Back in November, Nikon set the world of digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras back on its heels with the D40, a 6.1 megapixel shooter with a 18-to-55mm Nikkor zoom lens for just $599. Now, Nikon is back with the new D40x, which doesn’t change much about the D40 except for one little thing: the camera now offers a 10.2 megapixel resolution.
“The D40 has become a runaway success for Nikon because it effectively addresses so many of the concerns shared by those who take pictures to preserve family memories and for all-around fun,” said Edward Fasano, Nikon’s general manager for SLR System Products Marketing. “Now with the D40x, anyone has the choice of higher resolution so they can do even more with their pictures. Whether people want to make poster-sized prints or make special enlargements from a smaller (cropped) area of a picture, the D40x can produce images that have superb clarity, outstanding detail and vibrant colors. Even regular 4×6 inch prints, and pictures reduced in size for e-mailing, are visibly better when captured with a more capable camera”.
The D40x offers a very fast power-up (just 0.18 seconds) and can shoot three pictures per second non-stop for up to 100 shots, making it ideal for capturing action and spontaneous moments. The D40x features a 2.5 LCD screen for menu options, interface, and viewing images (although, unlike Olympus’s recent DSLR offerings, it does not function as a live viewfinder) and comes with the new 3X 18–55mm ƒ3.5-5.6 ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor lens which is suitable for everything from landscapes to portraits. The D40x can also be used with Nikon’s AF-S and AF-I Nikkor lenses. The camera also includes Nikkon’s i-TTL flash control for better flash balance, eight built-in scene modes, in-camera image editing capabilities, a fast three-area autofocus, and the capability to shoot up to 520 images on a single battery charge. Oh, and Nikon is also billing the D40x as its smallest DSLR “ever”—if that isn’t a selling point, nothing is, right?
The D40x will be available in the U.S. in April at a body-only price of $729.95; if you want the 3X zoom lens, the camera will run you $799.95.
