Great starter DSLR which challenges the user (Nikon D40)

Member Name: Moleatrude

Product:	Nikon D40
Date:	14/07/09 (17 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great starter, simple to use, light and compact

Disadvantages: Low MP's, few missing features

I had my old Canon S70 stolen and decided to make the step up to a DSLR. I looked at mega-zoon or bridge cameras for ease of use, but you just couldn't get the control of a full on DSLR.

I looked at all the Canon and Nikon alternatives and decided on the D40 for a number of reasons. Firstly, price was a big factor being significantly cheaper than the many of the others. Secondly the size of this camera suited by large hands. It is a very comfortable camera to hold and is very light. Many people are put off by the camera only having 6 megapixels. For me this was a selling point. When you make the jump to a DSLR, you want to be challenged to be able to take good photo's and not get used to point and click capabilities. With 6 megapixels, it encourages you to learn about the different settings and get involved with photography. Many people have complained about the image quality when they are blown up to A3 + size, but I have had no problems when the photo's are taken carefully, and have A2 canvases printed out that look amazing.

I have always sworn my Canon's menu layout, but Nikons are just as easy to use when you get the hang of it. After a few weeks I could do anything I liked with my camera and was chuffed with the results.
The downsides are that you end up buying expensive lenses but that is what you get when you step into the DSLR market. There are a few missing features that the D60 has that have been left out, but for me they were not worth the extra money.

All in all I would highly recommend this camera, a great beginners/learning camera which can be used as a point and click but also challenges the user to get involved in the individual settings.

Summary: Great camera for your first move into the DSLR market.

Processing/Quality:
Reliability:
Ease of use:
Features:
Picture quality: