip. Without the battery grip, the small size does have advantages for portability/storage, however.

The white balance improvement over the K20 is huge! Even under various artificial lighting conditions, the white balance is surprisingly accurate. This will save me many hours of post-edit work just to adjust the color balance as I did with my indoor K20 shots.

The new shutter is much quieter and smoother. I never really cared for the shutter sounds of the K10 and K20 compared to Canon, Nikon and others. Although still not as smooth and “precise” sounding as other cameras, I can live with the K-7 shutter noise. In fact, the quietness is a big plus for taking candid shots when you don’t want to draw attention to yourself.

The 5.2 fps burst rate is a substantial improvement from 3 fps for action shots and is still workable compared to the faster rate of other cameras in the 6 to 8 fps range.

The autofocus performance does seem to be improved, although the type of lens you use can make a big difference in focusing speed. I’ve found that in bright light the fastest focusing lenses are the ones not using the quiet SDM mechanism in the lens, but rather the noisy screw drive in the camera body, although these lenses tend to have less focus travel, helping with focusing speed. I’ve noticed less “back-and-forth” indecision in focusing with the K-7 in low light situations, but the overall speed is probably average amongst the various DSLR makes. The AF assist light is also a nice addition that helps in near-dark situations.

Cons:

I’m most disappointed with the performance of the new sensor. Throughout my picture-taking with this camera, I noticed an overall tendency for my shots to be just a bit “noisier” than the K20 at all ISO settings. After careful JPEG comparisons between my K20 and the K-7 at ISO 2000 using the same lens and same settings, I found that the K-7 had slightly more “grain” than the K20. This was especially noticeable in shadows – which is where the biggest improvement was supposed to be. The K20 sensor would best the K-7 at all comparable ISO noise reduction settings with the exception of the highest NR setting. Detail would certainly be reduced in both cameras at that setting, but the K-7 does show more detail despite the increased noise reduction. The only thing I noticed is that the increased detail, or resolution, is accompanied by harsher edge detail like over-sharpening or the way watercolors can bleed along an edge. These issues considered, I would have been no less disappointed if the K-7 had come with the K20 sensor so long as the white balance improvement came with it.

Despite the greatly improved white balance, I found that the K-7 still has a bit of a problem rendering red such as red lighting or red colors in stage performance situations. They end up looking a bit washed-out and pinkish.

I remain concerned about Pentax quality control. The first copy I did most of my shooting with turned out to have a “noisy” flexible back that squeaked and creaked near the buttons and thumb rest. Amazon was spectacular in getting me a replacement in a couple days. The new K-7 is solid, but I’ve noticed that pictures on this copy are slightly underexposed. I’ve been told that there have been other copies purchased with the same flexible rear body issue.

Overall:

The K-7 is still a worthy improvement over the K20 despite the disappointing “non-improvement” in ISO performance: for me the K20 now becomes a solid backup camera to the K-7. The multitude of features and improvement of the menu and controls and the overall quality of the pictures it can produce, hold up well to competitors in the same general class resulting in a really fine camera choice and better deal in the balance. Mounted with the best Pentax glass, I feel just as capable standing next to the pros shooting with high-end APS-C class Canons or Nikons – the resulting pictures speak for themselves. With the K-7, Pentax is a high-value option for serious enthusiasts.

Update 9/23: The 2nd copy I received turned out to have an apparent defective sensor/light metering system – or very odd normal behavior. At all ISO settings above 1250, the image (JPEG and RAW) is underexposed by about one full stop. A problem of underexposure with the K-7 is covered in more than one professional review but Pentax says that they are not aware of such issues. Looking back at pictures taken with my first copy, it also appears the problem existed with that one as well. As a result, I’m not confident in the integrity of the new sensor/metering system on the K-7 (and certainly not in the quality control) and will wait until next year before trying my luck with a third copy. Interestingly, Amazon insisted that I process this return as a refund rather than as another replacement which I had requested. For now I’ll continue to enjoy my still very capable K20.

