Here are my 2 cents.
I went on a trip to Europe for 3 weeks this year and wanted to get a decent digital camera that would not cost so much I had to eat bread and cheese on the trip. So, I looked at several options and ended up choosing the Nikon D40 for the following reasons:
• Resolution and quality-wise it met my needs. I wanted to take good quality photos while on vacation, but not something I would try to make a living from.
• It is "light weight" so I would actually use it and carry it around day-to-day (I still do even though I am now home, you never know when a great shop will pop up!).
• It was "affordable".
• I had no lenses. If I already had canon lenses I would have gone with Canon.
• I wanted a camera that would be easy for me to use and would “get out of my way” while trying to take photos. Meaning, I did not have to drill through 4 levels of menu from one photo to the next. Most of the time I set the camera to Aperture Priority and adjust the aperture until I get the speed and effect I want.
I figured if I got the D40 and actually kept up with the hobby for more than a year, then I'd see what was out there and get a "better" camera. There are things I would liked to have had such as depth of field preview and more auto focus sensors, but I really can’t say I feel a ‘lack’ because of it.
I read reviews on several sites (dpreview.com, dcresources.com, even the sometimes reviled kenrockwell.com, as well as various forums for nikon and canon) went to the store and held the cameras to get a feel for them, then purchased the D40. I have no regrets so far. Well, I’d love to get my hands on the nikkor 18-200mm DX VR lens, but don’t have the $1000.00 I’d need to get one!
If you like I can send you a link to my smugmug account and you can check out some of what I've shot.
james
