To start with, I am a newbie to professional photography. I basically assume that everyone holding an SLR with some interest in photography, has already started looking at photography as a professional.
I bought my Nikon D40 considering various factors and in comparison to various other models. One the main criteria other than the anything else was the price.
Features are quite less when compared to Canon for the same price. But, as far I heard, the picture clarity is excellent in comparison.
Now coming to the main story. SLR camera market is held by two superstars , Nikon and Canon. Even though there are other players in the market, these two share the larger chunk of the market. Sony is slowly gaining, but not good enough. Fuji, Pentax, Olympus are all there, but the impact isn’t much.
What made me choose Nikon. Obviously reviews from people ;)
I read through lots of reviews and then choose Nikon. I will not say its the best nor would I say Canon is, but its just the best to suit my needs of photography and obviously my wallet.
Nikon D40 instead of Nikon D40x or the D60 was much of a logical decision. Cramming up a 6 MP vs a 10 MP inside the same CCD didn’t make any sense. MP (Mega Pixel) is not a scale to choose when it goes beyond 6. A 6 MP can be much more than enough to print a 11 x 14?, and thats huge, and I will not print that size anytime now.
D60 had nothing more than a 5 point autofocus to its advantage. Newer model for almost 10, 000 more didn’t mean anything. So D40 was a clear choice.
NOTE: SLR camera are for life. Decide which you wanna buy. Don’t just decide on the camera, but also on the brand which you are going to live with. Lenses are NOT interchangeable. Canon fits a canon and Nikon fits a nikon. There are obviously some adapters available for interchange but they are not worth the hazzle.
Buying a lens is the next choice to make. Lenses vary depending on the photography you are interested in. A big zoom doesn’t mean great photography. It just means that you will shoot objects which are far. The "x" factor doesn’t help in these lenses (e.g 3x, 5x), as these lenses are referred in optical distances. 35mm - 105 mm etc.
After I got my camera, I have been shooting for the last 4 months. The experience has been amazing. I hold a very good Fuji Digital camera, and also shoot with it. The difference between the high end latest Fuji digital and Nikon D 40 is incomparable. D40 wins hands down.
The difference is how much you can manipulate every given situation and concentrate on what you want to shoot. Try your hand and comment if you have the time. If you are a pro, please criticize my article, and if you are an amateur, I am open for more questions. (Pro or an amateur depends on your own perception of photography )