Is the Nikon D40 DSLR still available in the market today here in Singapore? Please help...

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>Im looking for a DSLR camera. I've had compact cameras already and want to upgrade myself, I will be a beginner then. I've heard good reviews about the Nikon D40 as ideal for beginners like me to start as a dslr camera. Sadly, when I did store hopping and asking here in singapore, they say that the Nikon D40 is no longer available. They rather recommend the D3000 as an entry level for beginners. Now, I've read bad reviews about the Nikon D3000, some termed it as "the worst DSLR camera Nikon ever made. Now, please help me.<br>

My query is;<br>

1. Is the Nikon D40 available still in the market today here in Singapore?<br>

2. If so, where can I buy it that you can assure me i wont be fooled by the merchandisers with both price and quality?<br>

3. If not, what then would you recommend me of a camera that is good for me as a beginner, cheap but produces best and outstanding photos?</p>

<p>Please help me, please....</p>

<p>Sincerely,<br>

Ric Hunter</p>

<blockquote>

<p>the worst DSLR camera Nikon ever made</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Interesting. D3000 looks like D40/D40X/D60 with much better AF sensor from D90. I wonder how it can be worse than the previous models.</p>

<p>I'd stop looking for D40 if one is not readily available at cheap price. Can't figure out why you'd want to buy years old entry level camera. I mean, sure, it's nice little camera but not magic or something.</p>

<p>Also, when comparing prices note that new VR kit lens (stabilized) is much more convenient than the old one but doesn't cost a lot more.</p>

<p>For example <a href="http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/nikon_d3000_review/">Photographyblog.com</a> and <a href="../equipment/nikon/D3000/review">site you're posting to</a> don't seem to find anything wrong with the camera. Did you actually look into the bad reviews what it was all about?</p>

<p>In fact one of the contributors on this site, Joe A, has compared the D40 and D3000 at some length:-<br>

http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00UgPV<br>

He may well have something to say later, but in summary:-<br>

1. The D3000 is about 1 stop noisier than the D40 when shooting JPEGs.<br>

2. The D3000 user interface is much slower to respond.<br>

3. The D3000 has a better AF system.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Joe A wrote:</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Raden.... If you think the D40 is slow, you should see the D3000. Even shooting JPEGs, it locks up for 2-3 seconds after a single shot with NR on. Can't bring up the shooting display to take the next shot into the buffer. Can't open the menus. Can't play an earlier shot in preview. Nothing. The camera is dead. Does the same thing with NR off after a 3 or 4 shot burst.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I find this curious. D3000 should be able to take 100 jpgs in row at steady 3fps, it's in the specs and other reviews confirm this. And why not, pretty much every dslr can take 100 or unlimited amount of jpgs without locking up.<br /> High ISO quality. As you can see from Joe's samples D3000 outputs very clean RAW but jpgs are really messy. No other review mentions anything about clearly worse image quality (1 stop or more is very evident) and I can't see anything wrong with the sample shots either.<br /> It feels like Joe's D3000 is a lemon with broken processor or something?</p>

<p>Hello All.... I'm still comparing the D3000 and D40, so this is a work in progress. I am still leaning toward the D40 for pure image quality, but the CAM1000 autofocus module is keeping the D3000 in the hunt.</p>

<p>Regarding the quote above posted by Kari: I did have a problem that caused the delay/lockup. Turns out the battery was the culprit. I tried another battery and the "no response" problem went away. But the D3000 certainly <em>cannot</em> take 100 large fine JPEGs at 3fps. It slows after the 8th or 9th JPEG and has to start waiting for the buffer, and the burst rate after #9 varies between 1 and 2 fps. <em>I confirmed this with another D3000 in-store.</em> I would guess it's a case of the same buffer as the D40 and it now is processing bigger 10MP files, but I haven't researched it.</p>

<p>I should also clarify something that seems like confusion on Kari's part, and I don't want it to confuse others (regarding the post with the ISO 1600 pictures). The D3000 does NOT output clean NEFs unless you strip them of all tags in Adobe Camera Raw. Out-of-camera and into ViewNX or CaptureNX2 (or ACR with slight changes), they are no different than the JPEGs (as one would expect given the tags). But getting "naked" raw data is not something in a beginner's work flow. No other review mentions this because stripping a file completely of it's tags in ACR in not a normal step.</p>

<p>There is no way to dial back the settings in the D3000 enough to save the JPEGs, and I find this a flaw; even the lowest settings seem over-processed.</p>

