iBlog

No (or at least fewer) excuses

Nikon today announced the D40, a $600 entry into the low end DSLR market. This 6.1 megapixel camera includes several features aimed at the amateur enthusiast who is probably making their first slr purchase. From in camera editing features (cropping, red-eye reduction, etc.) and 8 shooting mode presets, to the ability to preview how changing a setting, such as f-stop or shutter speed, will effect the image (via sample photos on the 2.5” LCD screen) and an animation that explains the relationship between aperture size and f-stop number, Nikon is clearly trying to bridge the gap between point and shoot cameras and DSLRs.

I’m not so sure that “the end is neer,” but it will be interesting to see how well this sells once it becomes available in December.

More thoughts on the Nikon D40 from around the web:

• Phil Askey’s thorough hands-on preview at dpreview
• New York Times: A Digital S.L.R. That Gives Hints on What an F-Stop Means
• MacWorld: Nikon D40 DSLR costs $599
• Derrick Story: Nikon D40 - DSLR for the Masses?