I have now owned the Nikon D40 for almost a year, and I feel that I now have a strong enough opinion on this camera to write a meaningful review.

The D40 was my first digital SLR. Going back about a year, around this time in 2007, I was busy doing a lot of research on whether I should buy the Canon digital rebel XT, or the Nikon D40 (both of which are entry-level SLRs from the two leading camera manufacturers). I am glad now that I chose the D40. When it came down to it, both the D40 and XT were for the most part equally matched, in both price and specs. I chose the Nikon D40 simply because it felt like a more tough, less "plasticy" body. If you are currently caught in the same position that I was at the time, I urge you to go to some electronics store, and try both of the cameras out. Get a feel for them, and make your buying decision based on which one is more comfortable in your hands.

However, this is not a review of the Canon Rebel XT, so without further adieu, let me tell you why 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.

It seems as if these reviews are saying the same things over and over (and over) again. Maybe people just like to hear (or see) themselves talk.

I own a few digital cameras (Nikon D40, D80, D300).

I will give you a few quick points as to why you should purchase a D40.

- It is twice (yes twice) as sensitive to light than the D80 or the D40x since it defaults to ISO 200. For a beginner, this simply means better pictures.

- It's flash sync speed is 1/500 (better than the D80 & D40x which run at 1/250, very important)

- It's colors are vivid and bright & the lens is outstanding (go into the custom menu and set to color mode III, saturation +, the results are excellent).

- Battery life is better than a D80 (I can shoot over 1,000 shots on one charge with the D40!)

I'm not going to repeat all the things about weight, lack of megapixels (who cares, 6 is plenty?), lack of compatible lenses (trust me, you will end up buying a nice 18-200mm VR lens lens anyways, the cheap one's aren't good ie. Sigma, you get what you pay for).

Bottom line is my D80 is collecting dust on a shelf in favor of the D40. Your only real buying decision is whether to splurge $1800 (no lens) for a D300. Unless you are an experienced photographer, I wouldn't bother. Spend the extra cash on an extra lens and a SB400 or SB800 flash. I know some pro's who shoot with the D40 for outside shots. It really is all you need to learn photography.

Buy yourself one, you won't be disappointed.

I have several didgital cameras from Canon, Nikon and others.

This D40 is all anyone need.

Don't even bother with the newer D40X ... all you get to do is spend more money and don't get any VISIBLE results from the D40X. Resolution is not where you make a buying decison. This 6 gpixel camera will be almost an overkill for most people. If you never print larger than 8X10 and most people don't, then buy this one. However it can handle much larger prints as well, but most people use the images on webpages and alike. You can never see the max resolution on your computer display or a webpage.

The lens that comes with it is just fine. This is where the decision should be based. What good is to have 20 MPixels if you have a lousy lens and all you see is blurred images?

There is no need to get a different lens, unless you want 300 mm telephoto. Then be prepared to carry a large tripod all the time with you.

The macro is close enough and gives super clear images.

I would love to have a bit closer macro, but it's not a big thing.

By far, this Nikon is (I also have film Nikons) the camera to take with you. It's not a PS camera and got some heft to it.

One con:

The grip should have been a bit longer for the right hand. The bottom of that side is a bit sharp and eventually you'll find it uncomfortable for long periods of holding it. Minor issue and it should not take away from the functionallity of the camera.

When I bought this camera, I had pretty high expectations. This is not my first SLR; I started with a Minolta X370 in the 80's, then got a Minolta X700, then a Maxxum 7000. I still have all these film SLR's. My first digital camera was a Minolta Dimage Z1, a point-and-shoot that tried to look like an SLR. Then, Minolta got bought out and no longer makes cameras. So, I decided to step up to Nikon. Since I already had a lot of experience in cameras, I expected a lot, and this camera has surpassed all my expectations. I have not yet found anything I don't like about it, and that's unusual for a complainer like me. Sure, I could have bought a Sony and re-used my autofocus Maxxum lenses, but I liked the Nikon so much better than the Sony models I saw that I decided to start from scratch with a new brand. It's easy to operate as a beginner, but if you want to stretch your photographic wings someday, this camera will be ready. In fact, this is easier and faster to quickly take a shot than my Dimage Z1, which is supposed to be a point-and-shoot. I looked carefully at the D40X, but did not feel that it was worth $200 extra just to pick up a few megapixels of resolution. This D40 package is a screaming bargain. When you pick up the camera, you can feel how solid it is; that's the feel of quality. Even on their cheapest SLR. Getting a Nikon at this price is like getting a Lincoln discounted to the price of a Ford. If you are a first time SLR buyer, I suggest getting the 2 hour D40 DVD along with it. Any good camera shop should have it.

I'll make this short: Awesome camera, worth every penny. I absolutely adore it.

