Compared to...
On paper the D40X stacks up well, on the positive side it's speed and responsiveness belies its 'entry level' billing, it has the same great customizable auto ISO feature which we loved from the D80 (essentially 'ISO priority'), excellent metering (including spot) and other features such as embedded user comment and retouching. On the downside is the fact that you can't auto focus with just 'any' Nikon F mount lens, it has to be an AF-S or AF-I (with a built-in motor), that if you shoot RAW+JPEG (which I tend to) you'll end up with a Basic quality JPEG and that there's no mirror lock-up feature.
Nikon D40X advantages
- Very short 'viewfinder blackout time' at shutter release
- Comfortable ergonomics (hand grip)
- User definable Auto ISO (minimum shutter speed, maximum ISO)
- Sensitivity up to ISO 3200 (HI-1)
- Spot metering (vs. EOS 400D)
- Excellent Nikon 3D Color Matrix Metering II
- Dedicated Auto Focus assist lamp
- User comment can be set in-camera
- Instant 'power on'
- In-camera retouching features (vs. EOS 400D)
- Good USB 2.0 performance
 Nikon D40X |
 Canon EOS 400D |
 Olympus E-410 |
|
| Price (body only) |
US: $699 [check price] | US: $699 [check price] | US: $699 [check price] |
| Body material | Plastic | Plastic | Plastic |
| Sensor | • 23.7 x 15.6 mm CCD (DX) • 10 million pixels |
• 22.2 x 14.8 mm CMOS • 10 million pixels |
• 17.3 x 13.0 mm LiveMOS • 10 million pixels |
| Dust reduction | • Dust reference image | • Anti-dust materials • Low pass filter vibration • Dust reference image |
• Supersonic Wave Filter |
| Native image size | 3872 x 2592 (3:2 ratio) |
3888 x 2592 (3:2 ratio) |
3648 x 2736 (4:3 ratio) |
| Lens support | • Nikon F-mount • Includes DX lenses • AF only AF-S or AF-I lenses |
• Canon EF mount • Including EF-S lenses |
• Olympus and third party 4/3 • 4/3 standard lens mount |
| FOV crop | 1.5x | 1.6x | 2.0x |
| Body shake reduction | No | No | No |
| Live view | No | No | Yes, TTL using LiveMOS sensor |
| File formats | • RAW (compressed) • JPEG (3 levels) |
• RAW (comp. lossless) • JPEG (3 levels) |
• RAW (comp. lossless) • JPEG (3 levels) |
| RAW+JPEG | RAW + JPEG Basic | RAW + JPEG Fine | RAW + JPEG (any quality) |
| Auto focus | • 3 area TTL • Range: -1 to +19 EV |
• 9 area TTL • Range: -0.5 to +18 EV |
• 3 area TTL • Range: 0 to +19 EV |
| AF illuminator | Built-in lamp | Flash strobe, must be raised | Flash strobe, must be raised |
| Color space | • sRGB (2 modes) • Adobe RGB |
• sRGB • Adobe RGB |
• sRGB • Adobe RGB |
| Metering sensor | • 420 pixel RGB sensor • 0 - 20 EV working range |
• 35 zone sensor • 1 - 20 EV working range |
• 49 zone sensor • 1 - 20 EV working range |
| Metering | • 3D Color Matrix Metering II • Center-weighted average • Spot |
• Evaluative • Partial • Center-weighted average |
• Digital ESP • Center-weighted average • Spot • Highlight based spot • Shadow based spot |
| Exp. comp. | +/- 5.0 EV | +/- 2.0 EV | +/- 5.0 EV |
| EV steps | 1/3 EV | 1/3 or 1/2 EV | 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV |
| Sensitivity | • ISO 100 - 1600 • ISO 3200 with boost |
