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| Click photo to see more views of the Nikon D40. |
The new 6.1MP D40 may be the lowest-priced DSLR to ever be introduced by Nikon, and it could be a big hit for those trading up from their compact digital cameras to a higher-performance DSLR. But if you're a dedicated Nikon 35mm SLR or DSLR owner with a bag full of Nikon glass, you may want to skip this one. Why? During our current lab test (results to be published in the March 2007 issue and online in February 2007) we discovered that the D40 isn't fully backward compatible with many older Nikkor lenses! Sure, you can attach them to the D40, but autofocus won't work unless the lens is a relatively new, AF-S or ED-IF series. (These both differ from older Nikkors because they have the AF motor built in to the lens body).
Looks like Nikon found a way to cut costs on the body by removing the mechanical AF assembly found in all other Nikon DSLRs and most 35mm SLRs. That makes the camera lighter and may allow for faster AF speeds with progressive generations of Nikkor lenses. But something doesn't feel right about a new DSLR that can't autofocus at any light level with a trusty Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D, or even an expensive, digital-only Nikkor Fisheye 10.5mm f/2.8G ED AF DX lens. What were they thinking?
Read the full hands on review.
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