Some D40 questions

[A.meiring]

hey people..

Im looking to get a d40 and just need to find out a few things. I heard something about certain lenses dont work, something to do with the focusing of the camera. I need to know if the sigma 70-300 apo will work on the d40, and also will that lens work on a nikon F75 film (if you know)


also, is there any negative things about the d40 that i should know about..

ta

[erichlund]

hey people..

Im looking to get a d40 and just need to find out a few things. I heard something about certain lenses dont work, something to do with the focusing of the camera. I need to know if the sigma 70-300 apo will work on the d40, and also will that lens work on a nikon F75 film (if you know)


also, is there any negative things about the d40 that i should know about..

ta

Well, the lenses still work. However, Autofocus lenses that are not AF-S compatible do not autofocus. You must focus them manually. The lenses that do autofocus are Nikkor AF-S lenses and Sigma HSM lenses. Nikkor AF and AFD and all other autofocus lenses do not autofocus on the D40. This is because Nikon did not put a focus motor in the D40, so lenses that do not have their own focus motor will not autofocus.

The next obvious question is... "Why did Nikon leave out the motor???" (along with gnashing of teeth). Well, pick up the camera and notice how small it is. I imagine that if you could tell Nikon how to fit a motor in there (at the same weight), they would pay you lots of money and have to come up with another fancy subscript for say a D40z.

I don't know diddly about an F75. I was a Canon user during my film days. You can use many f-mount AI and AI-S lenses with the D40, but you will have to have a separate meter or use a general rule of thumb like sunny 16. Because these lenses are designed for manual focus only, the fact that they will not autofocus is not an issue.

There are lots of people "getting by" with the lenses available for the D40. How many, I can't say, but Nikon is selling them like hotcakes. If you want a more capable Nikon, get the D80. It has a focus motor, and lots of other things besides.

The Sigma 70-300 APO is a nice lens, but it is not HSM, so it will not autofocus on the D40. The Nikkor 70-300 VR is more expensive, but it is AF-S so it will autofocus on the D40.

[jcon]

hey people..

Im looking to get a d40 and just need to find out a few things. I heard something about certain lenses dont work, something to do with the focusing of the camera. I need to know if the sigma 70-300 apo will work on the d40, and also will that lens work on a nikon F75 film (if you know)


also, is there any negative things about the d40 that i should know about..

ta

If I may ask a dumb question... in your sig it states you have a D70 and 17-55 F2.8. Why would you want a D40?

If you're in the market for the 70-300 range, get the Nikon 70-300VR!

[500mL]

I'm contemplating of getting a D40 as well. I've read so much about how it is a good camera for entry-level dSLR users (mainly from p&s to dSLR). I now use a Canon S2 IS, but I'd like to learn a lot more. Would you recommend getting one now or just hold off until I feel I am ready? In my opinion, I would learn in a more efficient way if I have the camera, isn't it?

-500mL-

[Rooz]

I'm contemplating of getting a D40 as well. I've read so much about how it is a good camera for entry-level dSLR users (mainly from p&s to dSLR). I now use a Canon S2 IS, but I'd like to learn a lot more. Would you recommend getting one now or just hold off until I feel I am ready? In my opinion, I would learn in a more efficient way if I have the camera, isn't it?

-500mL-

you won;t ever be ready until you have one. you can read all about it but until you start experimenting with a dslr you won;t learn much imo.

would be a good idea to talk with Xailo who i think upgraded to a d40 from S2 or S3. he will be in best position to talk to you about the learning curve from that model camera.

[r3g]

I agree with Rooz. Reading helps but its no substitute for experience. I started doing dslr research about a month in advance of me getting my camera and it wasnt until i took it out of the box that i felt i could hand it.

[500mL]

I agree with Rooz. Reading helps but its no substitute for experience. I started doing dslr research about a month in advance of me getting my camera and it wasnt until i took it out of the box that i felt i could hand it.

Rooz & r3g,

Thanks for the replies. That basically helped out a lot of my debate whether to delay or get the D40. Now my only question is what's the difference between the D40 and D40x besides the big gap of megapixels. I can't tell from the reviews what has changed from the previous D40

-500mL-

[XaiLo]

Not much, basically 10mp vs 6mp take the extra $200 and put it towards a 55-200mm VR. sent you a PM on the S3 vs D40 stuff.

[r3g]

Share with all of us XaiLo, im kinda curious

[Rooz]

Rooz & r3g,

Thanks for the replies. That basically helped out a lot of my debate whether to delay or get the D40. Now my only question is what's the difference between the D40 and D40x besides the big gap of megapixels. I can't tell from the reviews what has changed from the previous D40

-500mL-

agree with xailo here, the d40x is simply a d40 with extra megapixels and imo defeats the purpose of a d40 entirely which is to provide a high quality dslr at a bargain price. drop the cash on the 55-200VR or towards a 70-300VR and you'll never look back. or, if you have the money go for a d80.

as for the delay there's nothing really to wait for. the next gen dslr's from nikon and canon are going to be in a much higher price bracket. ie: 40d, d300, d3 etc