This camera is like 200 bucks cheaper than it's younger cousin, the D40X. What does the X stand for? Ten, as in megapixels, as opposed to the six mp this model has. People think the more megapixels the better- but unless you want to blow up your photos into posters, you don't need them. There's no discernable difference between six and ten megapixels if you are enlarging a shot to 8x10. In fact, I have my camera set to take pictures using only three megapixels- it keeps the file sizes smaller and I get all the resolution I need for making prints up to 5X7 (I rarely make prints that large- usually a make 4x6 unless it's particularly good. If I wanted to shoot something to blow up I would increase the file size for that photo shoot.

I looked at some other comparable cameras and thought they felt cheap in their build compared to the Nikon. The nikon lenses are excellent, and you won't have to worry about the company going out of business- in this market, that can't be said for all companies. THe built in flash works well- I have an external flash but I seldom need to use it.

My biggest complaint is that digital slrs are MUCH more complicated than film SLRs. It will take you a long time to figure out all the things you can do with this camera- that's not unique to this camera so much as thats the reality of digital SLRs. The good news is that the automatic settings work extremely well. You can find good deals on this camera too-shop around. See my review for the AF-S DX VR 55-200mm zoom lens for this camera.

I've had the Nikon D40 for about a month now, and I'm so glad I made this purchase. I've owned 4 different non-SLR digital point-and-shoot digital cameras prior to the D40. Over the past couple of years with my son attending birthday parties, "graduating" from preschool, and playing organized sports, I've faced the severe limitations of the regular non-SLR point-and-shoot format. The picture quality in less-than-ideal conditions (indoors, far away, kids buzzing around, etc.) has been unacceptable to me.

I was hesitant about getting a DSLR because seeing terms like "18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G" simply makes my eyes roll up in the back of my head. What I love about the D40 is that if I choose not to educate myself about these things, I can still take decent pictures. Just putting it on the "auto" mode and using it as a point-and-shoot camera has produced pictures of far superior quality that my non-SLR cameras. I've now started to use some of the different modes on the dial, namely Sport and Portrait, to compose pictures I never would have dreamed of. Eventually, I'll learn more about aperture and exposure times to create even cooler shots, but I love how the D40 is there to hold my hand the whole way as I get a bit more adventurous.

I'm super pleased with this product.

Thanks to all of the earlier reviewers who guided me to this camera as my first SLR camera !!! I received the camera with the standard 18-55 lense, and also purchased the 55-200 lense, less than a week in advance of one of those once-in-a-lifetime vacations -- 10 days in Peru.

The camera and its controls are very intuitive. The camera with the standard lense is very easy to handle. I took about 800 photos in 10 days (with just one battery re-charge !!). The quality of the photos is amazing. The 18-55 lense was the lense of choice for 95% of my photos -- indoor shots, photos of family members, and vistas. The 55-200 lense (which has a potential for up to about 3.6X zoom) was useful when I wanted to get closeups of people and animals without being physically close to them -- e.g., taking pictures of indigenous people at a respectful distance, or photographing a distant llama.) On this vacation, I didn't ever feel that I needed more than the 3.6X zoon capability of the 55-200 lense.

The full Automatic (point-and-shoot) mode on the camera makes EXCELLENT decisions for photos that require the flash. The Aperature-control mode results in amazing portrait photos at low aperature settings.

The problems I had with the camera were relatively minor. In the full Automatic mode with the camera's default settings, the camera has a lot of trouble getting the correct light exposure for outside shots -- photos tend to be overexposed and lose bright highlights -- for example, clouds and other white highlights are saturated -- that is, are presented as pure white, with no potential for later correction via computer. This was correctable by operating in the "P" mode, and correcting the exposure using an "EV" setting of -1/3 to -1.7.

Another small problem: On a bright sunny day, it is hard to see the photos on the rear-camera display -- e.g., to know whether the exposure is correct for the shot you've just taken. But, the camera has an excellent "histogram" feature that permits you to quickly judge whether you have the correct EV setting, even if you can't make out the details of the picture on the display.

Another small problem: In the full Automatic mode on a cloudy day (with the camera's default settings), the camera seemed to have trouble with the color brown. Thus, brown adobe huts and the brown grown came out as grey. This was fully correctable by setting the "lighting" compensation setting on the camera to "shade".

Perhaps as I get more familiar with the camera, I will learn other ways to get around these problems, as the camera has many settings and and controls that I haven't explored yet. Or, perhaps I will learn that I created these problems for myself !! The main point is that it was very easy to figure out fixes to each problem I encountered, and obtain the best photos I every taken.

So, not to lose sight of the main message, this is a great first SLR camera for a person who has only used point-and-shoot cameras previously. My two daughters were using new $250-$350 Sony and Cannon point-and-shoot cameras on the trip, and they also had outstanding indoor photos and outdoor family closeup photos. However, their cameras were no match for the Nikon D40 in terms of the full range of photo opportunities, including vistas, portraits, and action photographs of people/animals, etc.

