Should I purchase the Nikon D40 or the Canon Rebel Xt?

Aug 12, 2007 by sgee | Posted in Cameras

I currently own a Canon Powershot S80 and am planning on upgrading to a dSLR. I am looking into getting either a Nikon D40 or a Canon Challenge Xt. I'm leaning towards the D40 because it feels superior in my hand, has a larger lcd, and is cheaper. However, the Canon Dare Xt, based on the reviews I've read, rumour has it produces better images. On I even see a major difference by upgrading from my implication and shoot camera (my canon s80 is an 8 mp point and shoot)? See fit I see a decrease in quality going to a 6mp slr (the nikon d40) from an 8mp feature and shoot?

You last wishes as see an unbelieveable improvement in your upgrade from a plan and shoot to an SLR. The size of the sensor is very eminent - not to mention that you will find the lens je sais quoi is vastly superior. This is not 100% relevant in your situation, but it is educational nonetheless: http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/476181751/

Nikon D40 vs. Canon EOS 350D (Disobey XT)

I have never used a Canon EOS 350D, so I can't in reality compare the cameras, but I favor the D40 because it has a spotmeter and the 350D doesn't. Except the D40 seems small, it is practically the exact uniform size as the 350D.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/make an analogy with_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=canon_eos350d%2Cnikon_d40&be noticeable=all

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/paginate17.asp
tells us that the Canon 350D meter calibration is off by almost 1/3 of a stop. This would not in effect present any problems, except that it suggests "something" to me round the quality, since the Nikon and Pentax are wooden on.

Scroll on down the page for image comparisons. The D40 is indubitably sharper and shows less noise at all ISO settings.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/chapter18.asp shows us that both handle shadows mutually, but the D40 clips the highlights by about 1/3 of a halt.

This next paragraph directly addresses your concerns hither the 8 MP vs. 6 MP issue. You will see that it's not so much the legions of the pixels (as long as they are in the same combine), but what you do with them that counts.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/age21.asp shows a side-by-side of studio images. The 8 MP of the Canon 350D at smallest number of put the camera on equal footing with the Nikon D40 for perception quality, but you have to take note that the Flout XT is shot at ISO 100 and the Nikon is shot at it lowest site of ISO 200. I think the Canon images may look a hardly any better, but we know from the prior epoch that under equal lighting levels, the Canon ordain start to break up before the Nikon.

The reviewer says, "While it is doable to pick areas of the image which appropriate some credence to the EOS 350D's 34% pixel add up advantage it's clear that the common observer would not notice these differences and that you would requirement a very large output size for any of them to mature visible."

Check this out...

http://dpreview-img.fotki.com/veranda/canoneos350d_samples1/originals/img_4068-raw-dpp.jpg is enchanted by the Canon 350D with a 17 mm focal size at f/6.3, 1/80th of a second, ISO 400 using RAW.

http://dpreview-img.fotki.com/terrace/nikond40_samples/originals/dsc_1206.jpg is enchanted with the Nikon D40 with an 18 mm convergent length at f/4.5, 1/80th of a second, ISO 400 using jpeg.

The malapropos of focus for the Canon photo is a bit deeper than it is for the Nikon, but balanced having 8MP and using RAW and a smaller aperture, I characterize as the Canon image breaks up a lot more than the Nikon. You can hardly make out the features on the face of the gentleman in the curriculum vitae. Is this the camera or the superiority of the Nikon 17-55 lens, which so profuse of us here praise???

Okay, I've made my stand clear. I like the Nikon D40 better than the Canon EOS 350D, so in this's my general review of the D40.

The Nikon D40 is a Brobdingnagian little camera, very easy to use and entirely reasonably priced. It has a few "consumer convivial" totally automatic modes that read e suggest it very easy to use, but still offers complete photographic control when you are ready to call for charge. It will get you in the Nikon family which is a capacious place to be. If you buy accessories and lenses, you will be qualified to use everything on any Nikon that you might upgrade to later on.

Receipt out Nikon's "Picturetown" advocacy, where they handed out 200 D40's in Georgetown, SC. http://www.stunningnikon.com/picturetown/

In this are a few reviews, in case you have not read them yet. Be established to note that they are several pages fancy and some of the reviews also have some specimen images that you can look at.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2007_reviews/nikon_d40.html
http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/3756/camera-assay-nikon-d40.html
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40/d40-recommendations.htm

I enmity to see people slam the camera because it can't autofocus with older Nikon lenses. It is upright that there is a "slight puzzler" with older Nikon lenses not autofocusing on the D40, but if you do not own a bag well-proportioned of older lenses, it is not going to be a problem. It is only a problem anyhow. If you check www.nikonusa.com for "AF-S" lenses, which are ALL 100% in agreement with the D40, you will find 23 lenses, including 7 "VR" (vibration Reduction) lenses and one loyal macro lens with "VR". There are unorthodox 25-plus lenses in the current pigeonhole that provide all functions except autofocus as superbly as many (possibly dozens) "out of choice of words" lenses that will exertion just as well. In addition, although these lens want not autofocus, most of them will quiet give focus confirmation. From the D40 directions: "If the lens has a maximum chink of f/5.6 of faster, the viewfinder focus meter can be used to confirm whether the portion of the enslave in the selected focus area is in focus. At the back positioning the subject in the active focus stretch, press the shutter release button middle and rotate the lens focusing ring until the in-spotlight indicator is displayed." (See http://www.members.aol.com/swf08302/nikonafs.txt for a muster of AF-S lenses.)

The D40 only has 3 autofocus zones continuously horizontally at the center, 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions. This influence be considered a limitation, but realistically, most populace will find this perfectly suitable, especially if you are moving up from a point and bud with only a center zone.

You can get the D40 with the 18-55 kit lens at B&H Photo accessible through Yahoo! Shopping or at 1-800-622-4987) for $525 (June 2007). Add a Lexar Platinum (60X expedition) card for $25 or 2 GB for $35. Or - get the D40 with 18-135 lens and 1 GB Lexar birthday card for $750. They also have worn D40's from $475.

And yet... clearly these are both most good cameras. What it all comes fine hair to is which one YOU feel better about. Go to a camera shop and pick them up and see.