Choosing an Entry-Level Nikon DSLR: The D40 Vs D60 Vs D5000

The Nikon D40, originally started being produced in November 2006, is starting to being phased out and discontinued from Nikon's line up of Digital SLR. The D40 is one of Nikon's most successful cameras in the Camera manufacturer's history and its specifications and features have been overshadowed by the newer Nikon D60 and D5000, but after over two years of production is the D40 obsolete or does it still have an advantage or two over its newer brothers? We'll look at a few of the differences between the three entry-level Nikon DSLRs.

Megapixels:

The first noticeable difference between the D40, D60, and the D5000 is the megapixel count. The D40 has 6.1 megapixels, the D60 has 10.2 megapixels, and the the D5000 has 12.3 Megapixels. What's important to understand for those who are new to digital photography is Megapixels do not equal quality! Typically quality is determined by the lens and the camera's ability to focus. Because all three of these cameras lack focusing motors within the body, this is all done with the attached lens. Lens used on these cameras without a built-in focusing motor have to focused manually.

When does megapixels matter?

Megapixels are good for two things: Large prints and cropping. With the D40's 6 megapixel sensor you can print up to 10x6.6" while keeping a minimum of 300ppi (pixels per inch). 300ppi is usually required by most magazine and print publishers since any less ppi may result in a noticeable reduction in quality. This isn't saying that a larger print that looks high quality can not be made however. Also, because cropping requires the removal of total pictures, this results in a reduction of ppi in the cropped picture. A 10 megapixel camera, like the D60, can make prints at 300ppi up to around 12.8x8.6" print and the 12mp sensor can result in around a 14.2x9.1" print. Measurements are approximate. What is important to understand however, is that any size medium that fits within all of those sizes, such as a 10x8" picture would be exactly the same quality, despite the megapixel capacity of the camera. Therefore, if one is only going to take pictures to display on their computer or make small prints, a 3mp camera would likely do the job unless a lot of cropping is done. The quality and sharpness of a picture is more contingent on the skill of the photographer and making sure that needs to be in focus, is. A picture taken by a 3 megapixel camera that is in focus will look much better in any size than a 12 megapixel camera that is just a little out of focus.

Could less megapixels ever be better?

In some cases, less can be better. A strength of the Nikon D40 is the ability to take great pictures at higher ISO settings, even better than the D60. This is because having less megapixels in the same amount of area makes the sensor less prone to pick up ambient electrical discharges from nearby receptors on the sensor. This also makes the sensor of the D40 faster than the D60.

Lenses:

The Lenses that come with the kits of the D40, D60, and D5000 are all nearly identical. They are all 18-55mm with 3x Zoom. The difference between the D40 and the D60/D5000's is that the newer cameras have Vibration reduction, while the D40's does not. Vibration Reduction helps keep the lens steady at slower shutter speeds, therefore with the newer lenses it's much easier to take pictures at these lower speeds.

Author's Note: In my personal experience, VR is really nice, but it's not as big of a deal on these 18-55mm lenses. If you eventually by a lens with a much longer Zoom, such as a 55-200mm lens, make sure you get VR! It's almost essential unless you always want to use a tripod!

Flash Sync.

This is one area where the D40 still has an upper hand on it's brothers. The D40 has a flash-sync of of 1/500, which allows the use of flash effectively up until that speed is surpassed. The D60 and D500 in comparison have a flash sync of 1/200. This makes the D40 overall better for using flash in action shots than the other two cameras.

Auto-Focus Points:

The D40 and D60 have three autofocus points. While this is fine in most cases, especially if you know how to take advantage of using these points to focus, the D5000 has 11 autofocus points. The more autofocus points, the quicker and more efficient the camera is on focusing on the scene on hand.

Video:

The final feature worth mentioning is video recording. Simply put, the D5000 does it and the D40 and D60 do not. The D500 is capable of recording 1280x720 at 24fps. While recording videos on DSLRs (at least entry-level DSLRs) are not replacement for a camcorder, it's a nice extra feature.

Cost:

The D40 kit costs new between $400 and $500.

The D60 kit cost new between $650 and $700

The D500 kit costs around $850.

Final Thoughts:

The price range between the three cameras is progressive, with the D40 starting off just over $400 and the new D5000 entering at $850. The D40 might still a little old and on its way out, but at $400 (or cheaper used) it's hard to beat with its legendary picture quality, high-ISO performance, and fast flash-sync. The D60 will eventually replace the D40 as Nikon's new entry-level SLR. While the D60 has a higher megapixel count, it's hard to justify another $150-250 more, especially when losing some of the nice performance delivered by the D40 at a lower price point. The D5000 makes a worthy successor and step up from the D40 all-round and even throws in 720p video. The D500 is twice the price of the D40 however.

When considering your first DSLR, or a second cheaper DSLR for your collection keep in mind what your price range is, if you need large prints, and if video is something important to you. I would recommend finding the D40 at $400. If the D40's 6.1mp sensor or 3 auto-focus points are not enough to you, consider the D5000. In any case, all three DSLRs are great cameras for their price and size.