I'm really pleased with the D40. I went with a DSLR, rather than a "point-and-shoot" since the image sensor is larger on DSLRs. The little point-and-shoot cameras seem limited to a) working well in bright light (most brands) or b) only working well in low-light conditions (fujifilm).
I almost held-off on the D40 because of "only" 6MP, and the lack of automated sensor cleaning. In reading more, I find that 6MP is quite adequate for home use, when coupled with good optics (especially when using RAW data files). Additionally, the larger pixels in a 6MP sensor generally provider better low-noise results in low-light (which is where I take most of my pictures). Low-light automatic shooting with the built-in flash works great!
I was very worried about not having automated sensor cleaning like the Canon XTi. It didn't help when I shot a blue-sky and found dust bunnies on my new camera sensor! A quick look at the manual showed me how to raise the mirror, a quick puff of compressed air, and all was solved - clean sensor. I really think DSLRs have an advantage in that you can clean the sensor. I no longer care about automated sensor cleaning.
I also like the Raw NEF file format, not provided by typical P&S cameras. Works great with Adobe Photoshop Elements 5, if you get the latest version 3.7 of the "Camera Raw" plugin.
I went with the Nikon extended warranty (adds 2 years to the standard 1), only seemingly available from real camera shops. Fortunately, my camera shop was cheaper than Best Buy.
Problems:
A little dust on the sensor initially, but I can probably attribute that to the dusty room where I assembled the camera.
I almost held-off on the D40 because of "only" 6MP, and the lack of automated sensor cleaning. In reading more, I find that 6MP is quite adequate for home use, when coupled with good optics (especially when using RAW data files). Additionally, the larger pixels in a 6MP sensor generally provider better low-noise results in low-light (which is where I take most of my pictures). Low-light automatic shooting with the built-in flash works great!
I was very worried about not having automated sensor cleaning like the Canon XTi. It didn't help when I shot a blue-sky and found dust bunnies on my new camera sensor! A quick look at the manual showed me how to raise the mirror, a quick puff of compressed air, and all was solved - clean sensor. I really think DSLRs have an advantage in that you can clean the sensor. I no longer care about automated sensor cleaning.
I also like the Raw NEF file format, not provided by typical P&S cameras. Works great with Adobe Photoshop Elements 5, if you get the latest version 3.7 of the "Camera Raw" plugin.
I went with the Nikon extended warranty (adds 2 years to the standard 1), only seemingly available from real camera shops. Fortunately, my camera shop was cheaper than Best Buy.
Problems:
A little dust on the sensor initially, but I can probably attribute that to the dusty room where I assembled the camera.