Nikon D40/D40x vs Olympus? help!?

Thanks in advance. I’m having a baby in January and always knew I wanted to buy a nice camera for the occasion (I love taking pictures, and will even more once he is here). I have researched online, talked to a few professional photographer friends, and still am confused as to which camera is right for me. I know alot about the Nikon D40 and the D40x, but cannot decide if it is worth the extra money to get the D40x? I would hate one year from now to regret not getting the 10mp camera vs the 6mp (even though I know 6mp tends to be plenty unless I plan on blowing up images to a certain point or zooming and cropping – and much of this difference lies on the OTHER side of the camera – as in the photographer).
Then someone mentioned the Olympus E410 – how does that compare to the Nikon in quality/versatility/etc? Am I forgetting any other option? (I know there is the Canon, and through my research have determined that bw the Nikon and the Canon its just a matter of brand preference)
OK – so I think it may be between the D40 and the D40x. SO the question remains: is it worth the money for the extra megapixels?? is the d40x better than the D40? this is where I am having the most trouble deciding….

Answer by fhotoace
Here is what Ken Rockwell has to say about the D40.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40.htm
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40x.htm

The D40′s are clearly better for two reasons.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=nikon_d40%2Cnikon_d40x%2Coly_e410&show=all

First is the sensor on the Olympus is much smaller … the focal length multiplier on it is 2x, the D40(x) 1.5x

The other is there are far more used lenses and accessories available for Nikon’s.

Answer by loverboy
i am also about ready to buy a new camera…….all else being equal the nikon will be my choice… last i knew they had a lifetime warranty…..check the warranty. they serviced my nikon binoculars after 18 years of hard use. that tells me they have faith in what there selling.”good luck” with new baby. send a baby pic with new camera let me know what brand camera you bought. thanks

Answer by Aleks
I think they are very close in quality, actually E410 is slightly lower, but it is much cheaper. The deal killer for E410 is lens availability – I don’t see any affordable fast lens with f/1.4 or f/1.8

Answer by d5canon
The Olympus has a smaller CMOS sensor (that’s the chip that actually records the image when you take it) than any Nikon or Canon you might choose. It also uses a lens system which is a special mount. Bottom line though is smaller sensor = less enlargement quality and easier camera movement blurr.
You are correct in thinking that the skill of the photographer is the major contributing factor in the quality of your pictures. You sound intelligent enough that a few hours reading the camera manual and a little practice will get you into the good picture taking category with whatever equipment you end up getting, but remember that you will never add mega pixels to the original image your camera produces. You may someday want to make a super sized enlargement from one of your images or (a more common situation) drastically crop one of your pictures. 6mp is normally very adequate but more mega pixels will never hurt any digital image and someday you may need all those mp’s. If your budget allows, go for the D40x.
You might also consider the Canon system. I have used both and use strictly the Canon 5D in my business, not necessarily because it will take a better picture than the equivalent Nikon, but primarily because I frequently use my equipment under less than camera friendly conditions, and the Canon system holds up better, lasts longer without repairs, and is more rugged than any Nikon I ever owned.

Answer by George Y
Think of it this way. For about the price of a Nikon D40x with an 18-55mm lens, you can get a Nikon D40 with an 18-55mm AND a 55-200mm lens. That gives you a DSLR system that you can use for so many occasions.

The 55-200mm (or 55-200mm VR) gets you 4 times closer, for all the times your precious little one is farther away, or you want a closeup of that sleeping face.

Check out this review of the D40 and look at all the photos Ken has taken of his baby boy using it.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40.htm
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/55200.htm

Notice how many of these photos are taken with a D40.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/ryan/index.htm

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Image by RamN
…. thats what the Bro-Sis duo seems to be doing after watching many animals at the Vandalur Zoo.

Hi. Should I buy the Nikon D40x with a 18-55mm Lens for about $ 640 or the Nikon D40 with a 18-55 lens and a 55-200mm lens for about $ 670?
- Also does the extra 4 mega-pixels in the D40x really make a difference compared to the 6.1 in the D40?

Thanks

Answer by future_air_combat
Don’t forget the D40X has a faster shutter speed, if that matters to you.

Do you plan on expanding on this investment in the future? If so, you probably wouldn’t want two kit lenses. I personally would recommend the 18-200mm VR II. It’s versatile and well priced.

Those four extra pixels would be useful if you plan on making enlargements. Nikon makes a D2Hs which is four megapixels, and it’s purpose is for journalism. There’s a purpose to having a higher megapixels.

I’m guessing you don’t own older lenses, as you are considering those two Nikons. Therefore, you shouldn’t limit yourself to just Nikon. Canon and Pentax have nice cameras as well.

Answer by anderson
Go for D40x, it is using the D80 sensor and bigger megapix allows you to crop your picture.

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