My New Toy

I finally succumbed and bought myself a Nikon D40. After countless failed relationships with point-and-shoot cameras that could never quite give me the photos that I had in mind, I've decided to take the plunge into the world of DSLR cameras. And ohh...how I've fallen in love!

For starters, the D40 is a weightless beauty. The official Nikon website says it weighs "approx. 475g (1lb. 1oz.) without battery, memory card or body cap". After having lugged around a friend's D80 on several occasions (complete with battery grip and an SB-600), I can look straight into your eyes and tell you with absolute certainty that 475 grams *is* weightless.

With enough light, the proper settings and steady hands (or a tripod), the D40 breathes extraordinary life into your photos with its crisp images and vivid colours. It may 'only' be a 6.1-MP camera but, in my humble opinion, it beats a 10-MP point-and-shoot camera any day.

The D40 is also more affordable than its siblings in the Nikon family. I could have opted for its 10MP fraternal twin, the D40x, but I figured, I'd rather save up my money for lenses and other accessories.

Ahh...accessories. Don't let me get started there. I haven't even gone past using AUTO mode, but I've already come up with a shopping list that grows longer day by day:-

speedlight (SB-400 or SB-600? Portability vs flexibility? Decisions! Decisions!)
lens hood
polariser
tripod
Nikkor 55-200mm VR lens
macro lens kit
camera bag (a ThinkTank Urban Disguise? a Crumpler? a jill-e creation?)
spare SD cards
spare batteries

Now if you'll excuse me, I need some one-on-one time with my new toy...