Thanks to an inadvertant leak via a certain German retailer's website, the photography boards are currently running wild with speculation about a supposedly soon forthcoming Nikon D40, and Ken Rockwell's already put up a summary page with a list of alleged features of this device. Judging by the specs being thrown about, this camera (if it exists) will be a seriously crippled version of the Nikon D50, with only 3 autofocus points (as opposed to the D50's 5 and the D80's 11), no top LCD display, no external ISO button and, most important of all, no internal focus motor, which means no support for lenses other than those of the AF-S variety - neither of the 28mm f/1.8 or 50mm f/1.8 primes I currently own would work with this thing, though Sigma's HSM primes (e.g. the 30MM f/1.4) probably would.
I'm sure Nikon's done their homework and are probably aiming for that substantial market of people who buy DSLRs and never acquire any lenses other than the one which comes with their kit, but for anyone with ambitions beyond this modest extent I honestly cannot see how this proposed D40 would hold the slightest appeal: as things currently stand I'd advise anyone looking to get a first Nikon DSLR to either get a D50 or, better yet, save up the extra cash and get the D80, which has already had its price cut since its release, and now costs only £600 for the body alone. D50 owners looking for an upgrade would probably be best off looking at the D80 or the D200, whose ability to meter with AIS lenses looks ever more alluring as I consider just how cheaply these can be had on the second-hand market: it only takes buying a few of these to make up for the entire price differential between the D80 and the D200.
As for myself? Well, I'm actually quite happy with my D50, thank you, though the brighter viewfinder, additional AF points and extra buttons + control wheel of the D80/D200 do make their difference felt on occasion. Still, my primary concern for the immediate future is to get better lenses, not an additional camera body, and right now that comes down to answering the question: is a Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 worth getting as a northern European winter approaches, or do I need something brighter like the Sigma 30mm f/1.4, wafer-thin DOF at maximum aperture notwithstanding? I've been pondering this question for an entire month and I still don't have an answer.
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