5 Stars Superb little camera
This camera is like a BMW M3 in a world mostly populated by Minivans. The build quality is impeccable, the camera is fairly hefty for its size, and will take abuse well. It is weathersealed, something that Canon only offers in their professional series, and Nikon at the D300 level, all of which cost substantially more. And it has in-body image stabilization, making all your lenses potentially hand-holdable, where others need a tripod. The image quality is on par with every other offering in this sensor size, with some ups in one area, some downs in another.

Lenses are far fewer than with the Canon/Nikon families, but what is available is all good quality, not cheap leftovers from the film era. The only lack is very long telephoto lenses such as 500, 600mm, for those one has to buy either used, or third party, like Sigma. (Pentax actually may make a 600mm F4 on special order, at a price similar to Canikon)

Controls are good and thoughtful, menus are well arranged, again, there is not a whole lot of difference in quality among brands, but certainly in personal preference.

I do have dual systems, using a Canon 1DIII with long and/or fast lenses for sports and action, while taking the Pentax for everyday and travel photography, having been displeased with Canon’s prosumer offerings (50D, 5D Mark II) because of their lack of robustness primarily, their added weight and in the case of the 5DII, insufficient improvement of image quality to offset the slowness of the camera and above listed drawbacks.)

I have used the camera for some sports photography, and tested the AF system, and find it more than adequate. While the K7 has only 2 more AF points than the above mentioned Canons, the distribution is quite a bit better, going almost out to the thirds points

5 Stars K-7 a true Pentax
With the K-7 Pentax return to form and build a superb, fully featured, high quailty camera the likes of with they have not had since the LX era. I can’t think of any feature I would want to add.

5 Stars The Pentax You’ve Been Waiting For
This is my 3rd Pentax camera, having owned the K100D Super, and K20D, as well as a Samsung GX10. I still use the K100D and the GX10, but I sold the K20D to upgrade to the K7 as I Didnt believe the K20 was much improvement over my GX10. The K7 is the camera I was hoping the K20 was. It is much improved in every aspect, and is finally the pro quality Pentax I have been waiting for. The build quality is fantastic, and I love the size. It goes perfectly with the Limited lenses, and is a package that is small enough to take with you everywhere. The autofocus is in a different league compared to all other Pentax cameras I have owned in the past. This cannot be overstated, it is THE upgrade pentax needed to compete. The auto white balance is also much improved, and is very accurate now. The battery life is excellent so far, however I don’t use the Live View function or video, so I don’t know the effect that will have on battery life. This is the best camera I have ever owned, and I finally feel I have the camera to take advantage of all my nice Pentax glass. Just buy it, you will not be dissapointed.

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Canon EF 28 135mm f 3 5 5 6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Equipped with an Image Stabilizer and high zoom ratio, the Canon EF 28-135mm standard zoom lens delivers sharp, natural-looking pictures virtually ever time. The lens is particularly handy for places where flashes are prohibited, as it excels in dim lighting without requiring a flash or a tripod. Other features include a ring-type USM for swift, silent autofocusing and full-time manual focusing; a close focusing distance of 20 inches; and a maximum aperture of f/3.5 to 5.6. The lens carries a one-year warranty.

• Focal length: 28-135mm
• Maximum aperture: 1:3.5-5.6
• Lens construction: 16 elements in 12 groups
• Diagonal angle of view: 75 to 18 degrees
• Focus adjustment: Rear focusing system with USM
• Closest focusing distance: 1.6 feet
• Zoom system: Rotating type
• Filter size: 72mm
• Dimensions: 3.1 inches in diameter, 3.8 inches long
• Weight: 18.9 ounces

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars A good value walkaround lens
The Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 lens with Image Stabilization is a very capable, and more importantly, affordable lens,and is perfect for times when you just want to have one lens on the camera but you also want to have a lot of options with your focal range. While you get the benefits of a slight wide to telephoto range in one handy package, you do lose in light stops as you move through the focal range (the maximum aperture stops down as you move toward the telephoto end of the range). This is where the image stabilization comes in very handy, and allows you to keep hand shake at bay even when you have to compromise on shutter speed to get the correct exposure.