The Nikon D40 can do everything a point-and-shoot camera can do, but then provide the flexibility to get great photos in situations where the limitations of point-and-shoot become evident.

As I was considering a digital SLR I knew I wanted a Nikon, and I was shifting back and forth between saving up for a D80 or D200 and buying the D40. In the end, I decided that with the rate at which digital products improve, it would be foolish to spend money on a top-end product that would only be a top-end product for a few months. And the resale options would quickly disappear. Better, I thought, to go with the cheaper model and then replace it in a year or two if necessary. Now, having bought the D40 and used it for a few months, I'm very glad I made the choice I did. I can't say whether I would like the D80 better, but I can say that I find no shortcomings at all with the D40. The meter is terrific--having shot about 2,000 images, I can say I only came across one or two situations that fooled the meter, and I shoot a lot of challenging situations. The color is very good, too. The controls are all logical and well laid out, and the camera feels very natural in my very large hands. There are a few small things I might have done differently if I were designing it--mostly to do with the steps needed to get at some menu items--but they really are minor, and at this price, I certainly can't complain. The kit lens is a wonderful surprise, too--versatile and sharp beyond anything I expected at this price. I use a Canon Rebel XT at work (I'm a magazine editor), and the D40 is leagues beyond the Canon. The Canon's meter is inconsistent and easily baffled by even straightforward lighting situations, and the color is dull and flat next to the Nikon. And the Nikon is vastly more sophisticated in the degree of control it offers--allowing you to adjust the degree of a given white balance setting, for example. And the Canon has much higher noise even at relatively modest ISO settings, where the Nikon noise only gets in the way at 3,200, and even then it's tolerable. All in all I can heartily recommend the D40.

Don't follow the advice in some of these reviews that you have to get a Nikon D50 or D80 instead of the wonderful Nikon D40 (which I've had for almost a year and taken thousands of pix on):

The D40 is barely half the price of a D80 and has better controls, is lighter/smaller, and takes photos the equal of any you can get on the D80.

The D50 is virtually off the market and has nothing substantial that the D40 hasn't (except the ability to use autofocus with AF/non-AF-S older lenses).

The inability to use autofocus with older AF lenses is no big deal: they still auto-expose and you can still focus them manually. Besides, with the great 18-55mm kit lens that comes with the D40 (all the lens most casual photographers will need) or the wonderful 18-200mm VR (expensive, but able to replace virtually every lens you'll ever want), you really wouldn't want to use those old AF lenses anyway, for almost any shot.

If you really need the few things that the D40 lacks (better metering, better color, better Auto ISO, faster sequential shots), spend more for the D200, a professional camera (the D200 is only a little more than the D80 -- which is no better than the D40 -- so why get a D80?).

Ignore reviews that try to put down the D40 as an "entry level DSLR" or a somehow lacking in what's necessary to take 99% of the photos you'll ever take: it's a great, inexpensive, wonderful to use tool for taking great photographs. It's the real deal.

This camera takes amazing photos. This is my entry into DSLR and I wanted something not too overwhelming in features, but not lacking important functions. Mostly I wanted great pictures. This is the perfect entry level DSLR or a hobbyist or amateur photographer.

I have owned a Canon Digital Elph and Canon G3/G5 and was looking really hard at the Canon 350D XT, but I did some research on Flickr and Pbase, looking at the photos other have taken with the Canon 350D, 400D, Nikon D40, D40x and I was suprised the Nikon shots look better. One major drawback of the Nikon D40 and D40x is a lack of Autofocus Motor in camera, which means you will need to get Lens' with Autofocus in them. For me since I will not be getting alot of lens' if any this was not a factor. But it is something to take into consideration if you own many lens'. The Canon XT is reported to have Autofocus issues but does have Autofocus in-camera.

MegaPixels. 6.1 MegaPixels will get you an image that is 3008w x 2000h. JPEG and RAW. I have printed 16x20 photos with this camera and they turned out great. More MegaPixels mean larger images NOT better images. The advantage of a larger image would be I could crop into it more. If you want more MegaPixels, get the D40x.

Little things I found on the Nikon that I thought were cool,

-you can retouch on camera a color image into say Sepia or Black and White and it will save a copy, meaning you have the original color and black and white image.

-you can custom set your menus, you know when you go and and see like 20 settings and need to get to White Balance, well you can pick and choose which choices appear, so you don't scroll through "Beep" every time.

Look around, on Flickr and Pbase these are great sites to do some research, look at photos, go to stores hold them see what they feel like. Then get the Nikon. Cheers.

*Amazon has a great price on this right now.