Add me to the list of D40 users

[swpars]

I just picked one up on Sunday, over in Seattle at Tall's Camera. Got the body & 18-55mm kit lens.

I've taken a few shots (well, about 25) and have been really impressed already. The autofocus blows away my point & shoot cameras -- and the high ISO noise (or lack thereof) is amazing.

Even with the relatively slow kit lens (F3.5 maximum aperature) I've been getting good low-light shots. The AF system has only 3 points as we all know, but it's fast and focuses on what I want (I mainly use center point AF anyway, and I don't shoot many moving subjects).

This is a great camera for around $500. The only accessories I've picked up so far are the requisite high speed 2 gb SD card (my existing 2 gb SD card is generic & low-speed) and a clear UV filter to protect the lens.

My next purchase will be a new bag for this camera (maybe a holster type that isn't very obtrusive and bulky).

Anyway, I'm glad to join the Nikonian community with this great little SLR.

[r3g]

Congrats. Now get to posting pictures!!! :p

[XaiLo]

Congrats, on the new gear and welcome to the community. Happy Shooting;)

[fionndruinne]

Indeed, it's an awesome camera.

You know, I like the three AF points; they've helped me get into the habit of remembering the rule of thirds, and "trisecting" my photos for good aesthetic. I never really did that during my purgatory period with a P&S.:p

When you pick manual AF area (not manual focus, but manual focus-point selection), it's easy to switch focus points with the directional pad. I used center point almost exclusively at first, but now I'm picking points a lot.

High-ISO shots look great as long as they're not very underexposed. I find I get a lot of ugly noise at ISO 1600 when the photo has a lot of dark areas, but if I overexpose slightly, or expose for the darker areas in the image instead of the brighter, I can get nice low-noise shots. Underexposure heightens noise a lot.

As for bags, check out the Million Dollar Home line. They're not holster-style, but are built great and have lots of protection (although some are rather funkily colored). I use a top-load Lowepro small SLR bag (which barely holds the D40), and while it's very rugged, there's less padding than I would like. I will probably pick up a smaller Million Dollar Home bag sometime soon.

[hankbeblazin]

i do that too i didn't know anyone else did. i overexpose my higher ISO pictures and then correct them in lighroom to get less noise. it helps alot especially at 1600

[tim11]

Welcome aboard.

[swpars]

As for bags, check out the Million Dollar Home line. They're not holster-style, but are built great and have lots of protection (although some are rather funkily colored). I use a top-load Lowepro small SLR bag (which barely holds the D40), and while it's very rugged, there's less padding than I would like. I will probably pick up a smaller Million Dollar Home bag sometime soon.

Thanks for the tip!

My D40 will live in a 3 Million Dollar home -- just picked one up.

http://www.crumplerbags.com/Cart/index.php?catId=22