I’ve had no complaints about the optical quality, I think you’ll be pleased with the shots you get from it – the lens may be cheap but don’t confuse that with what the quality of image this lens can provide. Keep in mind on a camera with a cropped sensor (any Canon DSLR model other than the 5D and 1D models) the focal range is equivalent to @45-215mm – you lose a bit of the wide angle advantage, but you get more telephoto, so it depends which end of the focal range you value the most as to whether that is a disadvantage or not.

1 Star Defective, no manual, all images blurred – incapable of focusing correctly
Either it was damaged in shipping, or I got a defective lens. For whatever reason, the picture quality on any photo taken on this lens (with every setting, stop, is on/off, tested) came out blurry, particularly on the left side. Photos taken with my old stock 18-55 lens were dramatically clearer. The zoom range was decent, but I’m disappointed. Sending this lens back. It didn’t even come with a manual. I was really looking forward to a lens upgrade.

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Update -

I reordered the same lens from the same folks and, surprise, this one came in a real Canon lens box with manual and everything. Clearly the one I sent originally was not brand new. Be advised, if you don’t get a manual and a canon box, you’re getting sent something that someone else returned. That said, the new lens is beautiful. The shots are crisp and even using it for a few pictures, it’s pretty awesome and the best lens I have.

If I could, I’d change my rating from 1 star to 4. For the hassle I went through returning the bad lens, I have to take away a star.

4 Stars Great Walk Around Lens
This is a great general purpose walk around lens, and the Image Stabilization is great when hand holding your camera for shooting. Sharp and Fast outdoors, but unfortunately the lens is not fast enough for most indoors photography (unless very well lit). I’ve usually got this lens on my camera when I’m outdoors and I need an all purpose walk around lens.

Pros:

Fast and Sharp

Image Stabilized

Great range of wide and telephoto lengths

Cons:

Poor low light performance

Gets soft in the outer ranges

4 Stars Canon 28-135mm IS f/3.5-5.6 great all around lens!
This lens is an excellent general use lens for either a digital crop (Rebel, 40D, 50D etc) or full frame camera (5D, 5D MKII) although its slightly less appealing on a crop camera as the zoom range isn’t quite as wide as on the full frame but still very respectable. In fact for a complete review of my thoughts on this great little performer check out the complete article [...]

4 Stars great lens – good all rounder
I actually got this lens to upgrade my original lens from the XTi set (which I was able to sell on Craigslist). It was a good upgrade, the zoom was better up to 135mm and the IS is good for picture taking. It is a versatile lens to use on a daily basis. Sometimes when I need to I use my 50mm prime for portraits but most of the time I have this on.

Plasticity body but does feel solid, would have liked it to have more metal on it for $400. There is zoom creep when pointing extemely up or down especially when filters and hood are on. (does not come with a hood – again for $400 really should be part of the package).

Main objective is the picture quality which is very good. Sharp and well saturated with good contrast. I also like the fine focus adjustment ring – nice.

I think this was a good upgrade for the XTi, I do like using it and think it is a fair price when considering other options. For an extra 1 star should come with a hood and have no zoom creep and perhaps a bit more metal in the outer construction. One of the better non L lens.

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Nikon D40 6 1MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18 55mm f 3 5 5 6G ED II AF S DX Zoom Nikkor Lens

The lightest, most compact Nikon digital SLR ever, featuring intuitive controls and an ergonomically designed operation that even first-time SLR users can enjoy. Advanced 3-area AF system Automatic control over ISO-equivalent sensitivity from ISO 200 to 1600 with manual override Eight automated Digital Vari-Programs [Auto, Auto (Flash Off), Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports, Close Up, and Night Portrait] optimize white balance, sharpening, tone, color, saturation and hue to match the scene Near-instant 0.18-second power-up Versatile shutter speed control with a range from 30 to 1/4000 s, plus bulb Creative in-camera effects and editing functions consolidated under the new Retouch menu, including D-Lighting, Red-eye correction, Trim, Monochrome settings (Black-and-white, Sepia, Cyanotype), Filter Effects (Skylight, Warm filter, Color balance), Small Picture and Image Overlay Large 2.5-inch LCD monitor Information displays can be shown in Classic, Graphic or Wallpaper format Assist Images help select the appropriate settings for many camera features by showing an example image typical of that setting Large, bright viewfinder with 0.8x magnification Fast image data transfer and recording to SD memory cards of up to 4GB capacity Exposure Metering System – TTL full-aperture exposure metering system Electronic-Flash – Auto, Portrait, Child, Close Up, Night Portrait modes Uses Nikon AF-S Lenses Unit Dimensions (W x D x H) – Approximately 5.0 x 2.5 x 3.7 inches; Weight – Approximately 1lb. 1oz. without battery, memory card or body cap Nikon USA 1-Year Warranty

