Nikon D40 entry-level digital SLR

Passed your compact proficiency test? Time to take on the DSLR

By George Cole • Get more from this author

10th July 2008 12:45 GMT

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Forget the humble specifications – seeing is believing and this camera gives impressive picture quality

The time difference between the first and last frame is 17 seconds

The D40 also writes data to the memory card very quickly - we shot a fast moving bus in single-shot mode with no problems. Close-up shots were superb and even the 3x zoom seemed to exceed its humble specification. Low-light shooting was good too and the noise level even at ISO 1600 is minimal.

The Hi (ISO 3200) mode setting produced rather harsh results and images shot in this mode looked somewhat noisy. Battery life is quoted at 470 shots in single-shot mode and after firing off several hundred frames, there was still plenty of juice in the tank.

Verdict

The D40 may have been around for a while now, but if you’re new to digital SLR photography or are simply counting the pennies, then this camera needs a very close look. Its performance far exceeds it seemingly low specification and it handles well.