<p>Richard summarizes #1 and #3 correctly. With #1, the D3000 is clearly 1 stop noiser, and I find this especially frustrating at ISO 200. I see noise creeping in at ISO 200. It makes the shadows look funny in prints at 8x10 and above. The D40 makes a better 11x14-ish print, and to me, THE PRINT is the real test. Regarding #2 and #3, the interface is not much different now with a good battery. And the D3000's AF system simply blows away the D40 (and D40x/D60).</p>

<blockquote>

<p>"...some termed it as "the worst DSLR camera Nikon ever made."</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Not <em>some</em> . One. Specifically, Ken Rockwell, whose opinions are best taken with a dose of salts. His reviews should be considered only as occasionally amusing entertainment and, too often, as disinformation.</p>

<p>thanks guys. your discussion to my querry helped a lot. Now I could say that the Nikon D40 edges over D3000. Im really hoping that it's still available in stores here in Singapore now. I've went as far as 5 popular camera stores here and they said that the D40 has stopped in production. With one voice they all said that the D3000 is the new entry level for beginners. I don't want to risk in buying a DSLR camera just because its recommended by a salesman rather than by a professional photographer...<br>

....I really hope so it's still available....</p>

<p>I've tried D40, it seems I have to grab a D3000 from somewhere.<br /> This wasn't a personal attack or something, it's just that having clear technical problems with your D3000 wasn't very convincing.</p>

<p>I guess you have quite a few shots of the same scene with both cameras. Could you post ISO 1600 pair in full sized jpgs (or provide them on your site)? No crops, no interpolation.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>To say that one camera is better than another camera simply because it is newer is foolish logic,</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I said: I'd stop looking for D40 if one is not readily available at cheap price.<br /> D40 has good reputation and some asking prices for used ones are rather high. Old camera, no warranty, xxx shutter actuations, no VR kit lens...and the few new kits floating around aren't cheap either.<br /> I don't feel totally comfortable with the idea of newbie running after D40 just because it's supposed to be ideal for beginners. Yes, as I said, it's a nice little camera, but really any new entry level dslr will do fine. Perhaps there is something wrong with D3000 (needs new firmware?) but that doesn't mean D40 suddenly becomes the only option.</p>

<p>Ric, have you actually handled different dslrs? Go to a store, try them and see what you like. There's nothing keeping you with Nikon. Canon, Pentax, Sony and Olympus all make good cameras.</p>

<p>Edit: I think last D40 kits around here were already sold out last year. It's not very likely you find new kits from bigger stores unless there's an inventory sale for all the random stuff they happen to find.</p>

<p>thanks Kari...okay, i'll try again to read some more reviews about the D3000...maybe im reconsidering it..</p>

<p>..by the way, can you tell me what's with the 18-55mm VR lens? is this what includes if i choose to buy the D3000 kit? what can it do compared to the lens of the D40?<br>

...also what's with 11 point-AF system that the D3000 has? what do you mean with an AF system?</p>

<p>Im really sorry for asking you this questions. This just proves that I'm a newbie in DSLR camera and I'm humble to admit that.</p>

<p>Thank you for answering these to me...</p>

<blockquote>

<p>..by the way, can you tell me what's with the 18-55mm VR lens? is this what includes if i choose to buy the D3000 kit? what can it do compared to the lens of the D40?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>VR = image stabilization. Quite useful with slow aperture kit lenses, you can handhold with much longer shutter speeds than without it. Usefulness is reduced in the normal zoom range along your improving handholding technique but still it comes handy, especially in the 55mm end where you only have f5.6.</p>

<p>...1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11... These are full stops. Each step doubles/halves your exposure time.</p>

<p>f5.6 lets in 4 times less light than f2.8 found in more expensive zooms which translates to pretty hefty difference in low light.</p>

<p>50mm, f5.6, 1/15, not handholdable<br>

50mm, f2.8, 1/60, ok success rate with good technique.<br>

50mm, 1/15 with VR is doable.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>...also what's with 11 point-AF system that the D3000 has? what do you mean with an AF system?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Autofocus. D3000 has 11 points which can search the subject. It's more versatile and also faster and more sensitive than D40 3 point system.</p>

<p>Pentax, Sony and Olympus have stabilization built into the bodies so every lens you mount will be stabilized, works with house brand, third party and even old manual focus lenses.<br /> In case you wonder why they don't seem to have stabilized lenses.</p>

<p>Hmm... in case you like Nikon and your budget allows take a look at D5000. It has D90/D300 sensor which is great + sviwel screen, live view and video. Bit more expensive but it's still considered entry level and not more difficult to use or anything.</p>