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars Defective Lens?
I got my D40 last Friday and took many shots. Some of the Image Quality is superb unfortunately it is not consistent. The autofocus don’t seem to work. I get about 5 great pictures, out of ten. I don’t know if it is just me because this is my first DSLR camera but I have tried all the manual settings as well as auto mode but I still get bad pictures. I zoomed to the 55mm max and the image quality is just poor. I am really disappointed because I know that the D40 is a superb entry level DSLR. I really think the lens is defective. The auto focus works most of the time but not all the time. It is really hard to manually focus on this lens especially on Macro and max zoom. I wll return this to amazon and exchange it for the Canon EOS Rebel XS.

5 Stars Two years later and I’d still buy it, especially at this price.
After 2+ years of owning this camera, I’ve been thinking about buying the Nikon D90 or D300. But, I’m still not sure if the upgrade is worth the cost (FOR ME).

I love this camera and it’s an incredible value. For a non-pro enthusiast who understands their aperture, shutter speed and ISO, it’s probably all you need.

Do I wish it had more than 6 megapixels? No, not really. Six is plenty, especially since I’m not one to bother with much cropping. I’m not in any hurry to fill up my hard drive with huge file sizes. And, realistically I’m not printing anything more than 8×11″ prints anyway.

Do I wish the d40 had a built in lens motor? I do, though most of the newer Nikon lenses (including the kit lens) have the motor built-in. If you are new to the Nikon line, you probably won’t have to worry about this. If you have some old Nikon lenses, manual focusing isn’t terribly difficult, and I do it all the time with my Nikon 50mm f/1.8D which doesn’t have the focusing motor in it. I’ve gotten fantastic shots in manual mode. It’s actually kinda fun to manually focus as it makes me think and compose my shots a little more.

Do I wish the d40 had a dust removal system? I do, but if you’re careful there probably won’t be a problem. I switch between the kit lens, the 50mm, and the 55-200VR lens all the time and in two years haven’t had any dust get on the sensor (knock on wood!)

Do I wish it had the D90’s HD video? It’d be fun, I admit. But, it’s not a deal-maker/deal-breaker. I bought the D40 to be a photographer, not a video maker. Besides, I have my point-and-shoot for quick vids.

In conclusion: If you are eager to dip your foot in the DSLR world, but don’t want to break the bank, the D40 is a great choice. It absolutely blows away the results from any point-and-shoot camera (including my highly regarded Panasonic ZS3). 2+ years later, and I’m never disappointed with the photos it takes, and I feel I get comparable results to much more expensive cameras. In fact, even if I were to upgrade to the d90 or d300, I wouldn’t get rid of this camera because it’s so simple, functional, carry-able, and produces excellent results.

4 Stars Love mine
I will keep it short. I love mine for 3 reasons… Price, Features, & Lens options. For the price you cannot beat the d40 for a starter camera. I was unsure if photography would be a hobby i would enjoy so the initial investment was not a bad risk. Now i can plan for my next upgrade on the body if need be.

5 Stars nikkon
We use the camera and lens in nano silicon wafer invention. The camera is able to ‘track’ the changes made to the wafers as we do close up work.

5 Stars Great Camera
For my first DSLR camera, I just love it. It has all the features I want to take better pictures, and so far I have. The manual controls are fantastic, I’d recommend this camera to anyone!

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