Playing With the Nikon D40x

[Photo-John]

We got a D40x in for review last week. I shot studio tests with it and took it out for a mountain bike ride yesterday. So far I kinda like it. I'm really used to the Canon controls and Nikon's controls are bass ackwards compared to all the other digital SLRs. But that's not really a big deal. It just slows me down a bit. The camera feels great and I think I'm getting pretty good exposures that allow me a lot of room to work later. I'm shooting NEF RAW and converting in Lightroom. The one thing that I'm not happy with is the 18-55mm DX kit lens. Even stopped down to f/8 there's noticeable softness around the edges. But the lens can be replaced. So unless you're planning to buy the kit and nothing else, I don't think it's that big of a deal.

These photos were all taken yesterday on a very late season ride near Ogden, Utah. It's raining today and supposed to turn to snow tonight. So that was probably the last ride up there.

Note: there has been a lot of post processing in these photos. Don't think that they came out of the camera looking like this. In the kind of lighting I shoot in, a lot of selective adjustment has to be done to hold highlight detail and open up shadow details. What I look for is a camera that can deliver good raw material to work with in Photoshop. And I think the D40x performed admirably - except for the lens. There are a couple that I know would have been better with a different lens. C'est la vie.

[MJS]

A couple of the Harry wannabe's have bought the D40 and D40X with the kit lens and had similar results. I figure that the 18 - 200 would be a great lens with the D40x, but it will put the camera above the price break that most people want. We have an old 70-300 G and my former 80-200/2.8 tokina ATX Pro II for the kids to borrow, but they have to manual focus without the built in lens motors. At least its good practice for them. The D40 series feels like a point and shoot after hauling around the D200 with the battery grip and my ever present 28-70/2.8.

Nice shots by the way, it looks like way too much exercise for me.

[deckcadet]

The 18-55 isn't bad for a cheapo $100 kit lens, but that's what it is... a kit lens. When I 'coach' the aforementioned wannabes, I tend to recommend they try and step up. Nikon's amateur lens range is known for its high quality results at a very low price. The 18-135mm and 18-70mm DX lenses are significantly cheaper than the 18-200 VR, but offer useful ranges with great results. Sigma has started releasing HSM versions of its better lenses (e.g. 18-50/2.8 EX HSM, 17-70/2.8-4.5 DC HSM) for Nikon mount to add compatibility with the D40/x.

I like the D40 for beginners because the graphical information display on the back can be configured to give them a visual representation of what's happening with their aperture and shutter speed. Very helpful for teaching them f/stops and the like, and for them to get a grasp on it when no one is there to help.

I personally think that Nikon has the edge with ergonomics, but at the low end it gets closer to a wash between every brand as most of the really inexpensive bodies tend to bury controls in the menus.
For a long-time user of one brand, however, especially Canon vs. Nikon, the controls can seem very alien on the other side. your results may vary... I find I can pretty easily switch between the two with minimal effort.

[Photo-John]

There are deckcadet wannabes? Good lord! What's the world coming to??!

I am tempted to compare the Nikon kit lens to the Canon kit lens. I have them both right now. I am feeling like the Canon is better. But there's only one way to find out. You're right of course about upgrading. If I owned the D40x I would have the 18-200 VR lens. Shoot - if I owned any Nikon body (except the D3, of course), I'd have the 18-200!

[deckcadet]

Hrm. If you feel the Canon is better then you definitely have a bad sample of the 18-55- maybe it's knocked out of alignment?

Overwhelming popular opinion for those who have used both has historically been the Nikon 18-55 DX beats the Canon 18-55 EF-S.

It's interesting to see quite a few people with the 18-200 are planning on keeping it with the D3. Many will have a DX body, but the auto DX crop makes it useful still. I don't know if the 18-200 is one of those lenses that will cover FX beyond a certain focal length, but many DX lenses do. If it falls slightly short in the corners, they can also activate 5:4 crop and reduce or eliminate that. Some people just really like the lens... go figure

By the way, any news on that review sample of the 14-24 and 500mm VR ? I'll have everything else to test soon enough

[deckcadet]

Interestingly, John, Nikon has just released a new 18-55 DX, this time with VR and a new optical formula. Price is announced as $199, from what I'm reading. No ED glass this time around, but very cheap for a stabilized lens.

Maybe its optics are improved too! It'll start trickling down into kits reasonably soon as well.

[Photo-John]

Interestingly, John, Nikon has just released a new 18-55 DX, this time with VR and a new optical formula. Price is announced as $199, from what I'm reading. No ED glass this time around, but very cheap for a stabilized lens.

Maybe its optics are improved too! It'll start trickling down into kits reasonably soon as well.

If you look over to the right-hand column at the "Camera News" box, you'll see a link to the press release for the new lens.

[MatthewBtown]

Nice pics and nice lens

[Photo-John]

Nice pics and nice lens

Those photos were taken with the kit lens, which I didn't like that much. I do like the 18-200 VR lens, though. Love that range! And with Vibration Reduction it may be the best do-it-all lens around. Although Sigma just came out with an 18-200mm lens with their OS image stabilization system...

[Fendley]

nice shots john.
how is the 55-200 mm. VR for the D40x?

[freygr]

Those photos were taken with the kit lens, which I didn't like that much. I do like the 18-200 VR lens, though. Love that range! And with Vibration Reduction it may be the best do-it-all lens around. Although Sigma just came out with an 18-200mm lens with their OS image stabilization system...

I have the 18 - 70 kit lens on my D70. If I use my daughters D80 I take of the 18-55 lens and install the 18-70 lens as I like the ergonomics of the 18-70 lens over the kit lens. But I have noticed minor light drop off at the wide end. I have not noticed any lack of sharpness with either lens. I have found that if you do not setup the auto focus for the type of shooting you do you will have problems with sharpness.