Ken Rockwell (//kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40.htm) just posted the hints and info he has gathered about the possible announcement of a Nikon D40 in the very near future. I know this is speculation, but his site has had fairly reliable info with regard to things like this in the past. Potentially dips under the psychological $500 barrier.
the forums over at dpreview.com have been going nuts about a D40 for the last week - some sellers have posted pics on the website early and it looks like being a 6mg d50 downgrade. very much a DSLR for the P&S people
the forums over at dpreview.com have been going nuts about a D40 for the last week - some sellers have posted pics on the website early and it looks like being a 6mg d50 downgrade. very much a DSLR for the P&S people
Nikon has definitely figured out how to get people into the SLR door anyways. I'm wondering if there will be a 7 or 8mp D60 coming now. ...?
Personally I think Nikon is already watering down their line as it is right now. Just how many choices in your DSLR line up do you really need at one time? Ultimately I think they are just going to confuse consumers.
Personally I think Nikon is already watering down their line as it is right now. Just how many choices in your DSLR line up do you really need at one time? Ultimately I think they are just going to confuse consumers.
I think the D50 might be discontinued after this, and a d60 released to fully fill in everything from amateur to pro-levels. Hopefully they'll also release at D3 series with better framerates and MP counts, and the better noise handling of the D200 and the D80. Another reason the D50 needs to be phased out.
But yeah, it seems the D70s, D2hs, D2x should now be listed as discontinued models.
While possible, this would be REALLY, REALLY strange to introduce with this short a window to the holiday. It's a narrow ramp up window, and honestly I have doubts about the ability of Nikon to keep it in stock for the holidays.
It's interesting, but man if they do I hope they can support it during the holiday.
What about the rumor that non AF-S lenses will not work? Sounds like a deal breaker to me....
this won't be a big barrier to those who are using this as an entry-level dslr. they can get this and invest in a mid-range to decent lens, then upgrade to a d80 (or d90 at that time) in a year or two if they see they are getting a lot of use out of their camera. however, i do agree that it will limit people's ability to search for used lenses, and it may not fit what people need if they are looking for a cheap backup body.
KR is full of hot air.
Even if it turns out to be true he's been speculating on the D3X for almost a year (more?).
He's also predicting a Canon 40D and a Nikon D60.
Take his predictions and reviews with a grain of salt.
Personally I think Nikon is already watering down their line as it is right now. Just how many choices in your DSLR line up do you really need at one time? Ultimately I think they are just going to confuse consumers.
I have to agree with this. It makes business sense to concentrate on where the market is, and Pro DSLR's are only a tiny slice of it, however if Nikon don't pull something out the hat soon they're gonna lose big market shares.
I'm a die hard Nikon fan, and hate those dirty Canon folk, but the facts speak for themselves here, on all fronts Canon are ahead (Mpixels, speed, ISO etc etc). I think Nikon are in danger of being the 'budget option' which frankly terrifys me!
It looks like this is the digital equivilant of the N55. Total SLR noob camera. Not one I'm going to reccomend to anyone who has Nikon lenses or to anyone who's seriously looking at getting into SLR photography.
This is a point and shoot with adjustable lenses.
3 autofocus points
AF Cam530 vs CAM900 focus system
no bracketing
new battery (so no upgrade path to D50 or higher)
only AF-S or I lenses.
It's actually a good decision for a lot of reasons. There are a ton of people who want long lens but don't use ANYTHING else. This is perfect for them.
It also looks like Nikon will be releasing an SB-400. Swivel head, iTTL and all the good stuff except no wireless. It should go for around 150.00 USD. I got the info from popphoto.com.
Personally I think Nikon is already watering down their line as it is right now. Just how many choices in your DSLR line up do you really need at one time? Ultimately I think they are just going to confuse consumers.
I have to agree with this. It makes business sense to concentrate on where the market is, and Pro DSLR's are only a tiny slice of it, however if Nikon don't pull something out the hat soon they're gonna lose big market shares.
I'm a die hard Nikon fan, and hate those dirty Canon folk, but the facts speak for themselves here, on all fronts Canon are ahead (Mpixels, speed, ISO etc etc). I think Nikon are in danger of being the 'budget option' which frankly terrifys me!
IMO, the D40 is targeted at P&S users looking to upgrade, and people buying a camera for the first time. Some P&S cameras only have one AF point, etc. so the D40 is an upgrade. And Nikon will lock users into its lenses, flashes, and other stuff.
Think of the new college graduate--no money, but the guy is looking to buy a camera. He can either get a nice P&S, or an entry level DSLR. This person will buy the cheapest body available becasue he will need all the accessories. If he spends more, he will buy better glass, a tripod, flash, camera bag, flash, photoshop, etc.
I suspect that this person's thought process will be that its cheaper to upgrade the lens in a year or two, get a flash that's a lot more useful than the one on a P&S, and then replace the body in two or three camera generations. Or the person may just buy a new lens or body at each significant event in his life (expensive vacation, wedding and honeymoon, birth of a child, etc).
So IMO Nikon is investing in a group that will return a lot of money over the next forty to sixty years.
As far as confusing consumers, that depends on what Canon calls the 30D replacement :-)
Perhaps the biggest negative on the D40 is that it doesn't have an internal focus drive motor and hence no mechanical focus drive pin, instead it only has CPU contacts which means it can only Auto Focus with AF-S and AF-I lenses (those with built-in focus motors). Indeed our 'standard' lens the Nikkor 50 mm F1.8D (and the F1.4D) are manual focus only on the D40.
The LCD is bigger (2.5") and the camera is a bit smaller and lighter.
Its definitely targeting the entry level SLR market and I think its pretty decent at this price point. On the other hand, the D50 appears to have come down a fair bit recently so the biggest advantage that the D40 might have (price) isn't quite as important then.
The camera is totally stripped... i can see why Nikon would do that, but to me, it's kinda stupid.
Just to get you on the Nikon boat. Both Canon and Nikon realize that the cost of switching is very inhibitive so the challenge is on to get people earlier, and that means before they truly understand what they are buying.
The camera is totally stripped... i can see why Nikon would do that, but to me, it's kinda stupid.
To many first-time dSLR buyers, price is the main criteria.
So if you could lure someone into making his dSLR body yours, and when he starts getting flashes, lens, etc for the system, you would have got yourself a long-time customer. He will probably upgrade his camera body later and the saga continues. That is why we have very low low low priced bodies now - to bait new customers. Maybe a year down the road, that "newbie" will be posting supports for that particular brand he owned, defending it with his life :p
