Nikon D40

The Nikon D40 is a compact DSLR from 2006. Its APS-C sensor and fixed optical viewfinder make it a straightforward stills camera for anyone learning interchangeable-lens photography.

At 522 g the body is easy to carry, and the 124 x 94 x 64 mm dimensions suit a small bag. This is a camera you can keep with you rather than plan around.

Owning one means accepting what 2006 offered. There is no video recording and no live view, so every shot is framed at the viewfinder, and images reach a computer by memory card rather than any wireless link.

At the heart of the D40 is a six megapixel APS-C CCD sensor, processed by Nikon's image processing engine. Its Optics score of 33 out of 100 is limited, and it sits in the bottom 1% of cameras in our database for Optics.

Sensitivity runs from ISO 200 to 1600. That range covers daylight and bright interiors, but dim evening rooms will push it to its ceiling. There is no in-body stabilisation to reduce camera shake, so steady handheld work favours faster shutter speeds or firm support.

Autofocus offers three points, and the maximum burst rate is 2.5 fps. That suits posed portraits and static scenes, where you place a subject on a focus point and shoot single frames. Fast action is harder, because three points leave few focusing positions and the modest frame rate limits continuous sequences.

The Nikon F DX mount accepts F-mount lenses, the system's main long-term asset. The 1/4000 s top shutter speed allows short exposures in bright light.

The Nikon D40 does not record video in any form. Movie capture was simply not part of its design, and there is no built-in timelapse mode either, so neither clips nor motion sequences can be produced with the camera alone.

That absence shapes how the camera fits a modern kit. Anyone wanting clips alongside photographs will need a phone or second device, while a photographer working only in stills loses nothing here. Motion work happens on other equipment.

Storage reflects the same priority. Because nothing but stills can be captured, an SD or SDHC card holds pictures alone, with no video files to sort or back up, and no card space lost to clips.

The 2.5 inch, 230,000 dot LCD is fixed and not touch-sensitive. It serves image review and menu navigation rather than composition, since live view is also absent, and the display itself is small with a modest dot count.

Lighting is better provided for. A built-in flash covers simple indoor shots, and the camera also supports external flash units, so there is a clear path toward more controlled lighting.

Beyond that, the feature set is sparse: no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, no GPS and no weather sealing, so the body is best kept out of rain and dust.

The limited features score of 17 out of 100 reflects the absent weather sealing, touch screen, live view and Bluetooth, along with only partial credit for the small, low-resolution display.

A single SD or SDHC card slot handles storage. With no second slot there is no spare card waiting in the camera, so photographers covering long days will want to pack extras.

The EN-EL9 battery is rated for 470 shots. Real-world endurance varies with conditions, so treat the figure as a guide rather than a promise, and a charged spare is sensible insurance for heavy use.

There is no USB charging, so the battery cannot be topped up over a USB connection. Charge it before heading out for a long shoot. The storage and battery score of 27 out of 100 is limited, reflecting the single card slot, the battery rating and the absence of USB charging.