• ISO 100 - 1600 | • ISO 100 - 1600 |
| Auto ISO | User definable maximum ISO and minimum shutter speed | Auto (100 - 400) | Auto (100 - 1600) |
| Custom ISO NR | No | No | No |
| Shutter speed | • 30 - 1/4000 sec / Bulb • 1/500 sec Flash sync |
• 30 - 1/4000 sec / Bulb • 1/200 sec Flash sync |
• 60 - 1/4000 sec / Bulb • 1/180 sec Flash sync |
| Continuous shooting |
• 3 fps • Unlimited JPEG/Fine frames • 9 RAW frames |
• 3 fps |
• 3 fps • Unlimited JPEG/HQ frames • 7 RAW frames |
| White balance | • Auto • Six presets • Manual preset • Fine tunable |
• Auto • Six presets • Manual preset • Kelvin temperature • Fine tunable |
• Auto • Seven presets • Manual preset • Kelvin temperature • Fine tunable |
| Image params | • Six preset looks • Sharpening: Auto, 6 levels • Tone: Auto, 5 levels, cust. • Color: 3 modes • Saturation: Auto, 3 levels • Hue: -9° to +9° |
• Six preset picture styles • Three user sets • Sharpening: 8 levels • Contrast: 9 levels • Saturation: 9 levels • Color tone: 9 levels • B&W filter/tone: 5 of each |
• Four preset looks • Sharpening: 5 levels • Contrast: 5 levels • Saturation: 5 levels • Monochrome: 5/4 levels • Gradation: 3 levels |
| Embed comment | Comment set in-camera | Owner name set via software | No |
| Flash | Electronic release pop-up | Electronic release pop-up | Electronic release pop-up |
| Viewfinder | • Pentamirror • Eyepoint 18 mm • Frame coverage 95% • Magnification approx 0.8x • B-type Bright View Clear Matte Mark V |
• Pentamirror • Eyepoint 20 mm • Frame coverage 95% • Magnification approx 0.8x • Laser matte screen |
• Pentamirror • Eyepoint 16 mm • Frame coverage 95% • Magnification approx 0.92x • Lumi-Micron Matte screen |
| LCD monitor | • 2.5 " TFT LCD • 230,000 pixels |
• 2.5 " TFT LCD • 230,000 pixels |
• 2.5 " TFT LCD • 215,000 pixels • Live View possible |
| Status LCD | No, utilizes main LCD | No, utilizes main LCD | No, utilizes main LCD |
| Mirror-lockup | No | Custom function | Yes, custom 1 - 30 sec |
| Other features | • Wireless flash control • In-camera retouching |
n/a | • JPEG edit (inc. shadow adj.) • RAW development |
| Custom settings | 17 | 11 | 12 |
| Storage | SD/SDHC card | Compact Flash card | • Compact Flash card • xD Picture card |
| Battery | EN-EL9 (7.4 V, 1000 mAh) | NB-2LH (7.4 V, 720 mAh) | PS-BLS1 (7.2 V, 1150 mAh) |
| Battery status | Battery life (4 stage) | Battery life (3 stage) | Battery life (3 stage) |
| USB | USB 2.0 Hi-Speed (approx. 6.7 MB/sec) |
USB 2.0 Hi-Speed (WIA only) (approx. 3.2 MB/sec) |
USB 2.0 Hi-Speed (approx. 4.6 MB/sec) |
| Vertical grip | No | BG-E3 (option) | No |
| Software | • Nikon PictureProject • Nikon FotoShare • Nikon Capture NX (trial) |
• Canon DPP • Canon PhotoStitich • Canon ZoomBrowser EX • EOS Utility (Remote Capt.) |
• Olympus Master 2.0 • Olympus Studio 2.0 (trial) |
| Dimensions | 126 x 94 x 64 mm (5.0 x 3.7 x 2.5 in) |
127 x 94 x 65 mm (5.0 x 3.7 x 2.5 in) |
130 x 91 x 53 mm (5.1 x 3.6 x 2.1 in) |
| Weight (no batt) | 471 g (1.0 lb) | 514 g (1.1 lb) | 375 g (0.8 lb) |
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